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Research Dates
27 February 04
William was found in the 1891 census, living with his mother Susannah and brother
Horace in Woodbridge at 69 Castle Street. No previous information exists for
William, however a subsequent search of the index for births shows a possible
match by date and location for a George William Pettitte, born at Woodbridge in
1883, Q? vol 4a p793. The birth certificate will be obtained to establish it
refers to the correct person.
20 August 06
In the two and a half years since William's page was last updated,
quite a lot of information about him has been found, some more by luck than
design. His birth certificate is one of the things that cannot be
found, but given that both of his brothers were registered, and his birth date
was after 1875, there is every chance that it exists, but not with his surname
spelt as Pettit or Pettitt. A search will be carried out for all
surnames beginning with P, in the hope that some new variation on the
spelling of the surname will be found. As well as the 1891 census,
he appears in the 1901 too, living in Valley Road, Leiston. At
first, I though that the entry related to William's cousin William Herbert
Pettit, born 1887, but the date did not match, and it later became clear that
the entry referred to this William. This entry shows him as being
aged 19, single, and a Steam Engine Maker's ?. He is a boarder in
the house of Robert Myall, a police constable, his wife and daughter.
Incidentally, William must have been living just down the road from cousin
William Herbert Pettit and the rest of his family, who were also in Valley Road.
William's next appearance in the official records is his first marriage certificate, which was actually found after the certificate for his second marriage, on which he was recorded as a widower. The first certificate shows him marrying Elizabeth Vale on the 18th May 1907. Sadly, the marriage took place before maiden names of parents were added to the register of births, thus making a search for children within this marriage extremely difficult to carry out. Notwithstanding this, given that the marriage took place within the registration district of Blything, and that Elizabeth's death also occurred in that district, a search was carried out for any Pettit(t) children born in Blything for the period of the marriage. Three possibilities were found, these will be investigated as time permits.
William's next marriage took place on the 12th July 1913, to Jennie Isham, in the parish Church of St. Mary's, Woodbridge, the full details of which are shown below. Two children were born within this marriage, both girls. This did prove to be something of a disappointment, it was hoped that some male children would be found which would enable the continuation of the family name, but it was not to be. It would seem that another branch of the family tree ceased at this point.
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| The marriage certificate of what is now known to be William's first
marriage shows him marrying Elizabeth Vale on the 18th May 1907, at St
Margarets Church, Leiston. William was aged 25, and a bachelor of 13
Kitchener Road, Leiston. At the time of the marriage he was a moulder.
As with his later marriage in 1913, he names William Pettit as his
father, but the reason is not clear. He was known to be illegitimate,
and both of his brothers Horace and John Victor (who was a witness at
this marriage) did not name their father. This is a bit of a mystery. Wife Elizabeth was aged 27, and a spinster with no occupation showing. Elizabeth was living at 13 Valley Road, Leiston, a road which William had lived in some six years previously at the time of the 1901 census. Her father was given as George Vale, a pattern maker. The witnesses were George Vale, Minnie Vale and John Victor Pettit. The couple were married by Ralph B Foster, Curate. |
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| The initial reaction on receiving the marriage certificate of William Pettit was that it may not relate to the correct person. On further examination however, it did prove to be the right William. The two confirming points were that the witnesses included brother John Victor and his wife Eliza, and his occupation of engineer, which is the occupation he gave in the 1901 census. The certificate shows that William Pettit aged 32 and an engineer, married Jennie Isham, also aged 32, on the 12th July 1913 in the parish church of St. Mary's, Woodbridge. Jennie is shown as a spinster, and William as a widower, which means another search to find the name of his first wife, and all of the records relating to her. William does not appear to have been completely honest on this certificate, as he quotes his father's name as William Pettit, a labourer. This statement is not correct, William was illegitimate, and he took on his mother's surname, so his father's name could not have been Pettit. He would have had no surviving parents though, as mother Susannah would have died some three years previously. Jennie's father is shown as Richard Isham, labourer. At the time of the marriage, both William and Jennie were living in Cumberland Street, Woodbridge. The couple were married by licence, by R Denman, Dean. The witnesses were Charles William Cutting, John Victor Pettit, and his wife Eliza Pettit. |
1901 Census
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| William is found in this census living in Valley Road as a boarder to the head of the house, Robert Myall, 50, a police constable, and his wife Jemima Myall, 49. Also in the house was their daughter Grace Myall, aged 13 and a scholar. |
Wife x 1~
Elizabeth Vale b c1880 - d 1911
Other than the fact that she married William, nothing else in known about Elizabeth. A reference has been found for her death, it is Q2 1911 Blything 4a 519. The certificate will be obtained for verification.
Nothing is known about Jennie other than her marriage details.