Nicholas was the son of Ernest Claude Bennett and Daphne (nee Holliday) Bennett

When I found Amanda Brewer Hick and it confirmed that I was on the right path for tracing the Bennett family, it had taken me to Nicholas Great Grandparents.

Amanda was born in 1852 in St Wenn, Cornwall and was baptised on 8th August. Sadly her mother Nancy Brewer died the year Amanda was born – possibly in childbirth. Nancy Brewer was only aged 32 having been born in 1820 . I have traced Nancy’s family back to William Brewer born in 1691 and who married Mary Clemens but I am not intending to write about these side branches of the family tree. The Brewers always lived in St Wenn. This William Brewer was the 7 Greats Grandfather of Nicholas.

Nancy’s father was Richard Hick 1815-1891. Richard Hick’s parents were Thomas Hick and Jane Grosse who married in 1811. Thomas was a widower, having married his first wife, Mary Withell in 1794 in Padstow. Richard was a farm labourer.

Unfortunately I have been unable to trace the Hick family back any further.

Amanda had a brother called Thomas Brewer Hick 1847-1891 who I believe married and emigrated to America. I believe he died in Connecticut having married Polly Agnes Philips and fathering four daughters.

Claude was the second of four children and the only son.

1/ His elder sister was Mary Amanda Bennett who was born on 1st May 1913 in Westminste. Mary married Alexander Cochrane in 1932 in Brentford, Middlesex and they had three sons who were:

Ian born in 1933 in Sculcoates, Yorkshire and who married Sylvia

Neil B F Cochrane in 1935 in Sculcoates, Yorkshire and who marrieed Patricia

Malcolm F Cochrane in 19139 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire and who married Deirdre

2/ Ernest Claude in 1915 and who married Daphne Kerven Holliday

3/ Dorothy M Bennett in 1916. Dorothy married Gerald Allingham Magnus (1913-1982) in 1940 and died in 2010

4/ Caroline (known as Babs)  on 9th April 1919. Babs  married William Herridge in North London and had one daughter, Gillian in 1946 in Brentford. Gillian married John Park and died in January 2022.

1st GENERATION

Alexander Mcdonald & Penelope Law

Alexander -born about 1787- married Penelope Law on 20th December 1813 in Edinburgh. Penelope was the daughter of William Law and Euphemia Mason and born in 1789 in Colinton, Midlothian.  William and Euphemia  had 12 children between the years of 1785 and 1819 including this son:

William Law McDonald was born on 6th March 1817.

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second generation

William law & Elizabeth  McDonald

William, born 6th March 1817 married Elizabeth Hay -daughter of James Hay – on 21st February 1842 in St Cuthberts, Edinburgh. William died in 1887 and Elizabeth in 1891 still in Edinburgh. They had 8 children all born in Edinburgh:

1/ Alexander born in 1844

2/ Mary in 1847 and who died in 1909

3/ James Hay McDonald was born in 1848 and married Margaret Menzies on 13th March 1868 in Edinburgh Parish. Margaret was born in 1850 in Edinburgh. They had the following nine children:

1/ Elizabeth born in 1870

2/ William Law in 1871

3/ James in 1872

4/ Margaret in 1875

5/ Mary in 1877

6/ Charlotte (known as Chattie) was born in 1882 in St Giles, Edinburgh. Charlotte married Ernest Hick Bennett in 1909 in Westminster and died in 1956 in Worthing, Sussex

7/ Ellen in 1884

8/ Dorcas in 1887

9/ Robert in 1890

Charlotte and Ernest Bennett

Nicholas Grandparents

I have written about Charlotte and Ernest under the Bennett line and here is a link  Nicholas’ paternal Grandparents

Charlotte MacDonald – Nicholas Grandmother was born in Edinburgh and the Scottish records are not so easy to access as the British ones. The earliest I have been able to trace her family is back to Alexander McDonald – Nicholas Great, Great, Great Grandfather. Someone on Ancestry has him as being born in 1794 to George McDonald and his wife Margaret Ross but I have not found actual records of such.

McDonald Ancestry

First Generation of Yeomans.

Thomas Yeomans and ann Clayton

nicholas Great great great grandparents

The furthest back that I have  been able to trace the Yeomans family was to Thomas Yeomans born about 1786 in Norfolk. He married Anne and in 1841 they are living in Hardingham. Thomas died just 3  years later in 1844. The had five children  that I have been able to trace who were:

1/ John Rolfe baptized on 28th December 1802

2/ Robert born on October 14th and privately baptized on November 4th 1804  and publicly baptized on April 14th 1805.  I am not sure why this happened but assume that he may not have been expected to live in 1804.

3/ Lucy was born on November 3rd 1806 and privately  baptized on November 20th 1806

4/ Rolfe was baptized on 23rd May 1813

Second generation

Rolf Yeomans and Thirza Julie cook

Nicholas Great Great Grandfather

Rolfe Yeomans baptized  on 23rd May 1813 and married Thirza Cook in 1841 and as he is single in the census which was taken on 4th June, I assume he married later in that year. Thirza was the daughter of William ( a miller born 1792 and died 1872) and Clarissa Cook and Granddaughter of John and Elizabeth.

I am not going to do a separate post about the Cook family as I can only go back two generations but I have found some interesting articles about them. One is about Barnham Broome mill and this is the reference to William and Clarissa:

You can now read about the Barnham Broome mill.

Ten years later, according to the 1851 census, Rolfe and Thirza have five children and are still in Hardingham. The children are:

1/ Thomas William aged 9, born 1842. In 1861 at the age of 19 William is a boarder in North Elmham and is a gardener

2/ Mahala Ann Clayton (or Clarissa) aged 7 born 1845. Mahala is a live-in servant in 1861 but marries Arthur Yeomans in 1874. I assume he is related and his parents are Robert and Mary Ann Yeoman.

