John Whitby

  General Notes:

Corn merchant of 110 London Road, Nottingham. Died when Beatrice was 6 years old. Used to walk there on foot. Had 3 drays for business. Hired a London carriage to go shopping from near Friar Lane. Had about 8 children, of whom Henry Seely was the youngest (William, John, Norman, Lizzy, Patty, Polly, Henry, Carry?). Corn business was left to Norman and John, and they let it go and it finished. Left sufficient funds for his wife to have £1 10s per week for life. Source: BME Gee on 16.4.75 to Tommy Gee, via letter to Ellie 18.9.93).

Listed as Corn Flour Factor in 1871 census. Lived at Manor St Sneinton in 1871 (Hilary Whitby has him living at 81 Manvers Steet (nearby to Crystal Palace and Duke of Wellington pubs).

Lived at 38 London Road at time of 1891 census. Listed as 61 in 1891, and 39 in 1871. Corn merchant in 1891. Living at home with Henry S in 1871 (listed as coal merchant) and son Norman aged 18 (lace warehouse).

BME Gee tapes: London Road premises did not exist in 1974.

Seely used to say that the Whitbys came from Denmark, giving the family the name of the port they landed at.

John married Caroline Shipley on 12 Apr 1852 in Sneinton. (Caroline Shipley was born in 1833 in Nottingham and died in May 1892.)