Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Samuel PETTITT (1775-?)

and Jane AKEHURST (1772-?)

Samuel Pettitt and Jane Akehurst married on 20 April 1795 in Tonbridge Kent.  (They were not my direct ancestors.  Samuel was the nephew of my 6x great grandmother, Elizabeth Pettitt.)

Samuel Petitt was baptised on 15 February 1775 in Wadhurst, Sussex.  He was the son of Thomas Pettitt (1736-1802) and Mary Markwick (1738-1802).  He was mentioned in his father's will.  He died before 1851.

Jane Akehurst may have been baptised on 12 July 1772 in Wadhurst and have been the daughter of William Akehurst (1741-?) and Elizabeth Wren.

I have not found Samuel and Jane in the 1841 census.  When the 1851 census was recorded, Jane was an 81 year old widow living with her son Joseph at Partridges in Wadhurst.

Samuel Pettitt and Jane Akehurst had 3 known children:

1. Mary Petitt was born on 4 October and baptised on 23 November 1800 in Wadhurst.  Might she have married Thomas Barton by banns on 12 November 1819, or George Sivyer by banns on 24 August 1823?  Both marriages took place in Wadhurst and they were all of the parish.  When the 1851 census was recorded, both Mary Barton wife of Thomas and Mary Sivyer wife of George were 51 years old and gave their place of birth as Wadhurst.  Mary did have a cousin Mary Pettet who was also born in 1800.

2. Joseph Pettitt was born about 1805 in Wadhurst.

   Joseph married Hannah Hall (her name has come from the birth certificates of their children) (ref.1).

   Hannah probably died in the first quarter of 1845 in the Ticehurst registration district.  Might she have been baptised on 13 February 1814, the daughter of William Hall and Martha Cornwall or on 19 February 1815, the daughter of James Hall and Frances?  Both baptisms took place in Mayfield.  A Hannah Hall, spinster of Mayfield married Thomas Piper on 26 December 1840 in Maresfield.

   The 1841 census records that 35 year old Joseph and 25 year old Hannah were living in Partridges Cottage, Wadhurst, next door to the family of Thomas Kitchenham.  He was then an agricultural labourer.  With the couple on census night were 4 children, including 10 year old Charity Pettitt, and Joseph's brother William.  By 1851 Joseph was a 46 year old widower and agricultural labourer living at Partridges in Wadhurst with his mother, brother and 4 children.

   Joseph and Hannah had 4 or 5 known children:

   1. Charity Pettit may have died in the third quarter of 1850 in the Ticehurst registration district.

   2. Joseph Pettitt was born in 1837 in Wadhurst.  The 1841 census records that he was 5 years old.  He was a 14 year old agricultural labourer in 1851 and the eldest child at home.

   3. Samuel Pettitt was born in the second quarter of 1838 in Wadhurst.  The 1841 census records that he was 5 years old.  He was a 12 year old agricultural labourer in 1851.  When the 1861 census was recorded on the night of 7 April he was an unmarried 23 year old private on board HMS Pembroke.

      Samuel married Esther Diplock in the second quarter of 1870 in the Tonbridge registration district..

      Esther was born in 1850 in Rotherfield, Sussex and was the daughter of James Diplock (1818-?) and Sarah Ann Stevens (c1823-?).  At the time of the 1851 census she was 9 months old and living with her parents at Mark Cross in Rotherfield, next door to her paternal grandparents, Samuel Duplock (c1783-?) and Jemima Coleman (c1779-?).  In 1861 she was a 10 year old scholar living with her parents at Mark Cross and her father was then an agricultural labourer.

      When the 1871 census was recorded 32 year old Samuel and 20 year old Esther were living at Bestbeech Hill in Wadhurst.  He was then an agricultural labourer.  In 1881 the couple and 5 children were living at Coleshall Cottage in Mayfield.  He was then a 40 year old agricultural labourer and Esther was 31.  In 1891, the couple and 5 children were living at No. 1 Coles Hall Cottage and Samuel was a 51 year old agricultural labourer and Esther was 40.

      Samuel and Esther had the following children:

      1. Joseph Pettitt was born in the fourth quarter of 1871 in Wadhurst.  He was a 9 year old scholar in 1881.  In 1891 he was a 19 year old gardener and living at home with his parents.

      2. Samuel Thomas Pettitt was born in the first quarter of 1874 at Coles Hall, Mayfield (ref.1).  In 1881 he was a 7 year old scholar.  When the 1891 census was recorded he was an 18 year old milk carrier, lodging in the home of James W. Barrett at 22 Eden Road in the parish of St. Mary, Lambeth, London.

         Samuel married Ann Elizabeth Dixon on 8 April 1897 at Dover Castle where he was based as a serving soldier in the royal field artillery (ref.1).

         Samuel and Ann Elizabeth had 7 children in all, one of whom was:

         1. Reginald Pettitt was born in 1902 (ref.1).  He married Amelia Elizabeth Hart on 13 November 1926 (ref.1).  Amelia was from Folkestone (ref.1).  They had 4 children.

      3. Alice Ellen Pettitt was born in the third quarter of 1875 in Mayfield.  She was a 5 year old scholar in 1881.

      4. Emily Pettitt was born in the third quarter of 1877 in Mayfield.  She was 3 years old in 1881.  In 1891 she was a 13 year old scholar.

      5. Mary Jane Pettitt was born in the fourth quarter of 1879 in Mayfield.  At the time of the 1881 census she was a year old.  In 1891 she was an 11 year old scholar.

      6. Albert William Pettitt was born in the first quarter of 1882 in Mayfield.  He was a 9 year old scholar in 1891.

   4. Sophia Pettitt was born in the first quarter of 1841 in Wadhurst.  At the time of the 1841 census she was 5 months old.  In 1851 she was a 10 year old employed at home.

   5. Jane Pettitt was born in 1843 in Wadhurst.  When the 1851 census was recorded she was an 8 year old employed at home.

3. William Pettitt was born about 1811 in Wadhurst.  In 1841 he was a 30 year old agricultural labourer and he was living with the family of his brother Joseph.  He was an unmarried 40 year old agricultural labourer when the 1851 census was recorded and he was still living with his brother Joseph.

Another Joseph Pettitt married Mary Kenrua Hart by licence on 3 July 1833 in Tonbridge.  He was then a bachelor of Ticehurst and she a spinster of Tonbridge.  When the 1851 census was recorded 50 year old Joseph and 44 year old Mary K were living in Ticehurst along with their 4 children, 3 assistants, 1 visitor and 3 servants.  Joseph was then described as a grocer employing 3 men.  He then gave his place of birth as Ticehurst.

Ref. 1 - Brenda Rowley

AKEHURST          PETTITT