Charles Bennett

     
     Charles Bennett, son of Francis Bennett and Elizabeth Harris, was born in St. Werburgh's Parish, Derby, Derbyshire, in 1832.¹

     Charles, son of Francis Bennett and Elizabeth Harris, was Baptised on Saturday, 12 April 1834 in Church of St.Werburgh, Derby, Derbyshire.²

          The 1851 U.K.Census listed him as a son of the Head of Household - Francis Bennett, at Spondon, Derbyshire, who is recorded as - Francis Bennett Head Mar. 46 Brickmaker DBY. St.Werburgh's.³
     Charles's entry for this Census was recorded as Charles Bennett Son UnM. 19 Brickmaker DBY. St.Werburgh's.³

     Charles Bennett, son of Francis Bennett and Elizabeth Harris,was married to Mary Anne Holloway, daughter of Thomas Holloway and Elizabeth Bull, on Tuesday, 25 October 1853 at Church of St.Werburgh, Spondon, Derbyshire.
      Register Entry - Charles Bennett, 22, Bachelor, Brickmaker of Spondon, son of Frances Bennett, Brickmaker, to Mary Ann Holloway, 21, spinster of Spondon, daughter of Thomas Holloway, Farmer. By Banns, Witnessed by Thomas Holloway and Eliza Bennett.²

          In the 1861 U.K.Census, held on Sunday, 7 April 1861, Charles was recorded as the Head of the Household at Mapperley Hill, Basford, Nottinghamshire, also in the Household were Mary Anne Bennett nee Holloway, Francis Thomas Bennett, Elizabeth Anne Bennett and Mary Bennett,
     as follows:-
          ; Chas. Bennett Head Mar. 29 Brick Maker DBY. Derby⁴
          ; Mary Ann Bennett Wife Mar. 29 Housewife DBY. Spondon⁴
          ; Francis Thos. Bennett Son 6 --- DBY. Spondon⁴
          ; Elizabeth Ann Bennett Daur. 3 --- DBY. Spondon⁵
          ; Mary Bennett Daur. 1 --- DBY. Spondon⁵

     Charles Bennett was left a Widower on the Death of his wife, Mary, whose Death was Registered in the Basford Registration District, in the Apr-May-Jun Quarter of 1864.⁶

     Charles Bennett, son of Francis Bennett and Elizabeth Harris,was married to Elizabeth Cooper, daughter of William Cooper and Agnes Barnsdale, on Tuesday, 26 December 1865 at St. Leodagarius' Church, Basford, Nottinghamshire.
      Register Entry - Charles Bennett, 30, Widower, Brickmaker of Mapperley, son of Francis Bennett, Brickmaker & Elizabeth Cooper, 26, Spinster of Mapperley, daughter of William Cooper, Labourer. By Banns. Witnessed by Henry Cooper and Annie Elizabeth Stevenson.^7,2

          In the 1871 U.K.Census, held on Sunday, 2 April 1871, Charles was recorded as the Head of the Household at 2 Bennett's Brick Yard, Basford, Nottinghamshire, also in the Household were Elizabeth Bennett, Francis Thomas Bennett, Elizabeth Anne Bennett, Mary Bennett, Georgiana Bennett, Arthur Robert Bennett and Edith Agnes Bennett,
     as follows:-
          ; Charles Bennett Head Mar. 39 Managing Brickmaker DBY. Derby⁸
          ; Elizabeth Bennett Wife Mar. 32 --- NTT. Beeston⁸
          ; Thomas Bennett Son 16 Clerk to his father DBY. Spondon⁸
          ; Elizabeth A. Bennett Daur. 13 Scholar DBY. Mapperley⁸
          ; Mary Bennett Daur. 11 Scholar DBY. Mapperley⁸
          ; Georgina Bennett Daur. 8 Scholar DBY. Mapperley⁸
          ; Arthur Bennett Son 2 DBY. Mapperley⁸
          ; Edith A. Bennett Daur. 1 DBY. Mapperley⁹

     Charles Bennett was left a Widower on the death of his wife, Elizabeth in 1880 in Nottinghamshire.¹⁰

