Whatmore Family History

Caistor is in Lincolnshire, about 23 miles to the north north east of Lincoln. It was the site of a Roman fort – hence its name. It was known to the British, prior to the Saxon advent, as Caer Egarry and to the Saxons as Thong Ceastre. In the middle of the nineteenth century chairs of elm and ash were manufactured in the town.

Some pictures of Caistor can be found at this link:

http://www.aboutbritain.com/towns/caistor.asp

An extract ftom Pigot’s Directory for 1928 can be viewed at this link:

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/Caistor/caistor_1828_directory.html

Pictures of the church taken by Ron cole can be seen at this link;

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/Caistor/

As far as I can determine the earliest member of the Watmough family to settle at Caistor was Thomas Whatmore who was born about 1750 at Redbourne in Lincolnshire. Thomas’s parents were Thomas Watmough born 1728 at Fledborough in Nottinghamshire and his wife Sarah nee Revel. Thomas senior’s line can be traced back to the early Watmough family at Tuxford, Nottinghamshire. There seems no reason to doubt that the Tuxford Watmoughs themselves were direct descendants of the earlier Watmoughs of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

 Grave of Thomas Watmough and his wife Frances.  

Inscription: In Memory of Thomas Watmough and Francis his wife, the former died 13 March 1827, the latter died 30 July 1830

The grave of Thomas and his wife Francis is the oldest of the Watmough graves at Caistor. This is the Thomas who seems to have been the first of the family to settle at Caistor. His wife was Francis Skelton who was born about 1757 at Severton in Northamptonshire. Thomas and Francis married on 27 February 1777 at South Leverton in Nottinghamshire. All their definite children were baptised at Caistor. These were:

Sarah Watmough baptised 27 January 1778. She was buried on 3 December 1846 at Caistor.

William Watmough baptised 6 March 1780. He married Sarah Kirby on 19 October 1801 at Caistor.

Mary Watmough baptised on 29 October 1782 and buried at on Caistor 9 November 1782.

Charles Watmough baptised on 22 November 1783. He married Elizabeth Hill at Caistor in 1803. Charles and Elizabeth had thirteen known children, all baptised at Caistor. Charles died at Caistor on 14 October 1833 and Elizabeth died there on 20 October 1834.

Thomas Richard Watmough was baptised on 28 June 1784 at Redbourne so he may have belonged to a different family – although his parents were a Thomas and a Frances. He married Eunice Cook. The eleven known children of Thomas and Eunice were all baptised at Redbourne.

Frances Watmough baptised 15 March 1787 and buried 23 March 1787 at Caistor.

John Watmough baptised 2 April 1790. He married Maria Waller on 17 July 1822 at Caistor. John and Maria had two known children.

Grave of Louisa Watmough

Inscription: Sacred to the memory of Louisa the wife of Charles Watmough who died 29 April 1841 aged 28 years. Also Elizabeth and Sarah, daughters of the above who died in their infancy.

 Louisa Watmough was  baptised at Grimsby on 27 September 1815 – the daughter of William Watmough born 1780 and his wife Sarah Kirby. She was the granddaughter of Thomas Watmough – the first member of the family to settle at Caistor. She married her cousin Charles Watmough  (see below). Charles and Louisa had three known children – Henry, Elizabeth and Sarah. The two girls were both baptised in 1841 a few days before Louisa died  and it seems likely that they were twins and that Louisa died on 19 April 1841 at the age of 28 as a result of the birth.  The two daughters did not survive – one dying a few days before her mother and the other a few days afterwards. Their names are recorded on their mother’s gravestone.

   Grave of Charles Watmough 

Inscription: Affectionate remembrance of Charles Watmough who died 14 December 1876. ‘His end valiant’. 

Charles Watmough was baptised on 8 March 1810 at Waddingham. He was the son of John Watmough born 1782 at Rebourne and his wife Appy Cocking. One of John and Appy’s descendants was Archibald Laing Watmough who was killed in the First World War and who was the subject of an earlier post. Charles married his cousin Louisa Watmough (see above). After she died  in 1841 Charles does not appear to have remarried. He remained at Caistor for the rest of life working as a blacksmith and looked after by his sister Ann. He died on 17 December 1876 at Caistor. Charles’ surviving child, Henry Watmough, born about 1840 at Caistor, moved to Hull and married Betsey Jane Burnett in 1873. In 1881 they were at the King William Hotel at Hull where Henry was Licensed Victualler. In 1891 they were at Sculcoates where Henry was a Tailor and Draper’s Traveller. They had no children.

Grave of Betsey Watmough

  Inscription: In memory of Betsey, daughter of Jonathan and Mary Watmough who died 26 March 1856 aged 7 years 

Betsey Watmough was born at Caistor about 1849. Her parents were Jonathan Watmough, born 1810 at Caistor and his wife Mary. In 1851 Betsey was at home in Caistor with her parents. Betsey died at Caistor at the age of 7 on 26 March 1856.

Grave of Jonathan Watmough

 Inscription: In affectionate remembrance of Jonathan Watmough who died 16 August 1865 aged 54 years

 Jonathan Watmough was baptised at Caistor on 17 September 1810. His parents were Charles Watmough born 1783 at Caistor and his wife Elizabeth Hill. Jonathan married a Mary and they had four known children – Jonathan born 1839, Sarah born 1841, Betsey born 1849 (see above) and Helen born 1858. Jonathan was a Master Fuller at Caistor. He died at caistor on 16 August 1865. His son Jonathan went to Grimsby where he was an Officer of H M Customs. Jonathan Junior died in 1895 at Caistor. Jonathan senior’s daughter Sarah went to Gloucester where in 1871 she was the Manager of the Bell Hotel. Sarah died at Gloucester in 1875. 

Grave of Mary Watmough

 Inscription: In affectionate remembrance of Mary, the beloved wife of Jonathan Watmough who departed this life 28 November 1888 aged 75 years 

Mary was the wife of Jonathan (see above). She was born about 1814 at Atterby in Lincolnshire and died on Caistor on 28 November 1888. 

Grave of William Watmough

Inscription: Sacred to the memory of William Watmough who died the 26 day of June 1837 aged 57

 William Watmough was baptised on 6 March 1780 at Caistor. His parents were Thomas Watmough, the first of the family to settle at Caistor and his wife Francis Skelton. William married Sarah Kirby on 1 October 1801 at Caistor. The first six of their children were born at Grimsby, but the family were in Caistor by 1815 when their daughter Charlotte was baptised there. They had two further children baptised at Caistor. William was buried at Caistor on 26 June 1837.