3/ Sarah Ann Harriet aged 5 born 1847 becomes a servant and marries John Saunders in 1870 who is an agricultural labourer. They have  7 children

4/ George Sutton aged 3 baptised on 7th January 1849. George becomes a park keeper of the Royal Parks in Barnham Broom and marries Elizabeth. They had two sons that I have found

5/ Harriet Elizabeth aged 9 months June 1850

In the 1861 they now have  eight children having added

6/ James John in 1852

7/ Lucy Mary Ann born in 1854

8/ Frederick A born in 1857 also becomes a gardener

9/ Arnard C born in 1858 and died in1943 in Blythe, Suffolk. Arnard is a gardener in the 1911 census

10/ Alice Maria baptised on 10th March 1861 and who married Frederick Abraham Kerven in London

11/ Leonard Roofe baptised 13 July 1862

Ralph Yeomans is described as a gardener

In the 1871 census they are still living in Hardingham. Ralph is aged 58 and he and his son William are both gardeners

In 1881 Ralph and Thirza have a visitor called Horace Yeomans. Ralph is still described as a jobbing gardener and appears to be still working in 1891 at the age of 76.

Ralph died in 1899 Thirza died on 22nd July 1896 in Barnham Broom

Kerven family

Daphne was the daughter of Leslie Godwin Holliday and Hilda May Kerven. I have trace both trees and a lot of the female trees too but am only putting her Grandmothers trees on this website

Holliday family Ancestry

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Leslie Godwin Holliday and Hilda May Kerven

Leslie Godwin Holliday married Hilda May Kerven on 24th February 1917 in St Mary, Acton. Hilda was born on 7th May 1890  in Shepherds Bush. Their banns of marriage were read on 28th January and the 4th & 11th February.

They had Daphne Kerven Holliday on March 21st 1920.

In the 1911 census, Leslie is aged 17, single, and an insurance clerk living with his father, sister Mabel and a cousin at 1 Baronsmead, Barnes.

Leslie left the country rapidly when Daphne was aged 21 months. I have heard from her cousin, Deirdre, that he worked in the city and was going to be arrested for  fraud or embezzlement and with help from Deirdre’s father -Tommy Rider- he left immediately on  the ship Ruapehu from Liverpool on 23 December 1921 bound for Wellington, New Zealand. Here is a link to the ship he traveled on. http://ssmaritime.com/Ruapehu.htm

I have found a record showing that he was in the HAC entering it in December 1917 and was 5 foot 6 inches tall. He applied for his war medals when he was in Christchurch, New Zealand. He had been awarded the UK Silver War Badge and he had a pension.

I have no photos or further information on Leslie except that in 1911 he was living at 1 Baronsmead Road. The Kervens and the Hollidays lived very close to each other and I believe that is how Leslie and Hilda met.

Hilda May Kerven

1890-

Hilda  May remarried Frederick C White in 1929 at St Martins London.  I cannot be sure when she died but it is before 1942. . After Hilda died Frederick married Rhona M Clarke in 1943

My mother in law was born Daphne Kerven Holliday to Hilda May Kerven and Leslie Godwin Holliday in 1920 but sadly did not know her father as he had to leave the country suddenly when she was two.

I have, however, traced the Holiday family back to Robert Holiday who was born in 1792 in Bristol. Sometimes the name is spelled with one L and sometimes with two.

First Generation

 Robert Holliday (1792-1860)and Eleanor Nora (1811-1884)

Robert was born in 1792 in Devonport and I believe died in 1860 in Bristol. According to the 1851 census he was a tailor. He and Eleanor had ten children as follows:

1/ Helen born in 1828 who was a seamstress in 1851 and unmarried then

2/ Elizabeth in 1830 who was a crown maker in hatting in 1851

3/ Frederick born in 1832 and died in 1917 in Bristol. Frederick was a printer. I believe that he married Sarah Jones in 1858 in Bristol and Sarah died in 1891. If that is correct then they had three children before they were married as they had the following  six children:  William 1850, Louisa  1853, Mary A.  1855, Frederick  1859, Albert  1870, Robert 1871 -all in Bristol

4/ John born in 1835. In 1851 John is described as a shipman, journeyman. John married Frances I Pearce (1841-1878) 1859 in Lambeth. After she died he married Annie Smith in 1879 in Hackney. London in 1879

5/ Charles Holiday born 1836 in Bristol,  a printer in 1851, married Mary Ann Price on 19th August 1890 in St Michaels, Bristol. Mary Ann died in 1875 in Clifton, Bristol. the had five children as follows: Ada in 1863, William Henry in 1875 , Frances Price in 1866, Clara Kate in 1870 and Louisa in 1871

6/ Esther born in 1839

7/ Christopher born in 1841 in Bristol. He married Sarah in 1868 in Clifton, Bristol. They had 7 children as follows: Susan in 1870, Edward Colston in 1871, Henry in 1873, Ellen Nora in 1876, Rosina in 1877, Harriett in 1881, Amelia in 1881 so the last two may have been twins

8/ Edward Colston born in 1843. Edward married Mary Ann Hyatt in 1872 in Axbridge, Somerset and they had the following children: Eleanor 1873, Henry  1876, William 1877, Susan Louisa 1880. Edward died in1910 in Shoreditch, London

9/ Susan born in 1846

10/William born in 1849

Second Generation

John Holliday and Frances I Pearce

John (born in 1835) married Frances -daughter of Charles Pearce – in 1859 in Lambeth, Frances was born n Kent in 1841 and died in Hackney in 1878.  John then remarried Annie Smith – daughter of Henry Smith and born in 1847  – on 15th September 1879 in Hackney

John and Frances had the following 7 children:

1/ S Pierce in 1860

2/ John P in 1860 so presumably a twin of S Pierce. He married Rebecca Cottam in 1887 in Holborn and they had two children: John P in 1888 and Gladys in 1894

3/ Frances born in 1862

4/ Charles Frederick in 1866 in Old Kent Road London. Charles married Annie Godwin 

5/ Kate in 1866

6/ Rose in 1868

7/ Sydney Herbert in 1871, Sydney married Beatrice. They had one child I can find called Hanley Marshall Holliday in 1898 in Ilford Essex

John had two children with Annie Smith in Hackney:  Frank Montague in1878,   Constance Muriel in 1881

Third Generation

Charles Frederick Holliday (1866-1924) and Annie Godwin (1861-1904)

Charles Frederick Holliday was born in 1866 in the Old Kent Road, London and died in 1924 at St Martin, London.  He married Annie Godwin, daughter of Thomas Isaac Godwin on 27th July 1889 in St Matthew, Upper Clapton, Middlesex. Annie was born in 1861  in Hackney and died in 1904 in Shoreditch.  They had two children:

Mabel who was born in 1891

Leslie Godwin Holliday in 1894 in Clapton, Middlesex. Leslie married Hilda May Kerven– the daughter of Frederick Abraham Kerven and his wife Alice Maria nee Yeomans –  on 24th February 1917 in St Mary Acton. Alice was born on 7th May 1890 in Shepherds Bush.

