We know from her marriage certificate that Sophie's father was Thomas Jenour and, from the census re…

Shared note

We know from her marriage certificate that Sophie's father was Thomas Jenour and, from the census returns, that she was born in India.

From Elaine, decended from Alfred Jenour: Thomas was the son of Joshua Jenour
and Harriet Andrewes. “I have him born in 1791 which makes him the 5th
or 6th child of 10. Joshua went on to marry again and have a further
three children.”

Thomas is listed as the 5th child of Joshua in the Boyd’s index of London.

Ancestry.com has transcription of a baptism at St Mary the Virgin, Chigwell, Essex of Thomas Janque, parents Joshua and Harriot on 28 November 1790. This is a close fit but there is no image to check the name.

1809 Thomas Jenour’s promotion from ensign to Leiutenant in 14th [Buckinghamshire Regiment of Foot] was announced by the War Office on 6th June 1809 and published in the London Gazette (Gazette Issue 16263 published on the 3 June 1809 page 808 and 809). Note that the regiment was renamed by War Office announcement made the previous day (page 808). An 1812 list of all Officers of the Army and Royal Marine show Lieut Thomas Jenour int 14th Foot {of Buckinghamshire] appointed to his rank in the regiment on 25th May 1809. https://archive.org/details/rcmitest00uoft/page/152/mode/2up

1810 There is a military record of a Leiutenant Thomas Jenour of the 14th Buckinghamshire Regiment, 2nd battalion arriving in Malta (possibly en route to India) in July1810. (http://website.lineone.net?~peterbidmead/regimaents.htm

1813 There is also a record of this same Thomas's (Lieutenant in 14th Buckinghamshires) marriage to Mary Cole on 19th January 1813, Newport, Hampshire (by licence) - Pallot's Index.

1813 Lieutenant Jenour of HM 14th Regiment and Mrs Jenour arrived in Madras, India aboard the Lord Melville on 9th August 1813

1813 Record of birth of son Thomas Henry on 13th November 1813 to Thomas, Lt of 14th H M and Mary at Ft William, Bengal (British Library India Office, on line record)

There are also records of Eliza Isabella’s and Amelia’s birth and baptism in India to Thomas and Mary, but nothing yet found for Sophia.

1814-1815 From 25/12/1814 to 15/1/1815 Lieut Thomas Jenour was stationed at Rogonaulpore Camp  with 14th Foot 1st Battalion.

1819 A Captain Jenour is mentioned for his bravery in the dispatches of Brigadier General Pritzer in connection with the siege and capture of Copauldroog on 14th May 1819. Although “our” Thomas must have been in India until at least 1820 (Sophie was born about 1820 in Cawnpore), this is unlikely to be him as he was still addressed as Lieutenant when in Isle of Man a decade later.

1821/1822 Likely that Thomas retired from military service on half pay. [Various articles from London Gazette and other publications]

A list of the officers of the army and the Corps of Royal Marines issued by the War Office lists a Lieutenant Thomas Jenour, 93rd regiment of Foot, 25 May 1809 put on half pay from 18th October 1821. This date of appointment matches that above, so lkely to be Thomas Jenour of 14th Buckinghamshires but 93rd Foot appears to be a Scottish regiment and it is unclear how Thomas moved from 14th to 93rd, or even if he did change. The 93rd regiment of foot did not go to India, at the time they served in South Africa and the Americas. In the 1812 list of officers there is no Liet. Jenour in 93rd Foot.

A later list from the war office dated 22nd June 1830 states “The half pay of the undermentioned officers has been cancelled from 22nd inst. inclusive upon their receiving a commuted allowance for their commission” and Lieutenant Thomas Jenour h.p., 93rd Foot is listed. The link on appointment date (25 May 1809) means this is probably the same Thomas and he at some point moved to 93rd Foot regiment and was put into semi retirement in 1821 and finally de-commissioned from the army in 1830.

The half pay of a lieutenant was not considered sufficient to support a family. There is also a report in the London Gazette in January 1822: “The appointment of Lieut. Ware, from 89th Foot, to be Lieutentant in the 14th Foot, as stated in the Gazette of the 17th November, should be vice Thomas Jenour, who retires upon half-pay 93rd Foot, instead of Jenour, dismissed the service.

