See also
| Husband: | William PETTIT (b.1695, bur.1727) | |
| Wife: | Elizabeth MUSSON ( - ) | |
| Children: | Thomas PETTIT (b.1725, bur.1786) | |
| William PETTIT (1726-1728) | ||
| Elizabeth PETTIT (b.1728, bur.1731) | ||
| Marriage | 22 Sep 1724 | Folkestone, Kent |
| Name: | William PETTIT | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | William PETTIT (b.1673, bur.1743) | |
| Mother: | Mary NEAME ( - ) | |
| Birth | 5 Oct 1695 | Barfreystone |
| Burial | 14 Nov 1727 | Folkestone |
| Name: | Elizabeth MUSSON | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | - | |
| Mother: | - | |
| Name: | Thomas PETTIT | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Spouse: | Elizabeth BOXER ( - ) | |
| Birth | 18 Jul 1725 | Folkestone |
| Burial | 18 Sep 1786 | |
| Name: | William PETTIT | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 15 Jan 1725/26 | |
| Death | 5 Mar 1727/28 (age 2) | Folkestone |
| Burial | 10 Mar 1727/28 | Folkestone |
| Name: | Elizabeth PETTIT | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 14 Mar 1727/28 | Folkestone |
| Burial | 10 Apr 1731 | Folkestone |
1. The marriage of William Pettit to Elizabeth Musson is the first 'Pettit' record in Folkestone. The subsequent records up to 1779 are fairly clearly descendents of these two, after which it gets more complicated.
2. The parish records at St Mary and St Eanswith, Folkestone show the burial of a William Pettit on 14 November 1727. He is described as an Innkeeper.
3. Rita Pettet has sent me details of an inscription on his grave (see the notes on Elizabeth Musson for more details) saying that he died 14/11/1727 aged 33.
4. The IGI has a William Pettet (sic) born 5/10/1695 in Barfreystone (= the modern Barfreston ?). This would be 1 year out relative to the date of death given on his headstone, but is close enough to be a possibility. Rita Pettet has provided the following details as she has pencilled them in for this family :
i. William Pettit, batchelor of Barfrestone wed Mary Neame by licence on January 22, 1694/5 at St Mary Magdalen, Canterbury.
ii. Their first 3 children were born at Barfrestone
William b. October 4, 1695
John b. April 27, 1698 who appears to have died in Great Mongham in 1727
Henry b. June 24, 1702
James b. November 17, 1704 who appears to have died in 1727 at Nonnington
iii. They then moved to Barham where 2 more children were born
Elizabeth b. July 20, 1707
Anne b. February 13, 1708/9
iv. Then another move to Nonnington with 5 more children born
Joseph b. January 14, 1710/11. Buried Woodnesborough 1796 having married Margaret Davis and raised a large family.
Sarah b. December 26, 1712
Benjamin b. December 25, 1714
Thomas b. August 18, 1717, buried 1720
Susan b. August 9, 1719, buried 1720
The original William Pettit in (i) was buried in Nonington in March 1742/3. He appears to be the youngest son of a Thomas and Susanna Pettit, as given by a reference in his father's will. There are two possible candidates for the burial of Mary Neame in Nonnington, either in 1720 or 1767.
The evidence is just too weak to equate firmly the William Pettit in Folkestone with the one born in Barfrestone. All I can add is that Rita Pettit has clearly worked hard on the Kent Pettits and failed to find any other theory as to what happened to William Pettit of Barfrestone. I have pencilled in the Barfrestone family because, going back one more generation, it leads to a Thomas Pettit who left a fairly nice will. [Since then, the evidence is growing that this Thomas Pettit may have been an innkeeper, and started a long line of innkeepers. This profession creates a slight additional link.]
5. The following information was received (via Rita Pettit) from Eamonn Rooney of Folkestone who has written two local history books :
" My research has revealed in the minute books of the Folkestone Common Assembly it is recorded that William Pettitt was sworn free by virtue of his marriage with Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Musson. Widow Pettitt continued running the Inn until c1749 when it is possible that Thomas Pettitt took over. The Common Assembly record that on 16th August 1765 Thomas Pettitt son of William petitioned that he was born free and was accordingly sworn and admitted free.
In 1765 the Archdeacons transcripts for St. Martins Cheriton show that A William Flisher of Newington married an Elizabeth Pettitt - I believe this to be the Elizabeth who was baptised at St Mary & St. Eanswythe parish church. Interestingly the Common Assembly record that in July 1776 Thomas Pettitt the younger was sworn free and that in August 1778 William Flisher purchased his freedom. William was the first of a long line of Flishers at the Fleur de Lis, Sandgate.
One last thing, the transcripts for St Martins Cheriton record in 1844 (April 3rd) the burial of a George Pettit Flisher. Thus had both family names come together. To date I do not know where William Pettitt was born.
Sincerely
Eamonn Rooney"
1. The name Musson seems to be concentrated in the counties of Nottingham, Leicester and Derbyshire, with very few occurrences in Kent. The one earlier Musson record in Folkestone is of the birth of Thomas Musson 14/4/1700, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Musson. It is at least plausible that he might be a brother of Elizabeth.
2. So if we search for a couple named Thos and Eliz Musson we are led to Nottingham. There is a couple on the IGI who had children John, Thomas, Ann and Elizabeth in 1689, 1692, 1696 and 1699 respectively. It is a bit of a long shot, but at least feasible that they then moved to Folkestone where the next child was born.
3. Rita Pettet has information about a monumental inscription from a grave in Folkestone. (The inscription was recorded by Leland Duncan in the late 19th century and published in 1894 - I don't know if it is still there). The burial is of William Pettit who died 14/11/1724 aged 33, leaving issue by his wife Elizabeth of 2 sons and 1 daughter Elizabeth, Thomas and William - so it looks like the right guy. Buried in the same grave was Richard Ladd who died 3/2/1740 aged 42. It appears that Elizabeth re-married on 3/11/1731 to Richard Ladd in St Georges's Canterbury. Rita tells me that the marriage was by licence and that both parties said they were from Folkestone.
(NB See the notes on William Pettet for thoughts on the date of his death.) There are no children born to Elizabeth and Richard Ladd recorded in the Folkestone IGI.
4. See the notes on her husband William Pettit. This includes mention of a record of her marriage which names her father as Thomas - ie. confirmation of the guess in Note 1 above.