This post is about Leslie and Hilda

Having written so much about my family, I would now like to do so about my husband Nicholas’ family. Unfortunately it is not easy to do so without him here to help me. He has been gone now 17 years today as I am writing this in 2017.

I have researched all his family as far back as I can go, and will put as much as I can, in the way of photos and stories into the posts.  Hopefully his relatives will be able to send me some information.

Researching this family was not so easy as I obviously did not know so much about them. However, Nicholas, had the middle name of Hick, which his Grandfather also had.

I was told by Nicholas’ mother, Daphne, that her father in law had a sister called Minnie. She was not able to give me much more information about them as at this stage she was getting a bit forgetful. However, this helped me to find the family using Ancestry and when I had traced them back to find a John Jasper Bennett had married Amanda Brewer Hick, then it was a “eureka moment” for me. Nicholas had always known that his middle name of Hick was from an earlier maiden name but he did not know any more about it. I have not been able to trace the Hick family back very far but as the name is so often in the Bennett family I will attach a post giving what I have found.

Finding Amanda Brewer Hick  enabled me to continue tracing the family back and I was able to get to William Bennett, born in 1782, who married Jenny Shovel in Linkinhorne in Cornwall. I then found that the church in Linkinhorne, had transcribed all their chuch records and put them online. This meant that I could trace the Bennett’s back to a William Bennett who was born in 1523.

Here is a very interesting article with lovely photos of Linkinhorne church

Working through the baptism records, I have tried to trace the line down. Sadly William who married Jenny Shovel, was not baptised. I found that there was a William Bennett, married to Mary, and both died the year that William was born. I rather think that these were probably his parents but because the parents had died, he was not baptised. If so it is a great shame as I would have definitely managed to trace the family back to 1523!

Helen and I went to Cornwall for a weekend to see the church and I was so thrilled to find the grave of William and Jenny as well as those of others in the family. I will now put the family Ancestry in this site for you to see but will keep the earlier Bennett’s in a separate post. I do not intend to write about any living Bennett.  I will start with the very early Bennett line and then go to the direct ancestors.

The Early Bennett’s of Linkinhorne

The furthest back that I have been able to research shows that the Bennett family originated in Linkinhorne. Helen and I went there for a few days in 2008 and visited the church and surrounding areas. It is only about 4 miles from the Jamaica Inn of Daphne Du Maurier’s novel. Here are some of the photographs that I took of the church and the area

First Generation of Bennett Family

William Bennett  b.1523

I am going to set the direct ancestors in bold type to make it easier to distinguish them.

The first Bennett recorded in the Linkinhorne records, that I have been able to find,  is William Bennett born in 1523. William married Diones Hodges – born in 1524. The spelling of the names varies a  lot as of course, in those days, so many people were illiterate. According to the records William and Dione had two children:

1. Phillipa Bennett born in 1548  in Linkinhorne, Cornwall

2. Richard Beanet 1558 -Nov 1620 in Linkinhorne.

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Second Generation

Richard Bennett  b.1558

Richard Beanet was born in 1558 in Linkinhorne and died in November 1620. Richard married Joan on 27th May 1583 when he was aged 25.

Richard and Joan had the following children. The first two may well have been twins.

1.  Thomas Bennett born in 1584
2. Thomsin Bennett also in 1584
3. Tristram Bennett in 1589-1644. Baptised 16th May 1589.
4. Stephen Bennett in 1590 baptised on 27th November 1590
5.  Mary Bennett in 1590

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Third Generation

Tristram Bennett  b.1589-1644

Tristram was baptised on 16th May 1589 and married Joane on 13th June 1620 in Linkinhorne.  Joane was born in 1599. They had the following children.

1. A daughter, Joan, in 1620 who later married John Martin on 9th June 1646
2. Thomas Bennett born in 1622, baptised on 18th May 1622. Thomas married Mary on 18th May 1648 in Linkinhorne. They had two daughters: Mary in 1649 and who was buried on 25th September 1649 and another daughter, also Mary, in 1651. I have a record of a Mary Bennett burial in 1734 so wonder if it is this one.
3. William Bennett born 1624 and who had died in 1627 and was buried on 3rd April

   

4. Priscilla Bennett born in 1626
5. William Bennett born in 1627
6. Elizabeth Bennett born in 1626 and who later married Thomas Lord or Reed.
7. Richard Bennett born in 1631
8. Tristram Bennett born in 1634. Tristram married Wilmote Rogers on 21st October 1664 in Linkinhorne. Tristram died in 1686 and was buried on 27th September 1686.

Tristram was buried on 12th March 1644/5

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Fourth Generation

Tristram Bennett b.1634-1686

Tristram was born in 1634 and baptised on 21st April 1634 in Linkinhorne. Below is a copy of the baptism entry although it is very hard to make out his entry.

Tristram married Wilmote Rogers on 21st September 1664  and had the following children:

1/Richard, born 1665, baptised on 26th May 1667 and who married Thomazin. They had a daughter called Grace in 1701

2/ Johan born in 1667 and baptised on 2nd April 1667

3/ Thomas born in 1669, Thomas married Ann Ellis on 13th April 1695 in Linkinhorne and died in 1715.

