I can't give you a picture because I don't have one. Perhaps Len and Bren have one in their collection or Bernard and Veronica, or Andy and Jayne or even Gareth as he has his mother's photographs.
It's funny how your mine wanders isn't it? Mine sometimes disappears for days. Well, I was watching a BBC programme called The Repair Shop where people took their most treasured artifact to experts and they repaired and restored them and I wondered if I should give it a go and have the painting that my Dad said was done by Joseph Hennah repaired. This set up a train of thought, bear with me
Dad always described the painting as "Done by Joseph Hennah, he was Joan Sinclair's father."
Now as anyone with the slightest interest in family history will tell you those words - he was Joan Sinclair's father - will get the researching tastebuds flowing. So I had a little look. you can look here for some of Joseph Hennah's paintings if you like. They are lovely.
Now for the research bit.
Joseph E Hennah was born 12 Jan 1896 to George and Mary Ann Hennah and in 1911 he is age 15 and living with his parents and siblings at 20 Raglan Street Newport. For those who don't know Newport this is in the area known as Pill. At some time in the dim and distant past this was welshified to Pillgwenlly. probably because the name for an inlet in an estuary is called in English a Pill - in fact there is a village on the estuary of the River Avon near Bristol called Pill. I digress.
In the 1911 census Joseph is a Light worker. His father is a ship painter and his older brother Charles is an Iron Ore worker. I wonder if they worked across the river at Orb works ... again I digress.
Edward James Charles Sinclair was born in 1917 and his birth was registered in Romford, Essex. I know, that was a surprise to me too. We know his father was in the merchant Navy and died at sea in WW1
Joan Dorothea Hennah was born 5 March 1921 to Joseph E Hennah and Muriel Hughes who had married in the same quarter of 1921. I haven't bought the certificate because spending a tenner just to see how long before the baby was born they married is not something I need to do ... where was I? oh yes.
Edward and Joan married in the September Quarter (june, July or August) 1939 in Caerleon. Mon. They were living at the home of Joseph and Muriel 215 Christchurch road and Edward was working at the British Aluminium Works. until he joined up in 1940. He joined the Royal Artillery.
Some time after the war Joan was admitted to St Cadoc's hospital. This was the Mental hospital for Newport and the surroundings, and she lived there for a long time.
I don't remember meeting her as a small child although my Dad said I did. I remember her being at Jackie and Robert's wedding and everyone being slightly embarrassed because they didn't know how to talk to her. that was 1965. She went back to the hospital and then was found a flat in the community and she died in 1978 and Edward died in 1986.
I still don't know if I should get the painting repaired but it was an interesting afternoon doing the rersearch.
