Your monument shall be my gentle verse
That eyes not yet created shall o'er read
And tongues to be, your being, shall rehearse
When all the breathers of your world are dead
You still shall live, such virtue hath my pen
Where breath most breathes - in mouths of men

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Billett Genn of Ely d. 1872


Billett, son of Robert in my last post was variously described as a Yeoman, Writer, Book-keeper and Sheriffs Officer.  He is currently on my research list and more should be known in due course. He married Margaret Austin  at Cambridge in 1814.   Margaret would appear to have been born to James and Ann at Trinity, Ely in 1786.

He was the administrator of his father's estate after Robert's death in 1833.  His father did not leave his affairs in order, and there are quite a number of documents concerning this at Cambridgeshire Archives. I made some attempt to look at these in September 2021 (mid Covid pandemic).  However restrictions were tight and I could only lend these documents a cursory glance, but below is a digital photo I took of Billett's signature on one of the deeds - he signed twice - once for himself and once as administrator.



It is unclear whether they had 1 Lynn Road in Ely (opposite the Lamb Hotel) built in 1837 or simply had it altered because of road widening works (there are deeds at the CRO remaining to be investigated on this) but certainly they owned it and this was where they lived.  Below is the house in later years with Billett jnr standing in the doorway.



Margaret Genn had died as early as 1837, it is unclear why.  She was stated to be 50.  Billett died in 1872 and has a headstone in St Mary's graveyard.  The couple had five children of only two lived to marry viz

Robert - died in 1837, aged 20.

Ann -   died in Ely in 1847, aged 27 and unmarried


Elizabeth - died in infancy

James Japhet - Little is known to me.   Robert Seymour Genn knew very little but had corresponded with a descendant.  He thought that there were few descendants but this seems unlikely from what I have discovered. 

I knew nothing of a personal nature about the guy until September 2021 (during the Pandemic) when I managed to get to the Cambs Archives now at Ely and follow up something I had read of.  See KESCo/P/1/168

James was 13 in 1831.  His friend was a Charles Taylor Ellingham who was still 12 and the son of a David Ellingham who was a solicitor's clerk - see https://www.friendsofelycemetery.co.uk/david-ellingham-1794---1869.html

Ely sits on the River Ouse.  It is very beautiful down by the river, but the river is some way across.




It was a hot day on 22nd August 1831.  Charles, his Mum and James were walking down by the river.  Charles, stupidly, presumably to impress his Mum, jumped into the river and attampted to swim across.  It must have been a nightmare for his mother.  Half way across he shouted "help" and sank, came up and shouted what seemed like "Jean" perhaps a garbled reference to James.  He sank again and was no more.  The last James saw was a hand.  Some boatmen recovered the body and it was taken to the gloriously named "Bushel and Strike" Public House and the Coroner arrived.  The depositions of James and one of he boatmen were taken.  I doubt James  ever forgot it.  I have photograped the deposition and his signature below



James was reputedly a Tailor in later life and married Elizabeth Noakes at Dover in 1850 and moved to Kent.  It is unclear exactly what was happening, but James certainly died in 1853 and was buried at Marden near Maidstone - he was 35. He supposedly had tuberculosis.   I cannot find what happened to Elizabeth. They only had one child that I know of, a son James Billett, who married Eliza Potter in 1883 and had the children shown below.  I also attach a rudimentary note of what I now happened subsequently.  I would expect quite a number of descendants

James E                          md  at Maidstone 1909  Died WW1
James Billett                  md  at Tonbridge 1908
Frederick  W                  md  at Maidstone 1908
Charlotte E                    unknown
Margaret B                    unknown
John A                           md May Lamkin  at Maidstone 1913
Henry H.                        Killed in action in WW1 at Cambrai
Edgar E.                         joined RAF in 1917
Thomas C                       unknown

Billett - The second of that name.  Had a remarkable life - see post of

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