▶Date of birth:  7 August 1857        Place of birth: Giggleswick, Settle, Yorkshire

▶Father:  Matthew Whittam     Mother:  Ellen Preston

▶Spouse(s):   Florence Lucy Pierce      Date(s) of marriage:  2 January 1888     Place(s) of marriage:

▶Occupation: Clergyman (Anglican); Schoolmaster

▶Lifestory: William Goldsborough Whittam’s first curacy was in Cheltenham, where he also taught at the grammar school. He was born in Giggleswick in Yorkshire in 1857,  was the eldest son of Matthew Whittam, a farmer and tanner of Settle, Yorkshire, and his wife Ellen (née Preston). Whittam was educated at Giggleswick grammar school and matriculated at London University in 1875, but then matriculated at Caius College, Cambridge the following year, Scholar, BA (first class in Natural Sciences) 1880, MA 1883. He was ordained Deacon in 1883, and Priest (both Gloucester and Bristol) in 1884.

Whittam was licensed Curate of All Saints, Cheltenham 1883-88 and until 1885 taught Science as an Assistant Master at Cheltenham Grammar School (and was a competent cricketer); between at least 1886 and 1888 he lived at 1 Selkirk Parade (71 Prestbury Road), Pittville and in 1886, giving his Cheltenham address, he was initiated into the Freemasons at the Castleberg Lodge, Settle. In 1888 he married Florence Lucy, daughter of coffee-planter Robert Hedges  Peirce, at Cheltenham; they had two daughters and one son.

After his time in Cheltenham he was appointed Assistant Master (Science) and Chaplain of Eastbourne College 1888-92. From Eastbourne College he took a headmastership at the Isle of Wight College, Ryde 1892-1905, where he was somewhat renowned for his strong singing voice. After this he took up the living of Rector at Hartley Westpall, Hampshire 1905-11, from there becoming Vicar of St Luke’s, West Norwood 1911-21 (and in the First World War serving as a Chaplain in the Volunteers and to the Home for Incurables at Streatham), and finally Vicar of Messing, Essex 1921-35. He lived at the Vicarage in Messing, where he “took a great interest in the village, and was responsible for the resuscitation of the Messing Football Club. He was a lover of children, and a keen supporter of the District Nursing Association”.

Whittam died in late 1935 at Croydon, at the age of seventy-eight, and was buried at Messing.

▶Moved to Pittville from:  (uncertain)      Moved from Pittville to: Eastdbourne

▶Date of death:  9 November 1935      Place of death: Barra Lodge, Birdhurst Rise, Croydon, Surrey

▶Date of burial:         Place of burial: Messing, Essex

▶Notes:        ID: 8239

Contributor(s):  John Simpson/Alan Munden