This Journal records the ancestors of The Whatling’s who were born on The Wirral Peninsular in North West England.

Research so far has lead back to the 17th Century and to East Anglia in South East England. At the end of the 18th Century there was a link with the Vincent family. A number of Watlings were born and christened in Stradbroke Suffolk as Vincents?
Historically the Whatling name can be traced back to the Anglo Saxons and the pre Roman town of St Albans.

Overtime the spelling has included and omitted the letter ’H’. Time has shown that illiteracy amongst the ‘working classes’ led to phonetic spelling of names. Consequently one should be ever mindful of local dialect pronunciation.

Acknowledgements are due to:

Clive Whatling who provided much detailed information on our direct family .

Ken Watling (Wato) who has an extensive database which he shares so readily.

Anne Dunne who has an extensive database from Ipswich Record Office

Roz Whatling and Tess Barker for their research into the Vincent connection.
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First Generation 

Kenneth Whatling born in Birkenhead Wirral, son of Samuel Robert Aitken Whatling and Dorothy Sugars.

Stephen with Dorothy,Kenneth and Jacob

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Second Generation 

Samuel Robert Aitken Whatling(1916-1998)
was born in Birkenhead on 16 February 1916 and  died on 14 January 1998 in Moreton Wirral Cheshire, at 81 years of age. 

He married Dorothy Sugars at The Baptist Church Hoylake Road in Moreton Wirral Cheshire in 1940. They had one child- a son Kenneth

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Dorothy Sugars was born in Salford Lancs 1916 and died in Weston super Mare in 2005 age 88 .
She was the first daughter of Arthur Sugars and Annie Gowenlock. Her sister was Marjorie.
Follow The Sugars Line Here

A brief biography: Sam had lots of jobs. He was a market gardener, builder, bus conductor and a confectioner.
During the second world war although in a reserved occupation (market gardener )he enlisted in the RAF regiment and was a corporal.

Photo above shows Sam centre at the front working as a market gardener for Meadows in Moreton. This must have been taken about 1934.

After the war he cycled daily to Flint North Wales from The Wirral to work at Courtalls cloth makers.
He worked as a builder and then as a conductor on the Crosville buses working out of West Kirby depot.
When Cadbury's opened their factory in Moreton making tea and cakes, Sam became a factory worker and then department manager.. 'He could make any cake provided the ingredients were weighed in cwts and gallons. '
He was a good all round sportsman particulary cricket and football.
He played for Moreton FC and Cadbury's cricket club. He represented a 'Forces xi ' during the war and played with some England stars of the day.
He loved his garden and his roses and was the perfect father and husband.

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(Sam seated left in both Cadbury Cricket and Moreton FC football teams)
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Third Generation 

Harry (Harvey on some census) Denmark Whatling (1881-1959)
He was born in St Augustine's Parish, Norwich on 21 March 1881 and died 27 July 1959 in Birkenhead ,at 78 years of age.
He married twice.
He married Mary Alice Scott in Birkenhead, 7 July 1907. Mary was born 1880. The daughter of William Scott. She died in 1908 in Birkenhead.

He then married Annie Bella Aitken in Birkenhead, in 1911.

 Annie Bella was born in Dundrum,Downpatrick County Down , Northern Ireland on 13 July 1893. 
She died March 1976 in Tranmere Birkenhead, at 85 years of age.

This photo is of the two Annie’s: ‘Annie’ Whatling(nee Aitken) is lady on the left and Annie Sugars is on the right.(nb Ken Whatling's grandparents).The little girl is Joyce Whatling (now Howell)
Harry Denmark was a storeman (a provendor) and traction engine driver. ( A Traction Engine is a steam driven truck or lorry) He ensured all his children had a trade. (for some reason all except Sam.) Trades of his children included, secretary, plumber, carpet fitter, cabinet maker, book binder. He moved from Norwich to Birkenhead with his mum and dad (Harry and Ellen)and brother Ernest. His grandparents Henry and Sarah and uncles Ernest and William also moved around 1882. (see more under Henry and Sarah).

