The Kennedys of Northumberland

[DJH]

Yes, your Great Grandparents, William and Jane are the right ones, Market Gardeners at Dunston. Father went there to meet the family (I think I may have the address somewhere in his papers)
Now, what I believe happened is this (although Eliza was known to tell lies and embellish!!!) Eliza Hartshorn was born around 1870 in Shrewsbury. In 1887 she went to the Workhouse at Atcham to give birth to my Grandfather, John Wiliam Hartshorn. She then went to Newcastle to find William Kennedy who was a market gardener, only to find that he had got another girlfriend and, in fact, had just married her. In 1898, John William was placed in the Industrial School, Newcastle and Eliza moved around before moving to Leicestershire. Granddad was given a training in printing and went on to become a printer which was his trade. He also moved, on leaving the Industrial School, down to Leicestershire where he met my Grandmother, Margaret Wood. They had one child, my father Stanley. There was no knowledge of or contact between them and the Kennedys until we started to research our family name. It was only on what Sarah Jane told father AND the remarkable likeness to my Granddad which convinced my father that the Kennedys were indeed our "family". And that is really all I know. If you had any rumours or anecdotes concerning William and Eliza's "goings on" I would love to hear them. Or a photo?
Regards,
David

[murielmary]

hello again as i am new to computers you will have to bear with me as I think i have deleted some messages and maybe doubled up on others. the william you are looking for married a Mary, aunt Mamie to me they had no children,they lived at 140, Dunston rd. The Sarah who spoke to your grandad Would have been g aunt Sally Ggrandfathers sister,I have looked through my grannies diary on 10th feb aunt Mary died was burried on 14th at ---adly? Leicester in her 79th yr she would have been 80 on the 17th I remember talk of aunt Mary Lizzy and aunt Mary hope this might help you.   our g g grandparents William @ sarah Lived Gateshead/dunston  when William married Jane they went to live in Morpeth all their children were born there, greatgrandad, and sons william andGeorge went back to dunston 1910 and took over the grounds of the lunitic assylam

[murielmary]

leicester burrial 1917

[DJH]

Mary  ,
I don't know much about my GtGrandmother Eliza. I was hoping to find out if she met William in Shropshire where he might have been working or training or met him in Newcastle /Gateshead.
He was the William who was born in 1858/9 and married Jane Anderson in Newcastle in 1887. Jane was born in 1864 in Newcastle and was a domestic. William was the son of William married to Sarah Forster and was born at Morpeth. He died in 1906 and was a market gardener.
William and Jane had six children not including Granddad and it was his daughter Sarah Jane born 1888 at Dunston that my father talked to. She died in 1973.
David

[murielmary]

Flossie @ Dossie were my grannies cousins.  I have a post card of Morpeth sent from a cousin Tom it says,    Annie is always talking about you, she tells me i have 2 mothers I do not know who Tom is?    muriel

[DJH]

Muriel,
Do you have a date for the postcard? William had a brother Thomas who was born in 1856 at Woodhouse/North Seaton. Dossie was born 1891 at Dunston and Flossie 1895 also at Dunston. Do you live in the area?
I live in the Midlands.
David

[murielmary]

i am in Lancaster

[murielmary]

David,  I am putting the Kennedys back in there box for now.When our  great grandchildren visit us next I will get them to sort some photographs out.     Muriel

[DJH]

Dear Muriel,
I quite understand. It does get a bit overwhelming.
When your younger ones have a look through your information I shall appreciate any reference to William's whereabouts in 1886 or to a girlfriend (Eliza).
Do contact me again if you require any information on the Kennedys going back beyond William.
Best wishes,
David