Maria Mays was the eighth child of Richard Mays & Caroline Roser christened August 31st, 1851 at East Grinstead, Sussex.
In 1861 Maria & her parents & 3 of her brothers were living at Box Cottage, Ashurstwood, East Grinstead.
Maria’s mother died in 1864 & her father remarried. She was living with her father & step-mother Mary at Box Farm in 1871. Her brother Henry was still living with them & a new half-brother William, 7 months old.
Maria married Josiah Japheth Kendall on February 14th, 1881 at Holy Trinity, Guildford, Surrey. Witnesses at the wedding were George Albert Worthington & Martha Cattan. Josiah was born July-September 1854 at Mildenhall, Suffolk, the son of Elizabeth Hills & Robert Kendall, a carpenter. At the time of the marriage Josiah was a time keeper.
In 1891 Maria & Josiah were living at 11 Alfred Court, Lambeth, London & Josiah was a general labourer. They had 5 daughters by this time – Emily (10), Elizabeth (8), Mary (6), Martha (5) & Nellie (3). Later this year Maria & Josiah had a son – Ebenezer.
Maria, aged 47, died in March 1899 in tragic circumstances. The Coroner’s report in The South Western Star of March 31st quoted that Josiah stated his wife had not been in the best of health since she had influenza 2 years before & complained of pains in her head. In January she went out for a few hours & on returning said she had tried to throw herself over Chelsea Bridge. Josiah said that the morning he went to work Maria was very depressed however she seemed a little better in the evening. He retired to bed & woke in the early hours to find she was not in bed & her jacket had gone. Downstairs he found her wedding ring on the table. Maria’s body was found on the foreshore between Chelsea Bridge & Battersea Park Pier. Death was pronounced as due to drowning & the condition of the head pointed to severe headaches. A verdict of ‘suicide while of unsound mind’ was returned & a distraught Josiah had to be helped from court. During the hearing Josiah mentioned that Maria’s sister died in a lunatic asylum & her mother was for 2 years kept in a straight waistcoat!
Son Ebenezer was admitted to Gideon Rd School, Wandsworth on October 1st, 1900 when his address was given as 162 Lavender Hill.
By 1901 Josiah had moved to north west Battersea & was a plumber’s labourer. Children with him were Martha & Nellie & a son Ebenezer (9).
Daughter Emily married George Henry Noon, an electrical engineer’s labourer, in 1906 at St Peter’s, Battersea & witnesses at the wedding were Emily’s father & her sister Elizabeth Kendall.
In 1911 Josiah was boarding with William Cockman, a plumber, & his family at 20 Lavender Rd, Battersea. Josiah was described as a plumber’s mate working for London County Council. Son Ebenezer was a Private with the Kings Royal Rifle Corps based in Woolwich, London.
In 1918 son Ebenezer married Margaret Ann Louise Anderson at St Mark’s, Battersea. At that time he was a sergeant in the K.R.R.C. Margaret died in 1935 & Ebenezer married again in 1938 in Fulham, his second wife being Susan Doncaster. At the time of the 1939 register they were living in Fulham & Ebenezer was a brakesman in a factory.
Josiah died, aged 76, in Oct-December 1930 in Battersea.
The children of Maria Mays & Josiah Japheth Kendall were:
m.2.8.1 Emily Kendall born February 22nd, 1881 in Guildford, Surrey; died Oct-December 1957 in Wandsworth, London
m.2.8.2 Elizabeth Kendall born Jan-March 1883 in Battersea
m.2.8.3 Mary Kendall born April-June 1884 in Battersea
m.2.8.4 Martha Kendall born July-September 1885 in Battersea
m.2.8.5 Nellie Kendall born Oct-December 1887 in Battersea; buried May 11th, 1907 in Battersea, London
m.2.8.6 Ebenezer Kendall born September 13th, 1891 in South Lambeth; died Jan-March 1950 in Fulham, London