William and Mary

Henry and Robert, twins, were delivered 37 weeks and three days following the marriage. The twins, were christened far later than the typical two week period of the 16th and 17th century. Henry was christened 70 days after birth on September 29, 1642 in St Clements of the Danes. Robert was baptized 101 days after birth, October 30, 1642, and one month after Henry in the same parish.

William and Mary added two more sons to their family, John on the 5 of October, 1645 and Isaac on 15th of August, 1647.

William's Spouse Mary

Mary Messenger was proposed by early genealogists as the spouse of William Jennings. However, there is no clear evidence that Mary Messenger is the mother of Henry, Robert, John and Isaac. There is an 11 year span between marriage and the birth of twins Henry and Robert.

The record of Mary Woodley indicates William's profession as a tailor. Additionally, the timing of the twins births (37 weeks and 3 days) is a far more likely scenario than Mary Messenger delivery four boys in five years after eleven barren years.

Mary Woodley

First Name William
Last Name Jennings
Marriage Year 1641
Marriage Date 01 Nov 1641
Marriage Place Stepney, St. Dunstan
Occupation Taylor
Spouses first name Mary
Spouses last name Woodley
Spouses marital status Widowed
County Middlesex
Country England
Record set Greater London Marriage Index
Category Birth, Marriage, & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Parish Marriages
Collections from: England, Great Britain

Mary Messenger

First Name William
Last Name Jennings
Marriage Year 1631
Marriage Date 06 Oct 1631
Marriage Place London
Spouses first name Mary
Spouses last name Messenger
County London
Country England
Record set England Marriages 1538-1973
Category Birth, Marriage, & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Parish Marriages
Collections from: England, Great Britain

Baptismal Records of the Sons of William and Mary

Henry

Born 21 July 1642
Baptized 29 Step 1642
Father's First Name William
Mother's First Name Mary
Parish St. Clement Danes
County Middlesex
Country England
Archive City of Westminster Archives Centre
Record Set Westminster Baptisms
Category Birth, Marriage, & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Collections from England, Great Britain

Robert

Born 21 July 1642
Christening: 3- Pct 1642
Father's First Name William
Mother's First Name Mary
Parish St. Clement Danes
County Middlesex
Country England
Archive City of Westminster Archives Centre
Record Set Westminster Baptisms
Category Birth, Marriage, & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Collections from England, Great Britain

John

Born
Christening 5 Oct 1645
Father's First Name William
Mother's First Name Mary
Parish St. Clement Danes
County Middlesex
Country England
Archive City of Westminster Archives Centre
Record Set Westminster Baptisms
Category Birth, Marriage, & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Collections from England, Great Britain

Isaac

Born
Christening: 15 Aug 1647
Father's First Name William
Mother's First Name Mary
Parish St. Clement Danes
County Middlesex
Country England
Archive City of Westminster Archives Centre
Record Set Westminster Baptisms
Category Birth, Marriage, & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Collections from England, Great Britain

Protestation Oath

Middlesex Protestation Returns 1641-42

First Name William
Last Name Jennings
Year 1642
Took Oath? Took Oath
Place Stepney
Return for Mile End, Stepney
County Middlesex
Country England
Page 1 of 2
Transcript of relevant page of the return Transcript of Page 1 of the Return for Mile End, Stepney
Link to Parliament's archive of the return http://digitalarchive.parliament.uk/HL/PO/JO/10/1/99/50
Link to summary document A summary of the Middlesex Protestations Return
Record set Middlesex Protestation Returns 1641-42
Category Census, Land & Substitutes
Subcategory Census
Collections from England, Great Britain
Transcriptions West Middlesex Family History Society

Morgan and Marguerite Bates Research

Source: James Riley Jennings 1967

Since World War Two, Morgan and Marguerite Bates, searched the original Parish Records of St. Clement Daines England. From the Baptismal records are noted four sons of William and Mary Jennings. They were:

Henry Jennings, Bap. Sept. 29, 1642.
Robert Jennings, Bap. 30 Oct. 1642.
John Jennings, Bap. 5 Oct. 1645.
Isaac Jennings, Bap. 14 Aug. 1647.

The records of births, deaths and marriages of numerous other Jennings are also of record but the relationship is not indicated. At the time of this search the church had been bombed out but the records had been rescued and moved to other quarters for safe keeping.

The Bates search covers many other parishes with dates as late as 1825. The records of St. Nicholas Parish, Desford, London, collected at County Hall, West Minister, are of special interest because of the occupations among the Jennings. The time was in the late seventeen and early eighteen hundreds. There was a ship captains, Copper Plate maker, a Rigger, a Sawyer and many Sailmakers.

Note: Morgan was the son of LaSalle Bates and Nellie May Jennings

Mary Woodley

Mary Messenger

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