Mary Jane Fynn (formerly Neville, née
Smith)
(If it's in red and underlined
then it's a link to more information)
Mary Jane Neville was born, Mary Jane Smith,
in 1852. Her parents were Henry and Mary Ann Smith.
In the 1851 census return for North and Middle Littleton, Worcestershire, Henry
and Mary’s family was recorded as: Hannah, Ann, Martha, Betsey, Sarah, and
Thomas.
A later entry in the parish register shows Mary Jane Smith being baptised in
1867 when she would have been about 15 years old. Her parents are shown as Mary Ann
Smith and Henry Smith, Gentleman.
At some stage Henry died and Mary Ann Smith moved with her Family to Cambridge
where she married, or had already married, a widower, Stephen C. Barnes.
He was a tailor from New Castle, Norfolk but who in the 1851 census appears as
Stephen Barnes, ‘a tailor employing 17 men’, in George Street, Edgbaston.
His then wife was Sarah and they had six children with ages ranging from 17 to 3
years. In the 1881 census Barnes, 66 years, was recorded as living at 22 King’s
Parade, Cambridge. He gave his employment as still being a tailor. His wife was,
by then, Mary Ann (formerly Smith) aged 63 years. Also living with them was Mary Jane Neville (née Smith).
Mary Jane had married a John Wright Neville, a solicitor’s clerk (later
qualifying) in Cambridge. They had had four children, Frederick J. Neville,
10 years (on census); Henry W. Neville (8 years); Florence Neville
(7 years), and Percy Neville (4 years). They had lived at 7
Portugal Place, Cambridge.
John Neville, a member of two Masonic Lodges in Cambridge, died on 1st
July 1878.
Of the Neville children, Frederick is reputed to have died in the mid-1960’s;
having worked as a furrier. Percy, born 16th August 1876, was
educated at the Royal Masonic School from 22nd January 1886 to 3rd
July 1891. We have a copy of an award he received for Shorthand during the ‘Mids’
term of 1890. Florence, otherwise known as ‘Cissy’, is still fondly
remembered by both my father and his sister, my Aunt Mary. They did not know
when they were young that Aunt ‘Cissy’ was actually a step-aunt as opposed
to, simply, a family friend. My father attributes his knowledge and enthusiasm
for astronomy to her. When in much later life my father commissioned a 6-inch
reflecting telescope that he had made entirely himself, he said to a friend
present, "It would have been nice for Aunt ‘Cissy’ to see me now."
"How do you know she can’t," came the reply! Florence ‘Cissy’
Neville was living with John Fynn and Mary Jane at ‘Overstream’ at the time
of the 1901 census and was by then a teacher. She later married a Darby. She is
mentioned in John Fynn’s 1921 Will as a recipient of a share of his furniture.
BUT The
actual book, in which the award slip was pasted, a 1890 edition of "The
Story of the Heavens" is now in my proud possession. It was passed by
"Aunt Cissy" to my father and from him to me in his 93rd year.
He had been cautioned by his Aunt "Cissy" to "guard it and keep
it for always..." He felt that he had sufficiently complied!
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Page last updated 29th May
2010
