Hi All
I have been researching the Wedd family for a while now, and came across this discussion thread after getting bogged down in my search for William.
William is my ancestor, via his son Arthur who was one of the ones who ended up in Australia.
I can add a few things into the mix, which hopefully might help.
There is a fourth Wedd burial in the Bredhurst registers: Hanah [sic] Wedd, buried 12 January 1810. No age given.
This had me stumped for a while, but a search of the contemporary newspapers provided the following: “Died – Jan. 6. Suddenly, Mrs Hannah Wedd, aged 47, wife of Mr Wm Wedd, farmer, of Luton, near Chatham; a woman whose conduct through life commanded the esteem of all who knew her.” (Kentish Gazette, 12 January 1810)
This all fits – William’s first wife died in 1810, and he re-married c1811-1812, with the first child of his second marriage – William – born c1813.
avm228, you were correct in your theory on the misspelling of William’s death registration. I have a copy of the register entry, and it is indeed for William WEDD, Farmer, died 18 April 1842 at Little Shorsted, Chatham, aged 84, of old age. The informant, present at the death, was Jacob Simpson of Capstone, Chatham.
Jacob Simpson may well have been the father of Mary Simpson, who later in 1842 married Arthur Wedd. Mary also had an older brother Jacob.
Also from the Kentish Gazette, 3 May 1842: “April 18, at Little Shawstead, Chatham, Mr. W. Wedd, aged 84.”
This gives a birth year for William of c1758. Returning to Hannah Wedd, her death at age 47 in early 1810 gives a birth year of c1762. An age discrepancy of only four years, compared with the 34 years of his second marriage!
LDW, I was fascinated to see that there was an extant letter, that as you say provides compelling proof that William and Ann were the parents of the 1841 Census Wedd brood rather than grandparents. I would love to obtain copies of this and any other extant letters. I would be eternally grateful if you would pass on my contact details to the owner of the letter(s) – please send me a private message if possible.
I have searched numerous Kent parish registers and have so far been unable to find either of William’s marriages.
A few other observations:
• On the marriage register entries of Arthur Wedd (29 September 1842) and later his sister Elizabeth (13 May 1845), both note their father as William Wedd, but neither note him as “deceased”, as would usually be the case if he had been.
• Sally, youngest child of William & Anne, was baptised about 5 weeks after her mother was buried. Did Anne die in childbirth?
• Why were William & Anne buried at Bredhurst, but the children baptised at Chatham?
canberraguy: George Wedd was baptised in Chatham on 25 June 1826, son of Robert & Sarah Wedd. Not to be confused with the George Wedd, baptised in Chatham on 8 September 1821, who was the son of William & Anne Wedd. If Robert is the son of William from his first marriage to Hannah, then 1826 George is the nephew of 1821 George (and hence also the nephew of my ancestor Arthur, baptised in Chatham in 1819).
1821 George stayed in England. As you say, 1826 George emigrated to South Australia with his parents and younger sister Sarah on the Orleana in 1840. His uncle William (b. c1813) was already there, having come out on the Lloyds in 1838. Uncle Arthur and his wife and family followed in 1853 on the Caucasian. It appears that George & Arthur were in partnership in South Australia at one stage – there are contemporary newspaper accounts of “Messrs. G. & A. Wedd” successfully tendering to build a fence for the Mt Barker Council in 1856. I’d be happy to pass on more details.
