Edwin WHITE, 1809-1884, England

Edwin WHITE is my son-in-law's 3rd great-grandfather, baptised March 31, 1809, at St Nicholas [Anglican] Church in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England.  I have not been able to prove this is the correct Edwin WHITE, although the birth year and birthplace are consistent with all later details. For now, this is very likely but not proven.

He was likely born a few weeks earlier, but I have yet to find parish registers online for this time period; perhaps, soon.  His parents were John WHITE and Hannah SCOTT, but I am unable to find any information on them, as they appear to have died before the Census in 1841. With such common names, it is challenging to be certain of having the correct parents. Again, these parent names are likely but not proven. My research log has a list of several items to look for, such as a will for John White which might name his son Edwin - my fingers crossed!

At some time between 1809 and 1828, the WHITE family must have moved from Nottingham to Mancetter or nearby Atherstone, Warwickshire. The 'mother church' was in Mancetter, St. Peter's Anglican Church.

On June 30th, 1828, Edwin married at aged 19, to Susannah PARSONS, aged 21, in St. Peter's Church, Mancetter Parish, Warwickshire. Susannah's parents were Richard PARSONS and Sarah CHETTEN. Susannah's Baptism confirms parentage, and I also have Richard and Sarah's marriage registration. Note on this marriage registration that Edwin signs his name, whereas Susannah puts her mark X.

We don't see anything further of Edwin and Susannah WHITE until the 1841 Census. At this time, they are living in Chapel End, Hartshill Warwickshire - this is only a few miles from Mancetter. Edwin is working as a blacksmith, whereas most other heads of households are working as "Ag Lab" [farm workers], or involved in the silk ribbon trade, winding silk or weaving into ribbons.
You can see that both Edwin and Susanna are listed as 30 years of age;  Josiah 12, Maria 10, James 8, Sarah 4.  That gap between James and Sarah likely is from a child who died before 1841. The final squiggle on the right side is answering the question as to whether each person was born in the county [Warwick]. It's messy, but there's an 'n' for no, for Edwin, and a 'y' for yes for all others.

In ten years, the 1851 Census shows the family has three more children, and their eldest daughter Maria (aged abt 20) is likely married by this time. (must do more research).  The black marks are tick marks by the enumerator, counting heads of households, males, females etc. Children listed here are Josiah, aged 22 working as a blacksmith, James 18 "do" means ditto - working as a blacksmith, Susannah 16 working as Hand Loom Weaver Ribbons, Sarah 14, "do", Hannah 9, Scholar, and Philip 4 yrs. Again there is a gap of 5 years between Hannah and Philip, likely for one or more children who did not survive. With no birth control measures, women usually had babies every 2'ish years.

In 1861, ten years on, James and Josiah have left home. Having been taught to be blacksmiths as their father, Edwin, they would be independent and likely are married by this time. Sarah WHITE married John PERRY the previous year and is out of the home. Hannah is 19 and working as a Ribbon Weaver - a major cottage industry in this region; Philip is 14, also working as a blacksmith. There is one more child born to Edwin and Susanna, Isabella, 9 years of age, a 'scholar. Finally, we see there is a Granddaughter, Alinor White, 6 years old. She must be the daughter of either Josiah or James White.  (more research still to do).

Clearly Edwin and Susannah have managed to raise 8 living children - although they likely lost several additional children. Note the gap between Philip and Isabella, likely another child lost before 1861. Edwin's occupation of Blacksmith, and teaching it to his 3 boys, likely kept the family in reasonable financial conditions, as around this time, the home-based silk ribbon trade was becoming mechanized, causing tremendous hardship in the region. It is possible that Edwin's father John WHITE was also a blacksmith, as boys often followed their father's occupation, apprenticing with them. Another clue for researching Edwin's parents/father.

Edwin's wife, Susannah, died March 1866 in Atherstone (on outskirts of Mancetter), Warwickshire, aged 58 years.  By the 1871 Census, Edwin is found living with his youngest daughter, 19 year old Isabella, all the other children having moved on.  He is aged 63, and working as a blacksmith still.  Isabella does not have anything written down as an occupation, which is unusual. One more to-do item on my research log.

I have not found Edwin WHITE in the 1881 Census, likely he was living with one of his children. I did find his Death registration for October 1884, aged 75, in Nuneaton Warwickshire. This is the same region he had been living in for past 40 years or so.

The PERRY-ATHERTON lines go through Edwin & Susannah's daughter Sarah WHITE, b. 1836, who married 15 Apr 1860 to John PERRY.

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If you have more information on Edwin WHITE who married Susannah PARSONS, I would love to share details, and learn more.  And if there are errors you notice, please do let me know. Contact me at my address at the bottom of the page calewis at telus dot net or, in the Comments section.

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