The following text is reproduced from an annotated photo album put together by Mark Pattern following his research into the family tree during retirement.
Although we knew that dad had carried out research, no-one in the family knew about the album which, along with a folder of old photographs, lay undisturbed in a bedroom wardrobe until we found it several months after he passed away in July 2023. With hindsight, it seems odd that dad didn’t tell anyone but it does make me wonder if it was intended to be a surprise!
I’ve corrected some obvious typos in the text and will add additional footnotes to reflect any corrections or extra information from my own subsequent research into the family tree. Some slight differences in dates have been silently corrected.
Unlike my dad’s research into his own family, this feels more factual as I suspect he relied more on historic records due to fewer surviving relatives on my mum’s side. Sadly, there are also very few surviving photos of mum’s side of the family.
Dave Pattern
September 2024
Petch Family Tree
A James Petch married Ann Pooley. There were living at Laceby, North Lincolnshire, at the 1841 Census — James Petch born 1763 and an Ann, his wife, both born at Laceby. Were these our forbears? We know, however, this is where the Christian name Pooley originated from and which has found its way into the family tree through at least five generations.
James and Anne had a son, Pooley Petch, born 1787, and he married Sarah Hayhoe, born c17911 who like Pooley was born at Swaffham. Pooley was a shoe-maker and in the 1851 Census is listed as a Master Shoemaker. Their home was at Swaffham and they became parents to nine children — James born 1813, Robert 1815, Sarah Ann 1816, Pooley 1818, Elizabeth 1820, John 1823, Marianne 1826, Hannah 1828 and Henry 1833. Pooley, like his father, was a shoemaker, while his sister, Elizabeth became a dressmaker. Sarah died a few years after giving birth to Henry because the 1851 Census reveals that Pooley was a widow with five of his family living at home in London Road, Swaffham. Then in 1861 we find Pooley 70 years of age living on his own but cared for by a servant girl, Frances Watson, aged 23 years. The last record we have of Pooley is 1871 Census when 80 years of age he has a house-keeper, Martha Green, aged 24 years.
Our family tree follows now the life of Pooley’s son, Robert Petch, born 1815. He was christened at Swaffham Parish Church on the 17th March 1815. He married a Swaffham girl, Matilda Mutimer, born 1821, and became a tailor by trade. They were to have the following children — Robert 1837, Frederick, 1839, James 1841, John 1846, Alfred Pooley born 1848, and Reuben 1850.2 The 1851 Census shows that as a family they are living at Lynn Street, Swaffham and that Robert is a journeyman tailor, his wife Matilda a tailoress and their son, Robert an apprentice tailor at the age of about 14 years!
It is now time to turn to our family line again and look at the life of Robert and Matilda’s son, Alfred Pooley Petch born in 1848, and was christened at Swaffham Parish Church on 25th February 1848. Alfred married in 1869 Susan Elizabeth Lingwood, born 1849 at Brandon Ferry. In his earlier years Alfred had been an iron moulder. He set up his home at Brandon, later moved to Gedney and then on to Church Street in Holbeach where in 1891 he was a general dealer with a shop but in 1901 was listed as a fish merchant. Alfred and Susan Elizabeth had the following family — Matilda born 1869 at Brandon Ferry, Louisa born 1872 at Brandon Ferry, Alfred Pooley Petch born 1875 at Brandon Ferry, Albert Arthur who lived for just six months, Herbert Pooley Petch born 1877 at Brandon Ferry, Ernest William born 1880 at Brandon Ferry, Gertrude Emma born 1883 at Gedney, and Walter Czeller (Cyril) born 1890 at Holbeach. Susan Elizabeth died in 1933 and Alfred in 1935.
Matilda Petch married in 1895 George Robert Isaacson who was born in Boston in 1871. They had a daughter Dorothy, born 1896, in Rawdon, Leeds and she was staying in the 1901 Census with uncle and aunt at 53, West Street Boston, George and Priscilla Mitchell. Her uncle George was a piano dealer.
Louisa Petch born in 1872 married George Woolsey in 1892. She remarried Chris Dixon and later John Bateman. Louisa died in 1957.
Alfred Pooley Petch born in 1875 married Priscilla Cundy born in 1879 at Whaplode. In 1901 they were living in Station Road, Holbeach, and they have a daughter, Priscilla born 1900. Alfred was then a coal and gravel carter. He died in 1949.
