Kerven – The Families of Judith and Nicholas

Tracing the Kerven family has been very interesting. I have managed to trace them back to William Kerven who married Bathsheba Jenkin on 30th December 1657 in St Keverne, Cornwall. Fortunately the St Kevern church had put all their records online so I have been able to take down all Kevern and Kerven entries and trace them back

**St Keverne parish church first built in 15th cenutury**

I believe that the family surname derived from the village that they lived in as sometimes it is spelled as Kerven and at others as Kevern.

I have found this article which tells of changes made to the church and has a lovely photograph showing how St Keverne looked in years gone by https://www.explorechurches.org/church/st-keverne-st-keverne

Helen & I went to St Keverne but were not able to find any graves of people actually on the tree although there were other Keverns buried there and these are some of the photos I took there

There is an interesting account of the church https://www.explorechurches.org/church/st-keverne-st-keverne

To make it easier to distinguish the direct ancestors, I will put their names in bold

FIRST GENERATION

WILLIAM KERVEN & BATHSHEBA NEE JENKIN

William and Bathsheba had five children -all born in St Kevern – that I have been able to find:

1/ Unknown sex but born in1661

2/ William born in 1663 and who died in 1664

3/ Richard born in 1665. Richard married Ann. Richard and Ann both died in 1744

4/ Walter born in 1668. Walter married Alice Jenkin on 22nd November 1681

5/ John born in 1670

SECOND GENERATION

RICHARD AND ANN KEVERNE

Richard, born in 1665, married Ann in 1685 at St Keverne Church. Both died in 1744. They had the following 8 children:

1/ Jane born in 1685

2/ Elizabeth born in 1688

3/ Richard born in 1690

4/ Philippa born in 1693

5/ Ann born in 1695 and who died in 1697

6/ Avice born in 1702

7/ James born in 1697 and who married Dorothy Matthew in 1722

8 Ann born in 1706

THIRD GENERATION

JAMES AND DOROTHY (nee matthew) KEVERNE

James was born in 1697 and married Dorothy Matthew on 16th February 1722 in St Keverne and they had the following five children:

1/ Loveday born in 1723 baptised on 8th December 1723

2/ Dorothy in 1726 baptised on 3rd July 1726

3/ Richard born in 1728 baptised on 14th July 1728

4/ Jane born 1730 and baptised on 20th September 1733

5/ James born in 1733, baptised on 13th August 1733

FOURTH GENERATION

JAMES AND AVICE (NEE LAMPERAR) KERVERNE

James married Avice Lamperar on 28th October 1749 at St Gluvias Church which is 18 miles from St Keverne. James died in 1820 and they had only one child I have been able to find who was

James Kevern born in 1762 and who married Susanna Couch

FIFTH GENERATION

JAMES AND SUSANNA (NEE COUCH)

James (born 1762 ) married Susanna Couch on 7th November 1783 in Constantine, Cornwall which is 12 miles from St Keverne. Susanna was born in 1754 . James died in 1843. They had four children:

1/ William born in 1784 in Constantine and who married Mary Ann Hall in 1821

2/ James born in 1787 and who died in 1788

3/ James born in 1790

4/ Samual Martin Keverne born in 1792 also in Constantine

SIXTH GENERATION

WILLIAM KERVEN AND MARY ANN NEE HALL

William married Mary Ann Hall on 27th May 1821 in Constantine, Cornwall and they had two children that I have been able to find

1/ William John Hall was born in 1822 in Constantine

2/ Edwin James Kerven was born in 1825 in Camborne, Cornwall

SEVENTH GENERATION

WILLIAM JOHN HALL KERVEN AND MARY ELIZABETH NEE BRYANT

William (born in 1822 in Constantine, Cornwall) married Mary Elizabeth Bryant -daughter of Abraham and Martha Bryant- on 3rd December 1849 in St Mark, Kennington, Middlesex. William died on 21st March 1886. His wife was born in 1826 in Shepton Mallet, Somerset in 1825 and died in 1893 in Fulham, London. They had the following 9 children:

1/ William Edwin born in 1852 in Pimlico. William married Annie Maria Wiseman on 21 December 1874 in St Paul Church, Clapham and he died in 1940 in Hastings, Sussex. William and Annie had 4 children , Frederick William 1852-1940, Arthur Ewart 1880-1935, Ivy Maud in 1885 and who married George Black in 1916 in Wandsworth

2/ Henry John born in 1854 in `Pimlico and who married Emily Lindfield in 1874 in Wandsworth, Emily ws born in 1854 and ded in 1911 in Steyning, Sussex. After his wife died, Henry emigrated to Australia in 1912, returning to England for a short stay in 1925 and he died in Australia in 1929. He and Emily had 6 children: Alice Amelia in 1876, Alfred Ernest iin 1878, Percy Henry in 1881, Rhoda Ethel in 1894, Mabel Augusta in 1893 and Daisy Eleanor in 1887.

