Notes on Tree 20

Witham Plucks

George's origins

This tree was originally a "loose branch". Although it was clear, from census records, that George's origins were in Saffron Walden it was not obvious who his father was. As more information was acquired the position became a little clearer. We know:

  1. The 1861 census tells us that he was aged 44 and born in Saffron Walden. This gives 1817 as his birth year.
  2. His marriage certificate (in 1840) gives his age as 23, which confirms 1817 as his year of birth.
  3. The Saffron Walden Overseers' Records tell us that "On 2 May 1832 George Pluck, aged 15, son of Mary Pluck, widow, was apprenticed to James Pluck of Braintree".
    This, again, ties in with a birth in 1817.
  4. His marriage certificate, in 1840, named his father as John Pluck, cordwainer.

This all points to his parents being John Pluck (PL40) and Mary Mynott (PL41). The fact that Mary is described as a widow at the time of George's apprenticeship is explained by her husband's transportation to Australia in 1827.

There is a convenient gap in John and Mary's children where George might fit. However, when John was transported in 1827 it was recorded that he had eight children - George would have made this nine. Things were stalled at this point until a burial record for a Susan PLACK was found. Susan died in 1826 aged 16, which fits John and Mary's eldest daughter. George can now be fitted into the tree without any problem.

The linking of George to John Pluck and Mary Mynott is still only circumstantial, however, but a closer examination of the baptism records of the family helps to clarify the situation and also helps to make the linking of George as certain as anything can be while using the records of that period.

The Baptisms of the children of John Pluck and Mary Mynott.

Name
PL No
Date of birth
Date of baptism
Place
Source
Notes
John 64 unknown 12 Jul 1807 SW my fiche copy of PR dob not recorded
Susan 65 9 Nov 1807 10 Feb 1808 SW my fiche copy of PR dob recorded in PR
James 66 27 Aug 1810 19 Mar 1811 SW my fiche copy of PR dob recorded in PR
Sarah 67 1811 24 Jun 1813 SW my fiche copy of PR "aged one year and a half"
Mary 68 1814 20 May 1814 SW my fiche copy of PR "aged 7 weeks"
George 195 1817? 9 Dec 1832 Braintree RG4/596. no dob or age given
William 225 25 Jan 1819 16 Dec 1832 SW my fiche copy of PR dob recorded in PR
Thomas 223 8 Jan 1822 16 Dec 1832 SW my fiche copy of PR dob recorded in PR
Charles 224 7 Nov 1825 16 Dec 1832 SW my fiche copy of PR dob recorded in PR

 

The children were baptised regularly up to the fifth child, Mary in 1814. George, William, Thomas and Charles don't appear to have been baptised after birth. It was at about this time that John seems to have gone increasingly off the rails. He had a number of convictions for minor offences including assault, swearing, drunkenness, obtaining money under false pretences, etc (more information in the History section).

In 1832, five years after John's transportation, William, Thomas and Charles were baptised in the Saffron Walden Parish church (perhaps there was a new vicar), but George was missing, which was a bit worrying.

Some time later a baptism for George was found. It took place a week before his brothers and was held at the Braintree Independent Chapel. It clearly identified his parents as John and Mary but didn't give an age or date of birth. The puzzle becomes clear if we take into account that George was apprenticed as a cordwainer to his uncle James in Braintree in 1832 (see above). Another Pluck, Henry, was baptised at the same time as George. Henry was George's cousin, a son of James.

DGP/ 24 April 2014

 

Detailed Notes


PL No
Surname
Forenames
Notes
0196 BUTCHER Emma There is a possible baptism record: Emma Butcher, born 9 July 1809, baptised 23 July 1809 at St George the Martyr, Southwark. Parents: William & Ann. FHL Film No: 394841. This is a little earlier than would be expected from the various census records but she may have subtracted a few years to make herself the same age as her husband.  She is Emma Belinda in the GRO death record.
0790 PLUCK Ebenezer Charles Ebenezer was dropped by the time of the 1871 census - he was simply called Charles.
No records found after the 1871 census. No census, marriage or death. Perhaps he emigrated?
0797 PLUCK Emily Frederica Her birth is registered in the name Emily Frederica Totham. She is clearly the daughter of Emily Totham and Frederick Pluck but born some months before their marriage. In the 1891 census she is recorded as "daughter - adopted".
She is in the 1901 census of Epping, living in Church Hill. She is married to Frederick Willett, a steam boilermaker, and has four children, Dorothy (7), Frederick (6), Constance (4) and Charles (1). She died later in the year. Frederick did not remarry.
0794 PLUCK Emma Belinda Witnesses at her wedding to Hugh Reilly were her brother Josiah George and his wife, Susan (Tyler). They married on Christmas day.
0793 PLUCK Frederick William A stonemason. In all censuses 1851-1901.
4050 PLUCK Henrietta R No birth record found. Not found in 1901 census. No marriage or death record found.
0792 PLUCK Jesse Fergus O'Connor He does not appear to have had any children.
0791 PLUCK Walter James Neither Walter nor Louisa can be found in any records after the 1881 census. Perhaps they emigrated? They don't appear to have married.
4052 REILLY Hugh His marriage certificate recorded his occupation as Engineer. His father, also Hugh Reilly, was a miner.
0796 TOTHAM Emily Based on 1901 census Emily was born in 1838 in Totham - a couple of miles east of Witham. A search for Emily Totham (or similar) between Q3 1837 & Q4 1845 over the whole of England - produced nothing. A search for "Emily" in the Witham RD over the same period produced 54 Emilys but no surname stood out. A search for Tothams in Essex over the same period produced 7 female Tothams, none in the Witham RD.
A Totham born in Totham, while not out of the question, is unusual. Was she a foundling? She was not found in any censuses before her marriage.
Fred was just 21 when he married, Emily was 31/32.
There are two possible deaths for Emily in the GRO index, both in the Chelmsford RD: Q4 1917, aged 78 and Q3 1920, aged 80. The other candidate for one of these two dates is Emily Pluck, nee Juniper, PL2726 in Tree6. A certificate is needed to resolve this issue.
0795 TYLER Susan She had one son, Harry, who was born in 1863 and died in 1864 (known from his baptism record).
0908 [PLUCK] Louisa No marriage found in the index.

 

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