Person:William Pestell (1)

William Pestell was baptised on 11th August 1805 at Hitchin in Hertfordshire, son of Margaret Pestell, formerly Hide, and her husband William Pestell, a labourer. They had married just over a year earlier.

On 24th September 1826, aged 21, William married a widow named Frances Day. She was 14 years William's senior, being 35 when they married. She had been married twice before and had two children from her first marriage. William and Frances had two daughters together, Eleanor (or Ellen), baptised less than three months after their marriage, then Eliza, baptised on 19th July 1833.

In 1836 Frances died, aged 45, leaving William with their two daughters aged nine and two to look after.

William moved to the neighbouring village of Ickleford, where he married again on 20th October 1838 to a widow named Sarah Webb, formerly Clark. The following year, William's daughter Eliza from his first marriage died aged 5 and was buried at Ickleford.

William's second wife Sarah died after only four years of marriage, being buried at Ickleford in 1842, aged 40.

William's daughter Ellen was married at Ickleford in 1843 to a George Hall. They had a son, George, William's only known grandchild, later that year. However, Ellen died shortly after giving birth. William's son in law later married again and emigrated to America in the mid 1850s, taking young George with him.

William died in 1862, aged about 57. He had outlived both his wives and both his children. He was buried at Ickleford on 25th July 1862.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Hitchin. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   Baptisms 1805 / Aug[us]t 11: William Son of Will[ia]m & Marg[are]t Pestel Lab[oure]r

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 445; Book 7; Folio 8; Page 11, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Ickleford, Hertfordshire
   William Pestel, male, 35 [1801-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Sarah Pestel, female, 35 [1801-6], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1710; Folio 278; Page 14, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Ickleford, Hertfordshire
   W[illia]m Pestell, head, widower, male, 45 [1805/6], Agricultural Labourer, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   David Philpot, lodger, married, male, 35 [1815/16], Agricultural Labourer, b. Holwell, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Philpot, wife, married, female, 36 [1814/15], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Philpot, daughter, female, 11 [1839/40], Scholar, b. Ickleford, Hertfordshire
   Emily Philpot, daughter, female, 6 [1845/6], b. Ickleford, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Philpot, daughter, female, 1 [1849/50], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Ellen Hunt, visitor, female, 12 [1838/9], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 820; Folio 15; Page 9, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Ickleford, Hertfordshire
   William Pestell, head, widower, male, 56 [1804/5], General Dealer, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire

5.   Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. William PESTELL, September Quarter 1862, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 152, aged 57 [1804/5]

6. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Ickleford Parish Registers, 1749-1937. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Ickleford in the County of Hertford in the Year 1862
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   565	William Pestell	Ickleford	July 25	57 years [1804/5]	Charles Gerrard Andrews, Curate