Sennett Elders

I've found all this material to be very complicated, and so I have rejigged the post in order to make things simpler. A deal of the interesting story of the treasure hunt has been cut out, but I'm hoping to return elements of it later. Do talk to me if you can't find anything you need.
As always, I'm very grateful to the online community of genealogists for all their help with this material. Some are Sennett cousins, some not - gushing thanks are due to them all. I can particularly mention Cate, Elliot, Heather and Corinne.

First, to recap where we are on our family tree:
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick married my Great Grandfather James Sennett in 1913. Lizzie & James had three children: Jack, Austin, and Mary (my Grandmother - the youngest, born in 1923). James Sennett lived from 1892 to 1958.

James' parents are shown on the right here; the photo has been marked as showing William & Jane Sennett.






Our William Sennett was born at Tottenham (near Coundon) in 1858, and his family were settled in the Bishop Auckland area of Durham. He was one of a large family of colliers.

Read more about this William in the next posts (birth, adult life).
If you want to find out more about James, see this post. For more on his siblings, including his half-brother, Jack - see this post.

So to begin, let's go back as far as we can (currently!). . . It should be noted, however, that my research was done in the opposite direction! It's important to start with what you know & work backwards in time.

Very early records on SENNETT
I know from the post-1851 Census returns in County Durham that my ancestors were miners named William or James Sennett. In fact, in early records the name was often recorded as Sinnett, gradually evolving into Sennett by 1891. It could just be that the registrars had trouble with the Irish accent!

I began by assuming that the men are brothers, but am now coming round to the idea the James & William are actually the same man. This is based on little except a feeling - I don't have any real proof either way. I don't yet see the two men in the room at the same time, so to speak!!

"They" tell us in their Census returns that they were born in County Wicklow of Ireland (on the East Coast) in the years 1830 & 1833 respectively. We can perhaps presume that the men/man came over to Britain in the years of the Potato Famine (1848) rather like my other ancestor, Thomas Fitzpatrick from Tipperary. I cannot yet tell any more about the men as I don't know which Wicklow town or parish they were born in.

Read more on the year 1851 and the Potato Famine, here.
Read more about Wicklow here (or on GENUKI):  or view photographs, here.
Read more about the Sinnotts of County Wexford (of whom there are still many) in this post on Genforum. I was chuffed to see the motto quoted for the Sinnot Coat of arms: "Trust in God and Sin Not".

The theory that the two men are actually one man (who uses his two names interchangeably) was first suggested by the 1864 marriage record of James where he gives his full name as James William Sinnett (more on this later).

In the 1861 Census, there are just a few Sinnetts living in Durham who were born in Ireland (county unknown):
William Sinnett (~1830), and his wife Jane Sinnett (~1829) {my ancestors}.

Also James Sinnet (1823, Miner), Catherine Sinnet (~1826), and their children Michael & Sarah Sinnet (1849 & 1851, born Ireland), also a daughter born in Whitehaven (Cumb.) and 2 sons born in Coundon. They all lived at (Tottenham) Coundon in 1861. Don't know who these folk are - cousins?
{A Michael Sennett married in Hartlepool in 1880, and but was not found in the 1881/1891 Durham Census.}
{2 Sarah Sinnetts married in Durham - one in 1871 (Gateshead) & another in 1876 (Easington)}

Also the 53 year-old Upholsterer boarding in Darlington, James Sennett (born 1808, Ireland). In the same boarding house is a married Irish lady, Maria Sinnett (42) who is also an upholsterer and is probably his wife.

Also a Sennett couple in Birtley - married in 1859 (Parish record held on FMP) - John Sennett and Dorothy nee Braban.

