James George Cann was born in 1819 in Dartford, a
son of George and Sarah Cann. They lived in Dartford from at least 1815, when
their daughter Frances was born. James was baptised on March 28th
1820 at Holy Trinity Church, Dartford. The baptism record gives his name as
William George Cann but there is a note below saying that this is an error and
that the name should have been recorded as James George Cann. It is signed by
his mother Sarah and dated 1847. Quite how this error arose and why it took
until 1847 to correct it, is unclear!
George Cann (the father of James) was a grocer, who
died in 1825 aged 33, when James was only 6. The tithe list in 1838 shows Mrs
Sarah Cann as the owner and occupier of a house and shop in Lowfield Street,
Dartford. The 1841 census lists Sarah Cann, age 49, a grocer living in Lowfield
Street with her daughter Frances, 25. I cannot find James in this census.
The 1838 Tithe List records that a George Cann, who
lived in Overy Street, owned 21 houses and a pub in Dartford. He died in 1848
aged 81. His will is difficult to read but it refers to James Cann of Lowfield
Street, Dartford, harness maker (son of Sarah Cann of Lowfield Street). George
seems to have been a relation of James, possibly grandfather. It seems likely
that George left James several of his properties as James was later described
as a “large cottage holder”1.
The 1851 census shows Sarah Cann, a widow and
annuitant age 59 living in Lowfield Street with her unmarried children Frances,
a seamstress age 35 and James, a saddler master age 31. James married Sarah
Best on 9 November 1852 at St Botolph, Northfleet. He was a bachelor aged 33, a
saddler. She was a spinster aged 31, born in Northfleet, a daughter of George
Best, a wheelwright. They went on to have four children namely Sarah (born
1854), James (born 1858), Martha (born 1860) and Alice (born 1865).
Melville’s 1858 Directory of Kent shows James George
Cann as a saddler and harness maker in Lowfield Street, Dartford. In 1861
James, a saddler, was living at a shop in Lowfield Street with his wife Sarah,
children Sarah, James and Martha plus a house servant. James’s eldest child Sarah
died in 1863 aged 8.
James was a member of the Dartford Detachment Kent
Rifle Corps. At their annual dinners he would be invited to relate his stirring
adventures with the corps1.
“He
would describe, with a mixture of pardonable pride and irresistible drollery,
for he had a rare fund of humour, how he …. took part in a Volunteers’ visit to
Belgium, how they were accorded honourable reception by the Burgomeisters of
cities there, were specially honoured by His Majesty the King of the Belgians,
and received medals in commemoration of the occasion. With these and many other
reminiscences, Mr Cann would arouse applause and “set the table in a roar,” for
he was a fluent speaker, although a homely one.”
Sometime between 1863 and 1871, James ceased work as
a saddler. The census in 1871 records his occupation as “registrar of births
and deaths, formerly saddler” and his address as 46 Spital Street, Dartford
where he was living with his wife Sarah (49), children James (13), Martha (10)
and Alice (6) as well as a servant. James had the same occupation and address in
1881 and 1891. His mother died in 1873 aged 72 and his children married, Martha
in 1882 (to Alexander Adams), James in 1884 (to Emma Elizabeth Penn) and Alice
in 1899 (to Samuel Rudd Boutle).
James
George Cann1
The 1891 Kelly’s Directory for Kent has the following
entry “Cann James George, registrar of births & deaths & vaccination
officer for Dartford sub-district & collector of creek dues, 46 Spital
Street.”
James was a member of the Dartford Local Board for
35 years and was its Chairman for 20 years. His obituary1 says :
“He
was one of the earliest members of the old Local Board of Health (now the Urban
District Council) …. and was one of the most popular members of that body and
for a number of years its chairman. He not infrequently headed the poll, being
regarded as a people’s man, as when Dartford boasted a Ratepayer’s Association he
would attend its meetings, and vigorously defend his own policy, and freely
criticize that of his colleagues when they differed from him on some salient
question of public interest. …. He was not then a Progressive, or, if so, a
very moderate and cautious one, disinclined certainly to movements of a
speculative character.”
James did not hesitate to express his opinions
forcefully and consequently upset some people. He often opposed schemes that
would increase Dartford’s rates. A local newspaper3 reported,
following his retirement in 1894 that
“In
the course of his long and useful official career Mr Cann has often said
unpleasant things, and has trod rather severely on the toes of many who have
come into contact with him, and although these things have occasionally raised
feelings of antagonism, yet his fellow townsmen have always recognised that he
hits straight from the shoulder, and has been impelled by a sense of duty, or a
desire to benefit the public, in what he has said and done.”
Sarah Cann, the wife of James, died unexpectedly in
1894 aged 72. She had given orders for a coachman to call for her and was found
by a servant lying dead on the floor. Martha Adams, daughter of James, died in
1898 aged 37. She had been “in failing health for some considerable time”4.
The 1901 census shows James G Cann, widower aged 82,
late registrar of births and deaths living at 46 Spital Street with his son
James aged 43, his daughter in law Emma aged 42 and two servants. 46 Spital
Street is now the address of the Dartford Conservative Club. From looking at
old maps, it seems that the building on this site is the one that James lived
in, although the front of it may have been altered.
James died on October 22nd 1901 in
Dartford aged 82 and was buried in East Hill Cemetery in the same grave as his
daughter Sarah and his wife. I have located the plot5 but it has no
stonework on it. The value of James’s estate was £16,138 2s 6d, which is
equivalent to about £7 million now6. Probate was granted to his son
James Cann, pharmaceutical chemist, and Henry Ernest Bailey, solicitor. The
death duty record7 shows that his household goods were divided
equally between his surviving children James and Alice. Annuities were set up
to pay Alice £300 pa and his cousin Mary Evenden £30 pa. James Cann junior received
the rest of the money.
James senior had three grandchildren. The eldest was
Beatrice Cann (1884-1956), daughter of his son James. She married Bertie Edward
Waterman in 1908 and they had four children. The other two grandchildren died
young, without offspring. They were Alexander James Lindsay Adams (1885-92) who
died aged 7 and Dorothy Sarah Adams (1887-1906), who died aged 18, both
children of Martha Adams nee Cann.
References
1 Death
of Mr J. G. Cann, West Kent Advertiser, 26 Oct 1901.
2 Yesterday’s
Town: Dartford, Geoff Porteus, 1981
3 Mr
J. G. Cann’s Retirement, Dartford Chronicle & District
Times, January 8 1895
4 Death
and funeral of Mrs Adams, West Kent Advertiser, 25 June 1898.
5 Plot 2476, SE Quarter
6 Calculated with respect to average
earnings using the website “Measuring Worth” www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/
7 Death duty record folio 3317 in IR
26/7937, held at The National Archives.
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