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Jennens Family 1830 onwards

  • Thread starter Thread starter Judy Elkington
  • Start date Start date
J

Judy Elkington

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Hi
Can anyone tell me about the Jennens family. They seem to have had connections with Selly Oak and surrouinding areas. A Mrs. Jennens gave money for the building of St. Bartholmews church almost next door to St. Martins. St. Bartholowmews is now demolished.
Were they a wealthy family.
They later married in to the Elkington family .

Judy Elkington
 
"The Jennens Millions"
The famous fortune known as the "Jennens Millions" is hardly typical of the majority of Birmingham traders fortunes. Amongst the seventeenth century ironmongers was John Jennes, the son of a Birmingham inn- holder, and like all the successful Birmingham traders from the thirteenth century onwards he dealt in land. The denudation of the Black Country woodlands was sending the furnaces futher afield, iron ore being easier to transport than the bulkier charcoal. Either John or his son Humphrey acquired land and water rights in the valley of the Tame, and at Aston, midway between the iron mines and the woods of Arden, set up a smelting furnace with the water from the Hockley Brook to work the bellows for the blast. As the woods receded the furnaces followed them. The Jennens family acquired more land in town and country. In 1798 the landed property was said to be worth £650,000 besides £500,000 in stocks and cash, but how much of the Jennens gold ran with the molten iron into the "sow and pigs" is problematical.
Taken from City of Birmingham handbook 1939
I wonder if this was part of your Mrs Jennens family ??
 
:angel: Judy go here and you came view these records

https://freecen.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl
1841 Census

31 Records found
Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Census Place JENNENS Alexander M 30 Plate Maker Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood JENNENS Alfred M 4 Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood JENNENS Ann F 9 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Charles M 40 Brass Founder Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Edward M 4 Warwickshire Aston (Deritend) JENNENS Eliza F 2 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Elizabeth F 45 Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood JENNENS Hannah F 20 Female Servant Warwickshire B'ham (St Mary) JENNENS Henry M 3 Warwickshire Aston (Deritend) JENNENS James M 8 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Jane F 5 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Jane F 30 Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood JENNENS Jane F 25 Shop Woman Outside Census County (1841) Aston (Deritend) JENNENS John M 33 Brass Founder Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS John M 20 Clock Maker Apprentice Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Joseph M 18 Platers Apprentice Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Joseph M 20 Lamp Maker Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood JENNENS Lydia F 4 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Martha F 33 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Mary F 18 Laundress Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood JENNENS Mary F 2 Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood JENNENS Maryann F 12 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Phoebe F 40 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Phoebe F 16 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Rosehanah F 7 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Samuel M 5w Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Sarah F 6 Warwickshire B'ham All Saints JENNENS Sarah F 77 Independent Outside Census County (1841) B'ham (St George) JENNENS Sarah F 8 Outside Census County (1841) B'ham (St Martin) JENNENS Sarah F 20 Female Servant Warwickshire B'ham (St Mary) JENNENS Thomas M 20 Appren. Warwickshire B'ham Ladywood.
 
The Jennens family have interested me as my fathers family were Jennings sometimes written as Jennens, although there is no connection. Their fortune dwindled away in court cases, as the family fought over the family fortune. It has been suggested that Charles Dickens who visited Birmingham, based his book Bleak House and the court case of Jarndyce v Jarndyce on the Jennens family. I wonder!
 
Thank you so much for all your hard works on the 1841 census for the Jennens.

Judy Elkington
 
In his 'Streets of Birmingham', Vol 3, pages 19-21, Carl Chinn gives a good summary of the Jennens family, who had a lot of influence in Brum, but also around Great Packington, a country seat of the family.
Peter
 
What connections do...

What connections do Handel, Jennens and Charles Dickens have with St. Giles Church, Nether Whitacre??
Humphrey Jennens bought the manor of Nether Whitacre in 1680

Humphrey Jennens had exstensive forges at Furnace End

Charles Jennens the ironmaster has a road commemorated after him in Birmingham..Jennens Row.

Charles Jennens built and lived at Gopsall Hall, Twycross

Charles Jennens was a close friend of Handel. He was the librettist for many of his works, the most famous being "The Messiah"

He left a large collection of manuscripts and music..now called "Aylesford Collection"

Charles Jennens endowed a school in Nether Whitacre in 1775

It is believed that Charles Dickens book "Bleak House" was based around the Jennens family

There are nine members of the Jennens family buried in the family vault in Nether Whitacre Church

Jennens tombstone and vault is in Nether Whitacre Church
 
With reference to reply 6 by Peter:

"The organ in Great Packington Church dates from 1750. This instrument was, without doubt, played by Handel when it was in the possession of his friend, Charles Jennens of Furnace End. It is regarded by experts as being one of the best of its kind in existence and there are those who say that the specification to which it was built was drawn up by Handel himself."
 
recent Jennens

Does anyone have any information on recent Jennens family members, after the dates stated on these threads,
 
See the thread in research information, ancient history for the ballad "jennens millions" and the family crest. (sorry cant do that link Here stuff)
 
Hi, I have been researching this as my family are direct descendents of the jennens millions. My great grandfather removed jennens from the family name as so much money had been lost fighting for the fortune. My grandmother always used to tell us never to try pursue the money. My uncle knows more about it and he has all the original court case documents, there is alot of stuff in his family documents trunk, it's really interesting to read through.
 
jennens malone said:
Hi, I have been researching this as my family are direct descendents of the jennens millions. My great grandfather removed jennens from the family name as so much money had been lost fighting for the fortune. My grandmother always used to tell us never to try pursue the money. My uncle knows more about it and he has all the original court case documents, there is alot of stuff in his family documents trunk, it's really interesting to read through.
Click to expand...
 
Interesting case, my family are descendants too through Williams cousin, she was believed to be deceased at the time of his death, her daughter and son in law tried to pursue her claim but to no avail. By the time they had got money together it has already been distributed amongst the aristocracy. The family still persisted after her death and got nowhere
 
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