Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Rachel Chennells (923)

10/11/1871 –15/10/1961

Wife of Major George Chennells

Relatives

Reginald Walter Chennells — son

Major George Chennels (923) — husband

Gladys Chennells (923) — daughter

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 923 Rachel Chennells (née Rance)

Rachel was born at Potten End on November 10th 1871, the daughter of James Rance and Emma (née Pitkin). James began as a labourer and worked his way up to a carter, then a dealer, then a coal merchant. Rachel was the seventh of their nine children and the family lived in Potten End.

She married Major George Chennells at Holy Trinity, Potten End, on October 22nd 1895. (Her husband was baptised with the first name Major – it was not a military rank.)

They were to have five children and their granddaughter, Jill Gardener, wrote a reminiscence of the family which can be found in the entry for Major George Chennells.

Major died in 1950 at their home, Tregwynt, 22, King’s Road.

Rachel survived him until 15 October 1961 when she died there aged 89 and was laid to rest with him.

Their son Reginald and daughter Gladys are also buried here.

Major George Chennels (923)

24/01/1873 –08/05/1950

Credit Draper

Relatives

Rachel Chennells (923) — wife

Reginald Walter Chennells — son

Gladys Chennells (923) — daughter

• Jill Gardener
• Melanie Hilton

Plot 923 Major George Chennells (1873-1950) 

Major George was the third son of Cornelius and Mary (nee Harrison) Chennells and was baptised and registered with that unusual first name.

Cornelius was a gardener/gardener’s labourer but by April 1891 the census records that he was paralysed and unable to work. Fortunately his three sons were in employment: Walter as a blacksmith, Herbert as a plumber and Major George as a baker. Eight year old Lily was at school.

Major married Rachel Rance in 1895 and Jill Gardener wrote about her grandfather in 2020:

“Major George Chennells, born at Frithsden on January 24th 1873 and Rachel (nee Rance), born at Potten End on November 10th 1871, were married at Holy Trinity, Potten End, on October 22nd 1895.  They had five children: Gladys Lillian, born on October 1st, 1896:  George Edward Victor, born on February 7th, 1901;  Reginald Walter, born on June 5th, 1906; Irene Gertrude, born on September 30th, 1908:  Hilda Joyce, born on March 3rd 1913 (my mother).  She was known by her second name of Joyce.  All the children were born in Potten End, with the exception of my mother, who was born at 15 Kings Road, Berkhamsted.

I can only remember them living at 22 Kings Road, Berkhamsted, from where they ran the family business – a Credit Draper (selling cloth on credit, usually door to door).  My grandfather, Gladys and George (and later his wife, Doris (known as Pete for some reason!) also worked for it and they lived on the other side of Clarence Road at  No. 20 Kings Road.  They only had one son, Bryan Rae, who sadly was born with Downs Syndrome.  My other Auntie Irene, worked as a secretary for the Chief Accountant at Cooper, McDougall & Robertson, all her life and my mother (and father, who was Chief Commercial Artist at Clunbury Press – as was his father before him) where they met and got married, after which he went to serve his country in the RAF.  I was born in 1939 so he was away for the first 5 years of my life.  We lived at The Nook, North Road, Berkhamsted, from where I got married in 1961.

 Both my mother, who died far too young at 56 – having just lived long enough to see her four grandchildren born – and my father, Cliff, who lived until 93, are buried in Kings Road Cemetery, which was very near to where they lived after I got married, at the top of Kings Road.  (My Auntie Irene, being a single lady, opted to be cremated and scattered at Amersham when she died).”

Jill Gardener, May 2020.

Major died 8 May 1950 and is buried here with his wife Rachel, daughter Gladys and son Reginald.

Gladys Chennells (923)

01/10/1896 –19/07/1976

Daughter of George and Rachel Chennells; worked in family drapery business

Relatives

Rachel Chennells (923) — mother

Major George Chennels (923) — father

Reginald Walter Chennells — brother

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 923 Gladys Lillian Chennells  (1896-1976)

Gladys was the daughter of Major George and Rachel (nee Rance) Chennells. She was born October 1 1896 in Potten End.

In March 1901 her father was employed as a draper’s assistant and her brother George had just been born. Her brother Reginald was born in 1906 and sister Irene in 1911. In that year they were living at 15, Kings Road and Major was a self-employed draper. (The reminiscences of Jill Gardener, Gladys’s niece, in the entry for Major George Chennells gives more information about the family and the business.)

Gladys did not marry and worked as a saleswoman in the business whilst living with her parents and several of her siblings.

Gladys died 19 July 1976 and is buried with her parents and brother Reginald.

Reginald Walter Chennells

05/06/1906 –1926

Son of Major and Rachel Chennells; died age 20 years

Relatives

Rachel Chennells (923) — mother

Major George Chennels (923) — father

Gladys Chennells (923) — sister

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 923 Reginald Walter Chennells (1906-1926)

Reginald was born 5 June 1906, the son of Major George Chennells and Rachel (née Rance).

More information about the family can be found in the entry for his parents, who are buried here.

Reginald died at Tregwynt, King’s Road October 1926, aged 20. His sister Gladys also lies here.