Alfred William WHITEHEAD (1862–1903)
His wife Annie Miriam WHITEHEAD, née Hughes (1863–1945)
Their infant son Cyril Eustace WHITEHEAD (1889–1890)
St Giles (Ss Philip & James) section: Row 30, Grave J26½
IN
LOVING MEMORY
OF
CYRIL EUSTACE
THE DEARLY LOVED CHILD
OF ALFRED WILLIAM AND
ANNIE WHITEHEAD
WHO FELL ASLEEP JUNE 26TH 1890
AGED ONE YEAR.
“JESUS CALLED A LITTLE CHILD
UNTO HIM” MATTHEW XVIII:2
ALSO OF
ALFRED WILLIAM WHITEHEAD
FATHER OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED DECEMBER 21ST 1903
AGED 41 YEARS.
ALSO OF
ANNIE MIRIAM WHITEHEAD
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
DIED FEBRUARY 11TH 1945
AGED 81 YEARS.
Alfred William Whitehead was born at Beaumont Buildings, Oxford in 1862 and baptised at St Giles’s Church on 24 June. His parents were George Whitehead, a college servant, and Phillis George, who were married in the Wells district of Somerset in the third quarter of 1842. Alfred had at least two older siblings: Esther (born 1845/6) and George (born 1854/5).
Alfred was still a baby when his father George Whitehead died at Beaumont Buildings at the age of 44: his burial on 6 March was recorded in the parish register of St Giles's Church, so he may be buried in another grave in St Sepulchre's Cemetery. The 1871 census shows Alfred (8), who was at school, living in Oxford at St Bernard's Road (then called St John's Road) with his mother Phillis (51), his sister Esther (25), and his brother George (16), who was a bootmaker. The family had one servant.
By 1881 the family was living at 46 Walton Court, and Alfred (18) was now a music teacher. His mother was still working as a laundress, and his sister Esther (35) was still at home.
Annie Miriam Hughes was born in Oxford in 1863 (registered fourth quarter as Miriam Annie Hughes), the daughter of the bacon curer/pork butcher Jesse Hughes and his wife Emily. At the time of the 1871 census, when she was eight, she was living with her parents and seven siblings in the Iffley Road.
On 5 July 1881 at St Clement's Church, Oxford, Alfred William Whitehead (20) of Rubicon Lodge, Warnborough Road, described as a professor (teacher) of music, married Annie Miriam Hughes (17) of the Iffley Road. They had the following children:
- Vernon Alfred Felix Whitehead (born at Warnborough Road, Oxford on 5 March 1882 and baptised at Ss Philip & James Church on 23 May 1882)
- Victor Frederick Whitehead (born in Oxford in early 1885 and baptised at Kidlington Church on 4 September 1887 when he was 2½ years old)
- Cyril Eustace Whitehead (born at 65 Banbury Road, Oxford on 5 July 1889 and baptised at St Barnabas's Church on 19 September); died 1890
- Wilfred Eric Whitehead (born at 65 Banbury Road, Oxford on 1 March 1892 and baptised at St Barnabas's Church on 28 April)
By 1889 the family had moved to 65 Banbury Road, where their son Cyril was born on 5 July. He died there the following year:
† Cyril Eustace Whitehead died at 65 Banbury Road at the age of 11 months and was buried in St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 29 June 1890 (burial recorded in the burial registers of of both St Giles’s and Ss Philip & James’s Church).
At the time of the 1891 census Alfred and Annie Hughes were living at 65 Banbury Road with their two surviving children Vernon (9) and Victor (6), plus one servant. Their fourth and last child Wilfred was born around the end of that year.
The 1901 census shows them still living at 65 Banbury Road: Alfred (38) was still a teacher of music, and his eldest son Vernon (19) was a chemist’s apprentice.
Alfred Whitehead died in 1903:
† Alfred William Whitehead died at 65 Banbury Road at the age of 41 on 21 December 1903 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 24 December (burial recorded in the burial registers of both St Giles’s and Ss Philip & James’s Church).
His effects came to £1,474 17s. 8d., and his wife Annie was his executor. He was described in his probate record as an organist.
His eldest son Vernon was married in 1907:
- On 20 August 1907 at St Cross Church, Oxford, Vernon Alfred Felix Whitehead (25), described as an engineer, married Winifred Kate Walker (28), the daughter of the college servant George Edward Hern Walker: both were then living in Holywell.
At the time of the 1911 census Mrs Annie Whitehead, a widow of private means, was living at 55 Lonsdale Road with her youngest son Wilfred (19), who was a mining engineering student, and her father Jesse Hughes (83). Her other unmarried son Victor (26) was lodging at 12 Grove Lane, Hackney and working as an assistant bookseller.
Her son Victor was married later in 1911:
- On 2 April 1911 at St John's Church, Hackney, Victor Frederick Whitehead married Mabel Florence Pilley, the daughter of the commercial traveller James Henry Pilley. Both were then living at 44 Sach Road, Hackney.
Mrs Annie Whitehead died in Oxford in 1945, and was buried with her baby son and husband:
† Mrs Annie Miriam Whitehead died at 55 Lonsdale Road on 11 February 1945 at the age of 81 and was buried in St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 14 February (burial recorded in the burial register of St Giles’s Church, and probably also Ss Philip & James’s (not transcribed)).
Her effects came to £9,137 17s. 10d., and her executors were her sons Vernon (a planning engineer) and Victor (a progress chaser).
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