Whatmore Family History

 This post continues and convludes the story of the Whatmore Families at Arley, described in earlier posts

Samuel was baptised on 16 September 1838 at Chelmarsh. This entry is missing from the parish registers but is in the Bishops’ Transcripts. Samuel was at home at the time of the 1841 and 1851 censuses. At the time of the 1861 census Samuel was working as a groom at Rea Hall, Highley. He married Catharine Mary Hardwicke on 10 July 1866 in the parish church at Kidderminster. The witnesses were his brother Thomas Whatmore, and Eliza Hardwicke.. 

Samuel Whatmore  Copyright: Thomas William Whatmore and reproduced here by his kind permission

In 1871 Samuel and his family were at Hextons Upper Arley where he was working as  groom. In the 1881 census the family was still at Hextons. In 1891 and 1901 Samuel and Catharine were living  at Nash End. Catharine was buried aged 63 on 5 January 1904 at Arley. Samuel was buried aged 96 on 27 June 1935 at Arley. The burial place of Samuel and Catherine has not yet been traced in Arley churchyard.

  The children of Samuel and Catherine were: 

 Lizzie Whatmore (1867) After working awat from home as a servant, Lizzie returned home when her mother died in 1904 and looked after her father until he died in 1935. Lizzie never married. She died on 8 September 1958 aged 91 and was buried on 12 September  at Arley.

Lizzie Whatmore ( on left) with her sister Sarah Ann Whatmore

Copyright: Thomas William Whatmore and reproduced here by his kind permission

Charles Whatmore born in 1868 was at home at the time of the 1871 and 1881 censuses. Charles has not been traced in the 1891 census. He married Martha Elizabeth Price in the June Quarter of 1899 in the Kidderminster Registration District. In 1901 Charles and Martha were living in Kidderminster. Charles is described as a Coachman. Charles and Martha moved away to live in Wolverhampton, where they both lived for the rest of their lives. Charles died on 29 January 1939 aged 70 and  was buried on 31 January 1939 at Arley and Martha was buried with her husband on 2 September 1954. Charles and Martha had two children: Bertram (1901 or 1902) and Doris.

 Samuel Joseph Whatmore (1869) remained in Arley all his life. He never married.  He died on 17 April 1962 aged 92 and was buried on 21 April 1962 at Arley.

 George Whatmore (1870) married Phoebe Smith in the March Quarter of 1896 in the Kidderminster Registration District and was at Camberton, Kidderminster in 1901, working as a shepherd. The family later moved to Redditch where George was a farm bailiff.  George and Phoebe had only one child – Charles Reginald Whatmore born 4 December 1896. He joined the Police Force, then served in the First World War. He suffered severe shell shock and never worked after the War. Charles never married and probably died aged 84 in the September Quarter of 1980 in the Alcester Registration District.

 Sarah Ann Whatmore (1871) married Henry Bagley on 19 November 1898 at Arley. In 1901 they were at Madeley, Shropshire.  She died in 1966. 

Sarah Ann and Henry Bagley had three children; William Edwin (1900), Catherine May (1901) and Dolly (1911).

 William Jessie Whatmore (1873) was working as a footman in 1891. Later he joined the army and served in South Africa in the Boer War. He does not appear to have married, William Jessie died on 19 October 1927.  

William Jessie Whatmore   Copyright: Thomas William Whatmore and reproduced here by his kind permission

Edward Whatmore (1874) married Florence Gillespie .They did not have any children. Edward died on 11 March 1968 and Flroence on 24 October 1952.  

Matthew Whatmore (1877) lived at Arley and worked as a farm servant and a gardener. He never married. Matthew served in the First World War as Private 37759 in the Worcestershire Regiment 2^nd Bn. and was killed  in an explosion on 21 May 1917 near Arras in France, and has no known grave.

Roll of Honour in Arley Church, showing the name of Matthew Whatmore  Copyright: Rhys Whatmore

He is commemorated on a plaque in Arley Church and on the Arras Memorial (Bay 6) in the Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery, Arras.   

Matthew Whatmore    Copyright: Thomas William Whatmore and reproduced here by his kind permission

Alfred Whatmore (1879) who was buried on 20 February 1880 at Arley. 

Thomas Whatmore  Born 1880 and died on 20 November 1967. Thomas was caretaker at Speke Hall Liverpoolwas many years and his life  is described in an earlier post.

Thomas Whatmore   Copyright: Thomas William Whatmore and reproduced here by his kind permission

James Whatmore (1881) who died on 2 January 1888 aged 7 and was buried on 7 January 1888 at Arley 

Richard Henry Whatmore (1882) His parents are shown as James and Katherine in the parish register – surely a clerical mistake! Richard Henry  married Mary Ann Brazier in the December Quarter of 1905 at Kidderminster where Richard had a butcher’s shop. Richard died on 14 January 1956. Richard and Mary Ann had one child – Stanley Richard Whatmore who was born in 1907. He married Margaret Stone in 1939 and lived at Kidderminster. They had two. children who are still living.  Stanley  and his wife both died in 1963. 

 Four of the sons of Samuel and Catherine Whatmore, at Nash End, Arley in 1937

From left:  Richard, Charles, Thomas and Joseph

Copyright: Thomas William Whatmore and reproduced here by his kind permission

John Whatmore (1886) was at home aged 14 and working as an Under Waggoner in 1901. John married Annie Foxall in 1916 in the Kidderminster. Registration District.  John and Annie had no children. Annie died in 1964 in the Kidderminster Registration District and John died aged 86 in the September Quarter of 1972 in the Kidderminster Registration District.