Hi Jason. I have this information for my own tree. You may also have found the same as you made this request years back. I am trying to trace earlier Fenton's too... Do you have any information back beyond 1765?
• C1823- 1915 Benjamin Fenton – C1826 - 1882 Catherine Wilkinson. Catherine was born in Clayworth, about 3 miles SW of Walkeringham, Notts. The couple Married, lived and died in Walkeringham. Benjamin worked as an Agricultural Labourer for most of his life. In the 1901 Census, he was still shown working as a road Labourer, presumably to support Emma and the two boys. Benjamin and Catherine are buried in St Mary Magdalene Church, Walkeringham, Notts. Their tombstone reads: “In loving Memory of Benjamin Fenton, who died March 25, 1915 in his 92nd year, and also Catherine, his beloved wife who died May 15, 1882 in her 57th Year. “At Rest.””
Benjamin and Catherine had a few girls, no apparent boys:
• C1852 Anne Wilkinson-Fenton her fate is unknown at time of writing
• C1856 Mary Elizabeth Fenton who was later married to Thomas Kennewell. They had one daughter, Eden Kennewell.
• C1862 Hannah Fenton . In the 1881 Census, Hannah has moved (about 4 ½ miles NE from Walkeringham) into the home of a Farmer, Godfrey Evratt, Wildsworth, Lincoln, to work as a general servant. The story from Joan (Hannah’s Great Grand-Daughter) is that Hannah became pregnant after a dalliance with the Master’s son (she would have been approx 25 -26 years old): She left her son, Percy in the Care of her Aunt Mary and Uncle James. He would later be raised by his Aunt Emma and Grandfather.
1888 – 1975 Percy Fenton married 1889 – 1953 Fannie Grylls Percy, born 16 Sept 1888, moved away from Walkeringham, to Dewsbury, West Yorkshire (possibly to find work),. He married Fannie (also known as Fanny) Grylls who was born in Dewsbury. Percy and Fannie both died in Dewsbury. They had the following children:
1910 – 1993 Cyril Fenton
C1911 Marjorie Fenton
C1913 Alma Fenton
C1915 Olive Fenton
C1917 Gladys Fenton - later lived at 57 Harley St, Dewsbury
C1922 Vera Fenton
1927 Bernard Fenton born 31 August 1927
• Cyril Fenton – Ellen Hinchliffe Cyril and Ellen had one daughter, Joan Fenton, born in Dewsbury 1941. She later married Joseph McDermott born 1938 in Goldalming, Surrey. They have two children and one Grandchild. Joan is our distant cousin.
• 1865 Emma Fenton. Emma was born on 11th August 1865. She later became a spinster living with her aging father after her mother’s death on May 15th 1882 (Emma was 16 at the time) . She later took on the upbringing of Percy Fenton who had been living, (at age 2, in the 1891 Census)), with her Uncle James’s family after Hannah returned to work. Percy, (age 12), and Harold W Fenton age 9), are shown living with Emma and her father, Benjamin in 1901 at 2 Church End, Walkeringham. It is possible that Harold is also Hannah’s illegitimate son but not yet verified. The 1901 Census does list Benjamin as both Percy’s and Harold’s Grandfather. Harold only has a registration of birth (not a birth certificate) so it only lists his birth date of 19th Oct 1891 and not his parents, or address. If the 3rd Earl of Manvers (or his son, later to become the 4th Earl), were his father, Hannah would have had to have changed jobs and moved to Thoresby Hall to work, about 14 miles from Wildsworth and about 10 ½ miles SW from Walkeringham. Still have to check the Nottingham University Manvers Collection to verify this
The family lived at the following addresses:
1861 census: 37 Moor End, Walkeringham, Notts- Ann (9), Mary (4)
1871 Census: 38 Church St, Walkeringham, Notts –Benjamin (49),
Catherine (Mary (14), Hannah (
and Emma (5)
1881 Census: Gringley Road (near Church), Walkeringham, Notts- Benjamin (58), Catherine (55), Emma (15)
1891 Census: 28 Church Lane, Walkeringham, Notts- Benjamin (69), Emma (25)
1901 Census: 2 Church End, Walkeringham, Notts –Benjamin (79) Emma (36) Percy(12), Harold (9)
Harold Fenton married Phyllis Loughton of N. Somercotes –