Harry Denmark Whatling and Annie Bella Aitken had the following children:

Harry with Ken and John Sugars (cousins)
Harry Whatling was born in Birkenhead in 1914. He was married just before he died to Margaret Layfield.
They had no children. Harry died in Birkenhead in 1966. He was a cabinetmaker at Cammell lairds Shipbuilders.

John Whatling was born in Birkenhead in 1918. He was a carpet fitter and then manager and director of Fludes Carpets of Birkenhead and Hastings.
John died in Hastings Sussex in 1987. He married Joy in Birkenhead, 1945 and they had 2 children Derek and Leslie .
 
Arthur Whatling was born in Birkenhead in 1926. He died in Birkenhead in 2006 .
He was a plumber for Birkenhead Corporation . A very good footballer and cricketer(a fast bowler). He was unmarried.

 Doris Whatling was born in Birkenhead. She married Fredrick Howell and has 2 sons Trevor and David.

 Joyce Whatling was born in Birkenhead. She married Kenneth Howell (Fred's brother) and they have 3 children Brian, Carol and Michael

 Ann Whatling was born in 1913 Birkenhead. She was unmarried.She died in Birkenhead in 1958.

This is Ann Whatling with Ken Whatling about 1948 outside 139 Paterson Street Birkenhead. The dog is ’Nigger’- Harry Denmark’s dog.

 Edna Whatling was born in Birkenhead in 1929 but unfortunately died the same year.

Samuel Robert Aitken Whatling was born 16 February 1916 and died in Moreton 1998. 
(see above)
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Fourth Generation

Great grandfather Harry Albert and his wife Ellen my great grandmother.

Harry Albert Whatling (1856-1916) was born in Ray’s Buildings Sussex Street Norwich Norfolk in St Augustine's Parish, on 26 September 1856
and died 5 December 1916 in Tranmere Birkenhead, at 60 years of age. He was a carpenter and joiner like his father.
He married Ellen Elizabeth Hurn (1857 -1917) in Norwich, St Augustine's Church, on 4 August 1878. Ellen Elizabeth was born in St Augustine's Parish Norwich, in 1857.
Ellen died 26 May 1917 in Woodchurch Road Birkenhead, at 59 years of age. She was the daughter of Denmark Hurn a shoemaker.

Great Grandfather Harry Albert Whatling and Ellen Elizabeth Hurn had the following children:


Left to right: Harry Albert(seated), Fred, Herbert(Bert), Ethel, William (Bill-seated),Ernest , Harry Denmark, Ellen Hurn
 Harry Albert Whatling was born in Heigham Norwich 16 September 1878. Harry died 1878 in Heigham, at less than one year of age.

Ernest Albert Whatling was born in Ebenezer Terrace off Sussex Street Norwich, Norfolk, on 13 September 1879. He married Mary Roberts of Hoylake Wirral on 27 December 1902.. He was a fireman in Bootle Liverpool and moved to Moreton Wirral in 1906. They had 6 children: Ernest, Harry, John Isaac Roberts, Isobel May, Leonard and Clive Joy. He ran the Post Office in Moreton. He volunteered for the Boer war and served in The Cheshire regiment in First World war. He died 9 October 1940 at 61 years of age and is buried in Moreton Churchyard. Mary died in 1951 age 74.

Harry Denmark Whatling was born 21 March 1881 also in Norwich. He married twice (see above)

Herbert William Whatling was born in Birkenhead in February 1883. Herbert died 23 March 1952 in Birkenhead, at 69 years of age. He married Agnes Bagwell in Birkenhead. 

Ethel Whatling was born in Birkenhead 1885. Ethel died 2 June 1971 in Birkenhead, at 85 years of age. She was unmarried and was a teacher.

William George Whatling was born in Birkenhead 1887. William died 30 January 1966 in Birkenhead, at 78 years of age. He married Beatrice. 

Frederick Whatling was born in Birkenhead 1892. Frederick died 1 February 1966 in Birkenhead, at 73 years of age. He married Jessie.
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Fifth Generation

 
Henry Whatling was born in Hoxne Suffolk in 1827.(taken from death cert 1908 age 81) A Henry Watling was christened at Stradbroke Parish Church He also gave several different ages on census which would give his birth year between 1824 and 1831.

