|
|
James came to London as a cab/horse transport contractor. He was brought up with horses in Suffolk, and continued with them in Hammersmith. He rented about six stables in Bergham Mews, owned a number of horses and several types of carriage, including a Hansom Cab and a Wagonette. He employed stablemen and drivers. The business declined as motor vehicles took over from horses. He lived at 11 Bergham Mews moving to 14 Spring Vale Terrace after marrying Martha Ann.
Martha Ann and her sister Ann came to London at the time of the great evacuation of the Cornish Miners. Martha entered the service of the author G. A. Henty as cook in the Upper (or Lower?) Richmond Road, Fulham. A third sister, Kate, is referred to in her brother Richard's letter sent from South America.
Martha being too old to go into service, took six years off her age. At her marriage she was 35, not 29 as everyone assumed. The fact that she knew she would not be able to have as many children as James's family would expect, may have been one of the reasons her three children were given so many of the traditional Fenning family names.
Richard William Williams Gray, went to Bolivia where he worked for the the Tocapilla Mining Company, in the Carmelita Mine at Tocopilla. His letter to Martha dated 12 August 1879 mentions other family members. (see next page). There is another address for him two weeks later: Deseada Mine, c/o the Tocopilla Mining & Smelting Company Limited, Tocopilla, Chile.
Children of James & Martha Ann
click on a name to go back to James FENNING & Elizabeth BUTTON or their children listed below below:
This page was last updated 21/05/03 by webmaster@your.history.btinternet.co.uk © 2001 Your History |
