Whiteway's of Teignmouth and Newfoundland

This information on the Whiteway's was provided by Liz Davidson

Mark Whiteway

I have found very few sons named Mark in Devon baptisms registers so assume the records of Mark Whiteway relate to Mark 1703/4-1777 and his son baptised in 1745.
There are records of cargos of train oil, staves and molasses, after 1790 fruit, oranges, raisins, almonds and walnuts and by 1800 coal.
As well as the Teign and Newfoundland, ports mentioned include Exeter, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Bristol, Liverpool, Southampton & Waterford; Oporto, Lisbon & Viana do Castel0 in Portugal; Figueras & Cadiz in Spain.
Mark sailed in ships named Success, Cares, Betsey, Diligent, Mary, Elizabeth and Favourite. The ship owners by 1780 included Abraham Hingston, John Rowe, William Whiteway (possibly Mark jr’s brother), Thomas Bulley, John Rendel & Gilbert Clapp.
Several ships are recorded as lost, and one or two taken by the French or privateers.
In 1745 Mark leased a plantation in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland and in 1766 acted as arbitrator in a land dispute there. His brother Hugh seems also to have been involved there, being mentioned in the Colonial Records in 1759-1768.

 William Whiteway

There are numerous William Whiteways in the parish registers as William is a name that seems to have been used in all branches of the family. This makes separating individuals in the Name Files more complex so it is only possible to be certain about those who are specified as from St Nicholas (Shaldon) or relatively certain where the ship or ship owners tally with other records.

William 1743-1811 is recorded on his marriage to Sarah Hingston in 1769 as a mariner and later occasions also as a merchant and ship owner. All records that I have deduced relate to him between 1769 and 1808. One William & Sarah’s sons was named Abraham Hingston Whiteway, possibly after Sarah’s brother who may have been the ship owner & merchant associated with the Whiteways.

William’s cargo included train oil, staves, coal, olive oil, oranges, cork, lemons, salt, pine boards, beef, pork, butter, fruit, figs, and fir timber and on occasions there is mention of passengers.
The ports listed in addition to the Teign and Newfoundland are Dartmouth, Waterford, Liverpool, Lisbon & Oporto, Figueras, the Mediterranean and Barbados.
The ships in which William sailed included the Betsy (described in 1775 as a fishing ship), Endeavour, Success, Diligent, Ceres, Elizabeth & Sarah, Harmony and Pomona. The ship owners included William himself, Abraham Hingston and John Rowe plus occasionally in the later years Thomas Bennett, Joseph Whiteway and Sarah Hingston spinster (daughter of Abraham Hingston, she married Joseph Whiteway in 1806.
Again ship losses are recorded and ships taken by other forces.
In 1784 William is described in the Colonial Records at St Johns as Rear Admiral which I think means he arrived first at the beginning of the season and was able to claim the best mooring and was also in charge of the area for the season and then in 1786 he was said to be getting new land, with Abraham Hingston, on the south side of St John’s harbour – land which had been used for many years by the Navy and which had ‘room for 3 bankers and 4 boats of fish’.
In 1793 it was said that his business had greatly increased since 1770s and in the census of 1794-5 William, merchant, occupied no. 11 south side only with 1 male servant there, a protestant.
In August 1799 William was in St John’s acting as agent for Abraham Hingston.

Joseph Whiteway

Joseph is another less common name amongst Whiteways there is another of similar age born at Kingsteignton, but all the records on the Name Files seem to refer to Joseph of St Nicholas. He may have been a mariner but is mainly recorded as a merchant and ship owner.
His first listing as an owner was in 18004 as part-owner of the Success, then the Ringmore in 1806, the Eliza in 1808, the Harmony in 1809, the Gleaner in 1815, the Sedulous in 1821 and the Ellen in 1824. He was often in partnership with Nicholas Mudge, both snr & jnr, of Tormoham (Nicholas jnr was married to Joseph’s sister Sarah), William Whiteway, William Mortimer and Elizabeth Whiteway (who married William Mortimer).
In 1824 Joseph is recorded as subscribing to the Newfoundland school society and with Mudge & Co was selling navel & fishing stores, Devon cider and ale. In 1826 with Mudge & Co had business on the south side of St John’s harbour and they were anti local government.

Henry Whiteway

The Henry in the Name Files must be Henry baptised in St Nicholas in 1776. He was married in 1802 and his wife died only 2 years later.

In 1801 he is listed as mate on the Success, in 1802 mate on the Argo and in 1804/5 mate on the Weinholt then in December 1807 he was captain of the Ceres when it was wrecked in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, apparently on its way back to England. All hands on were lost and Henry was buried at Harbour Grace.

John Whiteway

Like William there are many John Whiteways in the records.
I suspect that the John who was importing train oil and pine boards in the 1770s & 1780s was John of St Nicholas 1768-1829.
The John who was serving on the Mary of Teign under Mark Whiteway in 1800/1801 could be this John but is perhaps more likely to be John born to William Whiteway and Sarah Hingston in 1783.