William & James - Maybe!
I've not yet found any definite references to the Sennetts in the 1851 Census.
I have found a page which shows me two young men in the 1851 Census who are living with their parents in Dover. This family moved around a lot, but they are a little too young to be our guys...
Father: James Sennett; Coastguard Boatman born in Cornwall, ~1809.
Wife: Amelia Sennett; born Penzance ~1811.
Sons: William (15, born Ireland), and James (11, born in Cornwall)

Another possibility in the 1851 Census is a Private in the Army, at Brompton Barracks in Gillingham, Kent: James Sinnett, born Down, Ireland, ~1833; aged 18. That would be just prior to the Crimean War 1853/6. See a pdf here about Brompton Barracks, Chatham as they are now. Note lovely tiger in photo on page 2.
Engineering/Sapper would be a good fit for a man who later became a miner, or whose father was a miner. And can it be mere coincidence that his descendant Harry Sennett was also to be found at Chatham in 1911?! Why let a good story be spoilt by the facts, eh?


William & James - Definitely!
The first concrete sign of the men I have found in the records is from 1858, for the birth of my ancestor William Sennett. You can find details about his birth certificate here.
It told me that he was born in Tottenham, to William & Jane Sennett. I have looked for a marriage record for the parents William & Jane, but with no result so far - so I can only presume that they married in Ireland (as they were both born there).

**Latest**
Lovely bit of researching now by Elliot (another possible descendant of James/William Sennett born 1833) has turned up a record of the marriage between widow Jane Hope (father Alexander McIlwaine, farmer) and James Sinnett/Sinneth. The clever difference between my research & Elliot's was that I persisted in looking for a William, whereas he has gone with James & struck gold! He even has a copy of the original Bishop's transcript.
The date is 1857, and it takes place in Belfast. Perhaps the couple were on their way over from Belfast to Whitehaven, to get to Co. Durham?
Many Thanks to Elliot for sharing his luck with us. And thank heavens for the internet!

The bride was a Seamstress and a widow, and her name is very clearly entered as Jane McILVAINE and then Jane HOPE  - which tells us that her first marriage was to a man named Hope. (Had previously read Jane's name as McVene on the birth cert of her son William.)
By the way, any relation to this McIlvaine ??! Probably not.

The groom James Sinnett, meanwhile, was a Private of the 50th Regiment, or 50th Foot.
I've found references to the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot, which was indeed deployed in Ireland in 1856 and early 1857. With my modern-day view, I thought it very strange that an Irish lad should be in an English Army, but apparently the 50th Foot was full of Irish lads. Recruitment drives marched through the villages, banging their drums. No doubt a steady wage was an attractive opportunity during the famine.

The 50th Foot were deployed in the Crimea around 1855. The name Sinnett does not appear on the medal roll, so it would appear that our lad served elsewhere. For which he & we can be very grateful! You can read about the Crimean War here, and especially here.
After the stint in Ireland, they were deployed in Ceylon in October 1857. (New Zealand was next.) My main source has been the very helpful 50th Regimental Museum, but there are also sites such as this Wiki entry, another page on the 50th, and a page about the later West Kent.
Why the 50th (Queen's Own) regiment? It was so named for the popular consort of William IV, a German princess named Adelaide.

A page about an Australian tour of duty gives the name Denis Sinnott as one of the men in the 50th Foot (1834-1841), but no further details are available for him.

The 50th Foot became known as the West Kent Regiment after 1881, based at Chatham. Now look again at that 1851 census entry (above) for a Private Sinnett at Chatham...??

James' father was also named in that Belfast marriage record as James Sinnett, and we are told he was a coal miner.
I've discovered that I knew shockingly little about coal mining in early 19th C Ireland - so I dug around at the coalface known as Google to find out more. This text from 1838 tells us that Copper mining was found in Wicklow, but not coal. A little coal was mined in Antrim, but the main coal fields were in Leinster, Tipperary, Munster, Connaught & in Tyrone.  Hmmm.


Sennetts settle in County Durham
Next we can find them (recorded with the spelling Sinnet) in the 1861 Census of number 6 (??) Quarry Houses in Tottenham, and there are also 3 adult lodgers in the house. (Read more about Tottenham here on another little post.) This 1861 Census tells us that Jane Sinnet was aged 32 and born in Ireland. Her husband William Sinnet was born (in Ireland) in 1830, and he worked as a miner. The children were our ancestor William Sinnet Junior (aged 2) and his baby sister Martha Jane Sinnet.

