Helen (Shilston) Jenner

Ancestors

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Biography

Helen Shilston was born in Wallasey and lived with her parents and Grandfather - Harold- until 1954. Helen moved with her parents to Tamworth, here she attended secondary school and went on to do her State Registered Nursing [qualified 1971] followed by her midwifery qualification [1973]. She worked as a Midwife in Solihull until 2005 where by she was poached by an eminent Professor in endocrinology [Helen had completed a diabetes course at Warwick University where she was asked to work for this Professor as a research nurse]. She became well known in diabetic circles and became the top recruiter for various studies. Helen is now retired , She retired from the NHS in 2022 at the age of 72.

My Father Robert was born in Wallasey and attended Wallasey Grammar school. At the age 18 he joined the Cheshire regiment and was a sargeant in the Royal Tank Corps. He served in Burma and due to an injury he sustained during conflict he was transferred to Badenhausen in Germany. When he returned to the UK in 1950 he got a job with Dunlops Export department as he was fluent in 4 Indian languages. Retired in 1980 and after Mum died moved to Amington where he died in 1999.

Grandfather Harold born in Egremont, Cheshire to Henry Pethick Shilston [A Master Mariner] and Elizabeth Fox of Dartmouth [daughter of a well known Quaker family].Henry died in Bombay of a Liver Abscess. Harold was an analytical chemist he was also a lecturer at Liverpool University. Married Frances Bradbury [his 2nd marriage] daughter of a Professor of music from Devonport, she died in 1949 and Harold in 1958. Robert my father was adopted.

Henry's father was John Ditchet Shilston [a well known Plymouth Ship Builder] based at China House Plymouth - now a public house. His brother William Ditchet Shilston assisted with the ship building and also lived at Marrowbone Slipway, China House Plymouth for awhile. William married Anne Broderick [they also named a son John Ditchet Shilston]. This side of the family moved to Portsmouth.

John D Shilston [Henry's father] married twice: [1] - Mary Hole who died after 2 years of marriage, she had a son William Hole Shilston who assisted his father in ship building right up to the early 1900's. [2] - Betty Pethick - they had 7 children - Harold being the youngest.

A brother of Henry Pethick Shilston was Thomas Shilston who married Anna Downing [her father gave the name 'Downs Syndrome to children born with the 1 less chromosome]. Thomas worked for Lloyds shipping and worked in Liverpool, Newcastle and London recording the arrival of ships to port and their cargo.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by Helen Shilston at registration.

Family Bible Crispin Gill - Plymouth Historian Devon FH Records - [for confirmation of family Bible writings]