The Ancestors
of Emily Jane Willis
These are genealogical
notes by Andrew
Lancaster. Main
page.
This webpage will hopefully help genealogists
studying this family get in contact with each other.
Emily
Jane Williswas my great grandmother - my mother's father's
mother. Her family has been studied quite a bit in Australia, and so
the following notes owe a lot to others, and my main intention is to
point to areas where I have made small progress, or at least defined
the questions for later research. This has been almost entirely in
the area of tracing her family back to England, rather than studying
what happened in Australia. I must especially thank Normea O'Toole,
Don Watson and Heather Macdonald for their help.
Emily's
parents were William "Bill" Willis and Ruth,
whose maiden name was Stearns. They had married 5 Sep
1889, in Scone NSW. The Willis and Stearns surnames both come from
Cambridgeshire, but as far as we can tell, the fact that they came
together again in the upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales was a
coincidence. Both Bill and Ruth were born in Australia.
Emily
was the eldest child in a big family with a lot of girls. Her and her
siblings were as follows. Most of them also had what would be
considered big families today...
Emily Jane WILLIS;
b. 1 Aug 1890, Walcha; bur. 8 Oct 1968
Sp. Isaiah or Isiah (Ike) ROSSINGTON (1883-1947), son
of George ROSSINGTON (1834-1910) and Jane FRANCIS (1840-1913); b. 18
Jul 1883, Belltrees, Gundy, NSW Australia; d. 15 May 1947, Scone, NSW
Australia; bur. May 1947, Gundy General Cemetery, Gundy NSW
Australia. For the Rossingtons see my
other webpage concerning them.
Beatrice Victoria May WILLIS b.
1891
Sp. Talbot Denham WILSON
Ethel Adeline Mary WILLIS b.
1894
Sp. Clement D. J. BLOOMFIELD
Hilda Clare WILLIS b.
1897
Sp. Leopold TILSE
Cecil Edgar WILLIS b.
1900
Sp. Edna MITCHELL
May Lilian WILLIS b.
1902
Sp. Alfred HENRY
Alma Edith WILLIS;
b. 1904
Sp. FULLER?
Clarince Marion WILLIS b.
1906
Sp. Thomas MCLOUGHLIN
Clarence Murray WILLIS;
b. 1907; d. 16 Feb 1993. (The only one who did not marry.)
Leslie
John WILLIS; b. 1908. (No children?)
Sp. Nancy BARNETT
Phyllis Myriam WILLIS;
b. 1910
Sp. Albert Edgar KEEP
Alice Mary WILLIS;
b. 1913. (No children.)
Sp. Ernest BRAND
The Willis Family.
1 generation back
William
Willis was Emily Jane's father. His father John Willis
had come to Australia as a child with his father, also named William
Willis (41 farm labourer, who could read and write), mother Sarah
(39, and could read), and brother James (11). They'd departed 31 Mar
1855 from Southhampton on Blenheim, and arrived
5 Jul 1855 in Sydney. They were stated to be Methodists, and had paid
2 pounds for the journey. John was already a young man of 16, already
a farm labourer like his father, and he and the family seem to
have settled in to the Upper Hunter fairly quickly.
Only a
few years later, an even quicker settler arrived in the Hunter from
England and married John. Louisa Lydia Barwell married John on 6 Oct
1859 at Belltrees near Scone, NSW (2903/1859). She'd arrived 3 Mar
1859 on the Hornet having left Plymouth in 1858.
She was described a nurse, was 21 years old, and had lived in East
London near the docks. Her father Thomas was a sea faring man, and
her mother was Lydia née Lewis.
Their family was also
rather large, as indeed was typical in these times in Australia, and
William was the eldest...
William "Bill" WILLIS b.
15 Apr 1861, Brushy Hill, NSW 12795/1861; d. 23 Dec 1956, Scone,
NSW
Louisa
Elizabeth WILLIS b. 1863, Gundy
NSW
George WILLIS b.
1964.
John WILLIS b.
1866, Waverley NSW
Sarah
Jane WILLIS b. 1868, Stewarts Brook
NSW
Samuel
WILLIS b. 1870, Belltrees NSW
Richard
WILLIS b. 1873, Stewarts Brook
NSW
James WILLIS
b. 1875, Stewarts Brook NSW
Thomas
WILLIS b. 1877, Stewarts Brook
NSW
Alfred
WILLIS b. 1880
David
WILLIS b. 1884
2 generations back
From
the shipping records for John Willis and his family we
know he had a brother named James who was about 5 years younger. We
also know that his parents were William and Sarah. William's
parents were Robert and Elizabeth. Robert was still at Ely,
which is where everyone in the family was said to be born, but
William's mother Elizabeth was dead. Apparently, some of the
shipping records mention that William Willis had a brother already in
Australia named John. (As far as I know, no-one has traced this John
in records in Australia. Could he have come as a convict?)
Sarah
died first, 15 July 1862 in Scone, at only 47 years of age. William
died quite a bit later 15 October 1893 (78 years old), also in
Scone. Both certificates mention only the two sons, John and James,
as living children, but William's certificate also mentions a
deceased daughter. Some genealogists apparently believe this refers
to a daughter who must have been born in Australia.
We also
learn that Sarah was born Sarah "NICHOLL" (William's death
certificate) and that her parents were James "NICHOLAS",
farmer, and Elizabeth COLSTON. Both William and Sarah were from Ely
in Cambridgeshire.
A few years before leaving, in the 1851
census, the family is to be found in Hills Lane, Ely St Marys.
