Frances (3) Woodhurst

Brief biography

Frances (3) Woodhurst was born to parents John (3) Woodhurst and his wife Mary Ferris. She was christened on May 4th 1794 at St. Margaret, Canterbury [IGI: Batch C013634]. The record spells her father's surname as "Woodhouse". It is noteworthy that her older brother William (3) named his first daughter Frances.

She married John Whitaker at Adisham, Kent on October 27th 1811, both being described as of that parish [Adisham Parish Register]. The latter source spells her surname as "Woodhurst". Adisham was also the home parish of her sister Mary Ann (5)'s husband James Lawrance.

Frances (3) appears to have died in 1840 [Death Index: Bridge 5 22, 1840 (Sept)].

The 1841 Census finds her widowed husband John at (rounded) age "50" living with seven children at Woolwich Green in Womenswold. He was as an agricultural labourer. Womenswold is situated about 3 miles north of Adisham and about 5 miles south-west of Bridge near Canterbury. The next household was that of another agricultural labourer Edward Whitaker - probably John's son - with a wife and daughter.

The 1851 Census finds John at age "64" living with three daughters at Woolwich Green in Womenswold. John was still an agricultural labourer and his birthplace was given as Adisham.

The 1861 Census finds John at age "74" living at Woolwich Green in the household of his now-married daughter Ann and occupied as an agricultural labourer.

The 1871 Census finds him at age "85" still living in Ann's household at Woolwich Green and occupied as a labourer. The GRO index spells his surname as "Whittaker".

John died aged "89" (but more probably about 91) in 1878 [Death Index: Bridge 2a 423, 1878 (June)].

Her children by John Whitaker

1. probably ... Edward Whitaker - born about 1815-16
2. Hannah Whitaker - christened at Womenswold on April 11th 1819
3. Mary Whitaker - christened at Womenswold on November 11th 1821
4. Frances Whitaker - christened at Womenswold on February 10th 1824
5. Henry Whitaker - born about 1825-26
6. John Whitaker - born about 1829-30
7. Robert Whitaker - born about 1831-32
8. William Whitaker - born about 1832-33
9. Anne Whitaker - christened as "Anna" at Womenswold on July 14th 1833
10. Sarah Anne Whitaker - christened at Womenswold on March 6th 1836
11. and possibly others ...

The above daughter Frances died in 1853 [Death Index: Bridge 2a 338, 1853 (June) - indexed as "Whittaker"].

Anne married Bourne Scott in 1856 [Marriage Index: Bridge 2a 801, 1856 (Sept)]. He was born in Adisham around 1821-22. The 1861 and 1871 Censuses find Anne living in Womenswold with Bourne and her father, but with no children. They were still living together in Womenswold in 1901. Bourne died aged "73" - but actually nearer 83 - in 1905 [Death Index: Bridge 2a 597, 1905 (March)]. It is not yet known when Anne died.

Nothing more is currently known of the other children.