Hi list
I am researching my paternal family name - CANNING - maybe someone on the
list is connected?
Grandfather had two sisters, Elizabeth Ann (G-Aunt Bess) and Hannah Maria
(G-Aunt Ann). Elizabeth was born in Hungerford on 29th Oct 1856. She
appears to have left Hungerford sometime after the death of her father James
in 1864. Her mother Mary had remarried a Thomas KENTFULL on 29 December
1867 and was shown as living with only my grandfather John (9) during the
1871 census at Hungerford.
It was after my fathers death, when I was given access to my parents
personal effects, that I found out about the name LIGHTOWLER having a family
connection. I have been unable to track down any descendants of ancestors
of my grandfather, John CANNING. This is where Jack LIGHTOWLER is
hopefully a key to my research. I have, in my possession, a copy of a
letter (dated 8 May 1941) from my Great Uncle Gerald ROBERTS , who was the
second husband of my Great Aunt Anne (Hannah Maria CANNING on birth
certificate), which states in part that my Great Aunt Anne grew up in
London with a cousin Jack LIGHTOWLER. The reason Im prattling on about
all this is that I need to know the identity of Jack LIGHTOWLERS parents.
Being a 1st cousin to my grandfather John Canning and his sisters Elizabeth
Ann and Hannah Maria his mother would have to be either a sister of my great
grandfather James Canning or a sister of my Great Grandmother Mary Baker.
Descendants of William Canning
1. William CANNING was born about 27 December 1778 in Hungerford, and died
about 19 April 1842 in Edington. He married Mary BARRETT 12 January 1806 in
Hungerford, daughter of Robert BARRETT and Mary. Occupation: Labourer and
marriage witnesses John ELLIS and Tho. TOES
Children of William CANNING and Mary BARRETT are:
James CANNING, born about 16 August, 1807 in Hungerford, died 17 April, 1864
in Hungerford,
John CANNING, born about 04 March 1810.
Phoebe CANNING, born about 16 August 1812. She married David WAKEFIELD 23
May 1831 in Hungerford.
William CANNING, born about 19 February 1815, died Unknown. He married
Sarah (?).
Robert CANNING, born about 26 January 1817 in Hungerford.
My great grandfather James Canning was born about 16 August 1807 in
Hungerford and died 17 April, 1864 in Hungerford. He married Mary Baker 23
October, 1856 in Hungerford, daughter of Robert Baker and Rachael Bushell.
James's occupation was labourer. Mary Baker was baptised 01 February 1824,
at Tidcombe Parish and the marriage witnesses were Thomas FRUEN, Anna
CANNING.
Children of James Canning and Mary Baker are:
My grandfather John CANNING, born 13 October 1861 in Hungerford, and died 28
July 1933 in Mackay, Qld, Australia. He married (1) Lillie Singleton 16
June 1903 in Mackay, Qld, Australia and (2) Louisa WIGGINS 15 May,1914 in
Mackay, Qld, Australia.
John CANNING was living at 226 Blackfriars Rd, Christ Church,
Southwark, Surrey, with his mother Mary KENTFULL, brother-in-law Joseph
SIMPSON, sister Hannah M SIMPSON, and a 4 year old nephew Joseph Ernest
SIMPSON (?) His occupation was Farm Labourer 1881 Census, Surrey.
Hannah Maria CANNING, born 10 April, 1859 in Bridge St, Hungerford, died 01
April, 1937 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. She married (1) Joseph SIMPSON
about. 1877 in Christchurch, Southwark, Surrey and (2) Gerald ROBERTS about
1918 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. I suspect that Hannah 'went into
service' in London and met and married Joseph Simpson there. Joseph took
Hannah & Gerald to Australia in 1889. They went to Western Australia after
a holiday in England. Ann (Hannah) became very ill so they went to England
for a holiday & then went to South Africa & settled in Durban. Joseph
Simpson's occupation was shown in the 1881 census as Publisher.