If the theory is that James & William are 2 different men, then where was James Sennett in 1861?? I haven't found him in England.
Still in Ireland?? Age recorded wrongly on the 1861 Census? Or has he just changed his name to William?
And then after the mid-1860's, I find no further reference to William Sennett until a possible hit for his death in 1903.

&&&&&

In the 1871 Census, I found that our young William was living in the household of James Sennet (born 1833, Wicklow) - who records that he was his father. James worked as a miner and was married to a younger woman, Margaret {young enough at 26 that she was must be William's step-mother, rather than his biological mother}.

The family were living at 31, Albert St., Willington. (NB: The name is spelled 'Sennet', this time. Albert St. is not on the current map - built over? or perhaps it should have been Albion Place?)
James Sennet, born ~1833, Wicklow, Ireland; Miner,
Wife Margaret, born ~1845, born Castle Eden
Son William Sennet (born Coundon, 1859, Miner - so he's aged 12 - good grief- not surprising that they didn't learn to read, eh?)
and 5 younger siblings; Jane (11), Ann (8), Esther (6), Susannah (5) and baby James (1, born Willington).

Jane on this list would seem to be the Martha Jane Sinnett who was born in 1860; William's full sister. William (aged 12 there) will later become the father of my Grt Grandfather James Sennett.
I've searched high & low and cannot find Esther in any other records.

If you go and have a look at this old map of Co. Durham (from 1840), you'll see that railroads provided a good service between the areas of Coundon, Willington and Castle Eden.

So what happened to the parents William Sennett (born 1833) and Jane McVene?
The original idea was that they have moved away, but their children remained with their Uncle/Cousin James Sennett to be brought up with his own children.
I haven't found any records of Willm & Jane living elsewhere in England, in 1871, 1881, or 1891.
Another theory is that they both died, and the children were adopted by their Uncle James.

• Jane Sinnett (aged 34) did die in February 1864, after 10 months suffering Phthisis pulmonalis (TB). She was recorded as the wife of William Sinnett, coal miner, of Coundon. None of her previous names are given on the cert, so I can't be sure if she was Jane (nee McVene) or not. Informant was Elizabeth Hallam, present at the death - do you recognise her? We know from other ancestors that it was common for mothers of young children to die of consumption (TB) of the lungs - the strain of several pregnancies has taken weakened her health. See this interesting part of an 1857 text.

• I've not found a reference to the death (1861 -1871) of any man named William Sennett, but there is a record which fits in the year 1903 (more below). This could be the same man, in which case we have found that he was a widower all that time (1864-1903) with his children adopted, and living with James' own children. We know that James William Sinnett was a widower when he married in June 1864.

The newest theory is that William's father William chose to name himself as James Sennett from 1861/1864, rather than William Sennett. In other words, perhaps there aren't two brothers, but rather just one man. Can't think of any way to prove that!

I have seen the certificate of the June 1864 marriage of widower James William Sinnett (32) & Margaret Welch (20), both of Coundon. James was recorded as a miner, but he neglected to add any details for his father. Perhaps he didn't know his father?
Margaret's father was John Welch (also a miner) and a descendant of his (Hi Cate!) told me some more about the Welch/Welsh family. Margaret's parents (miner John Welch & Margaret Wilkinson) married in Houghton-le-Spring in 1826 . The family lived at Castle Eden Colliery, then later at Trimdon and, by 1861, at Tottenham, Coundon. Margaret Junior was born in 1845, in Castle Eden. She worked as an Ag Lab in Tottenham.
In 1862, Margaret Welch Junior had a child named Isabella. Cate found the birth cert for her and confirms that the child's father is not named - Speculation abounds!
The child was brought up by her grandparents, and later married a James Barber.

It's curious to note that James & Margaret's marriage was not preceded by Banns; they used a Superintendant Registrar's Certificate. I have learnt that these are rare - but this is my second now!
WHY? It can be a sign that the marriage was of mixed religions - and Cate tells us that the Welch family were almost certainly staunch Methodists.
It may be a sign that the vicar would rather keep the marriage very quiet. It's also a slightly quicker way of marrying, rather than waiting for Banns. After all, there were some little children who needed a mother here.

