| Relationship to me:- |
| maternal grandfather, Arthur Benjamin Kenyon 1912-1998 |
| Daughter of Arthur Benjamin Kenyon, Wendy Truslove (Kenyon) 1941- |
| I am the son of Wendy Truslove (Kenyon), Geoffrey Allan Merritt |
Who was my maternal grandfather? That’s a question I had been asking myself for some years now.
The man that I knew as my grandfather, George, adopted my mother soon after he married my nana Joan in September 1948. I have recollections of George, but not many, as he passed away in 1968 when I was 5.
I had never met my maternal grandfather, Arthur Benjamin Kenyon, but I learned more about him as I got older. My mum always treated George as her father and rarely discussed Arthur.
My Search
I started my search for Arthur when I received a copy of my ancestry file from Mum. She has spent countless hours researching her family tree, more correctly my family tree, as it has both my maternal and paternal family history on it. As extensive as the family history was, there was one glaring omission – my maternal grandfather Arthur B Kenyon and his history.
I totally understand why my mother left Arthur’s history out of her research to compile her family tree. He had separated from my nana in 1944, who at that time was expecting her fourth child with him. He traveled north to Scotland and started a new life with another woman. His first son with her was born in 1948.
My grandfather was married to my nana for nearly 8 years. They married in June 1937, and they divorced in January 1945 while my nana was pregnant with my aunt, who was born in March 1945.
Before the war, he started working in a furniture shop. Nana got a council house after they’d been married 6 months because they knew someone high up in the Manchester Corporation Housing. They got a ground floor flat in Shawlea Avenue Manchester and had to buy furniture. They went to the shop where Arthur Benjamin worked and bought bedroom, dining, and lounge suites of very good quality for 40 pounds sterling.
After the divorce, there wasn’t any contact with Arthur. He passed away in February 1998.
About Arthur
Arthur was born on 20th September 1912 in the district of Chorlton, Lancashire, Manchester. His parents, Benjamin and Emily Kenyon, baptized Arthur at Greenheys, St Clement Church of England on the 3rd November 1912, which is less than 3 miles from Old Trafford, Manchester United Football Ground. Ten years before my grandfather was baptized, in 1902, Newton Heath LYR F.C. changed its name to Manchester United F.C.
He enlisted in the Royal Artillery on 22nd October 1940 and was stationed at Balgray House, Lockerbie, Scotland, for most of the time he was married to my nana.
Balgray House, Lockerbie, Scotland
During World War II, the Royal Artillery used Balgray House as a training and operational base. Soldiers would have undergone various types of training related to artillery, including anti-aircraft gunnery. The location of Balgray House in Scotland was significant for military purposes. It provided access to various terrains for training exercises, and its proximity to other military installations would have facilitated coordination between different units.
Life After the War
After World War II, Arthur’s life took a different turn. I have communicated via the Ancestry website with others who have my grandfather in their family tree and learned about some of his life after he left my nana. The vibe that I got from my mother was that Arthur was not a very nice person. Unfortunately, the stories that have been recounted to me haven’t painted a very nice picture of him.
I have learned that in the late 60s, he was a Senior Traffic Warden in Manchester, maybe a fitting profession. He also remarried and had three children with his second wife. I don’t, however, have any proof of the marriage yet.
The three children from the second marriage are my half-aunt and uncle, and I am also aware that I have half-cousins who still live in the UK.
Reflections on Family History
Since starting my ancestry search on Arthur Kenyon, I always assumed that there was going to be a new branch to the family tree. It’s nice to know that some of the blanks have been filled in. Discovering Arthur’s life story, with its twists and turns, has given me a deeper understanding of my family’s history.
Connections and Outreach
Are you related to Arthur Kenyon? If so, please make a comment below. I am always eager to connect with distant relatives and learn more about our shared heritage. Family history is a tapestry woven with threads of stories, and every new detail adds color and depth to our understanding of who we are and where we come from.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the journey to uncovering the story of my maternal grandfather, Arthur Benjamin Kenyon, has been enlightening. From his birth in Manchester to his military service in Scotland during World War II, and his later life as a Senior Traffic Warden in Manchester, each piece of information has contributed to a fuller picture of who he was. Though his life had its complexities and challenges, learning about Arthur has connected me to a part of my family’s past that was previously unknown. As I continue to delve into our family history, I hope to discover even more stories that enrich our heritage.
Hi Geoff,
I enjoyed reading that, I’ve not known much about Arthur Kenyon but Tom and Eva were his grandparents, his parents were Benjamin and Emily. I’m pretty sure Mum told me that my birth father was a salesman and at one time worked in a Furniture store and that is where they bought all their furniture for their house when they got married. He got it cheaper because he worked there.