The Marriage

Samuel Chiddick, as it is recorded in the registers, is married on the 10th of April 1820 to a Rachel Watts. They are both illiterate. They are listed as being resident in this parish, which is on the east side of Norwich, with the Cathedral close on one side and the river on the other.
Where the banns were read is as of yet unknown and hopefully when they are found will give more clues as to his origins, not to mention his wife's since her birth has not been found either.
Since it is banns, this means they were both legally able to marry without need for licenses or parental permission. Or I may be historically missing the point here!

The witnesses are Maria Schofield and a Thomas Bailey, whose name appears as a witness to many weddings in this parish, suggesting he is connected with the church rather than as a friend or relative. Maria Schofield, however, is quite interesting. If this is right, a Mary Schofield, widow, marries a man named John Drane at St. John Timberhill parish on Christmas Day 1821.

Drane, like Sam, is a cordswainer.

This is interesting because St John Timberhill is the heart of Chittock Norwich at this time, but also because on the 9th of October 1802 a James Drane witnesses the marriage between the widowed Robert Waller from the neighbouring St Michael at Thorn parish in Norwich to Ann Chittock in a village called Heckingham which is next door to Loddon. They live in Norwich and have a son - James Chiddock Waller in 1802, baptised at St Michael at Thorn. The name Waller pops up in a will of a spinster named Jane Chittock written 1800 where she leaves everything to her friend Sarah Waller. They lived in St George Colegate's parish in Norwich. So far I haven't found her birth which would have been 1745.

Just to complicate matters further, a Maria Schofield, spinster, is on a letter of administration as daughter to a Jonathan Schofield, who died 1817 in St George Colegate. Other witnesses are: Mary Vincent of the same. This other Maria is illiterate. We don't know if they are connected to our Mary/Maria Schofield. We can't, as of yet, find her original marriage to Schofield and thus her maiden name. She is not the Maria Chittock / Chiddick who is around in Norwich at this time, we think. She was born in 1799 of Robert Chiddick / Chittock and Elizabeth Emmerson in St Giles parish of Norfolk. Her family were part of the St John Timberhill brigade. Maria Chiddock witnesses the marriage of a John Chiddock at St John Timberhill to a Sarah Preston of St George Colegate in 1819.

Furthermore, the name Drane is of huge significance to the Suffolk Chittocks around this time in the parish of Wingfield. We find a James Drane who married an Anne Chittock in 1776 and had several sons called John, the survivor of which might have been the 1802 Heckingham witness, and, incidentally, a witness to quite a few weddings in that parish. We also find in Wingfield on the 2nd of August 1801 DRANE CHITTOCK and on 17 of July 1803 a SAMUEL CHITTOCK, baptised, and their mother is ELIZABETH CHITTOCK. Who the father is we don't know. As a married adult, Drane Chittock has a son called Samuel. Elizabeth is subjected to a settlement certificate in April 1801 probably as a result of conceiving Drane.

Thomas Bailey may have been related to a Susanna Bailey who married a Clement Franklin or Frankling in 1785. Clement Franklin witnessed the Schofield wedding to Drane... The Franklings had St John Timberhill baptisms too in 1777.

Interestingly, on 01. 05. 1820 at St. Helens, a William Fenton married an Elizabeth Chiddock, witnessed by Noah and Rachel Fenton. Also, in 1814 Matthew and Sarah Watts witness a wedding here too. Nothing, so far, can be traced of these couples although the Watts may have married in Heigham in 1803, her maiden name being Prior.

So from all this, there may be some clues as to where Samuel Chittock comes from. Hopefully, the discovery of the banns might be indicative. Perhaps Maria or Mary Schofield's maiden name could help too.