Whitechurch Family in Cambridge

[historyn]

I'm looking for a family named Whitechurch who had three daughters - Antoinette, Louise, and Elizabeth - and were living in or near Cambridge in the 1820s.  The family was Catholic, and apparently relocated to that area after 1810 (as Elizabeth, later a nun, reported her place of birth as Surrey).   Unfirtunately, I have no other information on the family - any leads will be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Kathy

[ShaunJ]

There's a tree on Kindred Connections which suggests this may be the family of Page Whitechurch of Sawston, and wife Ann Smith. Antoinette Lucy Mary Whitechurch appears to have died in 1829.

http://www.kindredkonnections.com/ancestry/Other/Died-1829/Wh/Whitechurch-family/Joseph-Whitechurch-li000594-3490.html

[historyn]

Thanks for your reply, Shaun,

I'd come across that tree before and feel fairly confident that they are related to the girls I'm trying to identify; however, the two girls listed in KK are too old to be students in 1825.  That being said, given the tradition of naming children after favorite siblings or parents, it seems likely that they might be the daughters of one of Page and Ann's sons - the question is which one.

I find it hard to believe that all family members named Whitechurch/Whitchurch simply died off without getting into the records someplace, though I suppose its possible.  It surprises me that the name barely shows up in a general internet search!

For now, I'll keep looking.
Cheers,
Kathy

[rosie99]

Hi

Have you looked at the baptisms etc on http://www.cfhs.org.uk/Search.html

I doubt that this is yours as not Catholic but there was a Elizabeth Whitechurch baptised St Andrew the Great, Cambridge in 1825 parents George and Elizabeth

Rosie

[historyn]

Thanks for checking, Rosie,

I agree with you - I don't believe that's the Elizabeth I'm looking for; in this case, the date is too late.  I'm still inclined to think that these girls are related to Page and Anne, especially since there is an Ann Whitechurch living with an old Catholic priest in 1841, just down the road from an older Ann, a younger Page, and an Ambrose Whitechurch. 

I know we'll get this sorted!
Cheers,
Kathy

[ShaunJ]

Elizabeth (the nun) was born circa 1803/4 according to the censuses so that would be consistent with the birth shown in that KK tree. That would make her 22 in 1825 when she entered the convent.

Antoinette was born 1799 per the KK tree and entered the convent in 1821 - so she too would have been 22 at entry.

Re Elizabeth's birth place (Guildford)  - I think Page Whitechurch was "of Guildford" in the marriage record I looked at a few hours ago. http://www.rootschat.com/links/09io/


http://books.google.co.uk/books?ei=cP9rTImYOZLn4AbBqsjoAg&ct=result&id=J1sBAAAAQAAJ&dq=whitechurch+cambridge+york&q=whitechurch+

[historyn]

Shaun, I see you found the Coleridge book - I thought you had found my tree at Ancestry. 

Your observations are correct about the appropriate age to become a nun; however, the average age of students coming into the convent school was 10. It seems a bit odd that the family would send three girls of marriagable age to the school with children so much younger, though I will admit that there are rare instances of girls as young as 3 or as old as 20 in attendance.  These were highly unusual; the 20 yr olds, for example, came escape the French Revolution, while the 3 yr old came with older sisters after their mother died.

That being said, I did find a second marriage date of 1798 for Page and Ann, which alters birthdates for their children - Page Jr, for example, is listed on KK with a 1791 birthdate, while the census records lists him as 1803. I'm looking into this some more to see what develops.  I wish there was a "Louisa" listed on the KK tree; I'd be more convinced. . .

Kathy