3/ Frederick Abraham Kerven was born in 1856 in Brixton and married Alice Maria Yeomans on 16th December 1888 at St Thomas, Hammersmith. Frederick died in 1912 and Alice died in 1949 in Ealing,

4/ Charles James was born in 1859 in Brixton and died on 19th October 1929 at the age of 70 at 224 Sheen Lane SW14 (his sons house). He married Alice Jane Kenning -daughter of Charles Kenningon 27th March 1880 in Holy Trinity, Clapham. In the 1881 Charles is a carpenter/ joiner. It is with his brother Frederick that they went into property development. His wife, Alice died in 1940 in Surrey.

5/ Mary Jane born 1860 in Brixton and who married William H L Palmer in 1930 when she is down as a widow aged 70 but I am unable to find any record of her first husband. In the 1881 census she is a live in servant.

6/ Edwin born in 1864

7/ John Kerven born 1860

8/ Martha Alice Kerven who was born in 1863 and married John Gray in1890

9/ Clara Helen born in 1867. Clara married Harry Ward, son of Henry Ward , on 19th March 1890 in St Luke, Batterse

GENERATION 8

FREDERICK ABRAHAM KERVEN AND ALICE MARIA NEE YEOMANS

DAPHNE’S GRANDPARENTS

Frederick Abraham Kerven married Alice Maria Yeomans -born in Barnham Broom, Norfolk- in St Thomas church Hammersmith, on 16th December 1888 with the banns being read on that day and the previous two weeks. Frederick was aged 32 and Alice was aged 27.

Frederick according to the census forms, was a butcher. His Grandson, Spencer Williams has kindly sent me a lot of information about the Kerven family and this wonderful photo of Frederick Abraham which I am now going to include.

Frederick traded from 138 Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush where we believe his first child was born but he subsequently went into property development with his brother Charles. – and that is where he made all his money – building houses and shops in Acton and Barnes and even an early cinema in Horn Lane Acton.

His only son Edwin died aged four and there was then a long gap before my mother (Beryl) was born in 1907 – Hilda would have then been 17.

FAK died in 1912 when my mother (Beryl) was five. I understand (no evidence!) he died of typhoid fever apparently caught from a dodgy oyster and, previously unknown to Alice, it was revealed on his death that he owned two racehorses. I wonder if Duncan Sasse (son of Deirdre Rider) inherited a gene here? I’m not sure if you are aware that there is a family grave in the Old Cemetery in Barnes? In it are buried FAK, Alice and Edwin. I can remember going with my mother as a very young boy “to lay flowers on granny’s grave” and in those days it was a well kept private cemetery. Unfortunately the company that ran it went bust – they failed in a bid to extend the cemetery further into Barnes Common – and it then became untended and vandalised. I remember taking my mother there and finding that the cross on the grave was smashed. This was very upsetting for her and she never wanted to go there again. In recent years the cemetery has come under the wing of the Friends of Barnes Common who do a splendid job in relation to all aspects of the Common. I pay them £50 a year to give the FAK grave a going over although I’m not sure they do very much! Liz and I have been over to clear it of ivy and weeds. I am going to send separately some photos. Just along the way is a more intact monument to Charles Kerven a photo of which I will also send.

**Gravestone with Frederick Abrahams dates**

**The side of the gravestone showing Alice Maria Yeomans**

They had four children of whom Daphne’s mother was the eldest:

1/ Hilda May Kerven ws born on 7th May 1890 in Shepherds Bush, London and married Leslie Godwin Holliday on 24th February 1917. ` `Hilda died on 23rd January 1943

2/ Jessica Hetty Kerven was born in 1892 also in Shepherds Bus and Jessie married Thomas Sampson Rider and was the mother of Deirdre. Dierdre married three times, to Frederick Hugh (Tim) Sasse, Andy Trotter and then Michael Bobby

3/ Edwin Frederick Kerven was born in 1892 in Hammersmith and died at the age of 4 in Fulham.

