John Smith's Family Tree Website

Flitt family

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Part 2: Edmund Flitt Jr (1784 - 1851)

Early life and marriage to Elizabeth Wright

Edmund Flitt Jr was born 20 February 1784 and baptised 04 April the same year in Monken Hadley, near Chipping Barnet, Hertfordshire. He was one of seven children born to Edmund Flitt and Jane (surname unknown). He married Elizabeth Wright (c1780 - 1851) 01 May 1808 in St George in the East Church, Tower Hamlets, London. Elizabeth had been born in Witney, Oxfordshire. Nothing else is known of her family or how she came to live in London. Edmund was able to sign his name when they married indicating he had had some education but Elizabeth could not sign.

Edmund and Elizabeth lived in the Southwark and Lambeth parishes in Surrey (both now boroughs of London). Edmund worked as a porter and labourer but by 1820, the family had moved to Hertfordshire and he was a carrier and living in Wood Street, Chipping Barnet. Carriers usually delivered goods with a horse and cart. Edmund and Elizabeth had seven children: Elizabeth, Edmund, Charles, twins Jane and Mary, Sarah and John William. The children received some education as they were able to sign their names upon marriage. Both Elizabeth and Edmund died in 1851 and were buried in St John the Baptist Church, Chipping Barnet: Elizabeth 13 April and Edmund 14 October.

Children of Edmund and Elizabeth

Elizabeth (1809 - ?) was born 20 August 1809 and baptised 17 September the same year at Christ Church, Southwark, London. She married cabinet maker Walter Knight (? - ?)  28 August 1837 at St Marylebone Parish Church, London. Walter's brother John later married Elizabeth's young sister Sarah. There is no confirmed record of Elizabeth and Walter after 1837 (although Walter appeared to be a witness at his brother-in-law John's marriage in 1854).

More information about Edmund (1811 - 1836) appears in Part 3.

Charles (c1813 - 1866) was baptised 11 April 1813 at St Mary's Church, Lambeth, Surrey. When he was in his early twenties, Charles appeared before a variety of courts in Middlesex and Hertfordshire on charges of assault, larceny and rioting (the latter he was acquitted of). The County Press at his last known trial described him as '… a personage of notoriety in the neighbourhood'. Bound over to keep the peace for twelve calendar months, Charles appeared to become a reformed character as there is no further record of him in trouble. It is possible what happened to his brother Edmund may have helped him keep on the straight and narrow. He married Rebecca Vass Walsh (c1823 - 1872) 27 January 1845 at St Marylebone Parish Church, London, and returned to live on the same street as Charles' parents. (Rebecca Vass Walsh's brother Thomas later married Charles' niece Lucy Flitt). They never had any children but they seemed to bring up Rebecca's nephew George Harriott. Charles, like his father, worked as a carrier and he built up his work to employ three men and three boys (one of whom lived with the family). Charles died 05 October 1866, aged 53, and left effects valued under £450. Rebecca carried on the carrier business and took in a niece who had probably been orphaned. She died 19 April 1872, aged 49, and was buried 25 April in Monken Hadley.

Twins Jane (c1815 - ?) and Mary (c1815 - ?) were baptised 02 July 1815 at St Mary's Church, Lambeth. It is not known what happened to them.

Sarah (c1820 - ?) was baptised 16 April 1820 in Chipping Barnet. She married cabinet maker John Knight (c1816 - ?) whose brother Walter married her older sister Elizabeth. Although they married 20 September 1841 in St Marylebone Parish Church, in the census a few months earlier, they were living together in the parish, apparently as husband and wife. There is no confirmed record of Sarah and John after 1841.

John William (c1824 - c1862) was baptised 12 September 1824 in Chipping Barnet. He worked as a carrier and married Elizabeth Rastin (c1836 - ?) 04 October 1854 at St John's Church, Paddington, London. The family returned to Chipping Barnet to live and they had two daughters, Florence and Rosa. John died c1862 and the following year Elizabeth married Richard Walsh (c1835 - ?) who was the brother of John's older brother Charles' wife Rebecca Vass Walsh.

Next: Edmund Flitt III

Footnotes