Mary Jane Rollston (1862-1946) and her descendants

Mary’s mother, Rebecca Rollston (sometimes spelt Rolleston or Rollestone), was born on 12 July 1837, the daughter of a farm labourer/shepherd living in Yelvertoft/Clay Coton, Northamptonshire.  When she became an adult, she went into domestic service and in 1861 she was a housemaid at 17 Grosvenor Place, Bath. There Rebecca became pregnant and Mary was born on 25 July 1862.  Mary’s father's name was omitted from both her birth and baptism records as was then the practice for "illigitimate" children. James Gammell at the time was living next door, at 16 Grosvenor Place.

Initially, the evidence that James Gammell was Mary’s father rested on three facts, none of which was conclusive.  The first was a letter alleging this to be the case written in 2002 by her grand-daughter Mary Lawson (née Evans) who she said had learnt that information from her mother (Marjorie), who had received it directly from Mary herself; secondly, that James Gammell left Rebecca Dolby £100 in his will (he named her as Rebecca Tolby in his will, but undoubtedly this was Rebecca Rollston who had become Rebecca Dolby when she married Edward Dolby in 1879); and finally the father’s name was initially written in the baptism record, but the priest, presumably realising his error, heavily crossed out the name, but it probably says “James”. 

But in recent years DNA analysis has allowed family relationships to be established beyond doubt and through evidence from one of Mary Jane's descendants we now know for certain that Mary Jane Rollston was James Gammell's daughter and so her story is included in this history.

After Mary’s birth on 25 July 1862, she went to live with her grandparents in Clay Cotton, whilst her mother continued in service until she married Edward Dolby on 5 August 1879 in Clifton, Bristol. Rebecca and Edward had no children and Rebecca died in 1896.

It is almost certainly Mary who, in the 1881 census, was a barmaid at the White Lion Hotel, Yate, Gloucestershire (Jane Rollstone, but the fact that her mother and step-father were visiting the hotel at that time, and the age given on the census form being correct, seem convincing evidence that Jane Rollstone must have been Mary Jane Rollston).  Mary married Richard Whincup in 1888 and on 15 August 1889 a son, Stanley Rolleston Whincup was born, followed, on 27 April 1903, by a daughter, Marjorie Alexandra Whincup. They lived most of their life in Yorkshire. Richard died on 27 November 1945 and Mary on 2 February 1946.

Stanley Rolleston Whincup and his descendants

Stanley was born on 15 August 1889. He became a chauffeur/mechanic and in the First World War served initially in the Royal Navy and then transferred to the RAF.  In 1914 he married Lily Evelyn Hudson. Stanley and Lily had a daughter, Mary Vivien Whincup, who was born on 26 April 1915. They lived in London and at the time of the 1939 census, Stanley was an aircraft fitter.  Lily died in 1951 and Stanley on 21 December 1964.

Mary Vivien Whincup was born on 26 April 1915 and in 1938 married Frederick Richard Banning-Lover who was an aircraft service engineer.  They had two children, Patricia Mary Banning-Lover (born 1943) and Frederick Richard Banning-Lover (born 1948). Frederick R died in 1967 and in 1973 Mary married Thomas William Kemp Candler. Mary died on 8 July 1986 and Thomas on 15 December 1995.

Marjorie Alexandra Whincup and her descendants

Marjorie was born on 27 April 1903 in Pontefract, Yorkshire.  In June 1927 she married John Robert Evans at St Michael’s church, Carleton.  They lived in Leicester where he was a hatter’s manager and she worked for the Inland Revenue.  They had one daughter, Mary Evans, who was born on 22 June 1928.  John died in 1956 and Marjorie on 13 April 1995.

Mary was born on 22 June 1928.  In 1953 she married John Alfred Lawson.  They had two children, Peter D Lawson (born 1956) and Jennifer J Lawson (born 1958). Mary died on 16 July 2016.