Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Can anyone locate Samuel Willetts & family on the 1841 Census? The 1851 Census has the family at 7 St James Place with the surname spelt Willet. Samuel is a Hair Dresser, born around 1796 in Liverpool, his wife Elizabeth was born around 1800 in Liverpool and there's a son on the 1851 Census, Edward (full name Edward Russell Willetts sometimes given), born in Liverpool about 1832. They're probably on the 1841 Census but mistranscribed and indexed wrong.

Blue

Could this be the family at HO107 567 Book 2 Folio 11 page 14

3 Cotter Court Bolton Street Toxteth Park
James WILLET 35 hairdresser
Betsy WILLET 35
Henry WILLET 11
Edward WILLET 9
THomas WILLET 25 hairdresser
Helen WILLET 20

Thomas is perhaps James' brother

Hilary
Ed Officer

Thanks Hilary. That looks like a possible candidate. The ages for the parents are a bit out but that happens. It's intriguing that Edward's age is about right and I think there was a (William) Henry about that age. The occupation is right too. I'll get some credits after the live football on TV and take a look at that original image.

Blue

On the 1841 census people over the age of 15 were asked to round down their ages to the nearest 5. That will probably account for any slight age difference.

Hilary
Ed Officer

There was a brother called Thomas I have a baptism record from 1813 that's a good match for the 1841 Census Thomas Willet.

Edit: I found a marriage record for Thomas and Ellen Marshall in 1841 on the IGI. The online Parish Clerks has this record as Millet and Marshall instead of Willet and Marshall but I found it by searching for Marshall.

The marriage details give the groom's father's name and it's the same father as Samuel's. The occupation of the groom is Hair Dresser so we should have the right Willetts family on the 1841 Census.

Blue

At first the name looks like James Willet but the J could well be an S and the S at the end could well be an L. It's difficult to make out the letters inbetween as they are ill defined. They had a brother called James, a blacksmith, who married Mary Hughes at St Paul's in 1825 so therefore it makes more sense that this reads as Samuel not James. Thanks for helping me with this one it's strengthened my Willetts line.





Blue

It definitely looks like a James to me and when I magnified it seemed clearer, but you can see how it might have been misunderstood so perhaps the enumerator did also when he re-wrote the lists from the original.

From the IGI children born to Samuel and Elizabeth, christened at St Peters, Liverpool, I wonder if the middle name "Russell" will help with an earlier surname

James Willets 10 April 1820
Samuel Willets 1 September 1828
William Henry Willets 4 October 1830
Edward Russell Willets 28 May 1832

I suspect the William was known by Henry, age fits

James is also on the OPC site - father Samuel, Hairdresser, address Fontenoy St

Thanks Mary. I haven't been able to find Samuel's baptism but I'm pretty sure his father was Sylvanus Willetts and his mother was Jane Russell hence the passing down from generation to generation of the middle name Russell.

Silvenus Willetts, a Gunsmith, married Jane Russell at St Paul's on 12/8/1793.

James Willetts (Samuel's brother) was born on 4/1/1800 and was baptised at St Nicholas on 16/6/1800. His father was Salvenus Willetts (Gunsmith) and his mother was Jane (formerly Russell). They lived in Kent Street.

James Willetts (Blacksmith) married Mary Hughes at St Paul's on 26/12/1825.

Thomas Willetts (Samuel's brother) was baptised at St Peter's on 10/10/1813. His father was Silvanus Willetts (a Smith) and his mother was Jane. They lived at Moffats Place.

Thomas Willetts of Marybone (Hair Dresser), son of Sylvanus Willetts (Shipsmith) married Ellen Marshall of Midgehall Street, daughter of James Marshall (a Cooper) at St Peter's on 19/4/1841.

So it fits with Samuel & his brother Thomas both being Hair Dressers. The wives are a good match too: Elizabeth is Betsy and Ellen is Helen.


Blue

I would then suspect as I said above, enumerator's error when re-writing the pages. I think you must be right.