James Edward Jelliss.
Parents Charles James Jelliss
and Elizabeth Sarah McCarthy
James was born 13/02/1878 in Deptford He was married in 1898 in Camberwell to Mary Jane Jones. James was a Stoker in Electric Lighter? and a Steam and Electrical Engineer with Vickers Sons and Maxims. He lived at 13 Batavia Road, Deptford 1901. Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry 1904. Belvedere 1912 and 22 Corinthian Road, Erith. and died 30/11/1941 aged 63 in Amersham at his daughter Lillian's house. He is buried in Old Amersham Cemetery, Buckinghamshire.
He was a man who liked his drink, and was an artist as well as an engineer. I've included some of his paintings.
I was told that James Edward (my grandfather) worked for Sir Hiram Maxim building the first Steam roundabout a Chair-o-Plane. The type with chairs hanging on chains and that my grandmother Mary was the first woman to ride on it. (After further investigation it appears that the ride was called the Maxim Captive Flying Machine. which was first built in Weston Super Mare in 1907. Several were built and there is still one surviving in Blackpool). My father George used to tell some stories about him and I wish that I had written them down.
All I remember now is the story about him half sawing through the floorboards of the porch of their house No 22 Corinthian Road Erith just where the landlady stood when she came to collect the rent. Apparently she always stood in one spot because the rest of the floorboards were rotten.
I also understand that he made and installed the weather cock on the spire of St. John the Baptist Erith. Mike
James and Mary's children:
Charles Henry Jelliss born 1901 in Greenwich he died in 1902 at Greenwich
Frederick George Jelliss born 1908 in Coventry died aged 6 weeks.