Gerald first met Ann in London in 1887. Her first husband kept a large
publisher in London & Gerald went in to buy a cycling paper & saw a very
beautiful girl standing with the Boss (Joseph). He said to himself then, I
will marry that girl one day, no one else. He married her in Durban in 1918
one year after the death of the Boss.
Elizabeth Ann CANNING, born 29 October 1856 in Bridge St, Hungerford, died
about 1915 probably in London or Surrey. Elizabeth (Great Aunt Bess) was
found in 1881 Census in Surrey at 19 Dante Rd, Newington, Surrey with her 7
year daughter Elizabeth (Cousin Lizzie), and 3 Female Lodgers.
They were:Louise Hastings (27)--Collar Maker born, STF Bishop Stortford,
Sarah Baker (23)--Dressmaker--Born, IOW Newport, Emma Matters
(22)--Dressmaker Born, NFK Harleston.
Elizabeth was working as a Barmaid the 1881 Census-Surrey
Alfred Newton Osborne, Merchant, was named on marriage certificate of Edwin
John Broad and Elizabeth Canning Glover as 'Lizzies' father
Robert CANNING was born about 26 January, 1817 in Hungerford and died (?).
He married Hannah HOOPER 24 December 1848 in Hungerford, daughter of Charles
HOOPER. Mary CANNING (75), (nee BARRETT) was living with son Robert during
the 1851 Census. Robert's occupation was labourer. Marriage witnesses for
Robert and Hannah were John Cox, Charles Osborn.
Children of Robert CANNING and Hannah HOOPER are:
Mary Ann CANNING, born 24 March 1850.
Elizabeth Sophia CANNING, born 09 June 1852.
Robert Charles CANNING born 22 December 1860.
John CANNING, born 26 October 1862.
Martha CANNING, born 04 November 1866.
William CANNING, born about 1860 in Trentbury. William's occupation in 1881
was Boat Labourer/Bargeman.
Researcher (Eileen BARTLETT) whose research suggested that my 2nd
great-grandfather William CANNING or CANNON married Mary BARRETT at
Hungerford on 12 January 1806. However the baptism entry in the Hungerford
parish registers on 16 August 1807 for g-grandfather James CANNING shows
William and Elizabeth. Do you have any marriages between William CANNING or
CANNON and Elizabeth around that time?
Eileen BARTLETTS theory goes like this, Back to the marriage certificate of
James CANNING and Mary BAKER. By arranging some of the Hungerford IGI
entries for the CANNING family in chronological order I think I may have
found the identity of the marriage witness Anna CANNING. A William CANNING
married Mary BENNETT (or BARRETT) in Hungerford on 12 Jan 1806. The first
child this couple baptised was John on 4 March 1810 - more than four years
later. In those days, four years between a marriage and the first baptism
was unusual, and I think it possible that the mother of James (baptised)
1807) should have been recorded as Mary. I could find no other baptisms to
a William and Elizabeth at that time in Hungerford, although there are three
more to William and Mary. The youngest of these is named Robert (baptised
1817), and I believe that he later married a Hannah. I note that on the
occasion of the baptism of one of Robert and Hannahs children Hannahs name
is recorded as Anna. If your James and this Robert were brothers (as I
suspect) then Hannah (or Anna) would be James sister-in-law.
If available, I would like to obtain information about my grandparents'
early lives at Hungerford, such as schooling records, work records and any
other information that may be available. Are your early newspapers indexed?
Maybe they rated a mention somewhere. Eileen BARTLETT mentioned that Mary
BAKER/CANNING/KENTFULL 2nd husband Thomas KENTFULL was buried by Coroners
Order, but any information relating to this event might be found in a
newspaper report. She was unable to find any Coroners report about Thomas
KENTFULL. Thomas was buried on 1 August 1874.
I don't expect you to answer all my queries; my intention is to give you an
idea about my area of research and maybe a little advice on the best way to
go.
Contact may be made to John Canning, PO Box 17 Koumala, Queensland, 4738
Australia. E-mail: johnd(a)harveynorman.com.au
Regards
John Canning
<johnd(a)harveynorman.com.au>