Research Forum

George WHITTINGTON - Hatter
published by Pat Hase on Thu, 15/12/2022 - 17:49

In the Weston Mercury of May 16^th 1874 there appeared this advertisement reproduced courtesy of the British Newspaper Archives.

Over the years a descendant of George WHITTINGTON, now living in Australia, has been trying to find out where he was born. Please can anyone help?

George WHITTINGTON had arrived in Weston in about 1868/9. On the 1871 Census George his wife Caroline and 6 children were living at 7 Magdala Buildings with 2 female boarders who were Milliners. George gives his birth place as Bristol. The last child mentioned on this census was born in Weston and was christened at Emmanuel Church in Nov 1869, but others had been born in Bristol and London before that.

His descendant believes that George (aged 7) and his sister Eliza (aged 10) appear on the 1841 Census at Lower Langford, Burrington at a school run by a Mary MANLEY.

On the 1851 census George is listed in Bristol as a carpenter (surname WILLINGTON) with birthplace Weston-super-Mare alongside an Alfred BUSH who later married Eliza.

There is a problem in that when George married Caroline KING he said his father was a John WHITTINGTON, Hatter but when Alfred BUSH had married Eliza WHITTINGTON in 1852 she said her father was Henry WHITTINGTON, Yeoman.

There is another problem in that when Albert & Eliza BUSH emigrated to Australia in 1853, the passenger list giving Eliza’s parents as George & Sarah WHITTINGTON (deceased) which contradicts their marriage certificate!

If anyone is looking for a challenge – this is it! Where was George WHITTINGTON born and who were his parents? Was Eliza his sister? Thanks for reading this and good luck!

Comments ..

Submitted by gricharduk on Tue, 20/12/2022 - 16:26

I was wondering if John WHITTINGTON (1) (George's father) might be the only son of the Rev. John WHITTINGTON (2), rector of Cold Aston? John (1) married Mary OSBORNE on 1 May 1824 at Cold Aston. However, he died on 11 January 1837 (buried at Cold Aston on the 18 January), and Mary remarried a James HUFF at St Mary Redcliffe on 9 April 1841. So, I was wondering if this is where George got the idea he was born at Bristol? Crucially, this hangs on the fact that John (1) was a milliner/hatter - which I cannot prove. Finding George's baptism might help ... there are so many unanswered questions!

Submitted by Pat Hase on Sat, 31/12/2022 - 18:21

That's an interesting idea. I have forwarded it to the enquirer who I'm sure will be back in touch with me. Thank you very much.
Thank you also for answering some of my queries in the past - it's always good to have someone else's thoughts on our research because all to often we go the same way each time and it takes a fresh view to clear the air! Happy New Year!