Family of James KEETCH and Mary Ann DAMMANT

Marriage Certificate James Keetch/Mary Damant, (No.162 Parish of St.Anne Limehouse).

Parish Church 2nd March 1856 after banns

James Webster Keetch,full,Bachelor,Carpenter,West India Road

f.William Keetch, Carpenter

Mary Ann Damant,full,Spinster, West India Road

f.William Damant, Carrriage Trimmer

Wits: John Goringe & Catherine Hewitt

Parish Records Devon. Devon Record Office, Exeter.

1841 Census England. district 10,. Cit. Date: 6 June 1841.

John Baker Gunnell 57 Half Pay Officer Not-Dorset

William Keetch 55 Carpenter Dorset

Phebe Keetch 50 Not-Dorset

James Keetch 23 carpenter Dorset

Phebe Keetch 15 Dorset

Birth Certificate Albert H W Keetch, (No.5 1843 births Taunton-St.James).

16th April 1843 at Staplegrove

Albert Henry Webster

f.James Keetch

m.Mary Keetch nee Chick

f.occ.Carpenter

Mary Keetch mother Staplegrove

reg.18/5/1843

Birth Certificate Sarah Ann Keetch, (N0.184 1845 births Taunton-St.James).

6th July 1845 Staplegrove

Sarah Ann

f.James Keetch

m.Mary Keetch nee Chick

f.occ.carpenter

inf: Mary Keetch mother Staplegrove

reg.14th Aug 1845

Birth Certificate Mary Jane Keetch, (No.206 1848 Births Thetford-Methwold).

23rd January 1848 at Brandon

Mary Jane

f.James Keetch

m.Mary Keetch nee Chick

f.occ.Fireman

inf.Mary Keetch mother Brandon

reg.10/2/1848

1851 Census England. HO 107/1768 f168. Cit. Date: 30 March 1851.

Ibid.

James Keetch head mar 31 Carpenter, Axminster

Mary Keetch wife mar 33 Staplegrove

Albert Keetch son 7 Staplegrove

Sarah A Keetch 5 Staplegrove

Mary J Keetch 3 Brandon

Inquest Mary Keetch, (Essex Chronicle 7th May 1852). Essex Record Office, Chelmsford.

"On Friday, an adjourned inquest was held at the Blue

Boar inn, Stratford, before C.C.Lewis,Esq. on the body of Mary

Keech, (better known as Mary Catch), aged 33. The inquest was

adjourned from the previous day in order to allow a post mortem

examination of the body. It was supposed deceased had met her

death under circumstances of an aggravated character - It appeared

that a person named Nebborn, who lived near deceased,

was called in by her children, and he found her in bed, and quite

dead; he raised an alarm, and a medical gentleman attended, and

found death had taken place several hours previous. - Evidence

was also adduced to show deceased was jealous of her husband,

whom she supposed was on terms of improper intimacy with

another female in the neighbourhood, and it also appeared that

she and her husband frequently quarrelled, - and even so late as

on the Monday previous, when he left home and did not return

till after his wife's death. - Mr Kennedy, surgeon, of Stratford

deposed to making a post mortem examination, when he found

the lungs in a diseased state, and no doubt death ensued from

that cause, although excitement might have hastened the event.

Keech had been seen to slap his wife's face, but no evidence was

adduced to show that death ensued from the treatment she re?

ceived from his hands. The coroner summed up the evidence,

and the jury found that "Death ensued from natural causes".

The coroner, at the request of the jury, had James Keech called

in, and gave him a severe reprimand, which he appeared to treat

with perfect indifference."

Witness payments

Mr. Angus Kennedy (for post mortem) £2..2s..0d

Mrs.Cobb 2s..0d

Mrs.Bloomfield 2s..0d

Her 2 sons2s..0d ea

Mrs.Woods2s..0d

Mrs.Lambrook2s..0d

Colchester Union Legal Action, (Essex Standard, 9 March 1855, p3). British Library Newspaper Archive.

Colchester Town Hall, 5 March [1855]

James Webster Keetch, a stoker on the Norfolk branch of the Eastern Counties’ Railway, was brought up for leaving his children chargeable to the Colchester Union. - Mr ABELL supported the complaint. – It appeared that defendant had been absent from Colchester since October, during which time his three children had been under the keeping of a woman named Scaborn, at the Mariners’ Arms; but she becoming tired of her trust forwarded them to their father at London, who, however, immediately returned them, and they have since the 19thof February been in the union. – Defendant said he had sent £6. 10 for their maintenance since October, and if Seaborn, instead of putting them in the union, had given him notice that she was tired of keeping them he would have made other provision for them. – THE BENCH thought the children being sent to him at London was a sufficient proof that she wished to give up her charge. – Defendant was ultimately released upon the understanding that he would take his children away with him and not allow them to become chargeable again.

Will: William Keetch 1856, (Wiltshire Record Office). Ancestry.com.

