Genealogical Sketch of the Alexander Whittle (1818-1853) and Rachel Morley (1821-1861) Family of Lancashire, New South Wales and California

This is a genealogical sketch of the lives of theAlexander and Rachel (Morley) Whittle family of Lancashire, New South Wales and California. They are my wife's 2nd great-grandparents.

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Alexander Whittle’s Early Life

Alexander Whittle was born before January 4, 1818, in Chorley, Lancashire, England, and christened on the same date at St. Laurence's Church.[1] He was the son of Alexander Whittle (1774-1855) and Margaret Mansley (1777-1850), who married on July 4, 1797 in Chorley. Alexander and Margaret Whittle had twelve children:

• John Whittle was born before 11 March 1798 in Standish, Lancashire, no further record.
• Robert Whittle was born before 12 January 1800 in Standish, Lancashire, England; died before 24 November 1835 at the age of 35 in Milnrow, Lancashire.
• Thomas Whittle, born 28 October 1801, Chorley, Lancashire; married Jane Pendlebury, 6 Jul 1845, Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire.
• Ann Whittle was born on 12 November 1803 in Chorley, Lancashire; died on 7 February 1805 at the age of 1 in Chorley, Lancashire.
• Richard Whittle, born 10 October 1805, Chorley, Lancashire; married Hannah Gidman, 18 September 1826, Prestwich, Lancashire.
• Joseph Whittle, born 15 August 1807, Chorley, Lancashire; married Elizabeth Bilsborough, 23 May 1831, Blackburn, Lancashire; died bef 8 February 1889, Bury, Lancashire, England.
• Stephen Whittle was born on 13 March 1810 in Chorley, Lancashire; died on 30 September 1863 at the age of 53 in Carrisbrook, Victoria, Australia.
• Elizabeth Whittle was born on 29 December 1811 in Chorley, Lancashire; died on 17 Apr 1818 at the age of 6 in Chorley, Lancashire.
• Edward Whittle, born before 12 December 1813, Chorley, Lancashire; married Margaret Gibson, 2 April 1839, Chorley, Lancashire; died 5 March 1882, Over Darwen, Lancashire.
• Margaret Whittle was born before 14 January 1816 in Chorley, Lancashire; no further record.
• Alexander Whittle, born before 4 January 1818, Chorley, Lancashire; married Rachel Morley, 17 August 1840, Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire; died 2 May 1853, Angels Camp, Calaveras, California.
• Alfred Whittle, born before 4 May 1823, Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire; married Matilda Armstrong, about 1847, Birmingham, Warwickshire; died 1877, Liverpool, Lancashire.

Young Alexander grew up in the industrial heartland of northern England during a time of significant economic and social change. His father worked as an agricultural laborer and gardener, a common occupation in the Chorley area.

Rachel Morley’s Early Life

Rachel Morley was born in about 1819 and was baptized on 25 December 1821 in St. Peter's Church in Bolton-le-Moors in Lancashire.[2-3] In the baptism record, no father was listed, and her mother was Jane (Haslam) Morley. Leah Morley, daughter of Jane Morley, was born in 1819 and baptized on 25 December 1821. The father of Rachel and Leah is not known, and no Bastardy Bonds were found.

Jane (Haslam) (Bury) Morley (1780-1834) had been married twice before – first to Robert Bury (1774-1802) in 1798 in Bolton-le-Moors, and they had two children – Ann (1799-????) and Thomas Bury (1801-????). Jane (Haslam) Bury married Thomas Morley (1781-1814) in 1807 in Bolton-le-Moors, and they had three children – John Morley (1807-1877), James Morley (1809-????), and Robert Morley (1815-1893).

Jane apparently raised her twin daughters alone in Little Bolton until 1830 when there was a petition for removal for all three of them from Little Bolton to Blackburn, Lancashire. The petition dated 29 November 1830 notes that the daughters were eleven years old. Jane Morley died, age 53, a resident of Little Bolton, Lancashire, and was buried in Bolton le Moors on 2 July 1834. Leah and Rachel Morley may have returned to Little Bolton with their mother.

