This is a picture of 4 Generations
On the left seated is my great great grandfather Henry(3) 1827 - 1908 with him are his son Harry Albert (my great grandfather) born 1856 in Norwich and his eldest son Ernest Albert born 1879 in Norwich and his son(yes it is a boy) Ernest Albert born 1903
Henry Whatling(3) was born about 1825 in Hoxne (hundred*). I say about because it changes in almost every census. To fit with recorded age 81 at death in 1908 he would have been born in 1827 Henry married Sarah Hales on 24th October 1854 at St Peter and St Paul parish church at Hoxne Suffolk. His name on the Register when he married is Henry WHATLING and the marriage was by banns - the vicar Richard Bendryke. Both Henry and Sarah were of full age (over 21) and previously unmarried. Henry's occupation was given as Carpenter and their father's were Henry Whatling (thatcher) and William Hales (bargemaker) .
(A bit of 'licence' here as Henry was in fact a ag lab and William also an "ag lab/shoemaker'!) The witness's were Mary Barkway (Henry's sister) and Edward Barkway (his brother in law). Henry signed for both himself and Sarah as he could write and Sarah made her mark.
1841 census
(*For those under the age of 14 the exact age is normally given, but the ages of those aged 15 or more are generally (but not always) rounded down to the nearest 5 years below - so someone who stated he was 24 would have been recorded as 20.)
1851 census
Henry Whatling(1825 -1908) was shown age 24 (born 1827) living with sister Mary 25 and brother in law Edward Barkway in Cross St Hoxne. He is a carpenter. This is 3 years before his marriage to Sarah. It is also the right birth date for his age on death certificate ie 81 years. (Spelling- the 'H' had arrived)
Grapes Public House Cross ST Hoxne (note:" CROSS STREET is a populous part of the parish, about 1 mile south from the church)" His Mother , Father and 2 of his siblings were in Wingfield Henry age 50 Ag Lab b Stradbroke Mary age 56 Dressmaker b Haughley Maria age 18 b Wingfield James age 14 b Wingfield ____ Henry, Thomas John and George have all moved out of the family home. Only Maria and James are still at home Mary had married Edward Barkway a carpenter, in 1844 and moved to Cross Street part of the Hoxne Parish.. Thomas was a servant at Park Farm Hoxne. John was a private soldier in the Coldstream Guards. He was in The Guards Hospital in Westminster. George was a servant at John Davy's farm on Pixey Green ,Stradbroke. He is shown as age 20 but was really 17. There is a possibility he may have emigrated to New Zealand in 1858 on ship Maori? Henry WHATLING and Sarah moved from Wingfield to Norwich in 1857. Father Henry WHATLING and mother Mary are still in Stradbroke
In 1861 census they are in Rays Buildings in Sussex St, St Clements Parish of St Augustines.
(note: Rays Buildings was in Sussex Street St Augustine's Parish Norwich.
The Norwich Yards are a very real part of Norwich History. You can find out more >> HERE
1871 Census
In 1875 mother dies in Wingfield Suffolk and dad dies 1877 and is buried in Wingfield
1881 Census
1881 census:Henry Whatling and Sarah were still in Norwich but in 1882 his son Harry Albert and the family moved from Norwich to Birkenhead
By 1891 Henry Whatling and Sarah were in Birkenhead too . note: The Long Depression, 1873-96,would have made it hard to find work for a joiner.
Daughter Maria Lavinia was already on Merseyside and was an upholsteress. She was widowed from "Ernest Watkins" and lived with Sarah's sister Margaret Higginbottom(nee Hales) who ran a B&B in New Brighton . The census shows that Sarah was helping in the upholstry business too. It is 'a story' within the family that he moved to help construct the Manchester Ship Canal:
Construction began in 1887; it took six years and cost £15 million (equivalent to about £1.65 billion in 2011). When the ship canal opened in January 1894 it was the largest river navigation canal in the world, and enabled the newly created Port of Manchester to become Britain's third busiest port despite the city being about 40 miles (64 km) inland.
1891 census
1901 census
Sarah (nee Hales) died 1905 in Birkenhead age 76 and Henry 3 years later in 1908 age 81
Henry died at 139 Borough Road Birkenhead Wirral Cheshire on 10th February 1908. His cause of death was bronchitus and asthma and his son Harry (my great grandfather) was present at his death. He was a journeyman joiner and he was my Great Great Grandfather.
His age was given as 81 years but varied in every census. (note: my grandfather Harry Denmark also died of Bronchitus ) He had moved from Wingfield in Suffolk to Norwich and then again to Birkenhead on Merseyside. He had come on quite a journey.
