William Chettleburgh
| Born: 30 Nov 1837 | Died: 1921 | Married: Sarah Clarke | Mother: Sarah Chettleburgh | Father: Illegitimate | Descendant: Phoebe Chettleburgh |
| Census | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 |
William Chettleburgh was born in Lakenham, Norwich on the 30th November 1837 (from the 1871, 1881, and 1891 censuses). His mother was Sarah Chettleburgh, but his father is unknown, as he was born illegitimately. He had an uncle also called William Chettleburgh, who lived with him in later life.
Birth
There is a record of a William Chettleburgh born on the 30th November 1837, and subsequent christening on the 3rd December 1837 in Saint John De Sepulchre, Norwich to a Sarah Chettleburgh (of this parish, a servant), his father was unknown ("illegitimate son of").
Saint John De Sepulchre isn't quite Lakenham as such, although it is on the correct side (South) of Norwich to Lakenham. The streets that it would cover today are around Ber Street (Surrey Street, Mariners Lane, Horn's Lane, Lily Terrace, Foulgar's opening, Thorn Lane, Roen road, Finkelgate) extending to the city walls. His Grandmother Elizabeth Chettleburgh and uncle Robert Chettleburgh was living in City Street in 1851 which is in that area, so this makes sense.
However, we do know for certain that his uncle was also called William Chettleburgh as when he retired he lived with his nephew (again from the 1881 and 1891 censuses).
In 1841 William is only 3 years old and living in Old Lakenham, only two entries away from the "Mill" with his mother Sarah Chettleburgh.
In the 1851 census there is no record of this William Chettleburgh. This is because his mother Sarah Chettleburgh married a Charles Simmons in 1847, and they are living together at Lakenham Road, (Old Lakenham) Norwich. Two sons are listed, one a George Simmons is likely to be a son from a previous marriage of Charles, the other is listed as William Simmons (well "Do.") who is the correct age (13) to be this William. Quite possibly when the census taker asked the relationship and the answer was "son" then they just assumed it was Simmons instead of Chettleburgh. His occupation was listed as woolcomber.
Marriage
William's first marriage was to Susan Middleton on Christmas day 1858 in St Mark's church in Lakenham. At this time he was a "labourer" and Susan "works at the factory", and they both lived in Lakenham. In the marriage registration her father was given as John Middleton, a "weaver", but his father's entry was left blank. The witnesses were George Dye and Sarah Middleton. Susan was born in Swainsthorpe, Norfolk in 1838.
Subsequently he married Sarah Ann Clarke on the 10th December 1877 at the Norwich registry office. The entry of marriage lists William as a 39 year old widower, who worked as a starch labourer, and lived near the factory in Lakenham. Sarah Ann was 32 years old, a spinster who worked as a laundress. She lived in Ber Street in Saint John Sepulchre. Her father was John Clarke, a farm labourer, who also witnessed the marriage along with Mary Ann Clarke.
By the 1881 census they were still living in Lakenham.
Children
William had a total of 11 children over his two marriages.
With Susan:
- Elizabeth Chettleburgh (b. 8 March 1863, Lakenham), m. 1886 John Lambert.
- Mary A (~1867)
- William (~1870)
- George (~1872)
- Charles (~1873)
With Sarah:
- Walter Chettleburgh (born 1 Mar 1878, baptised 6 April 1884, Lakenham)
- Ellen Chettleburgh (born 3 Oct 1879, baptised 6th April 1884, Lakenham, married John Betts 25 Dec 1905)
- Robert Edward Chettleburgh (1881)
- Alice Chettleburgh (1882)
- Phoebe Annie Chettleburgh (born 19 Dec 1883, baptised 6 April 1884, Lakenham)
- Anna Chettleburgh (~1885)
- Robert Chettleburgh (~1888)
- Edward Albert Chettleburgh (~1889).
In the 1901 census there is an another Robert who was born in around 1888, but he is not mentioned in the 1891 census. This is corroborated by the 1901 census which mentions 8 children born to Sarah, 3 of which were deceased at that point in time.
In 1886 he was listed as a gardener when he witnessed the marriage of his daughter (to his first wife Susan) Elizabeth Chettleburgh to a John Lambert.
He was listed as a general labourer, and then when he was older as a licensed victualler.
The license of the pub called The Cricketer's Arms was transferred to William Chettleburgh on July 1887. He was occupyingthe Cricketer's Arms in 1891, and is still listed as a publican at this address in the 1901 census (although the name of the pub in not mentioned there). The Kelly's directory for 1900 and 1904 list him as the victualler in charge of the "Cricket's Arms" in Lindley Street (or City Road - it is on the corner).
From the Eastern Daily Press, 30th December 1905:
MARRIAGE BETTS-CHETTLEBURGH - December 25 at Old Lakenham, Norwich by the Rev. H.M.Daniels, John, fourth son of James Betts, to Ellen, third daughter of William Chettleburgh, both of Lakenham, Norwich.
In 1911 he was still the head of The Cricketer's Arms, he was 73, living with his wife and three of his children, plus a grand-daughter Ellen Lilian Betts. They were listed as having been married for 33 years. 5 of his children were still alive, but 3 had died already.
Death
William Chettleburgh was registered in Norwich dying in Q1 1921 at the age of 83 (death index, Q1 1921, Norwich, vol 4b p163) .
Other information
We originally suspected that before that he may have occupied the Champion public house, however this turned out to be a separate (I can't yet say unrelated!) William Chettleburgh.
The 1881 census shows several other William Chettleburgh's along side our William, so we can exclude them from our birth record searches.
One was born on Topcroft in ~1839, one William Norris Chettleburgh was born in Thorpe in ~1839 and one was born in Norwich in ~1836
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3917626
On April 1855 Three tenements in Thorpe Hamlet, adjoining the road leading from the Plumstead Road to Thorpe were sold. They were in the occupation of Wm. Chettleburgh, James Brothers, and Wm. Dye.
In 1853 two defendants were charged with obtaining a cart with false pretenses from Sarah Chettleburgh of Thorpe Hamlet (by deceiving her sister)
1853 - Mary Ann Chettleburgh (16) pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing on the 31st August, at Thorpe St Andrew, three sovereigns and six half sovereigns, the property ofRobert Thurston. Sentenced to six months imprisonment.
22 June 1844 - Saturday last, at the house of his brother in law, Mr F. Starr, or Bracondale, Robert, only son of the late Mr. Root. Chettleburgh, late of St Peters Mancroft, in this city, aged 31, leaving a widow and four children to lament their early and melancholy bereavement.
A different William Chettleburgh was the father of a bride, Mary Ann Chettleburgh, in 1856.