Marriage and Family

Alexander Whittle married Rachel Morley on 27 February 1840, in Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire.[4-5] The information for Alexander included:

• Name: Alexander Whittle;
• Age (Groom): full age;
• Condition (Groom): Bachelor;
• Rank or Profession (Groom): Sawyer;
• Residence at the Time of Marriage (Groom): King St.;
• Name and Surname of Father (Groom) : Alexander Whittle;
• Rank or Profession of Father (Groom): Sawyer.

The information for Rachel included:

• Name and Surname (Bride): Rachel Morley;
• Age (Bride): Minor;
• Condition (Bride): Spinster;
• Rank or Profession (Bride): ----;
• Residence at the Time of Marriage (Bride): Lum St.;
• Name and Surname of Father (Bride) : Illegitimate;
• Rank or Profession of Father (Bride): ----.

They were married in the Bolton-le-Moors Parish Church according to the rites and ceremonies in the established church after banns by P.R. Robin, Curate. Alexander signed his name and Rachel signed with a mark. The witnesses were James Ganoe and James Systrot.

The young couple's first child, Elizabeth Morley (later Whittle), was born on 1 June 1839, and baptized on 14 July 1839, at St. Peter's Church in Bolton-le-Moors. Elizabeth's birth before her parents' marriage was not uncommon in this era.

Their time in Lancashire after marriage was brief, as they soon embarked on a journey that would take them halfway around the world. Alexander and Rachel Whittle, along with their young daughter Elizabeth, emigrated to Australia. This migration was part of a larger wave of British emigration to the Australian colonies during the 1840s, when the British government encouraged settlement through various assisted passage schemes.

The migration record of the Alexander Whittle family was obtained from the "Index to Bounty Immigrants Arriving in N.S.W. Australia, 1828-1842."[6] The information includes:

• Principal's Name = Alexander Whittell
• Estimated birth year = 1818
• Age in years = 23
• Native place of Principal = Bolton, Lancashire, England
• Father's name = Alexander Whittell
• Mother's name = Margaret Mansley
• Spouse's name = Rachael Whittell
• Native place of spouse = Bolton, Lancashire, England
• Spouse's Father's name = Thomas Morley
• Spouse's Mother's name = Jessie Haslam
• Ship = Brothers
• Date of arrival = 11 Mar 1841

The sailing ship Brothers departed from Liverpool, England, on 14 September 1840, via the Cape of Good Hope, with a stop over at the Cape on 24 December 1840 with a total of 278 Bounty Immigrants, plus crew, including 64 passengers from Lancashire, England. A mutiny occurred at the Cape of Good Hope, on 6 January 1841, as the ship was about to continue on it's journey. Some seamen refused to work, demanded better conditions and accused the captain of being short-handed, leading to irons and later, upon arrival, a continued refusal to work. The Brothers arrived at Port Jackson on 11 March 1841.

After their arrival, the Alexander Whittle family settled in Sydney, Australia, and they had five more children, as noted in the "Australian Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981" collection on FamilySearch. The index entries provide both the birth and baptism dates. They were all baptized in the St. James church in Sydney, children of Alexander and Rachel Whittle:[7]

Alexander Whittle and Rachel Morley had the following children:

• Elizabeth Morley Whittle, born 1 June 1839, Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire; married (1) William Baker Ray, 7 March 1855, Calaveras, California, three children; married (2) William Swerer, 8 Jun 1863, Sonora, Tuolumne, California, ten children; died 11 November 1912, Tuttletown, Tuolumne, California.
• William Alfred Whittle was born on 1 March 1842 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He died on 23 December 1842 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
• Joseph Whittle, born 30 May 1843, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; married Mary Ann Quig, 29 October 1868, Angels Camp, Calaveras, California, nine children; died 7 October 1886, Angels Camp, Calaveras, California.
• John Whittle was born on 26 August 1845 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; he died before 1851 probably in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
• Jane Whittle, born 2 August 1847, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; married Elijah Pickrell McKnew, 12 November 1865, Tuolumne, California, eleven children; died 7 February 1921, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
• Margaret Whittle was born on 31 July 1849 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; she died on 3 June 1850 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Alexander and Rachel Whittle appear in Sydney, Australia newspapers in the 1842 to 1850 time frame (see http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper), including:

• On 14 September 1842, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Alexander Whittle had a house on Cumberland Street in Gipps Ward.
•  On 13 August 1846, The Sydney Morning Herald ran a notice that Alexander Whittle and William Beach had dissolved their partnership in a business, and Mr. Whittle is assuming all debts.
• On 30 October 1848, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Alexander Whittle of Sussex Street, a publican, had Mr. Jones arrested for obtaining money and goods under false pretenses -- he showed him a large amount of future money.
• On 31 August 1849, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that:

"The undersigned being on the eve of leaving Sydney for a short time, hereby requests all persons having any claims against him to forward them to his residence in Sussex-street, for examination and immediate payments; and all persons indebted to him are requested to pay their respective accounts at the same place, to A. Whittle or to Mrs. Rachel Whittle by whom the business will be carried on as usual in the home, and whose receipt will be a sufficient discharge.
.........................ALEXANDER WHITTLE
N.B. The cedar, pine, pits, racks, turned work, lathe, office, and the business of the yard, will be sold by auction, together with two or three dozen chairs, two sets of bedsteads, tables, boxes, and other things, on the 3rd September, if not previously disposed of my private contract.

Witness Joe Makin ..................... A. WHITTLE
August 30"

• * On 2 April 1850, The Sydney Morning Herald provided a list of Publicans General Licenses for Sydney for the coming year, and it includes:

" #162 Rachel Whittle, Sussex-street
#163 Alexander Whittle, Sussex-street"

• On 6 May 1850, The Sydney Morning Herald listed several court cases, including:

"Application of Margaret Birmingham
The husband of this applicant had gone to California. The license was first applied for in the name of the husband, but an application had also been made in the name of the wife. The first having been withdrawn, the latter was now taken into consideration. It was admitted that the husband was absent in California. He was, however, shortly expected to arrive in Sydney."

And further down:

"The Attorney-General was of the opinion, that the presumption of law being that the husband was alive, the wife could not enter into recognizances. Several other magistrates expressed a similar opinion, but admitted that the case was a very hard one, and regretted that they were prevented by law from granting the application. The license was therefore refused."

And further down:

"Application of Rachel Whittle
This was a precisely similar case, and was similarly disposed of."

In summary, from theinformation from the Australian Newspapers, it appears that:

• The Whittles were residing in Sydney in September 1842.
• Alexander Whittle was a publican (owned and operated a "pub" -- a public house -- probably a restaurant and bar) in the 1848 to 1850 time period, and perhaps earlier. The pub was in their home on Sussex Street in Sydney.
• Alexander Whittle left Sydney in or after September 1849 after giving notice to debtors and creditors, and putting his personal property up for sale.
• Rachel Whittle was denied a publicans license in May 1850 because her husband was not residing in Sydney.

Life in California

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 sparked a global migration phenomenon, and the Whittle family became part of this historic gold rush. Like thousands of others seeking fortune, Alexander Whittle made the decision to leave Australia and try his luck in California's gold country. He sailed from Sydney to San Francisco after September 1849. There are no passenger list records for his journey. There are no United States Census records for Alexander Whittle born before 1830 in the 1850 through 1900 census records.

After being denied the license to continue the Public House in May 1850 and the death of her daughter in June1850, Rachel and her three surviving children sailed to California and landed in San Francisco before December 1851. There are no passenger lists for their journey.

Rachel "Wadle" (age 32, born England) and her children Elizabeth (age 13, born Australia), Joseph (age 9, born Australia) and Jane (age 5, born Australia) were enumerated on the 1852 California State Census residing in San Francisco, California.[8] "Wadle" is a misspelling of Whittle.