On 26th March 1822 Constantine Jenour, son of Thomas Jenour and Mary Cole is christened at St Mary Magdelene church in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottingham. Constantine later appears in the 1841 census with Thomas and Amelia.

1823 The Arrivals from Madras Almanac 1821-1824 records a passenger Captain Jenour arriving from Madras on 10th May 1823 on board the Eliza, captained by Capt. Ward, but this is unlikely to be Thomas because a 1829 newspaper entry (Manx Sun 31 March 1829), reporting the death of his son Robert, addressed Thomas as Lieut. Jenour. However, this returning Captain may have been Matthew Jenour, likely to be Thomas’ brother, and known for his long service in India.

The Derby Chronicle on 4th June 1823 reports the death of Harriet Jenour: “On Monday night, at Sutton Hall near Mansfield, the residence of Thomas Jenour, Esq. Mrs Harriet Jenour, aged 64, the mother of the gentleman above.” Did Harriet die where Constantine was born? Was Thomas there for either or both events? If this is “our” Thomas he still appears to be well to do although much later he appears to be less well off, if not poor.

Note: The only information I can find on a Sutton Hall near Mansfield is that built and occupied by the Unwin family. From on-line sources I can find no reference to Thomas Jenour owning or leasing all or part of it.

1824 Julia Jenour, daughter of Thomas and Mary was baptised at St Mary Magdelene, Sutton in Ashfield on 14th Feb 1824.

Sometime later in 1824 Thomas and Mary must have moved to the Isle of Man. So far no reason has been discovered.

1825 On 18th February 1825, Robert, the son of Thomas Jenour and Mary Cole was christened in German, Isle of Man. See http://www.imuseum.im/FamilyHistory/View.mth?EntryID=3331071&issourcerecord=true

1826 On 12th December 1826 William Jenour, son of Thomas Jenour and Mary Cole was christened in Kirk German, Isle of Man (England birth and christening records via Ancestry.co.uk)

From memorial inscriptions of St. Peter's Peel (now demolished) http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/famhist/mis/peel.htm

1829 "Sacred to the memory of Robert son of Thos and Mary JENOUR who departed this life the 6th of March 1829 aged 4 years
also to the memory of Mary Ann daughter of the above who departed this life the 20th June 1828 aged 2 months
Take that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angel do always Behold the face of my Father which is in heaven St Matth xviii:10."

On 29th July 1829 the following notice was published in the Manx Sun Newspaper:
Notice. We, the Undersigned, Debtors in the Goal of Castle Rushen, intend taking the Benefit of the Insolvent Act of this Isle, at a Court to be holden for that purpose at Castle Rushen, on Monday, the 31st Day of August 1829. A copy of the Schedules are placed in the Rolls Office for the inspection of our respective Creditors.
Thomas Jenour, William Fisher, Jos. S. Hodgkin, Charles Perry, James Kelly, his x mark.
Castle Rushen, July 29, 1829.

In July 1834 a series of notices were printed in the Manx Sun and the Mona’s Herald:
Notice to Creditors
All persons having Claims on the Estate of THOMAS JENOUR, are to attend to provde the same before his Honor the Clerk of the Rolls, at the Court House Castle Rushen, on Wednesday, the 16th of July Instant, in order to a distribution of his Estate.

So it appears that something happened and Thomas became insolvent? But what?

1834 Pigot & Co’s Directory, Lancashire, Liverpool. Thomas Jenour is listed as running a [day] school at 3 Greenland Street. The entry is under “Accadamies, Seminaries and Public Schools. Not otherwise described are day schools”. Could this be related to the later description of Thomas as a scripture reader?

1841: Thomas, aged 48 is living in James's Buildings in Liverpool with his son Constantine a marine (age given as 15 but most likely 19) and his daughter Amelia 20. Thomas gives his occupation as Warehouseman. IGI record places Constantine's birth in Nottinghamshire in 1822, parents Thomas Jenour and Mary Cole. Later census records place Amelia's birth in Carnpawe, India, the place of Sophie's birth. This relationship between Thomas, Constantine and Amelia together with the other information known about all three is reasonably conclusive evidence that we have found the correct family of Jenours. There is no mention of Mary so it is probable that she had already died. (HO107/563/6 p11)

1845 Thomas is mentioned in the book “The Railway Navies” by Terry Coleman, “Thomas Jenour, formerly a soldier, but in 1845 employed by the pastoral Aid Society as a reader on the Croyden and Epsom Railway”.

