(3rd son of Jonathan Gent, b 1785)
John was baptised on 9 January 1814 at St Laurence church, Chorley. He was married to Ann Bamber on 17 December 1832 at St John’s church, Preston.
When they married she was an unmarried mother with an illegitimate child, Elizabeth, born 4 January 1832. Elizabeth had been baptised 12 Feb 1832 in Whittle le Woods with only the mother named as Ann Bamber.
Ann’s birth certificate stated that her own father was unknown. Her illigitimate daughter Elizabeth assumed the surname of Gent on the 1841 and 1851 censuses.
In the Trade Directory of 1872 John is described as a reed maker, heald maker and assistant overseer and on the censuses 1841 to 1881 they lived in Waterhouse Green, Whittle le Woods.
John Gent in the Tithe Apportionment Map and Schedule of Whittle le Woods
(Click on map for enlargement.)
A Tithe Apportionment Map (1840) and Schedule (1845) were produced for Whittle le Woods. The above map c1848, shows the three areas where John Gent was mentioned in the tithe schedule.
| Area No. | Shading Colour | Landowner | Occupier | Description | Tithe to Church | Tithe to Landowner |
| 212 | Red | Margaret Withnell | John Gent & Others | 10 Cottages & Gardens | 3d | 3d |
| 213 | Yellow | Margaret Withnell | John Gent & Others | Shop & Garden | 4d | 5d |
| 216 | Green | Margaret Withnell | John Gent & Another | 2 Cottages & Garden | 1d | 1d |
The tithe schedule doesn’t mention who the ‘others’ were who were occupying the properties.
Children of John & Ann Gent
They had 9 children together including Alice who was born in 1838 and died at the age of two. Her burial is recorded in St John the Evangelist, Whittle le Woods, church records.
“Alice Gent, buried 12 April 1840 aged 1 yr 19 mnths”
Yet the inscription on the gravestone is “Alice Gent died June 9 1840 aged 2 years”
There is no record of the burial of any other child of that name and the dates in the record book are in sequence. However, it may be significant that the first name on the gravestone is Ann Gent died Sep 30 1885 aged 73 years and the second name is Alice Gent died June 9 1840 aged 2 years. When the gravestone was new Alice had been dead for 45 years. We must assume that the date she died had been remembered or transcribed wrongly, probably from a previous smaller memorial stone. Burials are generally a few days after the death but never 2 months before!
| Name | Place(s) of Residence | Life Dates | Married |
| Elizabeth Gent (Bamber) | Whittle le Woods & Leyland | 1832-1914 | Thomas Marland |
| William Henry Gent | Whittle le Woods & Preston | 1834-1902 | Jane Lingard & Jane Heys |
| George Gent | Whittle le Woods & Preston | 1836-1893 | Elizabeth Howarth |
| James Gent | Whittle le Woods & Chorley | 1840-1907 | Ellen Pass |
| Jonathan Gent | Whittle le Woods & Chorley | 1843-1927 | Mary Garstang |
| Alice Ann Gent | Whittle le Woods & Bradford | 1845-1924 | Thomas Garstang |
| John Gent | Whittle le Woods | 1848-1924 | Mary Garstang |
| Thomas Gent | Whittle le Woods | 1850-1897 | Amelia Baron |
| Edward Gent | Whittle le Woods & Halliwell (Bolton) | 1853-? | Catherine Parker |
Chart: Children of Jonathan Gent (1814-1891)
Ann died on 30 September 1885 and John died on 14 March 1891. Both are buried in St John the Evangelist churchyard, Whittle le Woods.