After arriving in San Francisco, Alexander Whittle went to Angel’s Camp, now in Calaveras County, California, to work as a miner in the gold fields. It is not known if he ever saw his wife and children again. Alexander died on or about 2 May 1853 in Angel’s Camp, now Calaveras County, as noted in two newspaper articles:

• In the Daily Placer Times and Transcript, dated 10th May 1853, an article says:[9]

"A man by the name of Alexander Whittle, aged about thirty five, committed suicide in Calaveras last week. Cause, an absconding wife and liquor."

• In the The Weekly Herald of New York City, dated Saturday, June 11, 1853, an article titled "Nine Days Later from California, "Arrival of the El Dorado and Prometheus" has an item:[10]

"SUICIDE -- On Tuesday morning an inquest was held by Justice Tuffs, near Angel's Camp, on the body of Alexander Whittle, a native of England, who committed suicide Monday evening, about 8'o'clock, on Six Mile creek.

Rachel’s Later Life

Once Rachel Whittle got to California, she appears several times in the San Francisco newspapers. for instance:

• From the Daily Alta California newspaper, Volume 2, Number 339, 16 November 1851:

"Robbery -- Thomas O'Brien, John Foster and Thomas Spencer were charged with having robbed Rachel Whittle of a pistol, a dress, and a petticoat. By the evidence of the woman herself, it appeared that after she had gone to bed and was asleep, James O'Brien came into her room and got into her bed, and she was awakened by his trying to take a diamond ring off her finger. She got out of bed and ran into the bar-room. O'Brien followed her. She went to the door and screamed, when the police came in and found O'Brien concealed upstairs. She then missed her dress and petticoat. The dress contained $54 in the pocket. The house was searched, and the dress was found under the head of Spencer, and the petticoat in O'Brien's room, they being lodgers in the house. The parties were all sent to the Court of Sessions on a charge of grand larceny with the bail fixed at $1500 each."

• From the Daily Alta California newspaper, Volume 2, Number 363, 10 December 1851:

"Court of Sessions -- Before Judges Campbell, Corbett and Shepheard. People vs. John Foster -- Defendant was charged with grand larceny, in having stolen a ring and $202 in money from Rachael Whittle while she was asleep in her bed. Foster was a boarder in the house. Defendant was found not guilty, and Spencer and O'Brien, jointly indicted with Foster, were acquitted."

Rachel Whittle married again, as shown in this article in the Alta California newspaper dated 1 March 1854:[11]

“In Trinity Church, by the Rector, on the 19th instant, Thomas Spencer, to Mrs. Rachel Whittle, both of San Francisco.”

Thomas Spencer died on 18 April 1858 in San Francisco, California, leaving Rachel a widow for the second time. Rachel may have moved to Sacramento soon after. There are newspaper articles about her:

• From the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper, Volume 15, Number 2229, 19 May 1858:

"WANTED -- Information of the whereabouts of Mrs. Rachel Spencer, who may hear of something to her advantage by applying, without loss of time, to H. Olmerd, Bernard street, between Mason and Jones, San Francisco."

• From the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper, Volume 17, Number 2549, 28 May 1859:

"Rachel Spencer, charged with using obscene and vulgar language on the public street, was adjudged guilty and will be sentenced today. The defendant was extremely obstreperous (probably on account of inebriation) during the examination of the case, disregarding the frequent warning of the Court, and finally compelling the Court to order that she be committed till 10 o'clock this morning for contempt. Upon the motion of her counsel and his waiving her presence and promising to remove her to another room, the order was rescinded and the trial proceeded, with the above result."

• From the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper, Volume 19, Number 2829, 20 April 1860:

"DISTURBING THE PEACE -- Lafayette Andrews, while under the influence of frequent potations, visited the residence of Mrs. Rachel Spencer alias Mrs. Trask, yesterday, and created a disturbance. He was subsequently arrested by officer Grant, on a warrant issued by Justice Foote, on complaint of the above named Rachel Spencer."

• From the Daily Alta California newspaper, Volume 22, Number 7506, 9 October 1870:

"WANTED
If Mrs. Alexander Whittle, who left Sydney, N.S. Wales, on or about August 1850, and who, it is believed, was afterwards married to Mr. Thomas Spencer, will call at the Post Office, San Francisco, she will find a letter from an old friend, addressed, 'Mrs. Alex. Whittle.'"