4/ Beryl Irene Kerven was born in 1907 in Acton, and married Roger Williams on 18th Septemeber 1934 and had two children:

Spencer Howard Kerven Williams in 1946 and who married Elizabeth Ann Waterhouse
Felicity Beryl Williams in 1938 who married Derek Edward Barrett

In the 1891 census Frederick is living at 138 Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith with his wife Alice, daughter Hilda and a servant called Edith Farmer and his occupation is master butcher

In the 1901 census they are at the same address and he is aged 45. with his wife and two daughters, Hilda and Jessie and a visitor called Lillie Gunnel aged 10

In 1905 Frederick accepted six dining chairs in settlement of a debt. I now have these chairs as my mother in law,- Daphne- had them and left them to Nicholas on her death. I thought you might like to see one. I gather that they were made in 1895 and I must add that I do not find them very comfortable!

By 1911 Frederick is retired aged 55, Alice Maria is aged 49 , Hilda is single and aged 21 and is a teacher of music. Jessie is aged 19 and a scholar whilst Beryl is only aged 4. They have a servant called Mary Hannah Peaty aged 37 and are living at 14 Newburgh Road, Acton

Frederick died in 1912 aged 56 .

Alice Maria was born in Barnham Broom Norfolk and in the 1881 census was living at 7 Victoria Terrace, Hammersmith with her brother in law, John Shattock and his family. John is a butcher.

**Alice Maria is seated and holding Daphne as a baby so must have been taken about 1920**

Alice Maria continued to live in the same house at 14 Newburgh Road, Acton between 1921 and 1928 and her phone number was CHI 1115. Then in 1929 she is at 12 Woodgrange Avenue, Ealing until 1934. Her phone number there was ACO 3614

When Frederick died he left probate to his wife and two elder daughters and his estate was valued at £29427 10s 2d. Today in 2021 that would be valued at about £3.5 million.

**This photo must have been taken about 1945 and has (from the left) Felicity Williams, Daphne, Alice Maria holding Amanda, Deirdre and Nicholas**

Spencer Wiliams kindly sent me this copy of the Probate of Alice Maria’s estate and some lovely photos of the family:

I asked Spencer about Greystoke Court and the various addresses that the Kervens lived at and he sent me such a lovely, informative email about the various addresses that I am copying it into the website for future information.

I will attempt to explain the various addresses and movements in the Kerven family story!

For many years the Kervens lived above the butchers shop at 138 Goldhawk Road. When FAK became wealthier they then moved to 14 Newburgh Road in Acton which FAK had built himself. It’s years since I went down Newburgh Road but I must go there sometime soon to see what it looks like now. I believe it has been converted into four flats.

Some time in the 1920s – presumably after Hilda and Jessie had married and left home – Alice Maria and my mother moved to a flat at 12 Woodgrange Avenue – close to Ealing Common Station – and it was from there that my mother married my father on 18 September 1934. They set up home in Maidstone, Kent where my father was sent by the Liverpool London & Globe Insurance Company to their branch there. Alice Maria then moved to a flat on the West Acton Estate – I think in Ayr Court. Daphne and Claude were just round the corner in a house on the estate.

Felicity was born in 1938. At the beginning of WWII, as a member of the territorial army, my father immediately enlisted in the Royal Artillery and was away for almost the entire war period (first in Dover, then North Africa, Italy, Cyprus, Normandy landings and through to Germany). My mother was unhappy on her own with Felicity in Maidstone and after a spell on a farm in Devon she moved back to Ealing to join Alice Maria and Jessie & Deirdre who had moved to a flat (Flat 2) in Greystoke Court, Hanger Lane. So in the flat were Alice Maria, Jessie & Deirdre and my mother & Felicity – can you imagine?! Greystoke Court is a large block of flats on Hanger Hill next to the park. The flat was then, in fact, two flats on the ground floor with an interconnecting door. After the war my father joined them there. There was talk of my parents moving back to Maidstone but my mother was not keen.

Soon after I was born another flat at Greystoke Court (No.12) became available and my parents, Felicity and I moved there (and we lived there until we moved to 11 Ashbourne Close in 1958).

Deirdre then married Tim Sasse – I was a page at their wedding. Deirdre and Tim set up home in another flat in Greystoke Court – No 7 – a tiny flat, two doors away on the same floor as my parents flat..

I am not sure whether my grandmother died before or after Deirdre’s wedding but Jessie continued to live at 2 Greystoke Court (which had then reverted to a single flat) up to her own death.

Claude and Daphne moved to Thanet when Claude joined the Hastings & Thanet (?) and Deirdre and Tim moved to a large house in Sussex which I only remember visiting once.

I have found this photo of Greystoke Court, Hanger Lane, Ealing

Spencer tells me Flat 2 is the one closest to the camera on the ground floor left of the porch and that the flat that Deirdre and Tim Sasse occupied when they were first married is directly over the porch.