John Proffitt from Willenhall (1780s-1859)

[AbbyG]

Hi all, I was just hoping that someone may have some information about the birth details of a John Proffitt, who was a locksmith in Willenhall from around 1800 until his death in 1859.

I know that he married Ann Smith at St Peter's, Wolverhampton in August 1805 and had eight children born in Little London, Willenhall between 1806-1825 and all were christened at St Giles, Willenhall. 

He is on the census returns for Willenhall (as a widower) in 1841 and 1851, with the 1851 census showing that he was born in Walsall around 1786, however I can find no record of any John Proffitt born in Walsall around that time (other than a John Proffitt, son of William Proffitt, born in Walsall in 1780 who I believe died in 1785).

Can anyone help at all? I can trace all of his family from 1806 onwards but am at a real dead end before then 

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
First can i show you this from the Commision on child employees 1841 Mar 15
John Profit age 58 cabinet lock maker Willenhall .
He has worked in Willenhall upwards of 40 years has one apprentice;makes no difference between living and working between himself and his apprentice;all work hard together.Often works between 7 and 8 in the morning till 10 or 11 at night,sometimes 12.Cannot live without,hardly with.The discount he is obliged to give the factors at this time is 60%.His work is the best sort of locks;believes those who make the common sort of locks have to allow more,thinks 70%,this is worse with bolts.Everything has to be found-iron ,keys,tools,labour,coals,pack thread and paper and let allow the same discount.Sometimes he has got everything done except the paper and he couldn't get the money to pack them in.And besides all this he is obliged to be very humble too.

Just thought you'd like a bit of personal info.
There is another baptism at Walsall
John Profitt 18.2.1780 s of Humphrey and Martha.
Sister Mary 3.6.1773.

Humphrey was buried at Walsall 23.9.1816 age 69 years.He married Martha James 3.1.1771 at Walsall. Martha buried 20.7.1808.
Which is all great until you read his Will when he states he is a butcher and leaves his estate to his children William and Mary Proffitt with executor his friend Joseph Middleton.

Of course that's not to say that son John wasn't your man but it's a bit strange that he's not mentioned and is a lock maker.

I'd try taking a look at the site www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk and looking at their transcripts.(They need adrobe reader and the computers at my Library no longer have them).

Sorry I wasn't of much use but I thought you'd like the article

Ciderdrinker

[AbbyG]

Thank you Ciderdrinker, I very much appreciate the time and effort that you put into your reply.

The Commission report is definitely the right John Proffitt. Luckily it is a distinctive surname which makes is easier to track and I'm pretty sure that he was the only person in Willenhall named John after his son moved to Bilston in the early 1830s.  The Commission report suggests that he was born around 1782/3 which is more or less where I have got to!

One thing I do know about is about Humphrey Proffitt's family and unfortunately I don't think he is the right person that I am looking for.  Humphrey and Martha's son, John Proffitt, was buried at St Matthew, Walsall on 19 June 1780, leaving them with just the two children Mary and William who later appeared in Humphrey's will.  Humphrey had briefly been a butcher in London in the 1770s and moved back to Walsall after then to run a butcher's shop which was there for around 50 years.

Thanks again, Abby