If James is also William, then... to summarise...
Irish lad James/William Sennett was son of a miner, perhaps in Co. Wicklow. He was a soldier with an English Regiment, then married the Irish lass Jane (previously a McIlwaine, who married a Mr. Hope & was widowed) in Belfast & they settled in Durham where he returned to mining.
They had 3 children & then she died aged 34 in February 1864. James William married young Margaret Welch in June 1864, and had 7 further children. Margaret died in 1891, and James/William died in 1903.

*****

FreeBMD lists the following birth registrations for William's children-

• Martha Jane Sinnett, born Auckland 1860;
• {Also a Patrick Sinnett born in same period, who could be a twin, who died as an infant? I do find a Patrick Sennett (miner, born Auckland, ~1862) in the 1881 Census of East Murton with his widowed mother Catherine Sennett (born Ireland ~1840).}

• Ann Sinnet, born Auckland 1862;

• not yet found any entries for Esther;

• Susannah Sinnett, born Auckland 1866 {Thanks to Elliot, we know she was born at White Lee, Crook, in March 1866. Her parents were named as James Willm S & Margaret Welsh};

• James Sinnett, born Auckland, 1869.
• And additionally, a John Sinnett (1867) who may have been a cousin, or he may have died before the next Census was taken. {There is an infant named John Sinnett in the deaths index for 1869. The couple do have another son named John in ~1875; he is seen in the census returns.}
• In the next decade, we can see a John Sinnett born 1874; Jane Sinnett (born 1877, and perhaps she's also the infant who died in 1877?); an Ellen Sinnett (1878), as well as John William Sinnett born 1878 (to William Junior).

The children can be followed through their next few decades by following BMD records, and the next few Census returns.

I know that our William moved out before 1881; he was living in Willington with his own young family, having married Deborah Smurthwaite in 1877. Click here to read more on this couple, though I have duplicated a few brief details on this page.

I looked forward in time to see what became of James & Margaret after William Junior moved out - I looked to the 1881 census and found James living in Rumby Hill, near Crook.
James is entered as a 47-year-old Miner, born in Wicklow.
His wife Margaret was aged 35 and born in Castle Eden, Co. Durham.
Of the children shown in the earlier census return, only Susannah (15) & James (12) remain at home.
4 further children have been born, all in Willington; John (6), Mary (5), George William (2), and Edward (3 months old). This shows us they've only just moved to Rumby Hill.

<<<<<>>>>>

Using Free BMD and the Durham CC site, I have found a record of a marriage in 1882 in the Weardale area between Ann Sennett & James Moore. I also found Ann Sinnet (born Coundon, 1862) who lived as a Domestic Servant with the greengrocer family (Boal, from Newtownards/Newtownlands? in Ireland) at 31 High St., Willington, 1881 Census. (High St is now the A690., and it was just along from an unknown pub, the Royal Tent/Jent??)
The other girls (Jane, Esther) are perhaps in service in 1881, but I've not found them.

There are three records of the marriage of men named James Sennett in the period:

• 1890; James Sennett & Martha Blackmoor. (If you look at the 1891 Census, you'll see that our James was a single man living at his father's house so it's likely not him.) 1891 census - James & Martha Sennett at 2 Princess St, East Murton, Durham. James -miner from Auckland, Martha was born in Murton Colliery, Durham ~1871. They have a daughter Catherine age 5 months. In 1901, James (Hewer, born Auckland 1869) & Martha (Murton) were at 35 Stewart St, Seaham. They have two more children Mary & James.

• 1891; James Sennet & Theresa Garbutt. (I know that Teresa was born in Co. Durham in 1869, but her James may have died soon after their marriage, which explains why I can't see any Census returns for the couple. Also haven't yet found an entry on the death index for this James. Perhaps he married twice?)

• 1892; James Sennet & Charlotte Howe (According to later census, he was born in 1873 - thanks to my contacts on this branch, e.g. Elliot, we think he was born in 1869, so he's the best fit at the moment.). The 1901 census shows us a James (Hewer, born Willington, 1873) with Charlotte (born Cornsay). They had 10 children.

