Person:Martha Linney (1)

Martha Linney was born on 19th November 1844 at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, daughter of a plaiter called Eliza Linney, formerly Hickinbottom, and her husband John Linney, an agricultural labourer. Martha had a twin sister called Susannah. The 1851 census finds the family living at Linslade, the neighbouring town to Leighton Buzzard on the opposite bank of the River Ouzel in Buckinghamshire. By 1861 the family had returned to Leighton Buzzard, and Martha appears in both the 1861 and 1871 censuses living at Parrotts Piece in the town and working as a plaiter.

Martha's father died later in 1871. By the mid 1870s Martha had moved to Luton, where she had two daughters. The 1881 census finds Martha working as a straw hat sewer and living at 49 Albert Road in Luton with her twin sister Susannah, who also had two daughters.

On 24th April 1882, aged 37, Martha married William Jennings, who had previously been a soldier, but was a painter at the time of their marriage. They went on to have four more children together. Martha's mother also moved to Luton, where she died in 1890. The 1891 census finds Martha working as a straw hat sewer and living at 12 Langley Place with four children, although William was not at home on census night.

By 1901 Martha and William and their children were living at 22 Dorset Street in Luton, and William was working as a bricklayer's labourer. Martha's twin sister Susannah died in 1905. Around the same time William developed poor health and had to have an operation in London for gall stones, after which he was in considerable pain. By 1907 the family was living at 30 Windsor Street. On the night of 26th September 1907 Martha went to bed an hour after William to find him very ill. She called a doctor, but William died the following morning. An inquest established that he had taken laudanum.

After William's death Martha moved to 14 Ashton Road, where she appears in the 1911 census. She stayed there for the rest of her life, dying on 6th April 1922, aged 77.

1. ↑ Birth certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT Leighton Buzzard
   1844 BIRTH in the Sub-district of Leighton Buzzard in the Counties of Bedford and Buckingham
   No.	When and where born	Name, if any	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden name of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   83	Nineteenth of November 1844 at Leighton Buzzard about 7.5am	Martha	Girl	John Linney	Eliza Linney formerly Hickinbottom	Labourer	The mark of X Eliza Linney Mother Leighton Buzzard	Nineteenth of December 1844	Richard Doggett, Registrar

2. ↑ Church of England. Leighton Buzzard Parish Register Transcripts, 1562-1885. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   ch. 5 Jan 1845, All Saints, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire: Martha Susannah / John & Eliza / LINNEY / labourer

   Although the transcript assumes that this is one person, it is clear from the birth registrations and the censuses that Martha and Susannah were twins - quite possibly an "&" has been overlooked in transcribing the baptism register.

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1756; Folio 235; Page 15, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Linslade Road, Linslade, Buckinghamshire
   John Linney, head, married, male, 37 [1813/4], Farm Labourer, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Linney, wife, married, female, 35 [1815/6], b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   George Linney, son, male, 12 [1838/9], Farm Boy, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Rachel Linney, daughter, female, 9 [1841/2], Plaitter, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Martha Linney, daughter, female, 5 [1845/6], b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, daughter, female, 5 [1845/6], b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Linney, son, male, 8 months [1850], b. Bossington Lane, Linslade, Buckinghamshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 1005; Folio 83; Page 2, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Parrotts Piece, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   John Linney, head, married, male, 47 [1813/4], Ag Lab, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Linney, wife, married, female, 45 [1815/6], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   George Linney, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1838/9], Rail[wa]y Lab, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Martha Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Linney, son, male, 10 [1850/1], Ag Lab, b. Linslade, Buckinghamshire
   Jane Linney, daughter, female, 5 [1855/6], b. Linslade, Buckinghamshire
   William Linney, son, male, 2 [1858/9], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1561; Folio 60; Page 2, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Parrotts Piece, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   John Linney, head, married, male, 59 [1811/12], Agricultural Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Linney, wife, married, female, 55 [1815/6], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 26 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Martha Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 26 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Linney, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1850/1], Agricultural Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Jane Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1854/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   William Linney, son, unmarried, male, 12 [1858/9], Agricultural Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Jane Linney, granddaughter, female, 3 [1867/8], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Ada Linney, granddaughter, female, 3mo [1870/1], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   RG11; Piece 1651; Folio 71; Page 6, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 49 Albert Road, Luton, Bedfordshire [next door to Antelope Inn]
   Martha Linney, head, unmarried, female, 36 [1844/5], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, sister, unmarried, female, 36 [1844/5], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Jane Linney, niece, female, 13 [1867/8], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Ada Linney, niece, female, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Florence G. Linney, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Ann Linney, daughter, female, 3 [1877/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1273; Folio 107; Page 6, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 12 Langley Place, Luton, Bedfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Martha Jennings, head, married, female, 46 [1844/5], Straw Hat Sewer, employed, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Eliza A. Linney, daughter, single, female, 13 [1877/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Maud Jennings, daughter, female, 8 [1882/3], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Joseph Jennings, son, male, 3 [1887/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   May Jennings, daughter, female, 10mo [1890], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1516; Folio 133; Page 31, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 22 Dorset Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Five or more rooms occupied
   William Jenning, head, married, male, 52 [1848/9], Bricklayers Labourer, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Martha Jenning, wife, married, female, 56 [1844/5], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Albert Jenning, son, single, male, 16 [1884/5], Iron Molder Apprentice, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Joseph Jenning, son, single, male, 13 [1887/8], Iron Molder Apprentice, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Maud Jenning, daughter, single, female, 18 [1882/3], Straw Hat Finisher, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Lizzie Linney, daughter, single, female, 23 [1877/8], Straw Hat Trimmer, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

9. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 8997; Schedule 506, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 14 Ashton Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Martha Jennings, head, female, 66 [1844/5], widow, married 29 years, 1 child died, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Joseph Jennings, son, male, 23 [1887/8], single, Straw hat stiffener, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Lizzie Linney, daughter, female, 33 [1877/8], single, Straw hat machinist, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

10. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

    Registration District Luton
    1922 Death in the Sub-district of Luton in the County of Bedford
    No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
    138	Sixth April 1922 14 Ashton Road Luton UD	Martha Jennings	Female	77 years	Widow of William Jennings, General Labourer	(1) Chronic Bronchitis (2) Cardiac Dilatation Septic Right Thumb (No pm) Certified by Andrew Clarke M.B.	J. Jennings, Son, Present at the death, 14 Ashton Road, Luton	Sixth April 1922	Edward Barnard, Registrar