Connection between FOTHERBY and WHITFIELD families

[ellengenhound]

I am wondering if anyone can shed any light on the connection between the WHITFIELD family and the FOTHERBY family of Rickmansworth in the early 18th or late 17th centuries.

Henry Fotherby Whitfield (often erroneously transcribed as Fotherly or Fotherley) was born around 1731 in Rickmansworth (according to an IGI member submission, don't have anything more definitive). His parents were Henry Whitfield and Amphilis Dewe, both of St. Albans, Hertfordshire who were married at Lincoln's Inn Chapel in 1727.

Henry Fotherby Whitfield Esq. lived on the estate of Bury Park near Rickmansworth and was still living in 1811. According to the IGI again, he died in 1813.

The Fotherby family hails originally from Lincolnshire but are also found in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and London, though there is also a Kent branch. I have however found a few references to Fotherbys in Hertfordshire including a Mary Annah Fothersby (sic) born to Anthony and Affiah in Totteridge in 1667. There was a Thomas Fotherby of Rickmansworth who was knighted in July 1681 and a John Fotherby who was recommended to by JP of St Albans in 1682 but they do not seem to have become firmly established in the county and there appear to be no Fotherbys in Hertfordshire by the early 19th century.

I am assuming Henry Fotherby Whitfield was so named because of a family connection of some sort, but have no evidence of this as yet. If anyone has any further information that would shed some light on this it would be appreciated.

[petercornish]

Hi,
Can I take it that you have seen the Hertfordshire Genealogy site for Rickmansworth which sets out the selling of Rickmansworth Manor to Sir Thomas Fotherley by Charles the First, the extinction of the Fotherley family as a result of the earthquake in Jamaica in 1694 and bequeathing the Manor to Temple Whitfield (a nephew)

Interesting reading.

Regards   ...   Peter

[ellengenhound]

Hi Peter

Thanks for that, no I hadn't seen it. Very interesting. I just need to confirm that Fotherley = Fotherby.

Interestingly, there was a Thomas Fotherby who was Deputy-Paymaster-General of the forces in the West Indies in 1692/3 - I wonder if this is the Fotherby who died in the earthquake in Jamaica. Fotherby is not a common name so I would be surprised if there was more than one Fotherby family  knocking around the West Indies at that time.

Thanks again for the tip.
Ellen

[janan]

Hi Ellen
Welcome to Rootschat 

Worth searching here 


http://www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/HALS/indexes/

for Fotherley - nothing showing for Fotherby

Several entries show for Rickmansworth, including a couple for Henry Fotherley Whitfield

Jan

[janan]

A bit more here

http://www.rickmansworthherts.freeserve.co.uk/webpage6.htm

Don't think this is the same site referred to by Peter

Jan

This clarifies the Whitfield connection

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43298

[ellengenhound]

HI Janan

Thanks, did find the freeserve page after reading Peter's reply, but have just tried your link to the hertsdirect site and got a page not found error.

Regards
Ellen

[janan]

I've re-done the HALS link - it appears to work now.

Jan

[ellengenhound]

Thanks Janan, all interesting stuff.

[petercornish]

Hi Ellen,

The National Archives - A2A record that the Title Deeds of Rickmansworth and family & business papers for the period 1631 to 1914 have been deposited with National Archives and held by Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies under reference DE/GH.

Included in this collection, under reference DE/GH/1711 A&B, are two copies of a Pedigree of Henry Fotherley Whitfield.    Would this be a useful document to establish the family connection?.

Regards   ...   Peter