<<<<<>>>>>

In the 1891 Census, we see James Sennett Senior was living in the area of North Bitchburn (which is between Hunwick & Howden- see a community site here for pictures of Hunwick, but it is a little flaky so you may wish to Google directly, or try using Francis Frith.com).

He was recorded as a miner aged 58, and his birthplace was mis-transcribed as Wicklewood, Ireland. His children James (21, a miner), Mary (15), George & Edward (10) were with him, also a domestic servant (Emily Gardner, 19, of Newton Cap).
James was listed as a Widow, so Margaret had died by 1891. We can see the Auckland record of the death for a Margaret Sennet (one T) in 1st quarter of 1891; just before the 1891 Census. She was aged 46, (no other Durham records suit this Margaret).

Not yet found what happened to Susannah- perhaps she married in 1883?? She was born 1866, so it's a bit early for her to be the lass Susannah Sennett who married in Auckland in 1883. {To John Driver, thanks to the Durham BMD office for the info.}

Son John Sennett has been spotted living with William Sennett, his older brother, at Witton Park in 1891 - see below for more details, or click here.

<<<<<>>>>>

I haven't yet found James in the 1901 Census. BUT, there was in 1903, a William Sennett (aged 75) who died in the Auckland area - he would be the correct age to be our William. Unlike Scottish certificates, his death certificate does not tell us the name of his former wives. The informant was his son William Sennett of Byers Green, and his former trade was described as miner.

In addition, I've found on the 1881 Census - William Sinnatt (51, born Ireland Woxford, Labourer) lodging at a very large boarding house in Gateshead; 21 Bridge St.

And on the 1891 census the only candidate I've found was an inmate of Holborn Union Infirmary, Shoreditch - William Sinnod - Widow, Labourer, aged 62, born Ireland.

And finally, on the 1901 Census I've found a William Sinnet (transcribed as Sinner!) boarding at the home of Edward & Catherine Ellis (or Ealis or Eales) on Thompson St., Witton Park. Catherine was Irish-born, too. William no longer gave a trade, but was aged 72 and was born in Wicklow. I think this is very likely to be our guy. Wonder why he's reverted to the old name? The difference here is that someone else is filling in the form - he's no longer the Head of the Household.

In 1895, Mary Sennett married John Stephenson. So in the 1901 Census; Mary (nee Sennett?) and John Stephenson (Colliery Brakesman, aged 37) were living at 26 Albion St., Witton Park. She had her own 2 small children in the household (John & George Wm Stephenson {not that Geo Stephenson!!}), but also her neice Sarah Isabella Sennett (5) - she was a child of James & Charlotte Sennett.

George & Edward Sennett were boarding at the Barber household in Quarry Burn, 1901, which was the home of Margaret (nee Welch) Sennett's daughter Isabella (born 1862, no named father).

James Sennett Junior was more tricky as there are a few. One James Sennett (miner, 28, born Willington) was living in Witton Park. He was married to Charlotte (born in Cornsay) & had 10 children. My contact on this line, Elliot has told me a little about this couple - thankyou! The couple give their ages as a little younger than they seem to be when they fill out later Census forms. We think, therefore that this James was born in 1869 rather than 1873.

&&&&&&&

William's first child, William Sennett
Now we are edging into the area of people who are remembered in the family!

Read more detail about this William in the next posts (birth, adult life).
William's son William was later to become the father of our James Sennett (born 1892). We knew that he was widowed at a very young age (~19??). We knew James had a much older half-brother, Jack.

My Gran didn't know William's first wife's name at all - but I now know it to be Deborah. That's because I came into contact with Heather - a descendant of Deborah's sister - who has been very helpful, as you'll see later. Thanks to GenesReunited for effecting the introduction, hope you don't mind the quick plug there.

1881 Census
William moved out of his family home sometime after the 1871 Census, and we know that he married in the year 1877 (FreeBMD). He was found on the 1881 Census at 33 Albert St., Willington.
Note that in 1871, James Senior was living at 31 Albert St.

