Letitia White

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(For a brief history and context on the Darby family see this page)

Letitia White was born in 1789 at Ongar, Essex.² She was the daughter of Humphrey White and Mary Hutchin.¹ Letitia lived in June 1809 at Greensted-juxta-Ongar, Essex.¹ Greensted is situated in a large natural clearing in Epping forest. The Ongar road is mentioned in The Caturbury Tales. The village was part of the area under Danish law, and in 1801 had a population of 102. In 1839 it was estimated to have 289 acres of arable land and 325 acres of meadows and pasture.³



She married Richard Darby, son of Richard Darby and Anne Brett, in a Church of England ceremony at St. Andrew's on Sunday, 4 June 1809 at Greensted-juxta-Ongar, Essex. The were married on the same day their first child was born. The wedding certificate was also signed by William Baker and Hannah White. Brothers and sisters who may have attended include George Darby. Letitia and Richard went on to have six children together..^4,1 Greensted Church has been situated in its idyllic setting for nearly 1,200 years; St. Andrews is the oldest wooden church in the world, and perhaps the oldest wooden building in Europe. It is also said to have been the resting place of unknown early crusader who is said to have arrived, badly wounded, at the church and died there.⁵

Letitia White was a witness at the wedding of John Warner and Lucretia Darby at St. Leonard's on Monday, 7 April 1828 at Shoreditch, London.⁶ The village lies off the main road in the valley of the Beane on the road to Watton. It is fairly large and somewhat straggling, the church, rectory and school, and Walkern Place, a 17th-century farm-house of timber and plaster lying at the north end. Nearby is a small castle of the mount and bailey type, thrown up possibly by Hamo de St. Clare in the reign of Stephen.⁷



Letitia White was recorded as living with Richard Darby in the 1841 census at Holmes Farm, Walkern, Hertfordshire, and other records indicate this was her spouse. The 1841 census only recorded adult ages rounded down to the nearest 5 years; her approximate age was recorded as 50 years old. Also living in the house were three of their children.⁸

In Richard Darby's will Letitia White and Thomas Playl were named joint executors by Richard to handle his estate on 30 September 1850. The estate consisted of 'farming stock goods chattels and personal estate' and a small amount of cash; overall, it was valued at less than three hundred pounds.. Letitia and Thomas Playl were granted all of Richard's estate (except for twenty pounds bequeathed to his son Henry Richard) for the purposes of carrying on the running of the farm as long as they thought it viable. When it was no longer thought viable, it was to be sold and a third given to Letitia and the other two-thirds divided between his three surviving children..⁹ Letitia White was a farmer of 90 acres employing 4 labourers in March 1851.²

Richard Darby's will was probated on 25 March 1851.⁹

She was recorded as head of household in the 1851 census at Walkern Hall, Walkern, Hertfordshire. She was recorded as being 62 years old. Also living in the house was her youngest son and three servants.² A man was accused of stealing an oak pole from Letita Darby that had been prepared by her son Henry, and Henry gave evidence. However, the case was lost.¹⁰ More than 3 years after his death, his property 'with about 15a of Arable and Pasture Land' at Roydon, Essex, was to be sold at auction.¹¹

Letitia died circa June 1870 at Greenwich Registration District.¹