Willetts, master blacksmith at Wolverhampton c.1822

[Neale1961]

This is just speculation – but maybe worth keeping a note as a possible father to your Thomas Willetts Senior

John Willets married 26 May 1764 Brewood to Mary Lloyd
Children bapt: Catherine 1765, Sarah 1766, Samuel 1768, ….others ? ..? Joseph 1770 .. ? Thomas 1773

Mary Willetts burial 5 march 1785 Brewood - wife of John

John Willetts (widower) married Susanna Goodman (widow) 1793 Wolverhampton

John Willits (age 87) burial Brewood 29 Dec 1830 Abode Knitington (born abt 1743)

Susanna Willets (age 73) burial Brewood 13 May 1822 Abode Giffards Cross (born abt 1749)



Another brother for Thomas?
Samuel Willetts (b 1768 - son of the above John and Mary) married 1800 Brewood Mary Price
Burial 1827 Brewood (Knitington) Samuel Willetts age 59 (born abt 1768)
Children: John 1804-1820 (abode Giffords Cross), Samuel 1802-1840 (abode Giffards Cross)

[Aus325]

thanks very much for that extra detail! I'll certainly be keeping it on file as a potential prior generation. If we had found something that confirmed Thomas b1773 as a Master Blacksmith, that would have been the icing on the cake! Sadly having died prior to 1841 there is little chance of finding it unless it happened to be recorded on one of the marriages of his children. I'll have a look in FreeReg and see what might be there

[Aus325]

the eldest son of Thomas - John Willetts born c1797 - third marriage to Jane Bradshaw in Feb 1848, has the detail that he was a Locksmith (as were his suspected brothers from TAS, Thos b1800 and Charles b1801) Sadly the father Thomas was deceased and no trade was noted. It was previously mentioned that the 1861 census records John as 'Plate Lock Maker' which is consistant. I can't locate John in 1851.

Church name St Peter, Wolverhampton
Marriage date   23 Feb 1848
Groom forename John
Groom surname   WILLETTS
Groom age full age
Groom condition Widower
Groom occupation Locksmith
Bride forename   Jane
Bride surname BRADSHAW
Bride age   full age
Groom father forename   Thomas
Groom father surname   WILLETTS
Groom father occupation   Deceased
Bride father forename   Edward
Bride father surname   BRADSHAW
Bride father occupation   Labourer
Witness1   T HOLDING
Witness2   J BIDDULPH

[Neale1961]

Yes, John's 3rd marriage details regarding his father already posted.

I didn't see him in the 1851 census either - but I didn't spend a long time searching.

•   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

[Aus325]

yes indeed you did mention the 1851, and your input has really directed me in a very productive direction. I'll just add that the only daughter of Charles Willett's b1801, one of the 2 convicts sent to TAS, was Henrietta, born 2 Jan 1842 at Port Cygnet. I feel we're really on the right track, and I have to add that numerous Willetts descendants in Aus have been trying for many decades to work this out!!

[Neale1961]

Yes, the use of family names is a nice confidence booster.
Other things - like the locksmith occupation are also positive associations.

I really feel it is the correct family too. It is a shame that records are so patchy, however at least there are some that you can use to sketch out a tree.
The other day, I did spend many hours (most of the day) looking at this Brewood family, and there really seems to be only one main Willetts family connected to Brewood in the relevant time period.
         There is another lot of Willetts who are a long way off in Staffordshire, in Rowley Regis - way on the southern side of Wolverhampton. They are a very different Willetts group, and not connected to the Brewood lot, although may have the same roots much further back in history.

If you have taken a DNA test, you might look for a link with the descendants of John and James Willetts who remained in Brewood / Wolverhampton area. That is about the only way you would know for certain that you have found the correct family.

[trish1120]

The bapts of Catherine/Sarah/Samuel Willets 1765/1766/1768 are on FreeREG but Mother is named as Mary FLOYDE.
Hard to read and transcribed wrongly?

Godparents to Sarah are Samuel WILLETTS and Ann STOKE

Trish

[Neale1961]

The bapts of Catherine/Sarah/Samuel Willets 1765/1766/1768 are on FreeREG but Mother is named as Mary FLOYDE.

Yes, some difficulty with reading of surname. The marriage transcribed as Lloyd, but baptisms as Floyde. Perhaps Floyde is better???

[Aus325]

Yes, Floyd was used in three baptisms so might be the better rendering. Not so sure of the son Joseph connection as he was baptised at St Thomas Dudley. I notice that at his marriage to Etty Jones in Sep 1795, Thomas was recorded as resident at Wolverhampton. It would have been nice to see Brewood here.

This is not in my direct line, more a sideways connection which has been lurking unsolved for a long long time. I recently noticed that convict records recorded the profession of both sons and the father, as well as the locations Brewood and Wolverhampton. Along with use of the naming traditions I figured there was just about enough data to work it out... and it looks like we have. My own direct ancestry has several far more unsolvable lines due to the usual Irish records problems/lack. I can't see these ever proceeding.

I will pass the proposed data to the relevant Willetts descendants here in Aus and see if any sort of dna connection can be made with descendants of John or James Willets.