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:
- The 1861 census tells us that he was aged 44 and born in Saffron Walden. This gives 1817 as his birth year.
- His marriage certificate (in 1840) gives his age as 23, which confirms 1817 as his year of birth.
- 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. - 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. |