I have oral history of a family dispute involving my ancestor Henry Hitchin of Nottingham which resulted in a court case, which he lost. Henry then took the case to appeal in London and again lost. In disgust (we are told), Henry added a g to his surname to distance himself from other members of his family.
I have searched in vain for any reference to this court case both the initial case in Nottingham and the appeal in London. I think the case must have been about land or inheritance and that my Henry felt he was entitled to a share of this and was not given it. However, I do not know for sure if that was indeed the issue.
Henry Hitchin was born in April 1819 in Nottinghamshire and died in Nottingham in January 1904. He is recorded as Hitchins in the 1841 census at Sneinton, as Hitchkin in the 1851 census at Radford, and by the 1861 census he is recorded as Hitching at the Portland Arms in St Marys Nottingham.
Henrys parents were Samuel and Sarah (nee Wylde) and his siblings include Eliza (born 1804 married John Goddard), William (b 1806), Thomas (b 1815), Reuben (b 1822), Samuel (b 1824). There were probably others born between 1806 and 1822. Both his parents died in 1857, so perhaps this dispute came to the fore then?
If anybody could shed any light on this matter or where I might start looking for information on this court case I should be most grateful.