Tristram died in 1666  and was buried on 27th September. I have found a copy of his will in the Linkinhorne church records. Tristram was a blacksmith and when he died his estate was valued at £7 5s 8d.

His will states:

In the name of God amen the 21st day of September,1686, I Tristram Bennet, of the parish of Linkinhorne, Co of Cornwall, blacksmith, being weak in body but perfect in mind and memory thanks be to God for the same doe make and ordaine this my last well and testam in manner following= first I bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God my Maker and Redeemer, and my body to Christian burial the cost of my executrix hereafter named, I give unto Wilmot, my wife, the use of all my goods and chattels, of what kind so ever both really and personal (except my shop) to hold unto her and during her natural life if she continues a widow, after the death of Wilmot , my said wife, I give my said goods and chattels to my four children to be equally divided amongst them, but if my said wife do shame to marry, I do give and bequeath my said goods and chattels unto my said children to hold unto them immediately from the day of her marriage:then will I give to my son which is most apt to learn my trade have the use of  my shop during my wifes life and lastly of making Wilmot my wife my whole and sole executrix by virtue of this my last will and testament, and her I ordain to pay my debts and to discharge my funeral expenses. Witnesses by my hands and shake the date and year first above written, Sign Emanuell Budge and Johan Jane

Inventory 8th July 1687. Tristram Bennet, blacksmith, dec, late of parish of Linkinhorne

Purse, Girdle, wearing apparel                                        £0-15s-0d

House and garden                                                              £2-10s-0

Little Grey Horse                                                                £0- 10s -0d

3 Dust beds, bedsteads, bedding                                      £1-10s-0

1 Old clock                                                                          £0-3s-4d

7 Pewter dishes                                                                 £0-6s-8d                               

1 Kettle                                                                               £0-3s-4d

1 table and chest                                                              £0-7s-0d

1 kieve, two barrels and other lumber stuff              £0-5s-6d

Shop tools                                                                          £0-13s-4d

Other implements not seen or yet appraised             £0-2s-6d

                                                                              Total =   £7-5s-8d

This will was copied from the Truro Record Office.

Tristram appears to have died about two days after making his will and below is the entry of his burial

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Fifth Generation

Thomas Bennett b.1669-1716

Thomas was  born in 1669 in Linkinhorne.

Thomas married Ann Ellis on 13th April 1695 at the age of 26. Below is a copy of the entry of their marriage.

Thomas and Ann had the following children:

1. William born in 1695, baptised on 21st February 1695

William married Mary Vine, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Vine, on 20th October 1720 in Linkinhorne Church. Mary was born in 1699 and aged 21when she married  William who was aged 25.

The children of William and Mary Vine are as follows

•    A son, Thomas who was born in 1721 and who married Sarah Coombe. I have found a copy of a lease for land dated 1759 and made between Thomas Bennett and Jn Budge. Thomas was a blacksmith and would be paying 2s for the land.

•  A daughter, Mary born in 1722 .
•  Another son, Edward, born in 1724 and who married Mary Hooper in 1749. I am not sure if the following will is that of this Mary but as it is so interesting I am going to include it here. Edward and Mary had seven children including sons called William, Edward and Thomas so feel that it may well be her will.

•   A son called William who was born in 1735

2/  Richard born in 1699 and who died the shortly after birth and was buried on 16th April 1699 just two days after his baptis

3/  Tristram who was born in 1699 and baptised on 4th March 1699.  Tristram married Elizabeth Oliver on 2nd June 1723 at the age of 23.

Thomas was buried on 28th January 1716 and below is a copy of his burial entry from the church records. His name is third from the bottom.

Anne, his wife, died in 1736 being buried on 13th February.

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 Sixth Generation

Tristram Bennett b. 1699

Tristram, son of Thomas and Ann, was baptised on 4th March 1699 at Linkinhorne and married Elizabeth Oliver there on 2nd June 1723. They had ten children

1. Thomas ,in 1724, who married Mary Row on 3rd June 1745. I have found a record of Thomas and Mary fornication held in the Cornwall records office and dated 4th November 1746.  A Thomas Bennett was also charged with bastardy in 1741 and I rather think it was this Thomas.
2. Elizabeth in 1725 and baptised on 7th January 1725
3. Tristram in 1727, baptised on 1st December 1727 and who died in 1734 and was buried on 8 April at the age of 7
4. Mary born in 1729, baptised on14th November 1729, but who died at the age of 5 and was buried on 23rd July 1734
5. Catherine born 1733 who was baptised on 3rd May 1733,  Catherine married William Saunders on  15th October 1754 and died in 1794 at the age of 61
6. Charity born in 1735, baptised on 20th September 1735 and who died before 1737. I have a copy of her baptism entry.
7. Charity born in 1737 and baptised on 19th November 1737
8. Sarah born in 1739, baptised on 9th January 1939  who died at the age of 8 and was buried on 8th February 1748
9. Christian who was born in 1742, baptised on 23rd September 1742. She died at the age of 7 being buried on 21 February 1748
10. John born 1745 who was baptised on 25th July 1745 and was  buried on 16th February 1748.

Sadly, at least six of their children died before reaching the age of 10.

———————–

Seventh Generation

Thomas Bennett b 1724

Thomas married Mary Row on 3rd June 1745 when he was aged just 21. I believe Mary was born in 1722 in Northill to Mathew and Philippa Row and being baptised on 10th February 1722.

Thomas and Mary had 10 children as follows:

1. William born in 1746 and baptised on 6th January 1746
2. A daughter, Philippi, born in 1747, baptised on 27th December 1747
3. A second son, John, born in 1750, baptised on 28th February 1750
4. A third son, Thomas, born in 1753, baptised 15th March 1753
5. A fourth son, Mathew, born in 1754, and baptised on 15th September 1754
6. A second daughter, Mary born in 1757, baptised on 13th February 1757
7. A fifth son, Richard, born 1759, baptised on 25th March 1759 and died 1815. Richard married Ann and they had a daughter, Mary and a son, William. All four are buried in the same grave at Stoke Climsland.

