About the First Edition
Curiosity drove James Riley Jennings to compile and publish the Jennings of Haddonfield, in 1967. In James’ own words, “But the tracing of family lineage is only a part. The most intriguing interest seems to be the character, habits, customs, social and moral attitudes, occupations, and financial ingenuity, or lack of it, among those from whom we are in descent. To gain an insight into their activities and lives is the purpose and motivating force in this undertaking.”
James delivers an unfiltered collection on everything Jennings, and as such, his work is less of a family history and more a broad survey of all Jennings in the West Jersey, East Jersey regions as well as the United Kingdom.
James particularly focuses on the Jennen’s Inheritance that captivated his great-uncle, Jacob Mark Jennings and Grandfather, Henry Jennings. James draws abundantly from William Henry Jennings, Eng. 1899 study, A Genealogical History of the Jennings Families in England and America.
William Henry Jennings leveraged genealogies and family histories prepared in the 1850’s with the assistance of agents, commercial genealogists, and lawyers for the purpose of establishing a claim to the purportedly disputed Jennen’s fortune.
The lasting impact of their efforts is the perpetuation of a false narrative through print and published family trees.
James’ stated, “No claim is made for the completeness nor the accuracy of the contents. An attempt has been made to research records and documents that have been conveniently available. Quotations from various sources include books, manuscripts, historical and genealogical society records, and files, and other media useful in an effort to trace and record the history of the Jennings family, going back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Much of the material submitted here Is presented as received from the various sources, as stated above.”
Therefore the burden falls up this generation to review, validate, and verify the accuracy of records included in the revised edition of the Jennings of Haddonfield.