James Edward was my G-Grandfather. Little is known about James as he died only six years after his marriage at the age of 25.
From Census records and the birth certificates of his children we know that he was classed as a Cabinet Maker or sometimes a Clockcase Maker. He would probably have helped to make the Longcase clocks popular in this period.
JAMES EDWARD AND JESSIE PHILLIPS
JAMES EDWARDBorn 1860
Married 1879 to Jessie Phillips
Dies 1885
James Edward was the third child of Thomas and Harriet.
James became a Cabinet Maker /Clockcase Maker.
According to their Marriage certificate they were both 22 but in fact they were well under the age of conscent. James was 19 and Jessie only 16. Neither of their parents were witnesses so it may be they married without parental approval.
1861 Lived at Eberneeza Terrace, Morville Street, Ladywood, Birmingham
1871 Lived at Stoke Street, Ladywood Birmingham
1880 Birth of daughter Harriet Cecilia
1881 Lived at Reservoir Terrace Osler Street, Ladywood
Reservoir Terrace1884 Birth of son Alfred Edgar
1885 James DiedBishopgate Street, Ladywood
1885 Son Albert Henry born after his death
James died at the early age of 25 leaving Jessie with 3 children and pregnant with their fourth child Albert Henry.
| NAME | BIRTH | MARRIAGE | DEATH | SPOUSE |
| Harriet Cecilia | 10 Nov 1880 | 25 Feb 1906 | 18 Jan 1965 | John Horace Darby |
| James Ernest | 16 Mar 1883 | 20 Sep 1902 | 6 Jun 1958 | Minnie Elizabeth Bryant |
| Alfred Edgar | 16 Apr 1884 | Jan 1908 | Emma Louise Cross | |
| Albert Henry | 5 Apr 1885 | 2 Jul 1911 | Emily Dandy |
HARRIET CECELIA
Harriet was 25 when she married John Darby at St Chrysostan Church, Birmingham. They had eight children. It is known that she had red/auburn hair like many of the family. and was known by her middle name Cecelia or Cissy.
Jessie Cecelia Born 1906
Leslie Born 1907
Died 1907
John Horace James Born 1908
Cyril Born 1911
Harold Born 1912
Died 1912
Doris Born
William Douglas Born
Ronald Benjamin Born
Ronald Benjamin Born
Harriet taken about 1958
JAMES ERNEST see seperate page
ALFRED EDGAR
In 1891 Alfred lived with his mother and siblings at Ickneild Road, Ladywood but in 1901 he was living with his father's brother Henry and his wife Sarah where he is listed as their son. He continues to live with them until his marriage where he refers to Henry as his father. His occupation was shown as Lamp Lighter.
Alfred Edgar married Emma Louisa Cross in 1908.
They had at least two children KENNETH b 1916 and Cyril Mostyn Born 1920
ALBERT HENRY
Albert was born two months after the death of his father James so would never have known his father. His occupation was shown as Labourer at the time of his marriage to Emily Dandy.
They had at least one child EMILY
CHILDREN OF JESSIE
After the early death of her husband James Edward life must have been hard for Jessie.
By 1891 she had 3 more children by an unknown father but who all carry the name Ratheram.
| NAME | BIRTH | MARRIAGE | DEATH | SPOUSE | FATHER |
| Edwin | 15 Aug 1889 | 5 Sep 1904 | Edith EllenLane | Unknown | |
| Thomas Frederick | 1 Nov 1890 | Unknown | |||
| Florence Winifred | 1895 | Unknown |
1891 Lived Ickneild Port Road, Ladywood.
Jessie was lodging with a Thomas Farbrother and his own son so it is possible that these 3 children are his.
1901 Living 253 Heath Street, Smethwick
The census also shows an Elizabeth Farbrother as Mothers Help and Thomas's son Jesse Farbrother as a Lodger so perhaps this shows a closer link with Thomas Farbrother as the father of her 3 children.
EDWIN
Edwin was the eldest of three children born to his mother Jessie after the death of James,
He married Edith Ellen Lane (known in the family as Ellen) at St Peter's Handsworth.They had six children
| NAME | BIRTH | SPOUSE | DEATH |
| George Arthur | 1908 | Joan Rice | |
| Norman Edwin | 1910 | Winifred Chorley | 1990 |
| Charles Bernard | 1912 | ||
| Doris N | 1914 | 1916 | |
| Geoffrey | 1917 | Eva Sadler | 1971 |
| Ruby O | 1919 | Ray Clarke | |
| Hazel | 1919 |
Ray Clarke,husband of Ruby, was Best Man at the wedding of my father Frederick
JESSIE PHILLIPS wife of James Edward
Born in 1863 in Abergavenny, Wales1879 Married to James Edward
1897 Married to Benjamin Bryant
1921 Jessie Died
Jessie was born to parents Thomas and Harriet Phillips. She was the youngest of 9 children.
Her father Thomas was a Boot/Shoemaker as were several of her brothers.
Most of the family stay in Wales but Alfred and Jessie at some point move to Birmingham between 1871 and 1881.
Children of Thomas and Harriet PHILLIPS all born in Abergavenny, Wales
| NAME | BIRTH | SPOUSE | OCCUPATION |
| Laura | 1838 | ||
| Amelia | 1840 | ||
| Edwin | 1847 | Ann | |
| John | 1848 | Eliza | Bootmaker |
| Esther | 1849 | John Horton | |
| Tom A | 1852 | Mary | Bootmaker |
| Alfred William | 1854 | Alice Mason | |
| Emma | 1859 | ||
| Jessie | 27 May 1863 | James Ratheram |
JESSIE AND BENJAMIN BRYANT Spouse 2
1897 Jessie remarries to Benjamin Bryant.
Benjamin Bryant was the father of Minnie Bryant who later married James Edward and Jessie's son James Ernest. This made them step-brother and sister for a short while but was no barrier to them later marrying.
1901 Livedat 253 Heath Street, Smethwick with the two families now related through marriage. Also with the addition of 4 more children born to Benjamin and Jessie.
| NAME | BIRTH | MARRIAGE | DEATH | SPOUSE |
| Gladys Ruth | 1898 | 1917 | Cutmore | |
| Benjamin | 1901 | 1901 | ||
| Lily | 1902 | |||
| Ester | 1903 |
After many months of research I have finally located the deaths of Jessie and Benjamin and was surprised to find that Benjamin (who was much older than Jessie) actually out lived his wife.
1921 Jessie dies at the age of 58 at 107 Heath Street.
1924 Benjamin dies at the age of 81 at the same address. His daughter Jane Elizabeth Bryant(now married to Ethelbert Maun) was present at his death.