Sophia Kenway (nee Enock) (1808-1879).

Date of birth: Saturday, 21st May, 1808.
Birthplace: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.
Date of death: 1879.
Cause of death: ?
Place of death: Solihull, Birmingham, England (aged 70 years).

Father: Robert Enock (1777-1817).
Mother: Sarah Enock (nee Robinson) (1781-1853).
Siblings: Caroline Wheeler (nee Enock) (1807-1842), Sarah Enock (1810-?), Robert Enock (1811-1855), Arthur Enock (1813-1816), Mary Robinson Enock (1815-1840), Arthur Gregory Enock (1817-1838).

Husband: Peter Kenway.
Date of marriage: Wednesday, 19th June, 1833.
Place of marriage: Friends' Meeting House, Stourbridge, Worcester, England.

Children: Theodore Robinson Kenway (1834-1880), Peter Seymour Kenway (1838-?), Emily Kenway (1840-1926), George Fardon Kenway (1845-1870).

Residences.

1841 - Hunton Hill, Gravelly Hill, Birmingham, England.

 
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1851 - Vicarage Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.

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1871 - 62, Belgrave Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England (demolished between 1946 and 1955).

Education.

Tuesday, 15th June, 1819 - Monday, 10th June, 1822 - Ackworth School, Pontefract Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, England.

Admit number: 4196.
Agent: Bernard Dickinson.
Relatives in attendance: Caroline Wheeler (nee Enock) (sister), Thomas Enock (first cousin), Sarah Enock (sister), Thomas Gilkes (second cousin), Sarah Atkins (nee Gilkes) (second cousin).

'The circumstances attending the application of Sophia Enock appearing to this committee to render hers a special case, it is agreed to admit her with her elder sister (Caroline Enock, 1807-1842)' - Ackworth School Committee minutes.

Admission: 10 guineas per annum [£10.50 in today's money, measuringworth's calculator would say the relative value is £921.30.].

Life at Ackworth.

Sophia remained at Ackworth for the full duration of her education, meaning she had no contact with her family for three-years.

Sophia, Caroline, Sarah, Thomas Enock, Thomas Gilkes and Sarah Gilkes, would have only seen one another at meeting for worship or other public occasions. To spend time together, the relatives would have congregated on a path running midway between the two wings known as "The Flags".

Scholars studied during the day, and undertook some manual work out-of-hours.

The curriculum between 1819-1822 consisted of:

• Religious study (a chapter from the bible was read before breakfast).
• English language.
• Reading.
• Writing.
• Spelling (one-hour a day).
• English Grammar (in upper classes).
• English History (as of 1820).
• Arithmetic.
• Housewifery.
• Needlework (spinning, sewing and knitting).
• Geography (taught only to sixty of the upper girls - map instruction and the drilling of the rudiments of geography).

Manual work included: 

• Mending the linen.
• Waiting at the Housekeeper's table where the members of staff took their meals.
• Taking it in turns to assist the laundress and the mantua maker.

An essential feature to education at Ackworth was meeting for worship. A small part of every day was devoted to silent and serious thoughtfulness.

Staff at Ackworth during Sophia's schooling:

Superintendent: Robert Whitaker.
Principal Mistress: Isabella Harris (Reading Mistress).
Mistresses: Jane Stickney, Mary Polley.
Housekeeper: Hannah Whitaker.
Mantua-Maker: Elizabeth Cole, Susanna Smith.
Nurse: Mary Dumbledon.
Principal Tailor: Leonard West.
Principal Shoemaker: Samuel Whalley.
Baker: Isaac Wormall, Philip K. Jackson.

Relatives who attended Ackworth in the past:

Robert Enock (father).
Arthur Peters Enock (uncle).
Joseph Enock (uncle).
James Lewis Enock (cousin).

Additional information on Ackworth School can be found here.

Thomas Robinson Will.

The will of Thomas Robinson (Sophia's maternal grandfather) is detailed in the 'Reports of Cases Adjudged in the High Court of Chancery - Volume 3.' Pages can be seen here or by clicking the image below. 

The will:

A devise of land to trustees in fee, upon trust to pay the rents to Sarah (Sophia's mother), for life and after her death to apply them in the maintenance and education of all and every child and children during their minority, and when and as soon as all such children, if more than one, should have attained twenty-one, upon trust to sell, and to pay the proceeds of such sale "to and amongst all and every such child or children, share and share alike if more than one, and if but one, then the whole thereof to such only child".

Thomas Robinson's will (click to enlarge).

Page updated 9th September, 2015.