Great x4 Grandmother Jane 'Jenny' Bennett (nee Godsland)

My Great x4 Grandmother Jane (1804 - 1855) was a housewife and mother of eight.

Jane was born around 1804 in Sandford, Devon, to William Godsland and Jane Godsland (nee Maunder).

Jane was baptised on 8th January 1804 in Sandford as Jenny, though on all later records she is called Jane. Perhaps the nickname was to differentiate her from her mother of the same name.

Jane was the fifth of six children (two daughters and four sons):

• Ann  1794 -
• Richard  1796 - 1798 (about thirteen months old)
• William 1799 - 1800 (about eleven months old)
• John  1801 -
• Jane 'Jenny' 1804 - 
• William 1808 - 1808 (as a very young baby)

Although the siblings were baptised in Sandford with their surname spelt as Gosland (without the d), on their father's marriage certificate and on Jane's own marriage certificate, father and daughter both spell it as Godsland.

Sadly three of Jane's siblings passed away as babies. Six years before Jane was born, her older brother Richard passed away, aged about only thirteen months old. He was buried on New Years Day 1798. Two years later, Jane's older brother William passed away, aged about only eleven months old. He was buried on 4th May 1800 in Sandford. And in December 1808, when Jane was about four years old, her younger William (second of his name) passed away, as a very young baby. He was buried on 27th December 1808 in Sandford.

On 15th March 1827, Jane (about 23) married John (about 35), a ropemaker, in his native South Molton. Both Jane and John were able to sign their name. They married in the presence of Sarah Bennett (likely a relative of John) and John Godsland (likely Jane's brother).

Signature of Jane Godsland, 1827

Their first child Mary was baptised in August 1827, meaning Jane was about four months pregnant when they married.

Jane and John had eight children (three daughters and five sons):

• Mary  1827 -
• John  1829 -
• Jane  1831 -
• William  1834 -
• Robert  1836 -
• Emma  1839 -
• James  1842 -
• Samuel  1845 -

Around 1828, Jane and her family moved, over twenty miles south, from South Molton to Hatherleigh. Their children John, Jane and William were baptised there. The family moved again, around 1835, about twenty-five miles east, from Hatherleigh to Upton Pyne. Their younger children Robert, Emma, James and Samuel were baptised there.

1841 Census:

1851 Census:

In 1855, Jane passed away, aged about fifty-one, at Upton Pyne. She was buried on 29th April 1855 in Upton Pyne.