Willmott

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The Willmot Family
This is a Birmingham family, our eldest ancestor is John Willmott and our story begins with him.

John Willmott
John Willmott married Martha (maiden name unknown). I am desperately seeking the marriage of John Willmott to Martha, sometime between 1785-1797 probably near Birmingham. I had thought that because there were many Wilmots in North Worcestershire at this time and the chances are that he came from there. Recently I've discovered that the only John Willmott marriage to Martha in this period on the whole of the I.G.I. is from Exeter in Devonshire. Could this be the same family? I'm still looking for corroborating evidence at this time.

Maybe you can help? The clues are:
1. John died in Birmingham in 1820, aged 53.
2. Martha died in Birmingham in 1840, aged 75.
3. Their son William was a glasscutter.
4. At William's marriage in Birmingham in 1821 there was a witness Daniel Willmott.
5. The Bedminster, Bristol, 1851 census lists Daniel Sinclair Wilmot, glasscutter.
6. The only marriage of John Willmott to Martha on the entire UK IGI at this time takes place in Exeter, Devon.
7. Daniel Sinclair's parents were Walter Woodcock Wilmot & Hannah Sinclair. The interesting thing is that although Walter Woodcock Wilmot & Hannah were married in Bristol in 1800, Walter Woodcock Wilmot was born in Penn, Staffordshire, in 1778. This provides another link between the West Midlands and West country areas concerning Willmott.
8. Walter Woodcock Wilmot's parents were (interestingly) William Willmott and Anne Woodcock. They seem to have come from Halesowen which is not far from Birmingham. However there's nothing to link any of the family with John & Martha (i.e. there was no child John from this marriage that I can see).

Conclusion
It seems fairly logical that all this fits together somehow, but maybe I'm jumping to conclusions? There was a glassmaking or glasscutting industry in Bristol, so if my Willmotts were always glasscutters its likely that some of the family would have gone there to find work. Its also logical that they may not have liked it and come back again, who knows? There was also a glass industry in Stourbridge just down the road from Halesowen which is perhaps another clue?

Latest News
We have discovered Frederick Willmotts marriage to Sarah Henderson. This gives Sarah's father as Richard Henderson (deceased). Using familysearch one of the two possibilities for Sarah's baptism in London is one Richard Willmott Henderson. The implication therefore is that the origins of both the Henderson and Willmott families would appear to be in London and the two families would appear to be closely linked. We are still working on this.

Any help or theories would be greatly appreciated.

William Willmott
William was baptised in Birmingham in 1803 at St. Martin's church, the son of John Willmott and Martha. He was a glass cutter and had a long-standing business in Birmingham with John Stokes.

Children were:
| Mary Anne 1823 | William 1825 | Jane 1827 | Eliza 1831 | Selina 1832 | Sarah 1832 | Frederick 1834 | Harriet 1836 | Hannah 1836 | Agnes abt 1837 | Louisa 1838 | Charles 1840 |

I have discovered living descendants of William (two branches) and also Eliza. He later became a successful glassscutter in Birmingham and together with his partner had a longstanding business in the town, Willmott & Stokes. From the IGI it looks like William's wife, Elizabeth, was the one shown as marrying William Willmott in Birmingham in 1821, namely Elizabeth Heeley. This looks likely, but has yet to be confirmed

Frederick Willmott
Frederick was baptised in Birmingham in 1834 at St. Philips church (now the Cathedral), the son of William Willmott and Jane. Frederick was a brassfounder. He married Sarah Henderson in Birmingham in 1856.

In 2002 we discovered Frederick Willmotts marriage to Sarah Henderson. This gives Sarah's father as Richard Henderson (deceased). Using familysearch one of the two possibilities for Sarah's baptism in London is one Richard Willmott Henderson. The implication therefore is that the origins of both the Henderson and Willmott families would appear to be in London and the two families would appear to be closely linked. We are still working on this.

Adolphus Willmott
Adolphus was born in Birmingham in 1865 the son of Frederick Willmott and Sarah and later married Nellie Lock in Birmingham in 1904. It was Adolphus' second marriage, the first being to Ada. By Ada he had six children and by Nellie he had a further five.

Edith Willmott
She was born the daughter of Adolphus Willmott and Ellen (Nellie) Lock. She attended Nechells Girls School being awarded this certificate when she left in 1922.

My grandmother Edith and her mother before her Nellie were both members of the Salvation Army. It was there that she met my grandfather Horace Stanley who she later married in Aston in 1932.