5
Alan March’s Family History
This site is a work-in-progress. There is a massive amount to cover. I have included both male and female lines, and some go back many generations. Keep coming back for more.
I have numbered the generations working backwards from Alan’s as (1)
JOHN WITHAM and HANNAH HARWOOD (8)
JOHN WITHAM. John was a farmer’s son, born in the Essex village of High Easer.
Baptism. St Mary the Virgin, High Easter.
1746 Nov 9 John son of Thomas and Elizabeth Witham.
His mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Knight.
John was the third of five surviving children, a baby brother having died before John was born.
High Easter is a parish of gently rolling farmland, with scattered pockets of woodland. The church of St Mary is known for its magnificent Tudor roof.
HANNAH HARWOOD. In some records, her name is spelt Horwood, or Horrowood.
Hannah was resident in High Easter when she married, but we have found no baptism for her there or in the surrounding area.
From 1681 to 1712 there were many Harwoods/Horwoods in the nearby village of White Roding. Nearer the time of Hannah’s birth, there were more in Great Waltham.
They were married when John was 25.
Marriage. St Mary the Virgin, High Easter.
1772 May 12 John Witham, bachelor, and Hannah Harwood, spinster, both of this parish.
Their first child was born before the year was out. It was common for brides to be pregnant when they married.
Baptisms. High Easter.
1772 Dec 20 Thomas.
1774 Feb 16 John
1776 Oct 27 Edward
1778 May 20 Elizabeth
1780 Mar 6 Ann
1781 May 19 William. The parish register does not give relationships. William may have died in infancy, or the burial on 26 Jun 1781 may be that of burial of an older man.
1782 Jul 3 George
1785 Jul 14 Phoebe
1786 Aug 2 Joseph
John’s father was a farmer. We have no information about John’s occupation. He may have followed his father as a farmer, or, as a younger son, he may have slipped own the social status and become a husbandman or labourer.
If he was a farmer, this would have been a time of prosperity. The fast-expanding population of London created a huge demand for food. Essex was well situated ot supply this.
If, however, he was a labourer, the picture would have been markedly different. The high demand led to rising food prices. Labourers lost the little land they had previously used to raise food for their families. There was much unrest, and at times riots, among agricultural workers.
Joseph was not yet six when John died.
Burial. St Mary the Virgin, High Easter.
1793 Jun 11 John Witham. Tax 3d.
From 1783 until 1794, people had to pay a tax of 3d to be buried. This was collected by the Sextons on behalf of the government. The tax was used to pay for the wars in North America, where the colonies were striving to throw off British rule. Paupers were exempt.
Hannah was left with 8 or 9 children, but many of them would already have been at work.
She survived John by 15 years, living to see the French Revolution and the Battle of Trafalgar.
Burial. St Mary the Virgin, High Easter.
1808 Jan 19 Hannah Witham
NEXT GENERATION: 7. BREWER-WITHAM
PREVIOUS GENERATIONS: 9. WITHAM-KNIGHT