Sarah Mays was the fifth child of George Mays & Phillis Wickenden christened May 25th, 1856 at East Grinstead, Sussex.
Sarah was living at home in 1861 but her father had died by this time & she was living with her widowed mother, brother Joseph & sister Elizabeth at the Barracks, East Grinstead.
Sarah’s mother Phillis remarried in 1864, her husband being Samuel Dennis.
In 1871 Sarah was visiting Philadelphia & John Budgen, a ‘woodriefe’, at West Hoathly, Sussex.
Sarah married Henry (Harry) Jenner on March 28th, 1875 at Holy Trinity, Clapham. Sarah was only 18 years old & Henry, a bricklayer, was 19. Henry was born c1856 at Brighton, the son of Mary Ann Welfare & William Jenner, a bricklayer. Witnesses at the wedding were Sarah’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Hitchman & E. Meadmore, Sarah’s sister Elizabeth who had married Joseph Louis Meadmore in 1865.
In 1881 Sarah & Harry were living at Ashurstwood, East Grinstead & Harry continued to be a bricklayer. They had 3 sons – Ernest Harry (5), Alfred (3) & Frank (1).
Harry & Sarah were living at the Beeches, East Grinstead in 1891 & they now had 6 children – Ernest, a bricklayer’s labourer, Alfred, a gardener, Frank, Alice (9), William (6) & John (1).
In 1901 Sarah & Harry were living at Vale Cottage, Ashurstwood, East Grinstead & Harry was still a bricklayer. Children at home were William, a domestic houseboy, John, Winifred (4). Son Ernest was still living at home & working as a bricklayer & he now had a wife Annie (nee Annie Ada Creasey) aged 27. Daughter Alice was working as a housemaid for widow Mary E Hogg at Oakleigh House, Tonbridge, Kent in 1901. In the stables next door was living George Burfoot (21), a stableman, who Alice was to marry. Alice & George emigrated to Canada where they married in 1907 & they & their family lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Son Alfred was listed as a private with the 2nd Dragoon Guards in Aldershot, Hampshire at the time of the 1901 census. He served time in South Africa & returned to England in 1905. Alfred emigrated to Canada & he was listed as applying for permission to enter Vermont, USA in 1907. He gave the name & address of his last residence as his sister, Alice Burfoot, in Winnipeg & his occupation as bricklayer. Alfred married Margaret Emily Henly in 1917 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada & the 1930 US census shows Alfred & Margaret & son Russell H living in Lakewood, Cuyahoga, Ohio & he was still working as a bricklayer.
Sarah & Harry were still at Vale Cottage in 1911 & Harry was still working as a bricklayer. At home were William, now a bricklayer, John, labourer in building trade & Winnie, a schoolgirl. It was noted on the census that Sarah & Harry had had 9 children, only 7 of whom were alive.
Son Frank, a bricklayer, enlisted in the Labour Corps in WW1 giving his address as Chandlers Farm, Hartfield, Sussex, & his next of kin as his father Harry at Vale Cottage. Frank married Mabel E Kemp in 1921 in Lewisham, London, which is where they were living in 1939 with son Eric & Frank was still a bricklayer.
Son William enlisted with the 1st (Reserve) Garrison Battalion, Suffolk Regiment in WW1. Son John enlisted with the Oxford & Bucks Battalion & served in France & Italy. He suffered from gas poisoning during this time & also an injury to the little finger of his left hand due to a barrel of beer falling on it while working in the mess.
Daughter Winifred married Henry Marriott, a motor driver, in 1925.
There is a death recorded for Sarah Jenner, aged 75, in April-June 1932 at East Grinstead.
Harry died aged 82 in April-June 1938 at Uckfield, Sussex.
In 1939 son William, a bricklayer, & wife May (nee Elphick) who married in 1912 were living near brother Ernest in East Grinstead. Son John, a bricklayer, & wife Maud (nee Crockett) & family were also living in East Grinstead.
The children of Sarah Mays & Harry Jenner were:
m.7.5.1 Ernest Harry Jenner born September 4th, 1875 at East Grinstead; died April-June 1953 at Uckfield, Sussex
m.7.5.2 Alfred Jenner born August 5th, 1877 at East Grinstead; died March 26th, 1967 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
m.7.5.3 Frank Jenner born October 23rd, 1879 at East Grinstead
m.7.5.4 Alice Jenner born at Ashurstwood & christened December 25th, 1881 at Holy Trinity, Forest Row, Sussex; died June18th 1982 & buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
m.7.5.5 William Jenner born April 14th, 1884 & christened December 13th, 1885 at Holy Trinity, Forest Row
m.7.5.6 Emily Jenner born christened April 17th, 1887 at Forest Row, East Grinstead; buried October 29th, 1889 at Forest Row
m.7.5.7 John Jenner born December 16th, 1889 & christened June 15th, 1890 at Forest Row
m.7.5.8 Annie Jenner born April-June 1892 at Ashurstwood; buried April 7th, 1893 at Forest Row
m.7.5.9 Winifred Norah Jenner born April 1st, 1897 at East Grinstead; died Oct-December 1975 in Surrey