William Sennett, (aged 23) Miner, with wife Deborah, and son, John (born ~1879)
The facts generally fit - occupation as a miner, son called John.
We thought of him as being widowed at the age of 19. Perhaps that information is only slightly out & poor Deborah was about to die just after this Census was taken.

About William himself, I know that he was known as Bill. He was an entertainer in an Easington club (clog-dancing & singing). His job was described as a Master Shifter (he repaired the passages in the mine, probably Easington), and we know that he learned to read very late in life. His second wife, Jane, is remembered as having become blind, and that her own mother drowned. She is thought to be the very young-looking lass in the photo above, which was clearly marked William & Jane Sennett.

Actually, there is more than a little confusion over the name of William's second wife! She is remembered in the family history as Jane. In a cousin's family though, her name is remembered as Mary.
The 1901 & 1911 Census, however, records his wife as Anne (born 1866, Trimdon), and the 1892 birth certificate for our James Sennett records his mother's name as Emily. Their 1887 marriage record gives her name as Emily.
Some of these names could be the results of mistakes in the records, but also Jane could simply have used several different names. Or William was a bit of a Ladies' Man!

*******

I do also have a theory that the names on the photo are correct, but we are looking at folk from a generation above.
We know that the Irishman William Sinnett had a child (our William, 1858) by a Jane Sinnett (nee McVene). Perhaps this was them instead, not the generation below as we assumed?? They look too young for the technology, though?

I looked up the Photographer, named on the bottom of the image (Bacon & Johnson) - this site has the information. They operated in South St. Bishop Auckland, certainly in the years 1879 & 1884 (and perhaps later) but are not thought to have been formed earlier than that. I want to scour some trade directories to be sure (amazing how early a photographer could be found in Bishop! Photo cards like this would have been made right back into the early 1860's, but the styles point us to a later date in this case.)

My William Senior would have been in his late 40's in 1880, and his wife Jane died in 1864, we now know. Judging by the ages of the couple in the photo, I think it must be the younger William, and his wife's name has been mis-recorded again. I reckon the photo was taken in the late 1880's, or the 1890's.
But I'm still open to persuasion on this!
More on photographers here, on early photography here (Thanks Elliot, it is interesting) and more on dating your olde photos here.

*******

The 1891 Census return
The family of William Sennett, (son of William Sennett) was recorded at 21, King St., Witton Park (Escomb).
William Sennett (33, miner) and his second wife, Emily (26).
John W. Sennett (12); Jane A. Sennett (9); Deborah (4); Harry (2); John Sennett (Miner, 16, son of James Sennett? - recorded as a brother);
and Elizabeth A. Fleming (domestic).

The 1901 Census return of Byers Green.
William Sennett, 42, (born Tottingham, Coal Miner Hewer)
Anne Sennett, 35, born Trimdon {It is quite clearly written Anne, not Jane, not Emily.}
with children Deborah, 14; Henry; James, (9) {My Ancestor}; Isabella; William; Joseph; and Mary Jane.

See the following links to pages for old photos of these towns: of Sunnybrow and Willington, (and also the Frances Frith site), and of Byers Green.

Thanks (once more!) to Heather for the tip - 'Tottingham' where William was born is most likely Tottenham, near Coundon, Co. Durham. Link here. It seems to be just North of where the industrial zone is now - look for Helmsley Drive/Ambleton Road. Little of the historical landscape survives.

My Gran didn't remember an Uncle Joseph, but she did remember an additional person, Aunty Ann. Presumably was born after Mary Jane, i.e. after 1901? I have not yet found any records to prove she existed!!

&&&&&

More information on the Wearmouth miners' strike of 1869 can be found here.
If you wish to find out more about the Willington area - try the Durham Miners Project site, where you'll see several articles about the pits, schools, shops etc. in Willington.

Also a page here which tells us a little about Irish immigrants in Durham from 1840. Another such article is to be found in the Durham Memories series of the Northern Echo.
Photos can be seen here.

NB: there are lots of other Willingtons, e.g. in Bedfordshire & Derbyshire. I'm talking here about Willington, Co. Durham.