1846: Daughter Sophie marries. Sophie's marriage certificate gives her father's occupation as scripture reader. It does not mean he can't be the same Thomas Jenour of the 14th's. The evidence of Thomas and Mary (nee Cole) being on the Isle of Man between 1825 and approximately 1834 suggests he had left the Army and had some how become insolvent and imprisoned as in insolvent debtor. He may then have moved to Liverpool and indeed he appears to have spent some time running a school (1834) and even as a warehouseman (1841) in Liverpool.

A reference in the Navvyman by Dick Sullivan (chapter 4 p 26) mentioning Thomas Jenour could be to the same person as the description is consistent with a scripture reader: 'A randy is a drunk frolic,' Thomas Jenour, missionary on the Croydon-Epsom railway, told the 1846 Committee.”
See http://www.victorianweb.org/history/work/sullivan/4.html. According to another family tree Thomas was employed by the Pastoral Aid Society to educate navvies on the railways.

1851 Thomas Jenour, aged 61, widowed (no occupation provided) from Chigwell Row, Essex is lodging with Elizabeth Saxton, 64 and widowed head of an 18 acre farm in Harworth, Nottinghamshire. (HO107/2122/354 p9). Harworth is about 8 miles north of Worksop.

1859 Sheffield Daily News and Morning Advertiser 18th March reports the presence of Thomas Jenour Esq as one of the gentlemen present at the funeral in Chappel-en-le-Frith of Henry Marwood Greaves of Banner Cross. Mr Greaves was a retired magistrate but was more active “in the exercise of a Christian and unostentatious charity”.
Is Henry Greaves any relation to Ebenezer Greaves, husband of Thomas's sister Charlotte? Yes. Both Ebenezer, Thomas's brother-in-law, and Henry Marwood Greaves were the sons of George Bustard Greaves and his wife Ellin. Ebenezer was baptised 3 December 1783 at Ecclesfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Henry Marwood was baptised there on 16 March 1793. They also had a brother Joseph Henry who was baptised there in 3 November 1791.

1861 Thomas Jenour, aged 70 Gentleman from Essex, is a visitor at The Park, Devonshire Villas, Fairfield, Derbyshire. It is a lodging house. (RG9/2545/70 p16)

1862 - July - Poor rate book records Thomas Jenour living at 1 Brierley Avenue, Ardwick, Manchester. The landlord is Robert Willis.

1863 - May - Poor rate book still records Thomas Jenour living at 1 Breierley Avenue, Ardwick but the landlord is now Robert Cotton.

1864 Most likely death record 17th May 1864 2 Brierley Avenue, Ardwick, Chorlton, death due to general debility (Manchester Cemetery records). This would be very close to his daughters. This is confirmed by the probate record: 8th January 1874 (why 10years?):

“Thomas Jenour, effects under £100. 8 January. Administration of the effects of Thomas Jenour late of 2 Brierly-avenue Higher Ardwick in the City of Manchester Scripture Reader a Widower who died 17 May 1864 at 2 Brierley-avenue was granted at Manchester to Amelia Jenour of 18 Mona-street Hulme Manchester Spinster the Daughter and one of the Next of Kin.”

There are several Poor Rate records for Thomas Jenour living at 1 Brierley Avenue (1860, 1862-18-64); also many for Amelia including some for Mona Street, Hulme.

The information about Thomas in Brierely Avenue doesn’t seem to fit well with the Gentlemen from Essex as visitors/lodgers in 1851 or 1861, although there is no rate record in Manchester for him in 1861. However, his history from marriage in 1813 appears consistent and leads us to the Thomas who died in 1864 and the dates, occupations and reference to India indicate he is the father of Sophie. The question remains whether he is the gentleman from Essex son of the newspaper/stationery family with ties to landed gentry in Essex and Suffolk.

Given names Surname Sosa Birth Place Death Age Place Last change
about 1791
233 9 159 73 Saturday, 22 July 2023 22:09
Given names Surname Age Given names Surname Age Marriage Place Last change
Media objects
Media Title Individuals Families Sources Last change
Sources
Title Abbreviation Author Publication Individuals Families Media objects Shared notes Last change
Repositories
Repository name Sources Last change
Submitters
Submitter name Individuals Families Last change