Home	William & Harriet Pettit
Family:
						Thomas & Mary Leach
	William Pettit					Harriet Leach
Born:	1801					1801; Chesterton
Died:	Between 1842-1851					1Q1883 (Newmarket, 3b, 363)
						.
Marriage:	3rd November 1821; Chesterton
Children:	Rodda Pettit, George Pettit, Laurence Pettit, Harriet Pettit, Charles Pettit, William Pettit, Sarah Pettit, Sophia Pettit, James Pettit

joanne.penn@ntlworld.com reports that the marriage banns were read for William Pettit and Harriet Leach on 14th October 1821 in Chesterton. IGI shows that William and Harriet were married on 3rd November 1821 in Chesterton

The Cambridgeshire Baptism Index, 1841 census and 1851 census show William and Harriet lived in Bottisham and had the following children:

• Rhoda Pettit, christened 21st April 1822 in Chesterton. In 2q1842 (Chesterton, 14, 73) Rhoda married Maurice Sargent, born 1822 in Horningsea, Cambridgeshire. The 1851 census, 1871 census and 1881 census shows that Maurice and Rhoda had the following children (all born in Horningsea):
  • Emma Sergent christened 2nd April 1843
  • Rhoda Ann Sergent christened 20th April 1845
  • William Sergent christened 16th July 1848
  • Eliza Sergent christened 30th December 1849
  • Clara Sergent christened 21st December 1851
  • Thomas Sergent christened 30th April 1854
  • Susan Sergent christened 9th November 1856
  • Morris Sergent christened 20th March 1849
  • Sarah Anne Sergent christened 14th April 1861
  • Rachel Janet Sergent christened 8th May 1864
  • Eleanor Emma Sergent christened 13th May 1866
  and two grandchildren: John Dockerell (born 1867) and Ellen Sargent (born 1872)

• George Pettit, christened on Christmas Day 1823 in Chesterton

• Lawrence Pettit, christened 10th July 1826 in Chesterton

• Harriett Pettit, christened 29th June 1828 in Bottisham

• Charles Pettit, christened 29th May 1831 in Bottisham. The 1881 census shows that Charles was a chimney sweep and widowed by 1874. Charles had the following children:
  • William Pettit born 1852, a general labourer
  • Oliver Pettit born 1865, an agricultural labourer
  • Harriet Pettit born 1866
  • Larry Pettit born 1874

  Charles also had his granddaughter living with him, Lilly Tabor (born 1878)

• William Pettit, christened 30th March 1834. IGI shows that Hannah, rather than Harriet, was the mother of William.

• Sarah Pettit, christened 4th September 1836 in Bottisham. In 4q1857 (Newmarket, 3b, 1220) Sarah married Levi Cornwell.

• Sophia Pettit , christened 7th February 1841 in Bottisham

• James Pettit, christened 30th April 1843 in Bottisham

William is described as a carpenter on his daughter Sophia's marriage certificate

William does not appear in the 1851 census and probably died either 1q1843 (Newmarket, 14, 75) or 1q1844 (Newmarket, 14, 93).

After William died, Harriet mostly lived on "parish relief" for the rest of her life, as shown in the 1851 census, 1861 census and 1881 census - in the 1871 census Harriet is 74 years old living with three lodgers. She has the occupation of "family laundress". Harriet died 1Q1883 aged 77 years (an underestimation by 5 years)