Person:Deborah White (12)

Deborah White was baptised on 23rd April 1826 at Offley in Bedfordshire, daughter of Sarah White, formerly Wootley, and her husband John White, a labourer. Deborah's parents had married three months earlier at Offley. Her father appears to have belonged to the parish of Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire, some thirteen miles west of Offley, being described as from Eaton Bray when he married, and Deborah's baptism gives the family's abode as "Eaton Bray Beds, living at Offley".

In 1828, when Deborah was only two years old, her father died. He was said to be 25 years old. Two years later Deborah's mother married again, to an agricultural labourer called Edward Brightman, who thus became Deborah's stepfather. The 1841 census finds Deborah living with her mother, stepfather and half siblings at Lilley Hoo, an area of high ground between the villages of Offley and Lilley.

In 1845, Deborah had a daughter called Sarah, and in 1848 she had a son called John. They were both baptised on 29th December 1848, when Deborah was staying in the Union Workhouse in the nearby market town of Hitchin.

From the early 1850s Deborah appears to have lived with an agricultural labourer called James Worbey, who was a widower twice over. His second wife had died in May 1850. In March 1851 Deborah had a son called Frederick, whose birth was registered as Frederick Worboy, with his mother's maiden name given as White, even though Deborah and James were not married. The 1851 census finds Deborah and her three children living in the same house as James and one of his children, albeit listed as a separate household at that address. They were living at Hitchin Hill in Hitchin. Deborah gave her name as Deborah Mary White in 1851, and she was working as a straw plaiter.

Deborah and James appear to have had at least eight children together between 1851 and 1871. Apart from Frederick in 1851, it would seem that the rest of their children's births were registered under the name White. The 1861 census finds the family living at The Riddy in Hitchin.

Deborah and James did eventually marry, on 22nd September 1866 at Great Wymondley, shortly after the birth of their youngest child. It is not clear why they did not marry earlier.

The 1871 census finds Deborah and James living at 3 Riddy Mow in Hitchin.

James died in 1874, aged 62.

Just under a year later, Deborah married again. Her second husband was a widower called George Brazier, who was an agricultural labourer. They married at Great Wymondley and settled there after their marriage, appearing there in the 1881 and 1891 censuses.

George died in 1900, aged 76. Deborah survived him by less than a year, dying early in 1901, aged 74.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Offley Parish Registers, 1653-1943. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Offley in the County of Hertford in the Year 1826
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   308	April 23rd	Deborah Daughter of	John and Sarah	White	of Eaton Bray Beds, living at Offley	Lab[oure]r	T. Salusbury

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 12; Folio 21; Page 7, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Lilley Hoo, Offley, Hertfordshire
   Edward Brightman, male, 40 [1796-1801], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], not born in county
   Sarah Brightman, female, 35 [1801-6], born in county
   Deboriah Brightman, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Hannah Brightman, female, 9 [1831/2], born in county
   Rachel Brightman, female, 2 [1838/9], 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 224; Page 39, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: H[itchi]n Hill, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   James Worboys, head, widower, male, 39 [1811/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   William Worboys, son, male, 15 [1835/6], Ap[prentice], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   ~ second household in same house ~
   Deborah Mary White, head, widow, female, 25 [1825/6], Straw Plaiter, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Sarah A. White, daughter, female, 6 [1844/5], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   John White, son, male, 2 [1848/9], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Frederick White, son, male, 7 days [1851], 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 819; Folio 105; Page 22, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: The Riddy, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   James Warboy, head, married, male, 49 [1811/2], Ag[ricultural] Labourer, b. 9 Springs, Hertfordshire
   Mary Warboy, wife, married, female, 33 [1827/8], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Warboy, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   John Warboy, son, male, 12 [1848/9], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Emma Warboy, daughter, female, 8 [1852/3], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Warboy, son, male, 5 [1855/6], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Fanny Warboy, daughter, female, 3 [1857/8], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Anne Warboy, daughter, female, 3 months [1860/1], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1368; Folio 88; Page 23, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 3 The Riddy Mow, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   James Worbey, head, married, male, 59 [1811/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Deborah Worbey, wife, married, female, 44 [1826/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Emma Worbey, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1852/3], Straw Platter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Worbey, son, unmarried, male, 15 [1855/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Fanny Worbey, daughter, female, 13 [1857/8], Straw Platter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Anne Worbey, daughter, female, 10 [1860/1], Straw Platter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Sophia Worbey, daughter, female, 4 [1866/7], Scholar, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 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 RG11; Piece 1417; Folio 122; Page 6, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Village, Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   George Brazier, head, married, male, 55 [1825/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Deborah Brazier, wife, married, female, 53 [1827/8], Straw Plaiter, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Alfred Brazier, son, unmarried, male, 24 [1856/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   William Brazier, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1861/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Ellen Brazier, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1864/5], Straw Plaiter, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Sophia Worboys, daughter in law, female, 14 [1866/7], Straw Plaiter, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   George Brazier, son, male, 13 [1867/8], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Minnie Gray, granddaughter, female, 3 [1877/8], b. Ippollitts, Hertfordshire

7. ↑ England. 1891 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 RG12; Piece 1106; Folio 99; Page 4, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Village, Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   George Brazier, head, married, male, 68 [1822/3], Road man, employed, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Deborah Brazier, wife, married, female, 68 [1822/3], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   William Brazier, son, single, male, 30 [1860/1], Agricultural Engine Driver, employed, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire

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

   d. Deborah BRAZIER, March Quarter 1901, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 361, aged 77 [1823/4]