Person:James Worbey (2)

James Worbey (or Waby or Walby or several other spellings) was baptised on 17th May 1812 at Great Wymondley in Hertfordshire, son of Charlotte Worbey, formerly Primet, and her husband George Worbey, an agricultural labourer and later publican. As an adult James gave his place of birth as Hitchin, or on one occasion as Nine Springs, a hamlet which straddled the parish boundary between Hitchin and Great Wymondley. Some of James's younger siblings give the family's abode as Walsworth, a hamlet in Hitchin parish a little way north of Nine Springs.

On 27th April 1834 James married Sophia Gaylor at Holwell, just north of Hitchin. After their marriage they lived for a couple of years in Holwell, having children baptised there in 1834 and 1836. They then moved back to Walsworth, where they had another three children between 1839 and 1842.

Sophia died in 1843, when she was said to be 28 years old.

On 14th April 1849, James married again. His second wife was his cousin Amy Breed, formerly Walby, whose first husband had died in 1846. They appear to have had a daughter, Emma, born early in 1850. However, both Amy and her daughter Emma died later that year - their deaths were both registered in the second quarter of 1850. Amy was buried at Hitchin on 22nd May 1850. She was 35 years old.

Shortly after Amy's death, James appears to have set up home with a woman called Deborah White. 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 James and Deborah 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. James was working as an agricultural labourer and Deborah as a straw plaiter.

James's father died in 1852.

James and Deborah 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.

James and Deborah 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.

James's mother died in 1867.

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

James died in 1874, aged 62. Deborah survived him by 26 years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Registers of Great Wymondley. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies).

   Baptisms / 1812 / James, son of George & Charlotte Waby May 17

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 4; Folio 9; Page 12, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Walsworth, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   James Worby, male, 28 [1812/3], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Sophia Worby, female, 26 [1814/5], born in county
   Eliza Worby, female, 7 [1833/4], born in county
   William Worby, male, 5 [1835/6], born in county
   Maria Worby, female, 2 [1838/9], born in county
   Ann Worby, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county

   Living next door to James's parents on one side and to his brother Charles on the other side.

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

   Living next door but one to his brother John.

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

   Living next door but one to his niece Fanny Moles (formerly Worbey) - his late brother John's daughter.

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

   d. James WORBOY, December Quarter 1874, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, Page 206, aged 62 [1811/12]