Earliest census (1841) has Henry and Mary Watling living in Wingfield (a sub district of Stradbroke ) :

He always gave his place of birth as Hoxne but this could be the 'Hundred' and he may have been born in Wingfield or Stradbroke) He was a carpenter and house joiner.

He also had a sister Mary (born 1822) who on 14th March 1844  married a carpenter Edward Barkway at the Parish Church in Hoxne. Henry was living with them in Cross Street Hoxne at 1851 census.(Cross Street is a village about half a mile from Hoxne village)

Both Edward and Mary were witnesses at his marriage to Sarah Hales also at Hoxne Parish Church, Suffolk on 24 October 1854.
Sarah Hales was born in Repton Upton Norfolk in 1828. Her father was William a bargemaker and she had 5 sisters.Maria b 1834, Margaret b 1838, Frances b 1839, Elizabeth b 1841 and Harriet b 1849.Margaret seems to have be instrumental in orchestrating the family move to Birkenhead:-
Between 1861 and 1881(census) the Henry and Sarah Hales family were living at Kay's Buildings in Sussex Street Norwich. They were 3 boys and 2 girls. :
Maria (aka Martha) born 1855. Harry Albert 1856-1916,Mary Ann b 1860 , Ernest Albert 1862-1902 and William 1866-1947 
However, by 1881 Martha and Mary had moved upto Birkenhead with their Aunt Margaret (now Higginbottom). Martha (or Maria) was now Maria Watkins and she had a son Ernest. They were living in 103 Rodney Street Birkenhed and working as upholsterers'.The elusive Mr Watkins is not in residence?

The rest of the family followed around 1882. The reason is not clear but work as carpenters may have been plentiful during the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal?
Henry died 10 February 1908 in Birkenhead, at 81 years of age. Sarah also died in Birkenhead in 1905.

Henry Whatling and Sarah Hales had the following children: 
Harry Albert Whatling was born on 26 September 1856 in Norwich and died 5 Dec 1916 in Birkenhead.
Mary Ann Whatling was born in Norwich, Norfolk, on 16 September 1860. She married Harry Chaplin on 27 February 1877 in Woodbridge Suffolk. She was an upholsteress and in 1881 census was living with her sister and aunt in 103 Rodney Street Birkenhead.
 Ernest Albert Whatling was born in Kay’s Buildings Sussex Street Norwich, Norfolk, on 25 November 1862. He was a boot clicker in the shoe trade. (a clicker cuts out the leather patterns. A very responsible job)
 William Whatling was born in Norwich, Norfolk, on 5th September 1866.In 1881 census he was an office clerk in an auctioneers in Norwich He married twice. He married Annie(Ann) May Ashton in Birkenhead in September 1890.They had at least 5 children: Arthur(born 1890),Annie Maud(1892),George William(1894) , Mabel born 1895 and died 1895 and May 1899 . Street indexes for Birkenhead show them living at 419 Borough Road from 1891 to 1897 described variously as tobacconist, joiner,stationer,and newsagent. In 1912 they were living at 24 Plumer Street Birkenhead and he is a joiner.They had moved to number 18 by 1946 (probably due to wartime bombing in 1941 - this is near to Birkenhead docks).
His will dated 28 April 1941 at 'Glascoed' 55 Overchurch Road Upton Wirral left everything to his wife Gertrude Emily and daughter Edith Maria May . He totally excluded daughter Maud Tolley (" All I leave to her is her conscience") and son William( a plumber).
William died 7 January 1947 in Birkenhead, at 80 years of age. Annie(Ann) died 22 July 1913 age 45 and is buried with William (grave 825,sect12 Flaybrick Cemetery Birkenhead). He also married Gertrude Emily in Birkenhead, Gertrude died 11 February ? age 75 and is also interred in this grave.
Here are 4 generations:

Seated is Henry (1827-1908), standing is Harry Albert (1856-1916) centre and his son Ernest Albert (1879-1940) . The little boy(yes it is a boy!) is Ernest’s son also Ernest Albert born 1903. The picture must have been taken about 1905.
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Sixth Generation

Father of Henry (1827-1908) is also a Henry. He is shown on both son Henrys' and daughter Marys' wedding certificates as a thatcher and born in Hoxne.
There is evidence of two marriages:-
A Henry Whatling married Maria Knights in Hoxne in 1821. No trace of Henry and Maria can be found in subsequent records/census ,however, Maria could have used the name Mary?   Henry most probably died in Weybread in 1827.