   

8. A daughter, Keturah, born in1761,baptised on 18th October 1761.  Keturah appears to have had an illegitimate daughter in 1781 called Elizabeth Shovel Bennett so presumably the father was a member of the Shovel family. Keturah then married John James and had four children with him.

   

9. A sixth son, Benjamin, born in 1767. Benjamin became a blacksmith and I found that he took on an apprentice in 1797. Here is a photo of the contract:

   

10. Joseph, born in 1767 and who was probably twin to Benjamin as both were baptised on 29th September 1767

–——————————

Eighth Generation

William Bennett b. 1746

William was the son of Thomas Bennett and Mary Row. He was born in 1746 in Linkinhorne and married Mary Harvey on 18th October 1768 at the age of 22. Mary was the daughter of Edward and Anne Harvey and was baptised on 22nd September 1731 in Linkinhorne.

Mary and William had two children that I can be sure of:

1.  A daughter, Frances, born in 1772 and baptised on 8th June that year
2. A second daughter, Ann, born in 1775 and baptised on 9th July 1775

Mary appears to have died in 1781 and was buried on 2nd January that year and then William died six months later, being buried on 10th June 1781.

I believe that Mary may well have died in childbirth, giving birth to a son William. I have not been able to prove this as William was not baptised but  from the census forms, I think that is the year that he was born. It could well be that as his father, William, had three young babies to care for – Mary would only have been aged 9 and Ann aged 6 when their mother died in January and so he may never have got round to having William baptised before he himself died in the June.  If I am right then this means that this William is the same William who married Jenny Shovel. In those days, it was usual to name the first son after the father.

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Miscellaneous Interesting facts

I found several interesting items about the Bennett family of which this diary entry of a Joseph Bennett is one.

The Diary of Joseph Bennett 1817 -1831

Shoemaker of the paris of linkinhorne

I came across a fascinating extract from this diary in the Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries Volume XXX11 1971 -1973         According to my research Joseph was probably born around 1788 and married Elizabeth sometime around 1810 -1812 as their first child was born in 1812.   Another four children followed and on each baptism entry, Joseph is described as a shoemaker or cordwainer.     

In October 1829 he was admitted to Deveon and Exeter Hospital with a “complain in his back”. On the 4^th December he noted the common diet for patients of the hospital:                                            

Mon, Wed, Fri,

Breakfast: One pint of water gruel. Bread for day 15oz    Dinner: One pint of rice milk    Supper: One pint of milk pottage on Monday, 2oz cheese on Wednesday and one oz butter on Friday

Tues, Thur, Sat, Sun

Breakfast: One pint water gruel with 11 oz of bread for the day    Dinner: One pint of broth, 4oz mutton, 1lb potatoes      Supper: Cheese 2oz

(And we complain about the National Health Service!)

According to the diary, an entry in 1831 states that he had sent a certificate to the Callington Amicable Society to certify that he ws incapable of following his employment in consequence of an inflammatory fever from 21^st October to 8^th November. For these 17 days confined they paid him 18s 8d

Definite Bennett Ancestors

Helen and I paid a visit to LInkinhorne and were delighted to find the grave of William and Jenny. Here are more photos of St Mellors church and churchyard taken on that visit

William Bennett 1781-1862

Nicholas’ Great, Great, Great Grandfather

William married Jenny Shovel (1788- 1842), daughter of Samuel Shovel and Susanna nee Williams, on 17th August 1809 in Linkinhorne. They had nine children as follows:

1. William, born in 1810. William married Mary Buckingham in Talland, which is 22 miles from Linkinhorne. Mary had been born in Linkinhorne in 1806. William died in 1885 at the age of 75. William and Mary had five children. They were: 1/James in 1834.  2/ Jane in 1837 3/ Mary in 1840 4/  William in 1845 and 5/ Samuel in 1852
2. A second son, Samuel, was born in 1812 and died in 1840 being buried on 9th September when he was just 28. His grave is close to that of his parents.

   

3. A daughter, Susanna, was born in 1815
4. A third son, James, was born in 1816. James married Ann Lemon in 1847. James was a copper miner in Linkinhorne and I believe he died in Easington, Durham in 1873 and would have gone there for the mining. James and Ann had for children:   1/ Samuel in 1849 who according to the 1861 census was working as a servant at the age of 12.    2/ Henry D Bennett born in 1855 and who married Anastasia.       3/ John Bennett born in 1852
5. A fourth son,  John Bennett, born in 1821. John married Elizabeth Jasper,who was the daughter of John Jasper, on 30th March 1843 when he was aged 23. Elizabeth died in 1894, in Linkinhorne. The descendants of John are in the next section.
6. A second daughter, Jane Williams Bennett, was baptised on 7th November 1822. Jane married William Spry -a miner -on 1st February 1844. Jane died in 1893 in Durham at  the age of 71. I think a lot of people moved to the Durham area for the mining work.  They had nine children
7. A son Abraham Shovel Bennett was born in 1825. Abraham married Jane Powell in 1854 in Stoke Damarel, Devon and he died at Rilla Mill, Linkinhorne, in 1897 at the age of 72. In the 1851 census Abraham was employed as a miner and was a peddler in 1881. They had four children.
8. A third daughter, Ann Cooke Bennett, was born in 1828 and followed by another daughter:
9. Mary who was born in 1831

In the 1841 census William and Jenny have Elizabeth Bennett aged 65 living with them, Jenny’s mother Susanna aged 80, and three daughters – Susanna aged 20, Jane aged 15  and Mary aged 9

William died in 1862. He was left a widower for 20 years as his wife died in 1842. We found their gravestone in St Mellors churchyard next to that of his son, Samuel.

John Bennett  1820-1914

Nicholas’ Great Great Grandfather

John was baptised on 12th March 1820 at St Mellors church, Linkinhorne.

John married Elizabeth Jasper on 30th March 1843 at Linkinhorne. Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Mary Jasper and was baptised on 2nd January 1820 and who died in 1894.

