Where did Richard Whittaker come from?

[garstonite]

did Susanna die in Hayfield mar qtr 1842 - Derbyshire
where did Richard die ??

[LizzieW]

Yes, I think it was Sarah who died in 1842, 19 Feb 1842 to be precise at Little Moor, Glossop (Hayfield registration district). On the death cert she is shown as a housekeeper and the informant was a Thomas Hayes in attendance - I think he was her employer.  The cause of death was apopleptic fit.   However, the certificate doesn't mention whether she was a widow or not.

In this one respect, Richard is clearer.  He died on 27 February 1836 and buried on 29 February 1836 at Hatherlow Congregational Chapel, Hatherlow.  We assumed that this is what was known as Chadkirk Chapel, near to Romiley.  We have visited this chapel but, unfortunately, no grave could be found.  Hatherlow comes under Romiley which ties in with where Susanna was in 1841.  When Richard and Susanna married, marriages were not permitted at Hatherlow, which might be why they married in Stockport.  There is now a Hatherlow Church (United Reformed) which is in Romiley, we've also looked all through the graves there because, although the present church was opened as Hatherlow Congregational Church in 1845, the burial ground surrounding it goes back to 1793.

[JDGen]

Hi Lizzie,

Richard left a will - it won't help you with origins but does back up your other information about Green Lane.

You can download it from Find my Past...

Jean

[LizzieW]

Hi Jean.  Yes, I should have said I have the will.

Lizzie

[Family_Past]

Lizzie, did you get Susanna's death certificate from the GRO or the Derbyshire Records Office? I wonder if the local record would have any additional information.

I also wonder if that was Richard's Susannah; why would she not be living with one of her eleven children, rather than working as a housekeeper?

Is there any way to find out what became of the cottage on Green Lane that was willed to her? She was living there in 1841 with her youngest, James, who did not marry until 1847, in Staffordshire.

[LizzieW]

I'd put this on the backburner as I wasn't getting any further with the search.

I got the death cert from GRO, I have been in touch with Derbyshire Records Office in Glossop but I think that was only to see where someone who died in Little Moor would have been buried.

I can't answer your question about why she would have been a housekeeper rather than living with one of her children.  Perhaps she needed to work.

I've not done much Family History recently, so I'll have a look at this again.  Thank you for your interest?  Are you an ancestor of the Whittakers as this is the first post you've made?

[LizzieW]

OK, I got out Richard's will it states:

"I give and bequeath to Susannah my Dearly Beloved Wife All that my Cottage or Dwelling House with all and every of its appartenances situate standing lhying or being in a certain part of Romily aforesaid called Green Lane and now in the Holding or occupation of myself.  Also I Give and Bequeath to Susannah my Beloved Wife All and Singular my Household Goods and furniture, Plate Linen China Beds and Bedding working Tools and all other my Goods and Chattles Estate and Effects both real and personal and of what nature or kind soever or wherever to Hold to her the said Susannah my Beloved Wife her executors administrators and Aligns With this Special Trust and Confidence Nevertheless that she my Beloved Wife and also Trustee do and shall as soon as convenient after my decease cause a Sale or Sales of my Dwelling House by Auction or Private Contract at her discretion and Also to sell All or any part of my Household Goods or so much thereof as may be needful to make up the deficiency (if any) of the money arising from the sale of my Dwelling House so as to enable her to pay off all my Just Debts and demands etc. etc. etc.

So it seems, Susannah wouldn't have had the Green Lane cottage to live in but had to sell it and anything else to pay Richard's debts.  The will goes on to say that any surplus she can keep for her sole use!  I assume from the Will that Richard had sizeable debts and the only way to pay them off was for Susannah to sell everything. 

Perhaps the only way to survive was to take a post as a Housekeeper.

[LizzieW]

Family_Past - I see that James and his wife Elizabeth only had one son, Richard, and then Elizabeth died the following year.  I guess you know that James re-married to another Elizabeth and moved to Yorkshire.

[Family_Past]

I am a descendant of Richard and Susanna's son William. You know, the American. Just recently I was finally able to locate the missing baptism records for their three oldest children that confirms my long-standing theory that William was indeed their son. With that confirmed, I am interested, as you are, in determining the origins of Richard and Susanna. (I tried to reach you privately but your old email addresses were no longer valid.)

Thank you for looking into Richard's will exposing the sad fact that Susanna was likely left with next to nothing. I would like to feel more confident that the Susanna who died in Little Moor was our Susanna and was thinking that the Derbyshire record might have a tidbit that would boost that confidence, pull it into question, or give us some bit of further information to trace her origins.