Facts

The Willeter’s are first identified living in the Mickelham, Surrey area where they lived for about 246 years before they started to migrate around the UK, mainly moving to London and south coast.

1576 John Willeter of Kingston paid tax on £4 worth of goods in lay subsidies

13 Sept 1661 John Willeter  gave a free and voluntary present to King Charles 11, of a contribution of one shilling, (This was used to pay debts incurred whilst he was in exile and far from F&V apparently)

1664 John Willeter paid Hearth Tax for 4 hearths at Fetcham
        Thomas Willeter paid for 1 hearth at Mickelham *
        John Willeter paid for 2 hearths at Mickelham
* This tax was marked as “not chargeable”, he was either too poor to pay, or the hearths were for industrial use.

1739 John Willeter is a Church Warden in Mickelham, Surrey

1756 John Willeter is Church Warden and Overseer of the poor in Mickelham, Surrey

1801 William Willeter snr of Mickelham, Surrey, Yeoman and William Willeter jnr of Mickelham, Surrey to William Baker, Richard Johnson, Arthur Wells and Edward Mann, Churchwardens & Overseers of the poor, £200 re Elizabeth Page of the parish, pregnant by William Willeter jnr.  Witness John Nettlefold. (Abinger Bastardy Bond)

Samuel Willeter (1835), Was an Engineer who died from his injuries chasing a dog out of his workshop, fell and fractured his thigh, which led to his death.

Charles Willeter (1843), kept diaries covering the period 3 Jan 1873 to 31 Dec 1922, which I have copies of.  In these diaries he talks about owning the lease hold on many properties in the Crouch End area and renting them out.

Benjamin Willeter (1885) Run a shop in Brighton for Piano & Organ Tuner & Repairer and this is one of his posters he used in connection with his business also this link http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=48093takes you to a film showing Benjamin making a miniature organ in 1954.  This other link http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=39641 shows Benjamin with his model organ at the    Model Engineering Exhibition, Horticultural Hall, Westminster in 1955.

John Charles Willeter (1920) was a Royal Marine.  He died aboard HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow at the beginning of World War Two.  This is a  photograph of Battleship, HMS Royal Oak .

At 0116hrs on 14 October 1939 the British Battleship Royal Oak was torpedoed whilst in the “protected” anchorage at Scapa Flow. She took 15 minutes to sink the 13 fathoms to the bottom, drowning 833 crew. The U Boat responsible for the sinking was U-47, commanded by Günter Prien. The first torpedo that hit was treated as an “internal explosion” and Prien had time to reload his tubes and fire again.  Most of the dead were drowned when the ship turned over after 13 minutes.  Many were burnt when powder magazines went up. Non swimmers who made it over the side also drowned.