I am trying to trace my family tree, my ancestors -
the White family lived in Green Street, Little Hadham in 1851 and Cradle End from 1871 to early 1900's.
Members of the family include - Charles, Susanna,
Hepzibah, Ephraim, Maria and Dick, Ruth and Sarah

If anybody has any information regarding my family I would be very pleased to hear from you.

Many thanks - Jean

Hi Jean,
What rerlation were Charles and Dick?
You may already know, but Charles lived at tilekiln cottage in Cradle End where he lived for 65 years. He started out as a farm labourer on the adjoining farm and was a higgler in later life (a traveller round local villages selling produce like eggs.) He died on 5th Nov 1905 shortly after celebrating his 65th wedding anniversary, and Susannah, his wife died shortly after in April 1906. She apparently couldn`t bear to leave the house where she and Charles had lived for 65 years and died shortly after moving into her daughters house.
Dick White lived in a very run down old cottage at the far end of Albury road with Blowy (Aaron) White and Delphi (Philadelphius) White who i think were his cousins. One night in about 1905, he left a candle too close to the curtains and the house burnt down. Blowy had nowhere to go and for the rest of his life he slept rough around the village. Dick was born in 1850 and died june 27th 1911.
I am interested in any information about any of your relations (or any other old residents) or any old photos if you have them.
Many thanks
Neil

Hi Neil

Thank you so much for the information regarding Charles and Dick White. Charles was Dick's father.

One little mystery, on the census forms it says that Charles and his family didn't move to Cradle End until 1871 before that they were living in Green Street, which is of course just literally round the corner.

Charles' daughter Susannah was my Great Grandmother,
she was born in 1843 and married Henry Walter Hayes who was born in Chelmsford in 1842 but his family later moved to Bishops Stortford. His father's name was William born in 1816 at Hatfield Peveril, Essex.
He married Susan and had 8 children. In 1851 they were living in Bishops Stortford.

Susannah and Henry moved to East London and were living in Forest Gate, E7 in 1871. They had the
following children -

Henry born 1867
Charles 1870
Hellen 1873
Edith 1876
Horace 1879
Frank 1882 (my grandfather)
Frederick 1884

Are you a relation to the White family? Also do you have any information regarding any of Charles' other
children, namely Ephraim, Mary M, Ruth, Sarah, Maria
and Hepzibah.

It maybe that Charles' parents were James and Mary (born about 1786) and in 1841 they were living at Ford Hill, Little Hadham.

Any further information you may have would be gratefully recieived.

With best wishes

Jean

jean, any SWALLOW's married into the WHITE family. My lot also lived in Green Street Green. Have a couple of "WHITEs" in my data_base_. Will now extract the details and pass them on to you shortly

John Swallow
swallow.john@gmail.com

Hi Jean,
No i`m not a relation of the White family - i`ve been interested in local history in the village since I did a project as a boy in the 1970`s.

Yes, I think you are right that Charles was the son of James and Mary on who ran the old Hen and Chickens pub at the top of Ford Hill (on the south side) before it moved to the other end of Hadham Ford. You`ve obviously seen the census records where James is described as a Higgler, just as Charles was in later life. James lived next door to Philip and Martha, who I am sure were his parents, born about 1756. They lived at Hollands Croft on Ford Hill(the three storey end of the house.) James` brother Phillip and wife Sarah (born 1815 and 1814) also lived on Ford Hill and were parents to "Blowy" and "Delphi" who I mentioned before, as well as Jerry White (Jeremiah White b. 1851.)

I heard lots of stories about Philip White when I was a boy. Although he was born in 1815, Cyril Gillett remembered stories from his aunts about life in the village in the 1860`s and 70`s. There was a lime kiln behind the two red brick cottages at the foot of Ford hill, and Philip was the limeburner. He was one of the real old village characters at the time and would always be found drinking in the Fox pub (demolished about 1970 - opposite the two cottages.) After a heavy drinking session in the Fox, he would often stagger up to the kiln where he would lay down beside the warm kiln and fall asleep. Mary Gillet would then cover him up with a blanket for the night. Old Blowy was said to be a cut off the old block and he spent much of his life sleeping rough around the village.

Jerry White was a carrier and had an old donkey and cart and lived in the small cottage called Hillside just south of the Post office. Billy White also lived with him although I am not sure what relation he was to Jerry. Billy had the nickname of "Chundysmith" !! and was often unemplyed and would do odd jobs for people, gardening etc. His son "Twiddles" (Walter)was well known for miles around as the baker and roundsman from Houghtons shop and was always known as "Twiddles" as he was always twitching and shuffling from one foot to the other. He lived on Pudding Row (Chapel Row behind the Chapel where the bread was originally baked.)He was very hard working and after baking at 3/4 a.m. in the morning he would travel all round Perry Green, Much Hadham, Standon, Albury and Little Hadham, often not returning home till midnight. After working a 6 day week he would then think nothing of cycling to London on Sunday on his old solid tyred bike. After Houghtons closed he worked for a Stortford bakery and would cycle to Stortford each day. He was knocked down and killed in the blackout during the war aged 50 or 60.

Another white family living at Bury Green were Alfred (1850-1915) and sons "Monarch" (George b 1886) and "Shorty" (Alf). If you can connect them to your family I can give you some info on them as well and I have a photo of Shorty.

There was also a man called "Buckamee" White although I was never able to find out his first name) and a few more members of the White family at Westland Green.

Hope the above is useful
Regards
Neil

Hello Neil

Once again thank you so much for all the information on the White family, what a load of characters they were and the information will be fascinating to my relatives.

Neil I do have an old photo of my Great Grandmother Susannah Hayes nee White, I could send you a copy if I could have your email address.

Thank you so much for the information.

Best wishes

Jean