William Doolittle and Mary Jackson

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Husband William Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 8 Mar 1696 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: Apr 1761 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
         Buried: 

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         Father: Thomas Doolittle (1656-1727)
         Mother: Ann Crump (      -      )

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       Marriage: 3 Mar 1732 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

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   Other Spouse: Sarah (      -      )

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   Other Spouse: Elizabeth Swift (      -      ) - 16 Aug 1729 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

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Wife Mary Jackson

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           Born: 
     Christened: 8 Jun 1707 - old Swinford
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Marha Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 15 Dec 1732 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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2 M William Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 7 Dec 1735 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Mary Porter (      -      )
           Marr: 30 Oct 1754 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

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3 F Mary Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 14 Dec 1737 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Thomas Withers (      -      )
           Marr: 22 Dec 1760 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

         Spouse: Unknown Not Married (      -      )

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4 M Richard Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 23 Sep 1739 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 6 Feb 1812 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Ann Wainwright (1747-      )
           Marr: 24 Jun 1764 - Ribbesford, Worcestershire, England

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5 M John Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 26 Feb 1741 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Sarah Brain (      -      )
           Marr: 16 Dec 1771 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

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6 M Joseph Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 6 Apr 1744 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Mary Seager (      -      )
           Marr: 20 May 1762 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

         Spouse: Martha James (      -      )
           Marr: 23 Apr 1776 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

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7 F Ann Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 1 Jan 1745 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Nicholas Wood (      -      )
           Marr: 9 Oct 1764 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

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8 F Hannah Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 29 Jan 1747 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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9 M Thomas Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 8 Sep 1750 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes (Husband)

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Clothier, weaver. This family as reconstructed by Bruce Moorhouse. He has a question mark after Sarah the first wife.

William was the elder surviving son when his father died, but was not named an executor of his father's will, was willed only one shilling, and his father's property and dye house went to half brother Joseph. Joseph and his young stepmother were made the executors.

William signed indentures and was apprenticed for four years to Wiliam Proctor, of Yorkshire, who was working in Kidderminster. Dollittle says that at the end of his apprenticeship his father provided for him to set him up in business, but unclear if she assumes this on the basis of her assumption, stated elsewhere, that this was done, or has some documentation. Around the time of his father's death, William began to receive parish relief. He was poor and unable to support his wife and children. Dollittle speculates if maybe he had a drinking or gambling problem. She also wonders if the string of marriage to teenaged girls created tension in Thomas Sr.'s household.

The Settlement Act required people moving to a new place in England to produce a certificate from their parish of origin stating that they would be accepted back if they failed to find work or whatever. William was born in Kidderminster, but his settlement status was examined and Justices of the Peace ruled in June 1728 that because he had been apprenticed to a master who was legally settled in Lockwood, West Yorkshire, that settlement also applied to his apprentice. He and his family were ordered conveyed to Lockwood, and handed over to the Overseers of teh Poor there, and compensation was requested from that parish for money already spent on the family. It is not known if William and family ever went to Yorkshire and what happened if they did. The authorities in Yorkshire would not have quietly accepted them.

By summer of 1729 William was back in Kidderminster, where several children were christened in the next several years.

William's second wife was from Old Swinford, and William tried to move there, but ran into trouble over his certificate because his settlement status was uncertain.

Dollittle tells us that work as a weaver or clothier was not as profitable as it had been in earlier times. Demand was declining for worsted cloth, that was produced in Kidderminster, and not all weavers could be kept employed.

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General Notes (Wife)

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Gillian Dollittle is fond of plugging in someone she finds who fits however far away.

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