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I can't find my great grandfather James Francis Kennerley anywhere! All I know is that he Lived in Staffordshire, married Mary Ellen Brennan and died in 1951/52. He was apparently in the Royal Engineers. My mum believes he was an acting sergeant major.

I can't find a birth, death, or marriage reference on free bmd and I don't know if he'd be on any censuses as his wife was born in 1905. The only James F on the 1901 seems to tally with a James Frederick from free BMD.

Neither can Ifind ANY of his children anywhere, now I know my grandmother Teresa Kennerley was born in 1928 in Tunstall, staffs, but can't find her details. She'll be 80 next august which is why I'm trying to do her family tree.

The family basics are:

James Francis Kennerley married Mary Ellen Brennan (born c1905 in Staffordshire)

Their children (eldest to youngest) were:
John Kennerley
Margaret Kennerley
Jean Kennerley
Marie Kennerley
Teresa Kennerley born in 1928, Tunstall, staffs
Josephine Kennerley
Kevin Kenerley

Can anyone help? I know you're all busy doing your own searches but I can't seem to solve the mystery and it's driving me mad!

Thanks & good luck with all your searches,
-Kat

cant see a death for him 1951 or 2

KENNERLEY Joan M Brennan Wolstanton.6b 203 3 1920
KENNERLEY Margaret C Brennan Wolstanton.6b 170 3 1919

two of his children

There isn't a death for James F. Kennerley in 1951 or 1952. There is a death in 1951 for a John F. Kennerley.

Kath. x

Could this be your Grandmother?

Theresa E Kennerley (mmn Brennan) Stoke 6b 172 (Q3 1928)

How about this? James has become John though and Mary Ellen would only have been 13 if your dates are right. Her 2nd child Margaret was born in 1819 according to Mellie.


View Record Name Year of Registration Quarter of Registration Spouse's Surname District County View Image
View Record
Preview
Name: Mary [El] Brennan
Year of Registration: 1918
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Spouse's Surname: Kennerley
District: Wolstanton
County: Staffordshire
Volume: 6b

Take a look at the picture to see even more.

See more
Mary [El] Brennan 1918 Jul-Aug-Sep Kennerley Wolstanton Staffordshire
View Record
Raymond _ Holdcraft 1918 Jul-Aug-Sep Sh__Ten Wolstanton Staffordshire
View Record
John Kennerley 1918 Jul-Aug-Sep Brennan Wolstanton Staffordshire
View Record
Margaret Shenton 1918 Jul-Aug-Sep Holdcroft Wolstanton Staffordshire
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Are you sure about dates of birth?

Birth
about Mary Ellen Brennan
Name: Mary Ellen Brennan
Year of Registration: 1892
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Wolstanton
County: Staffordshire
Volume: 6b
Page: 128 (click to see others on page)


1901 Census

about Mary E Brennan
Name: Mary E Brennan
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1892
Relation: Granddaughter
Gender: Female
Where born: Tunstall, Staffordshire, England

Civil Parish: Tunstall
Ecclesiastical parish: Tunstall Christchurch
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View Image

Registration district: Wolstanton
Sub-registration district: Tunstall
ED, institution, or vessel: 21
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 125
Household Members:
Name Age
Ann Brennan 18 daughter, potters earth transferer?
Frances Brennan 56 head, midwife
Frances Brennan 16 daughter, potters earth transferer?
Joseph Brennan 31 son, engineman at brickworks
Mary E Brennan 9

View
Original
Record

View original image

Marriages Sep 1918 (98%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Brennan Mary [EL] Kennerley Wolstanton 6b 239
Holdcraft Raymond _ Sh__ten Wolstanton 6b 239
Kennerley John Brennan Wolstanton 6b 239
Shenton Margaret Holdcroft Wolstanton 6b 239

BIRTH

MARY S Kennerley MMN BRENNAN WOLSTANSTON 6B 202 2ND Quarter 1922
no sign of jean (could this be joan?)

BIRTH

WINIFRED J Kennerley mmn Brennan
Stoke T 6b 161 4th Qtr 1923

FRANCES M Kennerley mmn Brennan
Stoke T 6b 170 4th Qtr 1925

Is this the death of Mary Ellen?

Mary Ellen Kennerley dob 27 Dec 1890
Stoke/T 30 1484 4th QTR 1974.

no sign of john! or james or jack! are you sure he was the eldest???

just found this what do you think??? for death of john

KENNERLEY John 5-JAN-1916 STOKE/TRENT 7371E E68F 005 Dec 1999

update ignore this i found his birth
KENNERLEY John Brindley Leek.6b 494 1 1916

not your one unless mary was married before?

BIRTH

Ann J Kennerley mmn Brennan
Stoke T. 6b 115 1st Qtr 1930

James J Kennerley mmn Brennan
Stoke T 6b 128 3rd Qtr 1932

i found a death

john f kennerley aged 56 stoke t 9b 762 1951 1st quarter which would give dob at 1895 ish

I think I can (excitedly) confirm two of those.

Winifred J Kennerley is probably my Great Auntie Jean, as we thought Winifred was her middle name, and the Theresa E Kenerley looks right as my grandmother is Theresa Ellen.

The Ann J Kennerley might be Josephine I suppose - she was always known as Auntie Jo but if it was her middle name then we might be lucky there. Same with the Frances M - that could be Auntie Margaret, as Frances/Francis is a common family name in that line.

At least now I can send off for my grandmothers birth certificate to confirm her fathers details as James Francis seems so elusive. With a bit of luck it'll hold some clues to his occupation too. That's the trouble with trying to do her family tree as a surprise - I can't ask her too many questions and she doesn't have a full copy of her birth cert only a short one.

Thank you all so much. Any luck with the others would be most appreciated.

Kat xx

which means he could be any one of these

KENNERLEY John Altrincham.8a 209 1 1884
KENNERLEY John Derby.7b 621 2 1884
KENNERLEY John Ashton Under Lyne.8d 509 1 1886

if you look at the marriage james is actually john

Here's a quick look at what's been found

John F Kennerley m Mary Ellen Brennan 1918

Children:
Margaret C Kennerley b 1919
Joan M Kennerley b 1920
Mary S Kennerley 1922 died 1923
Winifred J Kennerley 1923
Frances M Kennerley 1925
Theresa E Kennerley 1928
Ann J Kennerley 1930
James J Kennerley 1932

John F Kennerley aged 56 died 1951
Mary Ellen Kennerley b 27/12/1890 died 1974

well done steph i just started to do that

lol

you saved me the time

Hope its right

We seem to have more children than Kat started with.
Also no John or Kevin but there's a James at the end.