Born at Cirencester c.1831.
1841 Census
Gloucester Street, Cirencester.
The 1841 Census shows him aged 10, the grandson of William and Hester Whiting.
William Whiting, 50, Plasterer.
Hester Whiting, 55.
James Whiting, 25, Plasterer.
Matilda Whiting, 20.
William Whiting, 10.
All born Gloucestershire. [RM, PB]
1851 Census
Thomas Street, Cirencester.
He appears in the same household in 1851.
William Whiting, Head, Married, 64, Slatter.
Hester Whiting, Wife, Married, 69?.
Mattilda Whiting [sic], Daughter, Unmarried, 32, no occupation shown ["Home"?].
Harriet Bradford, Daughter, Married, 30, as above.
Hester Bradford, Daughter [sic?], 4.
William Whiting, Grandson, 20, Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
Alfred Saunders, a Lodger, was also shown.
All family members born Cirencester, Gloucestershire. [RM, PB]
WW has not been found in any subsequent Censuses.
William Whiting's parents?
It has not been possible to determine who William Whiting junior's parents were. But in an effort to locate him, we have attempted to trace some of his relatives, particularly Matilda Whiting, who may have been his mother.
He could have been the illegitimate child of a daughter of William and and Hester Whiting (because he shares their surname). But Matilda seems too young, so it may be another daughter who had died or already left home. An absent son and his wife are also possible. True, ages given in the 1841 Census are approximate (usually to nearest 5 years), but Matilda is still only 12 years older than William in the more specific 1851 Census.
1861: his grandparents (WW senior is now describe as a retired Plasterer) and Matilda (still unmarried), and a Georgina Whiting, grand-daughter, aged 5, can be found in the 1861 Census in Thomas Street.
1871: Matilda Whiting, now 52, is unmarried and still living in Thomas Street with her parents William, 84, and Hester, 88, together with her re-married sister [?] Harriet King, 49, and Harriet's children Hester Bradford, 24, and Georgina Bradford, 15.
1877: Matilda Whiting, probably the same woman, married Aaron Wheeler in July Quarter 1877, Cirencester, when she was about 58.
1881: As Matilda Wheeler, 60, she appears on the 1881 Census in Cerney Wick, South Cerney, Gloucestershire, as the wife of Aaron Wheeler, 61, Agricultural Labourer. They are shown as the parents of Albert Wheeler, 13, born Cerney Wick. It seems likely that Aaron had been married before and already had a young child, Albert, when he married Matilda.
Indeed, the marriage took place only a few months after the death of an Ann Wheeler, aged 50, recorded in the January Quarter of 1877 in Cirencester.
An Ann Newman married Aaron Wheeler in 1844 (registered October Quarter). It seems likely that she was the wife of Aaron Wheeler, and mother of a child Albert (aged at this time about 3).
1891: Matilda Wheeler appears in the 1891 Census, aged 72, still in Cerney Wick, and still married to Aaron Wheeler, 70, Agricultural Labourer, born South Cerney. [PB]
Enlisted at Cirencester on the 10th of May 1854.
Age: 23 years 10 months.
Height: 5' 6,"
Trade: Plasterer.
Appearance: Sallow complexion. Brown eyes. Dk. brown hair.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 1st of August 1855.
He was shown on a nominal roll of men of the Regiment made out at the Cavalry Depot, Scutari, on the 9th of November 1855 as being On Duty there from the 13th of October. From this he did not serve in Eupatoria with the regiment.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial for "drunkenness" and imprisoned 3rd-18th of July 1860.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial for "habitual drunkenness" and imprisoned from the 29th of October 1863 - 22nd of February 1864.
Discharged from Aldershot on the 6th of August 1864:
"Has epilepsy - first had fits after a debauch. If he kept sober he would probably not have any return on the disease - or at long intervals. He might earn his living. Disability aggravated, if not indeed caused, by his drunkenness."
Conduct and character: "Indifferent". Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
52 times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Twice tried by Court-martial.
To live in Cirencester after discharge.
He was granted a pension of 6d. per day for a period of 18 months.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.