John and Elizabeth had four children as follows:

1. A daughter, Elizabeth Ann Jasper Bennett who was born in 1845. She was baptised on 9th February 1845 and married Elijah Buckingham in 1863  in Linkinhorne.  They had nine children.
2. Another daughter, Mary. I rather think that Mary did not marry and died in 1896
3. A son, John Jasper Bennett. John was born in 1850 and married Amanda Brewer Hick in 1878 in Linkinhorne. John died in 1902 in Westminster, London
4. A second son, William Henry Bennett, born 1858 in Linkinhorne. William married Elizabeth Stansbury – the daughter of John Stansbury and his wife, Eliza. William and Elizabeth had four children – all being born in Milton Coombe, Devon

In the 1851  census, John and Elizabeth have their two daughters and son, John Jasper living with them in Linkinhorne and also a lodger, called Charles Rennels aged 25. John is down as a farm labourer.

Ten years later, in 1861 they have their four children and the father of Elizabeth living with them who is aged 75 and described as a pauper.

In 1871, they have just their son, John Jasper with them and also their Granddaughter, Eliza Buckingham  who is described as a scholar.

According to the census of 1881 when John was aged 61, he was a farm labourer and at that time they  had the daughter of their Elizabeth  living with them. She was called Eliza M Buckingham and aged 16 and they are still together in 1891 when John is now described as a farmer and Eliza as a domestic servant.

Elizabeth died in 1894  and so in the 1901 census, John who is described as a farm labourer is in lodgings.  Ten years later however, John is living with John and Emma Jasper aged 48 and 45 respectively who I think must be a nephew through his wife Elizabeth.

John died in 1914

John Jasper Bennett  1850-1902

Nicholas’ Great Grandfather

John Jasper Bennett, was  born in Linkinhorne, Cornwall in 1850. John married Amanda Brewer Hick in Linkinhorne in September 1878 but they must have moved to London soon after as, by 1881, they are living at St James, London and he is a police constable, with one son, William.

They had the following children:

1/ William J who was born in 1880 and died in 1887 in Westminster

2/ Ernest Hick born in 1882 and who married Charlotte McDonald

3/ Minnie born in 1885 in St James London and who married Thomas Strain in 1911 and who had one daughter Eileen M Strain. Minnie died in 1953 in Hendon.

4/ John Claude Bennett born 1894 and who died on 4th may 1915 in France in WW1

Ten years later -in 1891- they are still in St James with their son, Ernest Hick and daughter, Minnie who are aged 8 & 6 respectively. William has sadly died by the time of this census. Amanda is not mentioned in it and I have been unable to find out where she was on that date. John is now working as a hall porter.

In 1891, John is a restaurant porter and Ernest is a Second Division Clerk in the Civil Service. They are both living at 34 Rupert Street, St James. London with Amanda, Minnie and  John Claude.

John Jasper Bennett died in 1902 at the age of 51 and his wife is living at 29 Newman Street, off Oxford Street, London in the 1911  census. With her are Minnie -who is a show room assistant- and John Claude who is an insurance clerk. Amanda died in 1922.

Nicholas’ paternal Grandparents

I have researched the Shovel family and as Jenny Shovel is a direct ancestor and it is an interesting family I thought I would write a post about them too. Here is a link to it   Shovel family

Ernest Hick Bennett

1882- 1944

Ernest was born in 1882 in Westminster to John Jasper Bennett (1850-1902) and his wife Amanda Brewer Bennett, nee Hick, (1852-1922). Ernest was the second of four children.  He had an older brother, William J Bennett born in 1880 who sadly died at the age of 7 in 1887, so just five years after Ernest was born. By that time there was also a sister for Ernest called Minnie, who was born in 1885 and to be followed by a brother, John Claude Bennett born in 1894 and who died during WW1 in 1915 in France at the age of 21 and  who Nicholas’ father was named after. John Claude is buried in the war cemetery at Bethune. Helen and her husband, John, visited and kindly took these  photos for me.

Ernest’s father, John Jasper Bennett, was  born in Linkinhorne, Cornwall in 1850. I have traced this family back a long way and will write another post about them and the Bennett ancestry. John married Amanda Brewer Hick in Linkinhorne in September 1878 but they must have moved to London soon after as, by 1881, they are living at St James, London and he is a police constable, with one son, William. Ten years later -in 1891- they are still in St James with their son, Ernest Hick and daughter, Minnie who are aged 8 & 6 respectively. William has sadly died by the time of this census. Amanda is not mentioned in it and I have been unable to find out where she was on that date. John is now working as a hall porter.

Ten years later, in 1891, John is a restaurant porter and Ernest is a Second Division Clerk in the Civil Service. They are both living at 34 Rupert Street, St James. London with Amanda, Minnie and  John Claude.

John Jasper Bennett died in 1902 at the age of 51 and his wife is living at 29 Newman Street, off Oxford Street, London in the 1911  census. With her are Minnie – a show room assistant- and John Claude who is an insurance clerk. Amanda died in 1922.

Ernest married Charlotte MacDonald in 1909 in the Westminster district. He was aged 27 with Charlotte much the same age. Two years later, according to the 1911 census, they are living at 16 Spencer Road, New Southgate and with them are Elizabeth Caroline Woodings – sister in law- (presumably she is Charlotte’s sister} along with her son Edward Lyndon Woodings. Charlotte and her sister were born in Edinburgh and Edward was born in Burton on Trent.

I found that Ernest and Charlotte were living at 56 Willoughby Road, Acton in 1918 and were owners of their house. In 1930 they were living at 27 Davis Road, Acton and are still there in 1932 but by 1937 they have moved to 8 Oakley Avenue, Ealing.

