Jennifer Pollard (1775-1824)

Birth
Jennifer was born in 1775 in Cornwall, England to parents John and Lydia Pollard (nee Nekervis). She was their third child and only daughter. Her elder siblings were Christopher and John. Jennifer was also known as Jane. Both names are used in official records relating to her.

Death of Father
Jennifer’s father had been a tinner. He had died and was buried on 15th July 1775, before Jennifer’s baptism on 5th November 1775. This indicates that he was dead before Jennifer’s birth, and her mother was 5 months pregnant when he died.

Marriage
Jennifer married Charles Matthews at Sancreed Parish on 11th August 1798 (the groom’s surname recorded under the name of ‘Mathew’. It is uncertain at this stage, but it is possible that he was the son of Thomas and Honour Matthews of St Just in Penwith. Another alternative is that his father was a Charles Matthews who was buried in St Hilary on 13.01.1828 at age 90 – this is supposed due to Jennifer and Charles baptising their eldest children in St Hilary, and Charles himself appearing to be buried there.

Both Jennifer and Charles were recorded of the parish and both signed the marriage record with their mark. Witnesses to Jennifer’s wedding were John & William Pollard (likely her brother and cousin).

Children
Jennifer and Charles had eight known children, the elder children baptised in St Hilary, the remaining in Madron. On the baptism of the children in Madron, Charles occupation is recorded as tinner living at Ninnis.

The couple had at least four children who would die in infancy, and there are potentially others as it appears they may not have baptised all the children who died. The cause of this is currently unknown. A note on daughter Lydia’s baptism in 1811 states that she was baptised privately, indicating that she may have already been sick and they knew she was going to die.

Baptism of Daughter and Death of Mother
Jennifer’s mother Lydia died at Ninnis and was buried at Madron on the 16th October 1813. On the very same day, Jennifer had one of her daughter’s baptised in the very same church and named her Lydia after her mother.

Death of Husband
It is not yet known when or where husband Charles was buried, but it is possible that it was on 13th July 1823 in St Hilary. The residence recorded for this Charles was recorded as Relubbust Hilarylane and he was recorded as 55 years old.

Death
Jennifer died in November 1824 and was buried on the 28th November in Madron, Cornwall, aged 49 years.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Charles and Jennifer Matthews
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Charles and Jennifer Matthews