A Henry Vinson married Mary Sharman at Stradbroke Parish Church ’? ie On 23 Oct 1823.
Henry Vinson married Mary Sharman in Stradbroke Suffolk, Witnesses were John Beecroft and Honour Warne. .(Honour Warne is the sister of Elizabeth Warne who married James Watling-Henry’s grandfather - see below).
He was the son of Henry and Elizabeth Vincent and was christened in Stradbroke Parish Church Suffolk, on 19 Jan 1801 as Henry Watling .We believe he was also known as Henry Vincent. He was a thatcher. His occupation being recorded on his son's (Henry) and daughter's(Mary) wedding certificates.
Notes::So his first wife could have died and he married again. This time as Henry Vinson as his parents had not married and he therefore had to be married under his mothers maiden name VINCENT.
"marriage was by banns and with consent of parents ".Both groom and bride made their mark


On 7th January 1824 Henry Vincent age about 23 and his wife Mary age about 26 were named on a Removal Order, Stradbroke to Wingfield. ‘not having obtained legal settlement in Stradbroke’.(Ref is 84/G4/57)

Henry Vincent alias Watling and Mary Sharman had the following children: 
Thomas Watling was born in Hoxne, Suffolk, England 1826. 
Mary Whatling was born in Hoxne, Suffolk. She was probably born in 1820 the illegitimate child of her mother ,also Mary Sharman . However, some records show her as born 1826?

Note: in 1841 census she is listed as a dressmaker age 15 living in Hoxne in the household of James Self, a woodcutter age 60 and Anne Self age 20. She married Edward Barkway (a carpenter) in Hoxne, Suffolk, 14 March 1844. They had 3 children Kate,Arthur and William. By 1881 census Mary has died and Edward is a boarder age 61 in St Woods Yard Norwich. He has another son Frederick age 17(a baker) living with him.

 Henry Watling was baptised 15 May 1825 as Henry VINCENT born Wingfield at Stradbroke Baptist Church. No mothers’ name recorded.
John Watling was born in Wingfield, Suffolk about 1831. He was baptized as John VINCENT in Stradbroke Baptist Church, 26 February 1831. He was listed in the 1851 census report as a John Watling born Wingfield , a Coldstream Guard in hospital in Westminster London. 
Maria Watling was born in 1832. She married George Denny 2 April 1854. She was baptised as Maria VINCENT in Stradbroke Baptist Church on 4 May 1832. Stradbroke Baptist Church
George Watling was born in Winfield SFK about 1834. He married Mary at Stradbroke Suffolk in 1881. He was baptised as George VINCENT in Stradbroke Baptist Church on 6April 1834.
James Watling was born in Winfield Suffolk 1836. He married Phoebe. He was baptised as James WATLING in Stradbroke Baptist Church on 21 June 1836.
Note: in 1851 census the family and children are recorded with surname WATLING
 Mary Sharman was born in Haughley Suffolk 1795. She died at Wingfield in 1875 age 81
Henry Watling died March 1877 in Wingfield, Suffolk, at 76 years of age. He is buried at Wingfield Parish Church St Andrew. (note sure which Henry this is?) Wingfield Parish Church St Andrews

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Seventh Generation

The parents of Henry born 1797 in Horham were James and Ann Norman. James was born 1775 in Horham and died 1849. He married Ann on 16th August 1796 . They had 7 sons and 1 daughter:

Henry 1797-1827
James b1800 William b 1802, George b 1804, Mariann b 1806, John b 1807, george b 1810 and Lee born 1812
OR Henry Watling birth date unknown. He was baptized in Horham, 9 Nov 1777.
He married Elizabeth (probably Vincent?). She was christened in Heigham Norfolk, 17 November 1782.the daughter of Samuel and Margaret Vincent?