          In the 1881 U.K.Census, held on Sunday, 3 April 1881, Charles was recorded as the Head of the Household at 402 Woodborough Road, Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, also in the Household were Georgiana Bennett, Arthur Robert Bennett, Charles Laurence Bennett and Harry Ashley Bennett,
     as follows:-
          ; Charles BENNETT W 50 M Derby, England Rel: Head Occ: Brick Maker¹¹
          ; Georgina BENNETT U 18 F Mapperley, Nottingham, England Rel: Daur Occ: Housekeeper¹¹
          ; Arthur R. BENNETT 12 M Mapperley, Nottingham, England Rel: Son Occ: Scholar¹¹
          ; Charles L. BENNETT 7 M Mapperley, Nottingham, England Rel: Son Occ: Scholar¹¹
          ; Harry A. BENNETT 6 M Mapperley, Nottingham, England Rel: Son Occ: Scholar¹¹

     Charles Bennett, son of Francis Bennett and Elizabeth Harris, was married to Louisa Crisp, daughter of Daniel Crisp and Hannah Sterland, on Saturday, 30 April 1881 at St. Judes Church, Mapperley, Nottinghamshire.^12,2

          In the 1891 U.K.Census, held on Sunday, 5 April 1891, Charles was recorded as the Head of the Household at Barnsdale House, Woodborough Road,, Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, also in the Household were Louisa Bennett, Arthur Robert Bennett, Edith Agnes Bennett, Charles Laurence Bennett and Harry Ashley Bennett,
     as follows:-
          ; Charles Bennett Head Mar. 59 Brick Maker DBY. Derby¹³
          ; Louisa Bennett Wife Mar. 55 --- NTT. Nottingham¹³
          ; Arthur Bennett Son Single 22 Brick Maker NTT. Mapperley¹³
          ; Edith A. Bennett Daur. Single 21 Dress Maker NTT. Mapperley¹³
          ; Laurence C. Bennett Son 17 Iron Merchant's Assistant NTT. Mapperley¹³
          ; Harry A. Bennett Son 16 Civil Engineer NTT. Mapperley¹³

     Charles Bennett was left a Widower on the Death of his wife, Louisa, whose Death was Registered in the Nottingham Registration District, in the Oct-Nov-Dec Quarter of 1899.¹⁴

          In the 1901 U.K.Census, held on Sunday, 31 March 1901, Charles was recorded as the Head of the Household at 752 Woodborough Road, Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, also in the Household were Edith Agnes Bennett,
     as follows:-
          ; Charles Bennett Head Widr. 69 Manager, Brick works DBY. Derby¹⁵
          ; Edith A. Bennett Daur. Single 31 --- DBY. Mapperley¹⁵

     Charles died in 1909 Died age 77 years, formerly an Alderman, Town Councillor & Magistrate.^16,17

     Records tell us that by 1738, several brick kilns had been established in the Mapperley area. Common bricks were sold at 10 shillings per thousand, and dressed bricks at 17 shillings. In summer, bricks were carted down Coppice Road and stored for use in winter, when the brick yards were inoperable. Indeed, if the carts became bogged up, they often had to be abandoned until spring.

Charles Bennett (1832- 1909) began work at the brickyards aged 9. He became a workman, a foreman and then Manager of the Works of the Nottingham Patent Brick Company. In his public life he achieved the positions of town councillor, alderman and magistrate. He also gave the land for the Wesleyan chapel on Woodborough Road. His house still stands, at the junction of Bennett Street and Woodborough Road, alongside a row of terraced cottages built for brickyard workers in the 1840s.

It was estimated that in the 1850's, annual brick production in the Nottingham area was upwards of 5 million bricks. Overall, more than a thousand million bricks were made - many being transported to London for the construction of St. Pancras Station.

To celebrate the coronation of King George V on 22 June 1911, a bonfire was held at the Patent Brick Company's premises, being the highest point in the region.

The office at the Brick Company was used in the evenings as a reading room, and on Sundays for religious services until the Wesleyan chapel was built in 1903.¹⁸