OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
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WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

JAMES WILLOUGHBY (1828-1882)

James Willoughby was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Plymouth, on May 25th 1828, the son of Mr William Willoughby (1806-1879), white smith, and Mrs Mary Ann Willoughby, of East Stonehouse.

He first married Miss Mary Ann Morgan, also from East Stonehouse, on September 1st 1849 at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Plymouth.  The census taken on Sunday March 30th 1851 shows them living at number 5 Adelaide Street, East Stonehouse, close to his father at number 1.  However when the census was taken on April 7th 1861 they had moved into Plymouth, number 22 Wyndham Place to be precise.  The couple now had a family of two sons and two daughters: Emma Willoughby, born 1851; Henry Willoughby, born 1858; Beatrice Mary Willoughby, born 1860; and William James Willoughby, born 1861.  All were born in Plymouth.

Two more boys were born between the 1861 and 1871 censuses: Edward Willoughby in 1863 and James Ernest Willoughby on March 31st 1867.

In 1864 the business was known as Messrs Willoughby Brothers.  It is assumed that Mr William Willoughby (1806-1879) had retired, possibly due to ill health, and had handed it over to his sons.  With Mr James Willoughby being the eldest he would have become the senior partner. 

Mrs Mary Ann Willoughby died in 1869 and was buried at the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Cemetery on January 15th 1869.  She was 36-years-old.

On October 18th 1869 Mr James Willoughby married Miss Mary Emma Hamlin, a former neighbour from Adelaide Street, dress maker, at Stoke Damerel Parish Church.

Although principally a businessman, Mr Willoughby was also a member of the Court of Guardians for Plymouth and made two unsuccessful attempts to get elected to serve on Plymouth Town Council, the first in Frankfort Ward (1880) and the second time in Saint Andrew's Ward (1881).  His ill health prevented him from making a third attempt in 1882.

On Thursday August 31st 1882 he was to have acted as an arbitrator in a case at Exeter but upon arriving at Exeter railway station he was seized with paralysis and carried to a hotel, where medical aid was sought.  The following day he returned to his home at 11 Frankfort Street, Plymouth, and received medical attention from Doctors Prance and Pearse.

Mr James Willoughby 'calmly expired' at 3am on Sunday September 10th 1882, almost exactly three years after his father.  He was 53 years of age.  The funeral was held on Friday September 15th 1882 at the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Cemetery, Plymouth.  The Reverend Isaac Hawker of the Anglican Church of Saint Luke the Evangelist officiated.  The cortege left the deceased's residence at 11am and soon stretched from Russell Street to King Street.  It was led by about 150 employees of the business, in double file, who were followed by a private carriage containing the Reverend Hawker and Mr T Pearse, surgeon, who had attended upon Mr Willoughby during his illness.  Next came the hearse and six mourning carriages and then a further twenty-five carriages containing members of the Plymouth Court of Guardians and friends of the deceased.  In the first mourning coach were the widow, Mrs Mary Emma Hamlin Willoughby, and Miss Beatrice Mary Willoughby, daughter; Miss G E Willoughby, niece; and Messrs Henry Willoughby, Edward Willoughby, and Ernest Willoughby, sons.  Messrs William Willoughby, Joseph Willoughby and Samuel Willoughby, the remaining partners in the business, were in the second mourning carriage.

Among the other mourners were Mr W Gilbert from the Saltash Steamboat Company; Mr Browning from the Plymouth Gas Works; Mr Roberts from the Delabole Slate Quarries; and representatives from the Phoenix Foundry.

Mr William Willoughby (1830-1908) succeeded James as the senior partner of Messrs Willoughby Brothers.