Killick Family History

This page was first written in late 2000 – I’ve kept it for anyone
ending up here hoping to find something about “Killick” 9/7/09

On my Mum’s side my family tree can be traced to Cheam village in Surrey. There, practically in the centre of the village (opposite the library), is Whitehall – a clapper-board house that dates back to the 16th Century.

In the mid 19th Century Captain James Killick (my great-great-great-great grandfather) raced to and from China all for the sake of tea*, and in 1861 with James Henry Martin founded Killick Martin & Co. Ltd.

* Better put in a correction here – that’s not in time for tea but when giant ships (clippers) such as Killick’s “Challenger” raced back from China with a cargo of tea. The Cutty Sark is a fine example of a clipper which has been restored and is in dry-dock at Greenwich.

The Killick family (or its descendants) lived at Whitehall from 1741 until 1963, when Sutton Council bought the house and began restoration work. The House today is a museum describing its own little place in history.

The Killick Family Tree

I’ve scanned in a copy of our Killick Family Tree (older descendants) and relatives mostly living between 1900 and 1980. In the older descendants the tree starts from John Killick of Walton, Surrey 1515 to 1612, and then just picking a few names which might help people searching via google…

John Killick died 10-Aug-1764 (took tenancy of Whitehall 1741)
Captain James Killick born 26-Aug-1816 died 21-Oct-1889
Lucy Killick born 2-Nov-1859 died 12-Aug-1936 (one of Captain Killick’s daughters) married Frederick William Moore born 21-Mar-1864 died 17-Feb-1930

In the relatives mostly living between 1900 / 1999 image:

Continues with Harriet Maud Muller born 23-July-1872 died 9-Aug-1958 (lived in/owned Whitehall)
Maurice Perret born 1918 died 1992

I’ve just picked a few names/dates out to try to give a sense of the range of entries on the two files. The family tree has not been updated since 1984 although I have cropped the last two generation lines from the tree (for privacy of those persons alive today).

What happened to Challenger?

A long while ago I was wondering what happened to Challenger, and found a database listing sail ships’ history; Challenger was sold in 1868 and abandoned on 14th May 1871 at 48°N, 13°W. Anyone know where 48°N, 13°W is?

Tea Clippers

Channel 4 did a 1 hour documentary about clippers the other week, but they didn’t make any mention of Challenger. Surprised to see archive black and white film of the clippers at sea though. And the company that Captain Killick founded Killick Martin exists today.

3 thoughts on “Killick Family History”

Margie Hinton says:

29,July 2009 at 5:12 pm

Hello:

Very interesting your website.

I found you by researching my own family history, specifically James Boeve/Boevey, father of my Elizabeth Boeve who married Sir William Hinton while in Flanders in the mid 1600s. William Hinton was Captain of the ship Adventurer – probably a ship belonging to his merchant father in law.

I found that the Council House in Cheam – and I haven’t found it exactly, but references have been made that the Whitehouse was the Council House – is that correct?

If so, then that is where James Boeve died in 1695 and his wife, a few years later.

This is my first inquiry I placed on the Surrey Rootsweb mail list:

from my over 350 pages of research notes…..

First of all,,,,. Does anyone know about a Council House in Cheam? This is supposed to have been the home of James Boeve/Boevey who lived there for some time before he died in 1695. According to the book (which I cannot buy at almost $400 US) The Perverse Widow by Crowley-Boevey, …. I was able to look at some of the pages of this book on the LDS library (SLC) but with my slow dial up modem – it took me over 2 hours to read just a few pages. Pages 24-38 refer specifically to the immediate family of James Boeve, though it fails to mention or identify his daughter, Elizabeth – the person I really need to find and who just MIGHT be my ancestress – and that would include her father of course.

Pag 37 says: “A house at Cheam, built of timber, now inhabited by Mr. James Klillck (word is fuzzy) is called the ‘Council House’, being supposed to be used for that purpose when Queen Elizabeth resided in Nonesuch. A wall divides the guarden of this house from an adjoining carpenter shop, formerly part of this building…..

There is a tradition that one, Mr. Bovey, who lived and died in this house about 1700….

James Boevey died in Cheam and was buried there 13 January 1695.

The following memorial inscription is quoted in Aubrey’s Antiquities of Surrey .. under the head of Surrey…
“On the north wall, on a fair marble monument, is this inscription, ‘In memory of James Boevey, Esq., who was buried near this place, Jan. 13, 1695 and also of Margaretta, his wife, buried Aug. 3, 1714 in the 76th year of her age.’ ”

So taking this research project one step at a time, this is my first request for Cheam. I would love to learn whether there is any tradition or information about him in the local historical news.

My first question to you is – am I in the right area for the Council House? Could this have been where James and Margretta lived and died?

So many questions – including – where is the monumental stone?

Thanks so much.

Margie Hinton in California

Dan says:

31,July 2009 at 10:23 am

Hi Margie,

Thanks for your email.

I’m by no means an expert on Whitehall. I think my grandfather once said he had a memory of sitting on the floor of Whitehall as a small boy in the early 1920’s but he didn’t know anything more.

You’re definitely in the right area – I have a guide book about Whitehall – which says

“An unlikely connection with Nonsuch Palace has sometimes been deduced from the name ‘Maids of Honour House’, which is thought to have been used for Whitehall at one time. Another traditional name , ‘the Council House’ links it to a local legend that Queen Elizabeth I held an impromptu council meeting in the house to sign important papers when she was on a hunting expedition from Nonsuch Palace. A much larger building, West Cheam Manor, which was in royal ownership until 1563, was also close and might have been more suitable for the purpose if the event took place at all. The ‘Council House’ name may give strength to the theory that Whitehall was not a private residence.”

You could try contacting the Friends of Whitehall, a local voluntary group who help towards the upkeep of the house. On their website they also have a history of the house which repeats much of the guidebook’s contents (and has perhaps been updated since).

Thanks again for stopping by. Good luck!

Helen Coombes says:

8,April 2018 at 5:55 pm

Hi
I’m not sure if you will see this as the date of your article was quite a while ago.

I came across your website when trying to find out about Captain James Killick & was amazed to see the family tree with my grandmothers name, Marie Perret & her brothers & sisters on it & the photo of Maurice. I remember my Grandma talking about visiting Whitehall & Cheam & it was wonderful to tie a few strings together.

I just wanted to say thank you for putting the info out there, I’m now trying to get hold of the book The China Bird & gather as much info as possible about my mums side of the family to pass on to my sisters & children.

Regards
Helen Coombes (was Turner)
From Somerset, England

Mumbles from Planet Dan

(and a little Wardle & Killick family history)