Answers to Questions

PENNEY, The Camp, St Albans, 1930's May, 2002

Places St Albans

Alan Penney (apenney @t n-terprise.co.uk) of Bedford writes: My father John Patrick Penney was born at 22 Springfield Road, St Albans in Sept 1932. I am interested in any information relating to this particular location and any relating to his parents William Henry Penney and Jane Ann Penney.

When my father was born his sister Jean Penney was also living at the above address. I am interesting in any information relating to any of the above named people. Any pictures directly or indirectly related would also be of interest.

You will undoubtedly find the recently published booklet Camp, a local St Albans history, of interest. This reveals that the houses in Springfield Road were built in 1928.

The only specific information I have to hand is that in the 1947 St Albans Directory Wm. Hy. Penney was living at 5 Mentmore Road, St Albans while 22 Springfield Road was occupied by Ernest Wm White. However the St Albans Central Library (in the Maltings) has a set of trade directories which will allow you to follow the occupancy of 22 Springfield Road, and the address of Wm Hy Penney from year to year. The library also has large scale maps of the area at various dates, and it would be well worth checking the library local study index to see if they have anything else, including photographs.

If you want to find more about William Henry Penney, his wife, and their ancestors, the standard approach is to purchase the relevant certificates, and cross reference with the census returns where possible. Some information is given under How to ..., but you would probably do better with an introductory book on research your own family.

It is perhaps worth noting that a James Penney, a 31 year old labourer, born in Redbourn, was a visitor to a house in Holywell, Hill, St Albans in the 1851 census - but you expect variations in spelling of the surname to be common.

July 2009

John Kimpton (john @t consortcases.ie) of Waterford, Ireland, says his family moved into 22 Springfield Road, St Albans, in 1954, when he was 5 years old. His father may be able to provide Alan Penney with further information - but unfortunately Alan's contact email address is no longer valid, so the contact information is posted here in the hope Alan will see it.

Please note: This query was asked in 2002, when very little genealogy information was available on the internet, and the tutorial on this web site did not exist. This site now only provides specialist advice for people who have already carried out some research using census and civil registration records, relating to the period before the First World War..