In the name of God Amen

I William Keetch of Churchill in

the parish of Chardstock in the

County of Dorset Carpenter do

make and ordain this my last

Will and Testament in manner

and form following. First I

give and bequeath unto my

son James Keetch the sum

of Twenty pounds. Also I give

and bequeath unto my son

John Keetch the sum of Ten

pounds which legacies I will

shall be paid by my Executrise at

the expireation of one year after

my decease my two dwelling houses

situate at Churchill in the aforesaid

parish and all other of my monies

and property of every denomination

soever I give and bequeath to my

daughter Sarah Keetch and my

daughter Phebe Keetch jointly

to be equally divided between

them and I constitute and

appoint my aforesaid daughters

Sarah Keetch and Phebe Keetch

my whoile and sole joint

executrix of this my last Will

and Testament I witness

whereof I have set my

hand and seal

William Keetch ʘ

Thomas Bently [who dates will as Jan or Feb 1852]

Henrietta Bently [his sister]

1861 Census England. RG 9/357 f.174 p.9. Cit. Date: 7 April 1861.

Census 1861 Lambeth, Surrey

RG 9/357 f.174 p.9

7 Belmont Place

-------------------------------------

James Peetch Head Mar 36 Engine Driver Ry Axminster

Mary A Peetch Wife Mar 24 Woodbridge

Sarah A Peetch Dau 13 Brandon

[for "Peetch" read "Keetch" and for "Sarah A" read "Mary J"]

1871 Census England. RG10/ 670 f80. Cit. Date: 2 April 1871.

Ibid.

James Keetch head mar 49 Railway Engine Driver, Axminster

Mary Ann Keetch wife mar 32, Suffolk Woodbridge

Death Certificate James Keetch, (No.436 1880 Deaths London City - Saint Botolph).

5th November 1880 at 147 Minories

James Webster Keetch 63 Engineer

CoD.Apoplexy natural death 7 minutes

inf. cert from Samuel Langham Dep Coroner for London, inquest held 8/11/1880

reg 9/11/1880

Inquest James Keetch. City of London RO.

London 8th November 1880 James Webster Keetch 63yrs Natural

Statement of Witnesses

Mary Anne Webster Keetch, 20 Caroline Court, Kennington

James Webster Keetch was my husband, Engineer, 63 years of age - he left me on Tuesday at 6 o'clock to go to work he was then quite well - he complained of tightness in the chest but has had no Dr. since April - his father & mother & brother all died suddenly. He complained of pain in his head sometime ago.

Bowman Walker, 14 Turagar Road, Old Ford Court

Traveller for Messrs Galbe, 147 Minories

On Tuesday 10 to 15 past 7 I was at 147 Minories - I went to the Engine Room - I saw the decd there - he complained of difficulty of breathing & pain across the chest. Decd sent for a ? & pennouth of brandy warm - he came upstairs into the Counter Shop & sat on the stool & after a few minutes he got up to walk across the factory. He complained he could scarcely walk he leant against the table & fell backward. I procured the assistance of Dr.within 5 minutes of his fall & he died about 7 minutes afterward. He was quite sober.

Pavlo Farroli, 147 Minories

Packer for Messrs Galbe

I was sitting down by decd when he came upstairs & complained of pain in the chest - he said he could not go home & went to the desk put his head on the table & I saw him fall. I ran & picked him up & held him until the Dr came.

Henry Little Sequeira, 34 Jury St, Algate

Surgeon

I was called in to see decd on Tuesday inf. I saw him in a state of collapse stenterous breathing & pupils very much contracted & I was present up to the time of his death - no appearance of violence the symptoms were more like those of apoplexy - nothing at all inconsistent from the death being from natural causes.

Verdict: Natural Death

Inquest before William John Payne Coroner for City of London

at The Mortuary 22 Golden Lane

1871 Census England.

1851 Census England. HO 107/1799 p.7. Cit. Date: 30 March 1851.

Census 1851 Ipswich

HO 107/1799 p.7

Farman Street

William Damant Head 41 Coach Trimmer Romford

Mary Ann Damant Wife 35 Woodbridge

Mary Ann Damant dau 15 Woodbridge

William Damant son 10 Scholar Woodbridge

1881 Census England. RG11/601 f87. Cit. Date: 3 April 1881.

Mary A.Keetch head wid 39 Carriage Trimmer, Woodbridge

1891 Census England. RG12/355 f29. Cit. Date: 5 April 1891.

Mary A Keetch head wid 50 householder Woodbridge

James Keetch Son/Grandson 9 London Lying-in Hospital

School Attendance James W Keetch, (London School Admits 1840-1911). Ancestry.com.

Fox School, Silver Street, Kensington and Chelsea

no.1922

admit: 12/5/93

Keetch, Jas Webster

Guardian: Mrs Keetch (needlewoman) of 25 Jameson Street

d.o.b.16/9/81

previous school: St.Agnes Kensington

standard: VI by 1896

left 12/7/96 for work

Death Certificate Mary Damant, (No.492 1893 Deaths St.Olave-St.Olave).

11th May 1895 at Guys Hospital

Mary Ann Keetch 56

widow of James Webster Keetch, an engine driver, of 45 St.Pauls Road, Kennington

CoD.Empyrena, Fatty Heart Syncope cert by C.Elliott MB

inf.E Perry, Superintendent, Guys Hospital

reg.15/5/1893