Wednesday 2 March 2011

Blackmore: Jennings family

Received: 27 January 2011

Hello Andrew

My maternal grandfather lived with a Mrs Ann “Granny” Jennings in Blackmore, Essex from about Oct 1908 until 1920 when Mrs Jennings died. He was 12 years old when she died and after her death he lived for a short time with her son (Albert) and his family in Plumstead.

I have just accessed your website (via a Google search for “Widow Jennings Blackmore Essex” – your website was the first in the results list) and see in the transcript of the 1910 Electoral Register for Blackmore there is a Widow Jennings listed. It is probable this is the same person my grandfather lived with for 12 years:

Number : A148

Name of Elector at full length, Jennings

Surname first Widow

Place of Abode Blackmore, Ingatestone

Nature of Qualification Dwelling house

Description of Qualifying Property In village

Does anyone in the Blackmore Local Area History group have more information about Mrs Jennings, particularly in the 20 years prior to and including her death?

I also wonder if Blackmore Primary School was around in 1915 – I don’t know where my grandfather went to school before he entered into Barnardos care in 1922, but it would make sense that he attended the school closest to where he was living. Are you able to help with this? I have looked on the Blackmore Primary School website (http://www.blackmore.essex.sch.uk/) and the Blackmore Village website (http://www.blackmorevillage.co.uk/) but have found no clarification.

In the 1911 census my grandfather is listed as a visitor, along with Mrs Jennings, at her son’s home at 36 Warescot Road, Brentwood (see transcript of census record below).

Birth Name / Relation / Condition / Sex Age / Year / Occupation / Where Born

JENNINGS, Albert / Head / Married / M 38 / 1873 / Gardeners Labourer / Wethersfield Essex

JENNINGS, Ellen / Wife / Married / F 35 / 1876 / West Hanningfield Essex / [married] 5 years

COX, Lily Grace / Adopted / F 5 / 1906 / Hackney London / Daughter

JENNINGS, Yves Rahder / Son / M 3 / 1908 / Kelvedon Common Essex

Paul August Ladermann

JENNINGS, Ann / Visitor Mother Widow / F 67 / 1844 / Wethersfield Essex

RUST, Charles / Visitor / Nursechild / M 2 / 1909 / Homerton London

WEST, Thomas / Lodger / Married M 57 / 1854 / Road And Sewer Maker / Fobbing Essex

RG number: / Piece: / Reference:

RG14 / 9996 / RG14PN9996 RG78PN526 RD193 SD1 ED1 SN169

Registration District: / Sub District: / Enumeration District: / Parish:

Billericay / Brentwood / 1 / Brentwood

Address: / County:

36 Warescot Road Brentwood / Essex

Kind regards and many thanks in advance

Susan Jenkins

Upper Hutt, New Zealand

Replied: 27 January 2011

Susan

Can you confirm for me that your grandfather was Charles Rust.

Thanks

Andrew


Received: 28 January 2011

Hi Andrew

Yes he’s the one, born 12 May 1908 in Hackney. So on 2 April, 1911 when the census was taken he would have been nearly 3 years old.

Kind regards, Susan


Replied: 31 January 2011

Hello Susan

Thank you for your e mail. I will publish our correspondence on the blog: www.blackmorehistory.blogspot.com

Let me start firstly with the school, which was built in 1877 and remained in use until 1970, when a larger one came into use to cater for the growing population around Blackmore. It is now a private house, sympathetically restored in the last two years. I do not know of any log books retained but it is highly likely that Charles Rust went there. I cannot find any record of Charles in my notes.

Turning to the Jennings. In the St Laurence, Blackmore, Burial Register are two entries.

John Jennings, age 69, was buried on 12th April 1907.

Ann Jennings, age 75, was buried on 13th September 1920.

These are the only Jennings entries in the Register covering 1893 to 1992.

Ann Jennings is recorded as a widow on the 1910 Electoral Register. We usually think that women did not have the vote at all until after the First World War. However, women who owned property could vote in parish and county elections (not general elections to Parliament) after 1907.

Regards

Andrew

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