On the 9th July 1942, Francis Collinson noted two songs from a Fred Mannering at Bethersden, and one from a James Mannering. It has not so far been possible to identify Fred Mannering with certainty. However the most likely candidate seems to be
Frederick Charles Mannering, 1901-?
Born in 1901, he was the son of Henry James Mannering, a farm labourer, and Sarah Jane née Buss. In 1901 the family was living in The Street, Bethersden, and in 1911 at Wilk’s Cottages, Bethersden. Frederick is not listed in or around Bethersden in 1921 or 1939, but his parents are – in 1939 they were living at Prospect Cottages, Bethersden. In the 1881 and 1901 censuses Henry James Mannering is listed just as James Mannering. Perhaps he generally went by the name of James (or more likely Jim). And it’s possible that when Collinson visited the Mannerings in 1942, their son Fred happened to be at home as well.
Of course it is also possible that the singer wasn’t actually called Fred at all – it might just have been a nickname (in the same way as another Bethersden singer, Tim Fidler, had actually been baptised Reginald Harry Fidler). But, based on information in the 1939 Register, the only other male Mannerings living in the village were Frederick Mannering’s brothers – and it seems extremely unlikely that, with a brother called Fred, either of them would have acquired Fred as a nickname.
Songs
- Paddy Stole the Rope (Roud 2037)
- Will the Weaver (Roud 432)
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