Ernest William Petch born in 1880 is in 1901 lodging at Sculcoates, near Hull where he is listed as a “sailor”. He married in September 1907 at Warwick Ethel Mary Edwards, born in 1877 at Leamington, Warwickshire. In the 1901 Census Ethel is a worker at a cigar manufacturer. They had two daughters, Elsie born 1909 at Warwick and also Mabel. Ethel died Nov. 1958 aged 72 years.
Gertrude Emma Petch born 1883 at Gedney married in 1919 James Arthur Judge, born 1884 at Spalding. Arthur worked in Spalding as a porter for Furniture Dealers. Gertrude died in 1961.
Walter Cyril Petch born in 1890 married Ethel Eliza Bennett in 1909 at Doncaster. They had three children, Herbert Nelson who died at the age of four years, Cyril who married Jessie Eagle and Louisa who married Cyril Hilton. Ethel Eliza is buried in Holbeach cemetery dying at the age of 72 years in 1958.
Now we return to our direct family line with Herbert Petch. Born in 1877, he married Eliza Jane Jackson in 1898. Eliza was born at Moulton in 1877. In the 1901 Census, Herbert and Eliza are living at Rampart Mill, Gedney where he is a miller and baker. They had their first child, Herbert Pooley born in 1900 and then in 1901 Jessie Alberta and later in 1905 William Eric. The 1901 Census reveals that Herbert Pooley employed at the mill another miller and baker, a Henry Peacock, (born at White Pit, Lincolnshire) who lived with Herbert and Eliza.
Now we come to Herbert Pooley Petch born at Gedney in 1900. He married in 1922 Lilian May Pitts. We then need to look at the family tree of Lilian Pitts. Her grandparents on her mother’s side were Joseph Hopkins (born at Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire, in 1837) and Sarah (born 1840 also at Eaton Socon).
Joseph and Sarah had the following family, William born 1862, Mary Jane 1864, John born 1866 (all at Eaton Socon), Charlie 1868 (in London), Mary 1870 at Whaplode, Alfred 1872, Sarah born 1874, Fanny 1877 (all born at Holbeach), George 1880 and Herbert 1884 (both born at Moulton).
Mary Hopkins on October 25th 1887 married William Ringrose Pitts who was born at Kirkby-on-Bain, near Horncastle, Lincolnshire, in 1864.3 There is no record of his birth registration or the names of his parents. The first reference of him is that at the 1871 Census, William is being cared for by his uncle and aunt, Joseph and Ann Marshall at their home, 4, School Houses, Low Toynton, Lincolnshire.
Ann Marshall was formerly Ann Day, whose parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Day, lived at Kirkby-on Bain. Ann was born at Kirkby-on-Bain in 1827, the second child of the family. Her two younger sisters were Betsy born 1839 and Amelia born 1842. The 1861 Census tell us that both Betsy and Amelia are single and living at Kirkby-on-Bain. Did Betsy or Amelia have William out of wedlock and this is why their older sister, Ann Marshall (nee Day) is caring for young William in 1871? Was William Ringrose given the surname of his father?4
Mary and William were married at the Parish Church, Moulton, on 25th October 1887, William being 22 years of age, and Mary 19 years old. The witnesses were John Hopkins (Mary’s brother) and a (Thomas Henry) Lane Hopkins, who I believe was Mary’s uncle. The name given for the bridegroom’s father is a “William Pitts — deceased”
Mary and William (an agricultural labourer) lived in 1891 at Roman Bank, Whaplode, and their family was as follows:
- William Ringrose Pitts born 1888 at Moulton
- Ethel Pitts born 1890 at Whaplode
- Edith Pitts born 1893 at Friday Bridge
- George Pitts born 1896 at Upwell
- Fanny Pitts born 1898 at Upwell
- Lilian May Pitts born 1900 at Wimbotsham, Norfolk
- Stanley Pitts born 1903 at Holbeach.
The family of Herbert Pooley and Lilian May Petch
The family of Jessie Alberta Petch and Leonard Bragg who she married in 1924 were John, Pamela, Patrick and David.
William Eric Petch married Marjorie Johnson born 1907 at Holbeach. Following the early death of Marjorie, William married May Pilgrim and their two sons are Neville born in 1936 and Geoffrey born 1940.
- Baptised 9 September 1792.
- There were at least a further three children: Arthur (c1854), Matilda (c1856) and William (1859).
- William’s birth registration is at Boston, Lincolnshire.
- This paragraph is purely speculative. See William Ringrose Pitts‘ page for more recent research into his birth and parentage.