Cemeteries and graveyards, full of love, betrayal, tragic deaths, murder, and suicide. What will you find?

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Taphophile Tragics - Catherine Whitmarsh - Blacksmith's Wife



Monument to Catherine Whitmarsh, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham, Berkshire, England.


"Scared to the memory of Catherine Whitmarsh who departed this life September 15th 1855 aged 55 years - Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Rev. Chap 11: Verse 13"


Catherine was born in 1800 in the village in Penn, Buckinghamshire.  She was the wife of William Whitmarsh, blacksmith and parish clerk, collector of taxes and agent of the Mutual Life Assurance Society, of Cookham, Berkshire.

Catherine first appears on the 1841 Census aged forty years, living in the village of Cookham with her husband William and their children fifteen year old Elizabeth, twelve year old Catherine and eight year old William Jr.  Living next door to William and Catherine are William's parents, John Whitmarsh, a blacksmith and his wife Elizabeth.

In 1851 the family is still living in Cookham village.  William is now a master blacksmith, employing three men.  The now twenty four year old Elizabeth is a dress maker, the twenty two year old Catherine is a school mistress and the eighteen year old William Jr a blacksmith in his father's business.  Sadly Catherine was to pass away only four years later.  The family suffered another loss in 1859 when William Jr passed away.

William and his daughters Elizabeth and Catherine are still living in Cookham village in 1861.  William is still working as a blacksmith, employing only 2 men.  Elizabeth and Catherine have started up a grocery business.  William was to pass away in 1881, just before the 1881 Census was taken, which shows Elizabeth and Catherine still living together in Cookham village.  Catherine was next to pass away in 1890, followed by her sister Elizabeth just 3 years later in 1891.


Taphophile Tragics







1 comment:

  1. Interesting! And I like your photo -- this stone has some interesting detailing on it.

    Thanks for sharing this on Taphophile Tragics!

    ReplyDelete

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