A mortuary and cemetery record for a Rachael M. Spencer was found, and is likely for Rachel (Morley) (Whittle) Spencer.[12] The information includes:

Vital records, - 1861
Spencer, Rachael M.
Born England, Died Sacramento, October 10, 1861
age 24 years. Dr. Shattuck. Intemperance.
Buried Sacramento, New Helvetia.

Because Rachel was in Sacramento before 1861, and was known for drunkenness, this is likely her, although the age (24) in the record does not match Rachel Morley’s approximate age of 42 in 1861.

Sources

1. Parish registers for St. Laurence's Church, Chorley [Lancashire], 1653-1947, Family History Library, (Salt Lake City, Utah) accessed on FHL BRITISH Microfilm 93,703, "Births, baptisms, marriages, burials, 1653-1821," Baptisms, 1813, Page 178, No. 1422, Alexander Whittle baptism record, 4 January 1818; citing original records at Lancashire Record Office, Preston,

2. "Parish Records for St. Peter's, Bolton-le-Moors (Lancashire)," Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah), accessed on FHL BRITISH Film 559,177."Baptisms, 1817-1827," Year 1821: page 229, Rachel Morley baptism record, 25 December 1821; citing originals filmed by Manchester Public Libraries, 1958,

3. "English Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire, Rachel Morley entry, 25 December 1821

4. Parish Registers for Bolton-le-Moors [Lancashire], 1590-1974," Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, accessed on FHL BRITISH Microfilm 1,966,480, "Marriages 1837-1841," 1840: No. 309, Alexander Whittle and Rachel Morley marriage record, 17 August 1840; citing originals filmed by Manchester Public Libraries, 1958,

5. "England Marriages, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org), Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire, Alexander Whittle and Rachel Morley marriage entry, 17 August 1840.

6. "Index to Bounty Immigrants Arriving in N.S.W. Australia, 1828-1842," database, FamilySearch (https://www.FamilySearch.org), Volume 38, Alexander and Rachel Whittell entry, arrived 11 March 1841.

7. "Australian Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), births and baptisms of children of Alexnder and Rachel Whittle, extracted from FHL microfilms 993955-6.

8. "California State Census, 1852," digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), San Francisco County, California, page 524 (penned), Rachel Wadle household; citing California State Library, Sacramento, California; 1852 California State Census, Roll # 4; Repository Collection #: C144:4.

9) "Daily Placer [Sacramento, Calif.] Times and Transcript," imaged, GenealogyBank (https://www.GenealogyBank.com), 10 May 1853 issue, Alexander Whittle death notice.

10) "Weekly Alta California [San Francisco, Calif.]," imaged, GenealogyBank,   (https://www.GenealogyBank.com), 1 March 1854 issue, Thomas Spencer and Rachel Whittle marriage entry, 19 February 1854.

11) “California, Mortuary and Cemetery Records, 1801-1932," imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), Mortuary Records (Northern California), 1849-1900 > Smith, F - V, image 572 of 2995, Rachael M. Spencer entry.

12. "Weekly Alta California [San Francisco, Calif.]," imaged, GenealogyBank (https://www.GenealogyBank.com), 1 March 1854 issue, Thomas Spencer and Rachel Whittle marriage entry.

Relationship

Alexander Whittle (1818-1853) and Rachel Morley (1819-1861) are maternal 2nd- great-grandparents of my wife, Linda (Leland) Seaver (1942-still living), through:

•  her great-grandmother Jane Whittle (1847-1921) who married Elijah Pickrell McKnew (1836-1912) in 1865 in Tuolumne County, California.
• her grandmother Edna Catherine McKnew (1884-1974) who married Paul Frederick Schaffner (1879-1934) in 1906 in San Francisco. 
• her mother Edna May Schaffner (1913-1979)  who married Leo Severt Leland (1911-2002) in 1937 in San Francisco.

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Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

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