Willetts, master blacksmith at Wolverhampton c.1822

[Aus325]

Hi all, I'm trying to find the family of two convict brothers Thomas & Charles Willetts, transported to Tasmania in 1823 aged 23 and 22. They were tried at Staffordshire in Oct 1822 for theft of wearing apparel and sentenced to 7yrs transportation. On their convict record made shortly after arrival they stated that their parents lived in Wolverhampton and their father was a master blacksmith. Thomas gave his trade as a door locksmith and was from Brewood. They have numerous descendants here in Australia but nobody has ever managed to identify the parents in Staffordshire and trace the family further. Re-occuring names in their subsequent families are pretty standard - James, Ann Charlotte, Harriet, John, Thomas, William and Charles. I have had a look at the trade directories held by the University of Leicester and also the historic registers with trades cited at the Black Country History site but nothing is really jumping out at me. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
I'd go for Thomas and Etty (Harriet) Jones married 21.9.1795 at St Peters Wolverhampton.
Their children are baptised at Brewood - Catherine 27.5.1798 and George 27.6.1802.
Then nothing but we know they have a son John a plate lock maker born c 1801 living in Wolverhampton and on the censuses .He has a son Charles born 1833.
The family do seem to be on the Non Conformist line of things and Brewood is well known for its catholic community.

Ciderdrinker

[Neale1961]

I'd go for Thomas and Etty (Harriet) Jones married 21.9.1795 at St Peters Wolverhampton.
Their children are baptised at Brewood - Catherine 27.5.1798 and George 27.6.1802.

Ciderdrinker – I think you might have found the correct family. There are at least three sons for Thomas and Etty who do not have baptismal records to be found.

•   William Willetts – there is a burial in 1805 for him (no bapt record)

•   John Willetts born abt 1796 Brewood (no bapt record)
A locksmith 1841 census, plate lock maker 1861, locksmith 1871, locksmith on children’s baptisms)
-   John married 1821 Wolverhampton to Elizabeth Harper
-   John (wid) married 1826 Wolverhampton to Mary Peers (Mary underage with parents consent) Mary died 1844. They have a child named Etty in 1839
-   John (wid) married 1848 Wolverhampton to Jane Bradshaw (on record father named Thomas – deceased)
-   John died Dec 1875    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199739411/john-willetts

•   James Willetts born abt 1806 Brewood (no bapt record)
-   A locksmith or plate lock maker in census records (1841-1861)
-   James Willetts married 1824 Wolverhampton to Ann Mason (his brother John was a witness)
-   Children named James, Thomas, William,
-   His mother Henrietta is with him in the 1861 census
-   James died 1868
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199737460/james-willetts

[Neale1961]

BURIAL
Thomas Willatts - burial 22 June 1828 Wolverhampton age 55 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/200607764/thomas-willatts

The wife – Etty / Henrietta Willetts (nee Jones)
1841 census Brewood Hetty Willetts –age 65, Female Servant to James Yates a locksmith
1851 census Wolverhampton Henrietta Willetts age 75 widow, nurse
1861 census Wolverhampton Henrietta Willetts age 85 widow, Mother to James Willetts age 55
Henrietta Willetts burial 19 Apr 1863 Wolverhampton (87 years)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199737458/henrietta-willetts

Etty Jones - baptism 15 Oct 1775 Wolverhampton
Daughter of Thomas and Mary

[Neale1961]

There is also this family of Joseph Willetts, who may be a sibling to Thomas (senior)

Joseph Willetts married Susanna Hanslowe 1793 Wolverhampton
   Children (baptised Brewood St Mary and after 1808 Brewood Independent)
        – Joseph 1796, Elizabeth 1800, Mary 1803, Susannah 1806, Harriott 1808, Moses 1812, Alice 1812, James 1816, Henry 1818
-   Most of the boys from this family show as locksmiths in the census records

Joseph Willits burial 23 may 1829 Brewood (age 59) born abt 1770

[Aus325]

Thanks for all the excellent work. I think you're both onto the right track. Both convicts Thomas (b.1799) and Charles (b.1801) gave their religion as RC in the Tasmania census. Both of them fit into the newly reconstructed family list of Thomas Willets (1773-1828) and Etty Jones (1775–1863) of Wolverhampton

Catherine Willets
1798–

Thomas Willets
1799–1840

John Willets
1800–1875

Charles Willets
1801–1875

George Willets
1802–

William Willets
c.1803–1805

James Willets
1806–1868

Etty Willets
1811–1816

[Neale1961]

John Willets
1800–1875

Birth from census is more consistently around 1796 - 1797 (also from age at death)
So perhaps first born in the family.

[Aus325]

yes, 1797 makes more sense. 1800 was based on an incorrect baptism record

[Neale1961]

Since Etty’s parents were Thomas and Mary, I was expecting to see a child of hers named Mary.
There is a marriage in Wolverhampton 1828 for Mary Willitts to John Mould.
Witness is John Willetts (her brother?)

I could not find her on the census, to check date and place of birth, etc. so cannot confirm her as a member of the same Willetts family
There is a burial for a John Mould (age 28) in 1831 Brewood. This might be her husband and she re-married?