Ernest and Charlotte had the following four children:

1. Their eldest child was a daughter called Mary born 1st May 1913. Mary married Alexander Cochrane in 1937 in Brentford. Middlesex and had three sons:

Ian F in 1933 in Sulcoates, Yorkshire who married Sylvia

Neil BF in 1935 in Sulcoates, Yorkshire and who married Patricia

Malcolm F in 1939 in Amersham, Buckinhamshire

2/  Their only son, Ernest Claude

3/ A second daughter, Dorothy on 16th September 1916  in Brentford who married Gerald Allinham Magnus in 1940

4/  Finally a third daughter who was called Caroline but always known as Babs, on 9th April 1919 in Brentford who married William Herridge in 1944 in Surry, North London

Ernest did very well in his career and I have found an entry in the Edinburgh Gazette of February 22nd 1898 stating

After Open Competition

Second Division : Clerks – Valentine Beadon, Ernest Hick Bennett

Ernest is then transferred according to the Edinburgh Gazette of February 6th 1920 from the Registrar-General office to Treasury.

Then according to the London Gazette of 1st January 1930

To Be members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order_ 

Ernest Hick Bennett, Esq., Staff Officer Treasury. 

Ernest was awarded an MBE and in the 1938 Birthday Honours List he is awarded the Companion of the Imperial Service Order, (ISO) Home Civil Service when he was Inspector of Rates, Rating of Government Property Department.

Ernest retired to Bournemouth and he was living at the Mac-Mar Hotel, West Hill Road, Bournemouth where he died on 20th December 1944. His probate was granted to his widow, Charlotte, leaving effects of £1491 2s 4d which would today be valued at about £500,000.

Nicholas Parents

Ernest Claude Bennett

11th March 1915-30th July 1980

Claude (as he was always known) was born on March 11th 1915, at 56 Willoughby Road, to Ernest Hick Bennett (1882-1944) and  his wife Charlotte nee Macdonald (1882-1956) always known as Chatty.  Claude was their second child. They already had a daughter, Mary, born in 1913. Claude was then followed by two more sisters, Dorothy in 1916 and Caroline (always known as Babs) in 1919.

Claude was given this name after his Uncle, John Claude Bennett – the brother of Ernest Hick Bennett. John Claude, born in 1894, was killed in WW1 on 4th May 1915 – just six weeks after Claude was born. He was aged 21 and was an insurance clerk before the war. John Claude was a rifleman who died of his wounds in France and is buried in Bethune.

Unfortunately, I do not know a great deal about Claude’s life  when in London or when he was young but, I do have some photos of him. He appears to have come to Westgate on Sea in his youth – possibly on holiday

Claude met Daphne Kerven Holliday and married her on 27th January 1940 at St Matthews Church, Ealing Common in Middlesex. Claude was living at 8 Oakley Avenue when he married. Daphne was living at 13 Hanger Lane, Ealing.

In 1940, Claude and Daphne were living at 5 Oakley Avenue, Ealing.  They were living there when their son, Nicholas was born on 14th August 1940 and were still in Ealing when their daughter, Amanda was, born in 1945. Between 1947 and 1949, they were living at 164 Princes Gardens, Ealing when they then moved to Thanet in 1950. According to the phone book entries the family were living at The Thatched House. Old Green Road in 1951 but had moved to 2 Beresford Court, Beresford Gardens in Cliftonville in 1952. They had then purchased Whiteladies by 1956, where their phone number was Thanet 41915.

Claude studied to become a Chartered Surveyor and was qualified by the age of 24 when he married.  During the war he remained in London. I have a copy of the Supplement to the London Gazette,  dated 6th May 1941. In it there is a mention of Claude in the Corps of Royal Engineers. It states : The undermentioned Cadets from O.CT.U.s to be 2nd Lieutenants. 20th April 1941:  Ernest Claude Bennett (182546)

daphne kerven bennett, nee holliday

21st March 1920-19th May 2009

Daphne was the only child of Leslie Godwin Holliday and Hilda May Kerven.  Daphne was born in Ealing. Leslie and Hilda had met as they were living in the same road.  Leslie (born 1894 in Clapton) was an insurance underwriter – believed to be at Lloyds. Hilda was born on 7th May 1890 in Shepherds Bush and was a  music teacher.  They married on 24th February 1917 at St Mary Church, Acton.

Unfortunately for Daphne, her father left her mother when she was aged  just 2. I was told by Daphne’s cousin, Deirdre Bobby, that he had to skip the country overnight to avoid being arrested for fraud. I understand that Deirdre was told this by her father, Tommy (Thomas Sampson) Rider, who was a good friend of Lesley and who loaned him money to get away. Lesley went to Australia and then to New Zealand and I  found some documents of when he applied for copies of his war medals and discharge papers in May 1926 to be sent to the Chief Post Office, Christchurch, New Zealand. During WW1 Leslie enlisted in the RAMCT in 1914 and was discharged as unfit due to dysentery on 5th December 1917. According to his medical notes he was just 5ft 6 in tall.

Daphne’s mother, Hilda, later remarried Freddie White.

Daphne’s childhood appears to have been fairly wealthy for those days and I have these lovely photos of her with her mother, Aunts and Nanny.

This link will take you to  Nicholas John Hick Bennett

or this link will take you to   Holliday family Ancestry

14th August 1940 – 21st March 2000

Nicholas was born on 14th August 1940, to Daphne Kerven Bennett,  nee Holiday, and Ernest Claude Bennett (always known as Claude), at a nursing home in Hanger Lane, Ealing.

Nicholas lived in Ealing until he was aged about 9, when the family moved to Thanet. Claude was a surveyor for the Hastings Building Society here. This later became the Hastings and Thanet Building Society. This society then merged with the Anglia and later with the Nationwide Building Society.

The family lived in the Thatched House at the top of Green Road, Cliftonville before moving to a flat in Beresford Court, Cliftonville. His parents then bought Whiteladies, Colemans Stairs Road, Birchington, which was where they were all living when I first met Nicholas in 1962.

When I first met Nicholas, I was invited to dinner at Whiteladies and always remember the lounge suite that they had there. I had never seen chairs like it. I recently rewatched Four Weddings and  a Funeral and was amazed to seethe exact same suite in the film. It was not only the same shape but the same color too. I always thought that the chair that Squire sat in looked so uncomfortable. I think it was sold when they moved out ten days before we married in March 1968 when Daphne and Claude moved to a new house in Fig Tree Road, off Callis Court Road, Broadstairs. They called this house Colemans. I took a screen shot of the sofa

When Nicholas came to Thanet, he went to Wellington House School at Westgate.

