Dorothy Bailey writes74 that the Ripley Co. Historical Society has a probate order book B containing James Jennings’s citizenship application (p. 226), wherein he declares that he was born in Lamberhurst, Kent. Dorothy also writes that the Society has copies of the Batesville, IN, Republican, the 1 Oct 1885 issue of which reports that James Jennings died in Rush Co. in his residence near Milroy and that he was brought back to Ripley Co. for burial at Pipe Creek Baptist church, where he had been a member since 1854.

James Jennings and family are found on the U.S. census for Adams Township, Ripley County, Indiana every year from 1830 to 1880 (1830, roll 32, page 20; 1840, roll 92, page 77; 1850, roll 169, page 272; 1860, roll 293, page 218; 1870, roll 355, page 4; 1880, roll 307, page 345).

In preparing this family card on James Jennings and Ann Kemp, I have relied upon the databases of Dorothy Bailey, http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dbaily&id=I4032 (many thanks to Dorothy for additional correspondence), and Fred Lathrop, http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=flathrop&id=I25318 . I have indicated primary sources in cases in which I consulted them. Many members of the Jennings and related families can be found in the Pipe Creek Cemetery, http://www.rootsweb.com/~inripchs/pipecreek.html .

The birth dates for all the children except John are from the Lathrop database. I have not yet found a primary source for them, but they are consistent with the Lamberhurst parish records and the U.S. census data, so I have retained them. The Lathrop database is also my only source for the daughter Elizabeth, but her existence is indicated on the 1830 and 1840 censuses and consistent with the statement in son John’s obituary that he was one of eleven children.

Christening records for the first six children of James and Ann Jennings are found in the Lamberhurst parish records (wherein James’s occupation is listed as “labourer”). (Note that the parish of Lamberhurst, Kent, extended into Sussex [see http://www.nwkfhs.org.uk/lamb_plc.htm ], which is consistent with Sussex being John Jennings’s birth place, as given in his obituary.) The last three children are named in James and Ann’s household on the 1850 U.S. census for Adams Township, Ripley County, Indiana. Joseph is indicated in the household on the 1830 and 1840 censuses and is named as living right next door in 1850. Again, Elizabeth is not named in any of these sources, but her presence is indicated in 1830 and 1840.

IGI has a record for the marriage of James Jennings and Ann Kemp in Burwash, Sussex (two parishes over from Lamberhurst) on 8 Nov 1812. I do not yet have a primary source for this record, but the date is consistent with the birth of James and Ann’s first child.