Frank was born in 1880 in New Brompton Kent to John Hannan and Emily nee Sherwood. Amongst his siblings were two sets of twins though only one child of the four lived beyond infancy.
After leaving home Frank lived with some distant relatives of his mothers in Luton Road Chatham. He was a baker’s roundsman as a young man and later a dockworker and ship's stoker. In 1924 he worked on the Tyrherennia ship for the Cunard Line. The ship sailed to New York via Bermuda. [Source: Ancestry ship's records, and Ellis Island records online] Frank joined the ship in Liverpool though he was usually based at Chatham Kent. Frank got off the ship to look around at New York passing through the Ellis Island immigration centre. In 1929 he was a stoker on the Pacific Steam Ship Company's ship Orbits for it's voyage from Bermuda to Liverpool. [Source: National Archives crew lists].
Frank died in a road traffic accident in 1969. Frank married Florence Kathleen Goodwin after the death of Ellen.
Ellen was known as Nellie. She was born in 1880 Chatham Kent but also grew up in Rochester. Her parents were William George Plumpton and Rose Hannah nee Brisley. [Source parish records on microfilm at Medway Archives] As a young woman she lived with her married sister Rose in the Isle Of Sheppey, Sheerness. Ellen was then a domestic servant employed in her sister's boarding house in Kings Head Alley. She first married Cecil Hadler on Sheppey but he died within weeks of the marriage [Source public record office online indexes] Around a year later she married our Frank. He was already a relative of sorts as Ellen and Frank had siblings married to one another. Ellen's other siblings included twins Charles and James who died in infancy.
Ellen died in the local workhouse infirmary after a sudden illness while in her early fifties. [Source Medway Archives workhouse registers] Her workhouse admission papers say she was a nonconformist Christian then. Her maternal grandmother was raised as a Wesleyan so may have influenced her in that way.
In December 1916 Ellen suffered an assault in a local fish and chip shop when another customer punched in the face leading to a black eye. Ellen was a regular at the shop and had a running joke with the owners where she would tell them she needed quick service as she must rush off to Rainham. The origins of this joke, are a mystery to me but it seems that the lady who assaulted her, a Mrs Glanville, was unaware of it and took umbrage at what she thought was Ellen acting above herself and making a real request for special treatment. ("YOU don't need to go to Rainham. YOU live in a back alley") The judge called the assault "unwarranted and lamentable" and gave the assailant a heavy fine. Source [Chatham News,1916 via BNA, Court records ], Personal Knowledge]
ALFRED JAMES REEVES MARTIN and ANNE CARD
Alfred ,known as Alf, was born in 1861 in Edenbridge Kent to an unmarried mother, Ann Martin.[Source: original Edenbridge parish records] His father is unknown but if his mother followed the standard baby naming conventions of unmarried mothers the man's last name was Reeves. Alfred was not baptised until the age of 2, perhaps suggesting that Ann delayed the event in the hope of being able to present herself as a married woman, but for whatever reason that wasn't to be. Alfred's marriage certificate says that his father is an Alfred Martin .This was of course just the type of face-saving statement that so many illegitimate children made upon marriage, so as not to have to explain why they did not have their father's last name.
Alfred appears alone on the 1871 census at Sevenoaks Union Workhouse Sundridge Kent [source: microfilm local archives] His mother had perhaps died in Sundridge two years previously but that may be a married woman who was living there with that name.
In 1878 Alfred joined the Army [Source: National Archives British Army Records] to fight in the second Anglo-Afghan War, initially in the "Queens Own Yorkshire Rifle". Later he served in the "8th division Light Infantry". After his standard 6 years of service Alfred extended his service for another 6 years. He served in the 2nd Anglo Afghan war in Afghanistan. [Source British Army records at the National Archives, same records checked again online via Find My Past]
He had worked as a carman (delivery driver) before his army life. After it he worked as a foreman coal heaver for Hortons Westerham Kent and then as the foreman of Horton's timber mill Westerham. He lived with his wife at 1 Railway Terrace Westerham, opposite Horton's premises. Railway Terrace was originally known as Hortons Cottages.
In 1896 he appeared as a court witness for the defence when his employer was accused of selling short weighted coal. This was a ridiculous case brought about by an inspector noticing a few lumps bounced away out of some sacks of coal whilst they were being delivered and not picked up straight away by the workers. [Source: Sevenoaks Chronicle, 1896]
In 1917 he was fined for failing to have a dog licence. Half of Westerham seem to have been similarly prosecuted so I suppose the village just didn't approve of having to get a license! [Source: Sevenoaks Chronicle 1917 via the BNA]
Alfred died in 1937. It was reported at the time that he was a popular man with both his colleagues and customers and a founder member of Westerham British Legion.
Anne was usually known as Annie. She was born in Edenbridge but also spent parts of her childhood in Lingfield Surrey and Westerham Kent where she married Alfred in 1891 a little after their first child was born. Her parents were Cornelius Card and Mary nee Peacock.
Annie was fined along with her co-accused after fighting in the garden of her neighbour Harriet Funnell. The two women came to blows after their two young children themselves fell out over a stick which they had been playing with. Annie went to protect her son John after Mrs Funnell appeared to hit him. Annie threw dust in Harriet's face when pursued and received a cut lip in return. Both women seem to have initially acted upon half seen things spied from the kitchen window, each presuming their own child was being ill treated by the other child, and then presuming the other mother to be unfairly siding with their own offspring. Harriet seems to have mistakenly believed that Annie or her child deliberately and maliciously hit her with a stick as they went to leave (rather than accidentally doing so as they turned). Annie's son Harry had previously been involved in a fight with two men of the same Funnell household. This Harry got in greater trouble in 1931 when it was revealed that he had made a bigamous marriage! Annie's son Christopher as a young teenager found himself in court for stealing a scarecrow (partner in crime= Funnell boy from next door!)
Annie was close to her younger brother George who lived with her and her husband and children for some years. Annie suffered embarrassment however when George and another man stole oats from her husband's employer Mr Horton, who had also employed him. This young man had previously been in court with his friends for using bad language in the street. He was also accused of poaching and riding a bike without a light. Mr Horton however said he did think that George was of bad character though. My mum remembered being taken to meet George by her grandma as a small girl.
Annie also had a brother called Harry who worked in Westerham brewery.
Mum's Great Grandparents here
Mum's Great Great Grandparents here
Mum's Great x3 Grandparents here
Mum's Great x4 Grandparents (updated) here
Mum's Great x5 Grandparents (updated) here
Mum's Great x6 Grandparents (updated) here
Mum's Great x7 Grandparents Part One here
More generations coming
Written and researched by Charlotte.
