Family of George Hilton KENNETT and Eleanor LAWRENCE

Husband:	George Hilton KENNETT (1843-1881)
Wife:	Eleanor LAWRENCE (1843- )
Children:	Ester (Hester) Emma KENNETT (1867-1867)
	Unknown KENNETT ( - )
Marriage	16 Oct 1866	London
Divorce	1875	London

Additional Information

Divorce

Cause: Cruelty and Adultery Address: 41 St. Andrews Hale, Carter Lane, London Apparently she had left him once because of his abusive behaviour, then returned, but he did not mend his ways and she left again to seek the protection of friends because of his threats. (She also claimed he had willfully given her VD according to a side note made by one of the judges).

Husband: George Hilton KENNETT

Name:	George Hilton KENNETT
Sex:	Male
Father:	John KENNETT (1815-1891)
Mother:	Esther Mary BAX (1820-1859)
Birth	10 Sep 1843	Deal, Kent
Christening	12 Nov 1843 (age 0)	Deal, Kent
Occupation		Commercial Traveller / Dock Lab Late Clerk / Seaman
Death	8 Jul 1881 (age 37)	Bristol (Westbury-on-Trym)
Burial	12 Jul 1881 (age 37)	Bristol (Shirehampton)

Additional Information

Birth	The ship was the Runnymeade.
Death	Cause: Meningitis He died in the Bristol Royal Infirmary

Wife: Eleanor LAWRENCE

Name:	Eleanor LAWRENCE
Sex:	Female
Father:	-
Mother:	-
Birth	1843	London

Child 1: Ester (Hester) Emma KENNETT

Name:	Ester (Hester) Emma KENNETT
Sex:	Female
Birth	26 Jun 1867	London (Marylebone)
Death	14 Sep 1867 (age 0)

Additional Information

Death

Cause: From “want of good breast milk”.

Child 2: Unknown KENNETT

Name:	Unknown KENNETT
Sex:	Unknown

Note on Husband: George Hilton KENNETT

In 1861 he was a crew member on board 'Her Majesty's Ship James Watts'. He was 18 years old and 'Boy 1st.Class'.

In 1866, the year of his wedding to Eleanor, he was living at 15 Little Knight Rider Sreet and working as a clerk.

In 1867 the family were living at 20 Arthur St, North St. Giles, then 25 Foley Street, Marylebone, New Oxford St. Later they lived in Bow St., Covent Garden, Elizabeth St., Hackney Rd., and Aldersgate, all in London.

On the 1871 census George was living at 42 Deverill Street, Newington, Southwark with Elizabeth Margaret Kerr aged 21.

In 1872, on a daughter’s birth certificate George was with Elizabeth Margaret Kerr. They were living at 1 Roberts Place, Newington and George was a commercial clerk. However Elizabeth Margaret Kerr had married Amos Edward Chandler in the spring of 1867 in London. There is no record of Amos dying between 1867 and 1872, so it looks as if George and Elizabeth just ran off together and lived as man and wife.

In 1881 lived at Thatched Cottage, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol with his wife 4 children. He was a Dock Labourer. He died that year.

 

Summary of events -

In 1866 George Kennett married Eleanor Lawrence in London.

In 1867 Elizabeth Kerr married Amos Chandler in London.

By 1871 George was living with Elizabeth Kerr in London and had a son by her.

In 1872 George and Elizabeth had a daughter.

In 1875 George had a son by Lucy Palethorpe in Cardiff. This son was raised as one of Elizabeth's.

In 1875 Eleanor devorced George on grounds of cruelty and adultery.

In 1876 he had a son in Bristol by Elizabeth Kerr.

So far no record has been found showing Amos's death or his divorce from Elizabeth, so all George and Elizabeth's children, and one from Lucy Palethorpe, were illigitimate and there is no marriage record for George and Elizabeth.

 

Another researcher provides these comments -

 

George Hilton Kennett first married Eleanor Lawrence at the Parish at the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdelene, London on 16 October 1866, four days after his sister Charlotte's wedding. Eleanors father was an umbrella manufacturer. George was living at 15 Little Knight Rider Sreet at the time and working as a clerk. John Kennett witnessed the wedding.

In 1867 the family were living at 25 Foley Street, Marylebone, London.

In 1872, on a daughters birth certificate, George was living with Elizabeth Margaret Kerr, not to Eleanor, and they were living at 1 Roberts Place, Newington. George was a commercial clerk.

Elizabeth was born in Poole, Dorset.

 

A further researcher gives these notes -

 

Eleanor, George Hilton Kennett's wife, living at 41 St. Andrews Hale, Carter Lane, in the city of London, divorced George in 1875 on the grounds of cruelty and adultery. Apparently she had left him once before because of his abusive behaviour, then returned, but he did not mend his ways and she left again to seek the protection of friends because of his threats. (She also claimed he had willfully given her VD - according to a side note made by one of the judges). The adultery was supposed to have been committed by him with a Lucy Palethorpe at 242 Bute St., Cardiff. This address was also given for the birth of his son Frank, but this son was listed on the census as one of George and Elizabeth’s sons, born in 1875. He does not appear in the birth registers.

There seems to be no record of a marriage for George and Elizabeth Margaret Kerr after 1875 (the year of his divorce from Eleanor) so the 4 children he had with Elizabeth (and/or possibly with Lucy Palethorpe), were therefore illigitimate.

The court ordered George to pay Eleanor £26 costs. Alimony of £30 a year. The costs then rose to £42 in 1876. In January 1877 there was an order for George to pay 10/- a month. It seems that George and Elizabeth simply moved to Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol so they could not be found, as he did not obey the court order.

 

In 1881 the couple were living at Thatched Cottage, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol. Elizabeth was 29 years old. George was working as a dock labourer at Bristol Docks according to the census, but he could still actually have been a clerk checking goods etc. In 1891 Elizabeth, was a 'widow' and working as a milliner and dressmaker, and refered to as Margaret Kennett.