William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Jesse William Kenney was born at Seaham Harbour in 1893. His parents were Patrick Kenney and Frances Maria (nee Prentice) who married in 1891 at Easington. The couple had 9 children together but sadly 4 died.
1891 shows the newly married couple lodging at 26 Ropery Walk Dawdon.
By 1911 census the family are living at 70 Oswin Road Forest Hall Newcastle. Father Patrick was a worked in the mine as a stone shifter as did his eldest son, John. Another son, Patrick, was a miner driver aged 15 years. (Jesse) William is not listed as working at that time. Two younger siblings were Peter and Katie who were still at school.
Florence Bolton (nee Dixon) married Jesse William Kenney 1913 at Tynemouth. After his death Florence remarried Thomas George Hunt who also served in but survived the Great War. Florence and Jesse had only one son, Joseph William who was born at Tynemouth in 1914 but died soon after his birth. On Jesse's pension cars she was living at 15 Killingworth Road, Forest Hall.
For some reason when Jesse William Kenney joined the army he served under the alias of William Carroll. The alias comes from a combination of his maternal grandparents names ie Jesse William Prentice and Catherine Harkins (nee Carroll).
William was posted to France on October 5th 1915 and was killed in action on the first day of the Somme in 1916. He was listed as 'missing' on the Casualty List dated August 15th 1916, presumed dead.
Medals: 1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
His brother John Edward was killed in 1915.
Jesse William Kenney is remembered at Killingworth on K9.01 as J.W. Kenny and at Longbenton on L25.02.
