Jennings, Elijah

Vice President of Conference

Elijah Jennings
Englesea Brook Museum 10/04
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1914

I see that listed as a Vice President of Conference in 1890 is E.Jennings.  He was my great grandfather, whose first name was Elijah.  He was born in 1842, married in 1860, and established a boot and shoe manufacturing business in Leicester.  I understood from my grandmother that he was a Primitive Methodist local preacher.  He died in 1914, and is buried in a family plot in Welford Road Cemetery in Leicester.

In 1898 he laid a foundation stone of Hinckley Road Methodist Church, Leicester, where he was Superintendent of the Sunday School, and a Councillor. In 1903 he laid a foundation stone of the Primitive Methodist Church New Schools, Fosse Road, Leicester.  In 1907 he was presented with a rosebowl for 50 years association with Hinckley Road Primitive Methodist Church, so there must have been a church on that site before the present one (which is now a Ukrainian church).

My parents were married in that church in 1936, and I was christened there on New Year’s Day, 1939.

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  • Elijah actually had eleven children, only four of which survived infancy. The other two are George Albert, born 9th Jan 1868, died 26th Feb 1868, and Eva born 23 Aug. 1880, died 28 Sep.1880. His eldest son Timothy died of peritonitis and is buried in the family plot in Welford Road Cemetery, Leicester, together with Elijah, his wife Sarah and his son George Edward, who was my grandfather.

    By Jennifer Hindshaw (08/05/2023)
  • I have added a transcription of Elijah’s obituary published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine 1914.
    Elijah was born on 27 March 1842 at Leicester, Leicestershire, to parents William Jennings, a framework knitter (1851), and Elizabeth Farnham.
    Census returns identify the following occupations for Elijah.
    1851 scholar
    1861 factory hand
    1871 boot & shoe manufacturer employing 50 men, 30 women, 20 boys and 10 girls
    1881 shoe manufacturer employing 150 hands
    1891 shoe manufacturer & local preacher
    1901 boot manufacturer
    1911 boot manufacturer
    He married Sarah Ann Langley (1840-1908) on 2 September 1860 at St Margaret’s, Leicester, Leicestershire. Census returns and birth records identify nine children.
    Timothy (1861-1876)
    Emma (1863-1927) – a book-keeper (1881); married Harry John Hill, a commercial traveller (boot trade) (1911), in 1885
    William Henry (b1864) – a boot manufacturer (1901); emigrated to USA in 1905
    Elijah Samuel (1866-1869)
    Ada Sarah E (1871-1871)
    Annie Sophia (1872-1946) – married Frank Porter, an accountant & auditor (1911), in 1898; died in Vancouver, Canada
    Fanny Ellen (1873-1873)
    George Edward (1875-1925) – a boot and shoe manufacturer (1911)
    Florence (1877-1877)
    Elijah died on 12 February 1914 at Leicester, Leicestershire.
    References
    Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

    By Geoff Dickinson (12/01/2023)
  • Is there anyone who can give more information about the Jennings family? I believe my sons are descendants of Elijah Jennings – my ex-husband has talked about his great grandfather who was a shoe manufacturer in Leicester. Thank you in advance!

    By jean jennings (07/02/2016)
  • I have added this photograph of Elijah Jennings, which is in an album of people, mainly ministers, who were at the Primitive Methodist Conference in 1904. It was given as a Christmas present to his wife Nellie, by Rev George Bennet (1856-1931). We also have at Englesea Brook Museum an interesting scrapbook of newspaper cuttings dating from 1890, and relating to Elijah Jennings as Vice President of Conference.

    By Jill Barber (01/05/2015)
  • A brief history of Primitive Methodism in Leicester is written in the 50th anniversary literature (1949) of Hinckley Road PM church:

    Our early ancestors in Leicester worshipped first in George Street Chapel, and later in what was called The Friars Chapel, a chapel which was purchased from the Independent Methodists. Later in 1841, York Street Chapel was built and in 1873 this society united with Alexander Street Society to build St. Nicolas Street Chapel. For twenty-five years this chapel was the spiritual home of our Methodist forefathers in this part of Leicester. Then, in 1898, the site on which our present church stands was purchased, and our church was built.

    Jennifer’s great grandfather’s 50 year connection with Primitive Methodism in Leicester, marked in 1907 with the presentation of the rose bowl, could have dated back to the days of the York Street chapel.

    He was certainly associated with the St Nicholas Street chapel: a stone that he laid in the first PM chapel in Cosby is inscribed:

    This stone was laid by Mr E Jennings, for himself and his St Nicholas Street class. June 15th, 1886.

    This stone is now in the present PM chapel in Cosby, which opened in 1922.

    For further information, see pages

    Places: Primitive Methodism in Cosby.

    Leicestershire Chapels:  Hinckley Road Church. Cosby Chapel

    By Jane Richardson (30/04/2015)

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