William Whitton mill wright

Parents:

• Baptism*: William Whitton mill wright was baptised on 20 February 1796 at Liff Benvie & Invergowrie, Forfarshire, Scotland, .^1,2
• He was the son of William Whitton and Margaret Clark.
• Marriage*: William Whitton mill wright married Betty Thornton, daughter of John Thornton and Ann Milne, on Sunday, 23 April 1815 at Liff Benvie & Invergowrie, Forfarshire, Scotland, .^3,2
• (Deceased) Death*: William Whitton mill wright died on 22 August 1870 at Prinlaws, Leslie, Fife, Scotland, , at age 74 1870 deaths in the parish of Leslie in the county of Fife, ref 68; William Whitton mechanic, widower of Elisabeth Thornton; 1870 August Twenty second 4h 30m am, Prinlaws, Leslie; male 75 years; parents William Whitton joiner and Margaret Whitton ms Clark both deceased; cause senile decay as certified by J Ferguson LRCP of Leslie; informant Helen Whitton daughter present; registered 1870 August 27th at Leslie John Swan registrar.^2,4

• Occupation*: William was Pattern Maker, Milll Wright, Joiner, Mechanic.
• Will*: He left a will on 6 August 1870 at Prinlaws, Leslie, Fife, Scotland, ; 1870 Inventory of William Whitton at Cupar Sheriff Court ref SC20/50/42
  At Cupar the twenty sixth day of August Eighteen hundred and seventy years, the following Inventory of the personal Estate of the Late William Whitton with relative Writ was presented by Thomas Fotheringham, Writer, Leslie to be recorded in the Register conform to Law: Inventory of the Personal Estate wheresoever situated of William Whitton, pattern maker residing at Prinlaws Leslie who died at Prinlaws on the twenty second day of August 1870.
  
  1     Cash in the House                    £ -/ 3/ 6
  2     Value of Household furniture and other Effects in the
       deceased's house conform to appraisement      9/ 3/ 6
  3     Sum in Deposit Receipt by the Union Bank of Scotland
       at Leslie dated 16 June 1870               115 / -/ -
       Interest on Do at date of oath to Inventory      11/8
                           Total Amount     124/18/8
  
  (signed) Margaret Whitton George Waldegrave Leslie J.P. At Leslie House the twenty fifth day of August One thousand eight hundred and seventy In presence of the Honorable George Waldegrave Leslie one of Her Majestys Justice of the Peace for the County of Fife Appeared Margaret Whitton residing in Dundee presently at Prinlaws one of the ascentors of the late William Whitton pattern maker residing at Prinlaws who being solemnly sworn and examined Depones that the said William Whitton dies at Prinlaws upon the twenty second day of August Eighteen hundred and seventy and the Deponent has entered upon the possession and management of the Deceased's Estate as Executor nominated by him along with Elizabeth Whitton and Helen Whitton her sisters in a Last Will and Testamant executed by him upon the sixth day of June last and codicil thereto excecuted by him on the following day, which is now exhibited and signed by the Deponent and the said Justice of this date as relative hereto. That the Deponent does not know of any Testamentary Settlement or writing relative to the disposal of the deceased's personal estate or effects or any part thereof other than the said Last Will and Testament. That the foregoing Inventory signed by the Deponent and the said Justice as relative hereto is a full and complete Inventory of the personal estate and effects of the said deceased William Whitton wheresoever situated and belonging or due to him beneficially at the time of his death in so far as the same has come to the deponent's knowledge. Tha the value at this date of the said personal Estate and Effects situated in the United Kingdom including the proceeds accrued thereon down to the date is one hundred pounds Sterling and under Two Hundred pounds Sterling. That confirmation of the said personal Estate is required in favour of the Deponent and the said Elizabeth Whitton and Helen Whitton. All which is truth as the Deponent shall answer to God (signed) Margaret Whitton, George Waldegrave Laslie J.P.
  
  Last Will and Testament
  
  I William Whitton, pattern maker residing at Prinlaws, Leslie, considering the expediency of executing this settlement of my means that the succession thereto on my death may be regulated according to my Will and intention do hereby nominate and appoint Margaret Whitton, Elizabeth Whitton and Helen Whitton my daughters and the acceptors or acceptor survivors or survivor of them a majority accepting and acting being always a quorum, to be my sole Executors debarring all others from that office; and after payment of all my just and lawful debts and deathbed and funeral expenses, my Executors shall deliver to each of them the following articles which I leave and bequeath vis[…] To the said Margaret Whitton my eight day clock and also a set of musical glasses; To the said Elizabeth Whitton the four poster bed with curtains, a swing looking glass, a fifteen inch reflecting telescope mounted in mahogany lube [tube?], a flock bed, a calf bed, two sheets, and two pair blankets; and to the said Helen Whitton my breakfast mahogany table, my small wainscot desk with drawers, a calf bed, two pair of blankets, two sheets and a tent bed with curtains; and the residue and remainder of my means and estate I leave and bequeath to the said Elizabeth, Margaret and Helen Whitton equally among them, share and share alike, Declaring that in the event of any of them quarrelling my means and effects in my dwelling house not speciallu herein before bequeathed shall be sold by public roup, and Declaring that the provisions I have herein and otherwise made already for my family shall be accepted of by each of the members of my family as demand which he or she can claim by or thro' mt death in any manner of way. And I reserve power to alter innovate or revoke these presents, in whole or in part at any time of my life and even on deathbed; And I consent to the registration hereof for preservation. In witness whereof these presents written on this and the preceding page by Thomas Fortheringham writer Leslie are subscribed by me at Leslie the sixth day of June Eighteen hundred and seventy before these witnesses the said Thomas Fotheringham and Elizabeth Harley his domestic servant residing in Leslie, (signed) William Whitton Tho Fotheringham Witness Elizabeth Harley Witness.
  Leslie 7 June 1870. I leave my mahogany chest of drawers to Elizabeth Whitton my daughter, In witness thereof I have subscribed this codicil written by Thomas Fotheringham, Writer, Leslie at Leslie the seventh day of June Eighteen hundred and seventy before these witnesses the said Thomas Fotheringham and Elizabeth Harley his domestic servant residing in Leslie (signed) William Whitton Tho Fotheringham witness Elizabeth Harley Witness.
  Leslie House 25 August 1870. This is the Last Will and Testament of the late William Whitton referred to in my affidavit of this date annexed to the Inventory of the his personal Estate (signed) Margaret Whitton George Waldegrave Leslie J.P.
  Written by William Hood.⁵

Census & Directory Entries

Member of Household	6 June 1841	William Whitton mill wright was listed in the 1841 census at presumed Leslie, Fife, Scotland, . 1841 census returns for a number of parishes in Fife were 'lost in transit' to Edinburgh. The apparent story is that a small ferry boat that was carrying the books and papers sank in the Forth estuary.6,7
Head of Household	30 March 1851	He was listed as head of household along with spouse Betty Thornton in the 1851 census at Prinlaws, Leslie, Fife, Scotland, . William Whitton, head, 56, mill wright b Leff & Benvie Forfarshire; Elizabeth, wife, 57, b Airly, Forfarshire; also in the household were Helen Whitton flax spinner and Ann Whitton flax spinner.8
Head of Household	7 April 1861	He was listed as head of household in the 1861 census at Main Street, Leslie, Fife, Scotland, . William Whitton, head, 66, joiner & pattern maker, b Liff Forfarshire; also in the household was Margaret Whitton laundress.8