WHENNELL HARVEY HULSE

[Dave Burnett]

My 2G Grandparents Sarah (Whennell) HARVEY and her husband Richard Harvey are listed among the beneficiaries in the 1837 Canterbury Will of Thomas WHENNELL, Barking fisherman and smack owner. (Will image available on Ancestry)

Two other “Nieces” Elizabeth Sarah HULSE (b1814) and her sister Mary (Hulse) Green (b1807) are also listed beneficiaries. Their Father Nathaniel Hulse the elder (b~1777) and their brother Nathaniel Hulse the younger (b1812) are minor beneficiaries.

I am searching for a HULSE marriage in about 1805 between Nathaniel and his unidentified wife Mary.  From the 1851 census I know that Mary was apparently born in Whitechapel, Middlesex in 1780.  Who is she?

All of these are Barking Fishermen and wives associated with HEWETT family and the Short Blue Fleet.

With thanks, Dave in Alberta

[amondg]

I was looking at the Whennell family to sort out relationships to Thomas.
Who do you have as Sarah Whellen Harvey parents?
James Whellen married Susan Smith 6 March 1791 they has a daughter Sarah born 2 January 1792 but it looks like both mother and daughter were buried later that month.
If Thomas  1767-1837 married he did not leave a wife or children so the nieces most likely are the children of his brother James 1766-married Susan, did he marry again, or his sister Sarah 1771-. Meaning Mary who married Nathaniel  Hulse is a daughter of James Whellen or Sarah who married ?.   

[Dave Burnett]

Thank you Amondg for your interest in helping with my WHENNELL mystery.  This rare name should be easy to search but I have put in a lot of work and I am still uncertain about this generation.  There are two known Whennell families in Barking.  The first is the family of James Whennell b1733 and his wife Sarah Alldridge b1734.  They had at least four children by my count, Mary 1761, James 1766, Thomas 1767, and  Sarah 1771.  The second is the family of William Whennell, (brother of James ), b1740 and his wife Ann Glew b1745.  By my count they had at least 8 children.  A third group is that of Burchett Whennell, gentleman farmer, at Hornchurch. Thankfully this latter family does not seem to mix with the fishermen.

I am stuck and still considering all possibilities so please feel free to ask questions and propose other solutions.  Based on all the evidence that I have collected so far, I do believe that my Sarah (Whennell) Harvey, b1792,  is the only daughter of James Whennell and Susan Smith.  This requires believing that the coincident 1792 death record is a simple transcription error.

The birth surname of Mary who is married to Nathaniel Hulse must be Whennell if the Hulse daughters are indeed nieces as described in the 1837 Will, but maybe Mary herself is the niece and her daughters are really grand nieces?

Hopefully you and other listers can come up with new ideas and new clues.
Thanks again,
Dave

[suffolk*sue]

Don't know if you have the following marriage at St. Margaret, Barking.
Samuel Sutton and Elizabeth Whennell, both single, by banns and with consent of parents.
Witnesses
Sarah Harvey
John Stanton
John Nichols
16th February, 1814

So by all accounts this Elizabeths father is William born c1769 in Barking, as per 1851 census where he is living with the Suttons.

Elizabeth Whennell born June 29th and baptised July 22nd, 1792, dau of William and Elizabeth.

[Dave Burnett]

Thanks Sue.  I had missed this marriage record but I do know that Samuel Sutton and Elizabeth Whennell have current descendants in New Zealand. This seems to be the William Whennell listed as a "cousin" in Thomas Whennell's 1837 Will.

I hesitate to post my draft transcription of the Will but I will be happy to forward a personal copy to those who are interested, particularly to those who would be willing to edit and improve same.

Your find confirms the importance of searching with fresh sets of eyes.
Thanks again,
Dave

[amondg]

Just read the will of Thomas Whennell 1837 on ancestry.
It states he wishes to be buried next to the grave of his dear departed wife who is buried in the parish of Barking Essex.
So Thomas did marry!
Therefore the Mary whose maiden name you are looking for could be a from his wife's side of the family it would still make Elizabeth Sarah Hulse and Sarah Green his nieces.
Two of his executors are his good friends whose names are hard to decipher and Henry James Evans of Whitechapel Middlesex a Brazier.
I would look into Mr. Evans and how he is possibly related. Two trusted friends as executors are fine but just to be sure wouldn't he have a family member as the third executor.
 Did you make note of the witnesses to the marriage of Sarah Whennel to Richard Harvey, they are
Thomas Whennell, Elizabeth Whennell and Elizabeth (Daby/Waby)

[amondg]

St Margaret's Parish Registers Barking
Susan Whennell buried 26 January 1792
Sarah Whennell buried 26 January 1792
Although the writing is easy to read the registers do not give much information during this time as to age.
Susan is definitely the wife of James but Sarah could be his daughter or his sister
 

[Dave Burnett]

Thanks for checking the Parish Register Amondg. The mystery deepens but I think we are making progress.

By my work Thomas Whennell was first married to Dorothy Marchant August 15, 1793.  She apparently died in 1807 and he quickly married widow Jane Harris September 1, 1807 at Hackney Middlesex. The witnesses at that marriage were Scrymgeour Hewett and Robert Thomas Hresbald?.

It appears that Jane died in 1827.

The other witnesses in the 1837 Will are well known historical figures Scrymgeour Hewett and his Son Samuel Hewett (Google The Short Blue Fleet website to see lots about both of them)