Henry Watling and Elizabeth Vincent had the following children: 

Henry Watling was born 1800.
George Watling was born in Horham 30 September 1810.
Frances Watling was born in Horham 1 January 1812.

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Eighth Generation 

James Watling 1752-1812 Horham 
He married Elizabeth Warne(s) in Horham, 16 May 1775.
James Watling and Elizabeth Warnes had the following children: 
James b 1775-1849 (see above)
Henry Watling.b 1777 Horham ,
Dorothea b 1779 she died 23 May 1810. She was christened 5 Sept 1779,
Sarah Watling b 1781. She married Robert Bolton 1796. She was christened in Horham, 2 September 1781. 
Hannah Watling. She was christened in Horham, 1781.
Frances Watling. She married John Multimer 1805. She was christened in Horham, 23 October 1785. 
Elizabeth Watling. She married Charles Kerry in Horham, 1810. She was christened in Horham, 5 December 1787.
George Watling. He married Armenta?. He was christened in Horham, 4 November 1789. 
John Watling. He was christened in Horham, 3 September 1795.
Robert Watling1800 -1844
.
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Ninth Generation 

Thomas birth date unknown. He was christened 14 August 1729.
Thomas died 7 February 1770 in Horham.
He married Ann Emerson in Stradbroke Suffolk, 29 October 1750.
Thomas Watling and Ann Emerson had the following children in Horham: 
James Watling. 1752-1812
John Watling. . He was christened 28 April 1751. John died 29 April 1789
Mary Watling. She was christened 10 May 1753.
She married William Elvin 3 Oct 1786.
George Watling. He was christened 17 Nov 1754.
Ann Watling. She was christened 2 November 1756.
She married William Moulton 26 Feb 1776.
Sarah Watling. She was christened 2 Sept 1759.
Thomas Albert Watling. He was christened 16 Jan 1763. Thomas died 1821. He married Sarah Vincent about 1787.
William Watling ch 1765 died 1802
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Tenth Generation

John Watling b 1694 Horham.
He married Sarah Shepherd in Kenton Suffolk, 1719.
John Watling and Sarah Shepherd had the following children: 

Thomas Watling. ch 1729 (see above)
Sarah Watling. She was christened in Tannington, 13 Aug 1719.
Dorothy Watling. She was christened 6 November 1720. 
Elizabeth Watling ch 1721
Margaret Watling ch 1723
John Watling. He was christened 11 June 1727
John died 25 Feb 1810 in Occold.
He married Susan Emerson 1746.
Thomas Watling1729-1770
James Watling. James died 23 May 1727. He was baptized 18 sept 1716. religion unknown
Judith Watling. She was christened Horham,16 Jan 1731.Died 1748
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Eleventh Generation 

Robert Watling born about 1670. He was baptized in Wilby, 1670. religion unknown. Robert died 1719 in Horham. He married Dorcas.

Robert Watling and Dorcas had the following children: 
John Watling. ch 1694
Thomas Watling. Thomas's will was probated in wills, 1730 and 1756. Thomas's occupation: Tailor.
Robert Watling. He was baptized in Syleham, 1700. religion unknown. 
Henry Watling. He was baptized in Horham, 1709. religion unknown. Henry died 1709 in Horham. 
James Watling. He was baptized in Horham, 1711. religion unknown. James died 1711 in Horham.
Robert Watling. He was baptized in Horham, 1713. religion unknown. Robert died 1714 in Horham. 
Robert Watling. He was baptized in Horham, 1716. religion unknown.
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Twelfth Generation 

Henry Watling birth date after 1634. Henry died 1695.
He married Dorothy Battley in Wissett, 23 December 1651.
Henry Watling and Dorothy Battley had the following children:
Robert Watling. ch 1670
Henry Watling was born C1651.
James Watling. James died 1730 in Horham. He married Mary Tooks. 
Ann Watling. She married Henry Borret. 
Thomas Watling was born C 1652. Thomas died 1729 in Horham, at 77 years of age.
John Watling was born C 1660. John died 1723 in Horham, at 63 years of age. 

copyright kw2003

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