Henham History - The Willett Family (part 1)
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Precis of an email received from Mrs. Joyce Smith (nee Willett) in March 2002
see also other Willet Family (part 2)
My grandfather was born in Henham and I spent a lot of my childhood in Henham. I stayed with my great uncle and family friends, a Mr. and Mrs. Snow for part of the war years. After the was I stayed with my father’s cousins, Mr & Mrs Salmon but they gradually all died and I have only visited Henham on a few occasions since. Since I have retired I have been thinking about researching my family tree so my husband and I visited the village a few weeks ago and I saw the 1881 census at The Cock’. We were also told Henham has its own web site.
I saw in the village shop that you have published a book of the history of Henham but as the shop was closed at the time I was unable to buy a copy. I will be returning in April and I hope to buy a copy and I also hope to find out which branch of the Willett family my father is descended from. I enclose some pictures which belong to my mother.
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Joyce's mother |
Standing by the road sign is my mother, Mrs Margaret Willet, my aunt Mrs. Millie Willet, my cousin Joan Willet aged about 7 and Frankie Snow aged about 4. | Ziba Willet(front) and Bill Willett (back) |
Frankie Snow was related to a Mr and Mrs Snow who lived in the first cottage near the church. (that is here I stayed during the war). My grandfather’s name was Ziba Willett and I was told that he had to leave the village because he had been poaching. Apparently, he walked to London to make his fortune, in spite of being illiterate !
Looking quickly through the 1881 Census, there was no-one in the village at that time by that name, only a “Faba” (aged 5 years) - could he be one and the same person? If so, I believe my great grandfather was a Richard Willett, an agricultural worker - born 1852, but I intend investigating further. Standing behind my grandfather in this picture is his grandson, my uncle, Bill Willett, aged about 16. (he is the father of Joan Willett).