I have just found this article about Wellington House: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/canings-and-compulsory-daily-runs—welcome-a104348/

In this article, it talks about having to go out for a bare foot run every morning.  Nicholas often used to mention this, and also the fact that the boys, on the first day of term, had to go out to pick birch twigs to make the birch that they might later be caned with. When on our honeymoon, Nicholas got very brown and fine white lines showed up on the top  of his legs which he said was where he was caned for not learning his latin verbs!

Nicholas made friends with Richard Palmer at Wellington House and they went on to Kings School together at the age of 14. Nicholas won a scholarship to the school. They were close friends, with Nicholas being Best Man at Richard’s wedding. Sadly, Richard died in a farming accident on 12th August 1974.

Nicholas did well at school, and after taking Scholarship level early, he left and went to Boys and Maughan Solicitors in Margate, to be articled to Garth Roadknight in order to become a solicitor.  He qualified easily and worked at Boys & Maughan becoming a fairly senior partner there. However, in 1981, he decided to set up practice on his own and took premises in Chatham. The travel was arduous and so, after two years, he took premises in Sandwich which were part of the NatWest Bank in Market Street. Nicholas had the ground floor room, on the left of the front door, which he used as his reception room. He also had the middle floor, which had  five large offices and a kitchen. Originally this had formed part of the bank managers flat.

The firm enlarged and at one point, Nicholas had purchased a property in Cattle Market and taken another in the Butchery, so he had staff in three properties. However, the depression in the 80’s & early 90’s meant that house purchase etc was very poor and solicitors were hit badly,  so he moved staff back into Cattle Market above.

Nicholas loved sport and music. He played a lot of tennis, squash and cricket and later some golf. On a Sunday morning he would play tennis at the tennis courts in Birchington with friends, who included John Peddle and Teddy Moylan.

His cricket, he played with a group of friends who formed the Rogues Cricket Club and he was wicket keeper. Thanks to the senior partner at work, Jack Maughan, he became a member of the MCC and often would enjoy a day out at Lords Cricket Ground.

He played squash at the Beresford Hotel in Birchington. The club was thriving and this is how I first met Nicholas. The Squash club were having a dinner dance at the Winter Gardens and I was taken to it by John Martin. John had a cocktail party at his house, Woodgate, in Fig Tree Road in October 1962.  John came to pick me up and, as we arrived at his house, he told me that Nicholas and Amanda Bennett had arrived. I chatted to Nicholas for some time and it turned out that we both enjoyed dancing. However it was some weeks later that I saw him again. This time my friend, Joy, & I were standing on the steps of the Winter Gardens waiting for my father to park the car before we went in to a classical concert. Nicholas came up the steps and chatted for a few moments. The next day, I was at work at Shell Research, Sittingbourne, when he rang me up.  He had gone to a lot of trouble to find out where I worked and to find out my name so he could ask me out. I said yes, and then regretted it, as I remembered John Martin saying Nicholas and Amanda Bennett. I then had to make some phone calls myself, to find out if he was married to Amanda and was relieved to find she was his sister!

The squash club had to find other premises when the Beresford Hotel closed, and Nicholas was instrumental in obtaining the courts at Stone House School and building a club house there. This was originally a small prefabricated place  with just the two old courts of the school but then, in 1976,  they extended the club house to its present size with four courts including two glass backed courts. I remember the opening of the new club house very well as it was March 1976 and I was pregnant with Giles and yet helping by cleaning out the new toilets and sweeping up the club house ready for the opening. Mike Taplin, a close friend and who also played a large part in getting the new club,  was suffering with leukaemia and yet he managed to make it to the opening the day before he went into hospital the very next day, for the final time.

Nicholas played the piano and formed a group called the Night Owls, with Paul and Tony Girling.  Paul played the drums and Tony the guitar. They were also solicitors. The Night Owls were in demand to play at functions such as friends 21st birthdays and squash and rugby club do’s. They were paid £3 each for the evening and all that they wanted to drink!

Nicholas had already become a member of Margate Round Table when we married in 1968. He became the Chairman of Round Table in 1971 and Helen was born two weeks before his Ladies Night. In fact she was born during the Law Society Dinner Dance ( and in the middle of the three weeks of power cuts due to the coal miners strikes) so Nicholas had to take his mother, instead of his wife, to the dance as I  was in hospital in labour. He made it to the hospital in time to see his darling daughter born and then back to face all the champagne our friends had bought to celebrate the birth.

Nicholas later became the Area Chairman of Round Table in 1974, involving a great deal of evenings out over the course of 2 to 3 years. He thoroughly enjoyed this and it made a lot of friends for him.

Nicholas had to leave Round Table when he reached the age of 40 but then in 1980 he was asked to start the first evening Rotary Club in this area. He did so and became the Founder President. He enjoyed the club and was overwhelmed when he was made a Paul Harris Fellow by his fellow members.

Nicholas made a lot of speeches, but one of the loveliest speeches that he made was to his mother on the occasion of her 80th birthday. She had about 50 people for dinner at Northdown House in Cliftonville and shortly after making such a lovely speech to his mother, Nicholas died very suddenly. He would have been aged 60 later in the year.

The night before he died, Nicholas wrote and said Grace at the meeting of his Rotary Club.

This is his Grace:

The advent of Spring is in the air, As we sit down to our Rotary fare.                                                  Evenings get longer, whilst nights recede,but still we should think of others in need

So whilst we tuck in to goodies which follow, remember the pictures of faces so hollow,                                                                                                                                      Of those who must wait for their daily bread,  and then face up to the long trek ahead

To safety and comfort, medicine and food , all of which things are ours for the taking,                                                                                                                                      To try and serve others should be our mood, as we give thanks to God for our sleeping and waking.

Nicholas Bennett                                                                                                                 Rotary ClubThanet                                                                     Monday March 20^th 2000

I understand that the Rotary Club still use his grace during their March meeting.