Family of Henry Spearpoint PETTIT and Charlotte SCUTT

Husband:	Henry Spearpoint PETTIT (1831-1915)
Wife:	Charlotte SCUTT (1832- )
Children:	Edward PETTIT (1857-1909)
	John Scutt PETTIT (1858-1884)
Marriage	25 Dec 1855	St Mary the Virgin, Dover

Husband: Henry Spearpoint PETTIT

Name:	Henry Spearpoint PETTIT
Sex:	Male
Father:	Edward PETTIT (1807-1856)
Mother:	Sarah SPEARPOINT (1804-1864)
Birth	1831	Folkestone
Christening	23 Feb 1831 (age 0)	Folkestone
Census	1881 (age 49-50)	10 Little John St., Bermondsey
Death	1915 (age 83-84)

Wife: Charlotte SCUTT

Name:	Charlotte SCUTT
Sex:	Female
Father:	James SCUTT (1796- )
Mother:	Ann MINTER (1798-1846)
Birth	6 May 1832	Denton, Kent
Death	"BEF. 1889"

Child 1: Edward PETTIT

Child 2: John Scutt PETTIT

Name:	John Scutt PETTIT
Sex:	Male
Birth	23 Dec 1858	Folkestone
Death	1884 (age 25-26)

Note on Husband: Henry Spearpoint PETTIT - shared note

1. He can be seen in the 1841 census living with his parents and their family at Lydd. See census transcript at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen41_006.htm

 

In the 1861 census he is listed under "Ships at Sea - Neptune - Off Beachy Head

He is age 30, Boatswain, b. Folkestone. The vessel is of 364 tons, engaged in "Home Trade" with a crew of 14 and a boy.

 

The remainder of his family in the 1861 census are included in the notes for Charlotte Scutt.

 

2. In the 1871 census he is living at 10 Little John Street, Southwark. He is still described as a seaman but this time he is at home with his wife and 2 children. See census transcript at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen71_002.htm

 

3. In 1879 his son's marriage certificate gives his profession as Watchman, and his address as Blackman Street, Newington.

 

4. The 1881 Census gives his address as 10 Little Johm Street, Bermondsey and occupation as Merchant Seaman. See census transcript at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen81_003.htm

 

5. The IGI on-line index has a record of the birth of 'Hen Spearpoint Pettit' at Folkestone on 23/2/1831. I trust that this is the guy (the records I have so far do not mention the middle name of Spearpoint). His parents are given as 'Edw Pettit' and 'Sar'. Note that Henry's first child John was christened 'John Scutt' to include his mother's maiden name. If this is the fashion in the family then it is a fair guess that Henry's mother might have been Sarah Spearpoint. This is confirmed by the record of a marriage between Edward Pettit and Sarah Spearpoint in Folkestone in 1826. All circumstantial, but good enough for me.

 

6. There is a marriage record of Henry Spearpoint Pettit to Charlotte Scutt. This confirms that the guy we want really does have a middle name of Spearpoint. In this record he is 24, a batchelor and a mariner. He is the son of Edward Pettit, Coastguard.

 

By the time of the 1891 census he is living with his 2nd wife Annie Hall and 3 of her children. See census transcript at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen91_005.htm

 

7. He is still alive at the time of the 1901 census, living in Horselydown, with his profession given as Night Watchman. He is living at 44 Lafone Street, which is the same address as his son Edward, although his family is listed as a separate household. The household consists of Henry and his second wife Annie (nee Hall), together with two boarders Joseph and William Hall. See census transcript at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen01_004.htm

 

8. In the 1911 census he is living with his 2nd wife Annie Hall, and a boarder, also with the surname Hall. See Census transcript at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen11_008.htm

 

9. From the GRO Index he appears to have died age 84 in 1st Qtr 1915.

 

10. He appears in the London Land Tax records. The information to be found there isn't very exciting but can be seen at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Land_Tax.htm

Note on Wife: Charlotte SCUTT - shared note

1. There is a record of the christening of Charlotte Scutt in Denton, Kent on May 6, 1832. She is the daughter of James Scutt (shoemaker) and Ann Scutt. The date and place match up with information in the 1881 census.

 

2. In both the 1841 and 1851 censuses she is living with the family of John and Elizabeth Scutt. (John Scutt would appear to be her uncle.) For a transcript of the 1851 census see www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen51_005.htm

 

3. At the time of her marriage to Henry Pettit she lived at 23 Albion Place, Dover. She gives her father's name as John Scutt, Serjeant of Police, and John Scutt is also down as a witness. A transcription of the certificate can be seen at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/MarPS_02.htm

 

4. At the time of the 1861 census her husband is at sea. Charlotte and her 2 children are living at 9 Goat Street, Horselydown. (Note that Mark Harris was living at 11 Goat Street in 1871).

See the census transcript at www.familychest.co.uk/History/Data/Cen61_006.htm

 

5. At the time of the 1881 census, there is a widow called Mary A Harrison at the same address as Henry and Charlotte, described as the Mother-in-law of the Henry Pettit. Her birthplace is given as Clewer, Berkshire. This just has to be a red herring !

 

6. Aunt Ethel believed that Charlotte Scutt was in her parents wedding photo of 1913. This looks unlikely since there is no trace of Charlotte in the 1901 census. Her husband appears to have remarried in 1889.

 

7. Is it time to start doubting that her father really was James ? Just suppose that she was really the daughter of John Scutt (half-brother to James) and Elizabeth Ovenden. Then she would have been born 7 1/2 months after their marriage, which is a bit soon - but surely not enough to worry about ? Just maybe the rector in Barham was likely to be difficult about this detail and it was easier to go to Denton and attribute the baby to the family of James and Ann Minter ? Alternatively James and Ann Minter were the real parents but Charlotte was simply adopted by John and Elizabeth Ovenden - who were still childless at that time.

 

For what it's worth (which is very little) I have a very weak DNA match with another descendant of an Ovenden - one who was born in Canterbury Kent, so could possibly be a distant but genuine relative. There is nothing even that promissing from 'Minter' matches.