William was a 36 year old agricultural labourer, as was John his son,
though only 13. James (7), the younger son, was a "scholar".
Sarah was 34 and the whole family were said to have been born in
Ely.
In the 1841 British census I found the family only by
knowing that Willows or Willowes was apparently the origin of
the surname Willis in Cambridgeshire. William (25, Ag. Lab.), Sarah
(20) and John (2) WILLOWS appear in Newtown in the parish of St Mary
in Ely. All are shown as having been born locally in
Cambridgeshire.
We can also cross check with the parish
registers of Ely St Mary. William WILLIS, bachelor, and Sarah
NICHOLAS, spinster, both of the parish, married there on 9 March
1835. Witnesses were Robert WILLIS, Elizabeth BARD, and John Ellis
the parish Clerk.
The baptisms of the children of William and
Sarah:-
14 May 1837 Elizabeth
WILLIS dau of Father
William Mother Sarah
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
22
Sep 1850 James WILLIS son
of Father William
Mother Sarah Father
Occupation lab Parish
Ely, St Mary
13
Jun 1852 John WILLIS son
of Father William
Mother Sarah Father
Occupation lab Notes
said by father & mother to be 13 years old
Parish Ely, St Mary
Perhaps the deceased daughter of William and Sarah mentioned on
William's death certificate is Elizabeth. Given the remark concerning
John's age at baptism she might have been born only a little before
John.
My thanks to Karen Nixon for pointing out that William appears to
have had an illegitimate child in Australia. On the birth certificate
of Frederick Rose, born 22nd November 1874, William Willis, a farmer
of Gundy, 59 years old, born in England, was witness and also noted
as father. The mother was Mary Rose née Pierce.
3
generations back
As mentioned above, the father of
William Willis was Robert WILLIS. In the
1841 census we find him in Ely St Mary, an agricultural labourer, at
No. 7 Cow Lane with his wife Elizabeth. They are both said to be 50
years old. They have children still at home: Susan (15), Frances (14,
a girl), James (15) and Thomas (10).
In 1851 Robert is still
an agricultural labourer in Cow Lane in the parish of St Mary. This
census gives more accurate details than that of 1841: he was 64 years
old and born in "Norfolk Fendraton" which must in fact be
Fen Drayton in Cambridgeshire. His wife is gone, and only two adult
children from 1841 are still there: Thomas, now a 19 year old
agricultural labourer, and "Fanny" the 24 year old wife of
Israel Butty, and mother of two infants named Sarah and
Elizabeth.
Robert and Elizabeth's marriage was also in Ely St
Mary, on 4 June 1811 (apparently not 1807 as sometimes reported).
Elizabeth's maiden name is given as Thurston and she is said to be
from the hamlet of March in Doddington. Banns had been posted during
May 1811.
We also have the death records of this couple:
1859, #365, Second January 1859, Cow Lane,
Ely
Robert Willis, 77 years, Farm Laborer
Old Age,
certified
The mark of Elizabeth Benstead, In attendance, Alms
House, Ely
registered Sixth January 1859, George Cole,
Registrar
1848 #491, sixth July 1848 Cow Lane, Ely, Saint
Mary
Elizabeth Willis, female, 50, wife of Robert Willis,
Laborer
Phthisis, certified
The mark of Elizabeth Money,
Present at Death, Downham Road, Ely Saint Mary
registered tenth
July 1848, George Cole Registrar
Their children's baptisms appear to
be as follows. Although the ones where the mother is Sarah must be
doubtful, I have included them because according to the 1841 census
there must have been a Frances born about 1826, and they do roughly
fit. Also I found no sign of any couple named Robert and Sarah.
Perhaps Elizabeth was also called Sarah?
6 Jan 1812
John WILLIS son of Father
Robert Mother
Elizabeth Parish Ely,
St Mary
17 Aug 1812 Robert WILLIS
son of Father Robert
Mother Sarah
Parish Ely, St Mary
9
Feb 1814 William WILLIS son
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
19 Feb
1816 Hannah WILLIS dau
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
8
Jun 1818 Elizabeth WILLIS dau
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
29
May 1820 Susanna WILLIS dau
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
3
May 1822 James WILLIS son
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
19
Apr 1823 James WILLIS son
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
21 Jan
1826 Sarah WILLIS dau
of Father Robert
Mother Sarah
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
21
Jan 1826 Frances WILLIS dau
of Father Robert
Mother Sarah
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
27
Mar 1831 Mary WILLIS dau
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
27
Mar 1831 Thomas WILLIS son
of Father Robert
Mother Elizabeth
Father Occupation lab
Parish Ely, St Mary
2 Dec 1832
Elizabeth WILLIS dau of
Father Robert Mother
Elizabeth Father
Occupation lab Parish
Ely, St Mary
4 generations back
John WILLOWS
was the father of Robert Willis. The evidence presented
above gives us a birth date for Robert Willis of about 1782-1791,
probably in Fen Drayton. This is exactly what we find although once
again we meet the Cambridgeshire origins of the surname Willis:
Baptised 24 Apr 1774
Sarah WILLOWES dau of Father John Mother Sarah
Parish Fen Drayton
Baptised 1 Dec 1776 Elizabeth WILLOWES dau of
Father John Mother Sarah Parish Fen
Drayton
Baptised 20 Sep 1778 John WILLOWS son of Father John
Mother Sarah Parish Fen Drayton
Baptised
21 Sep 1783 Thomas WILLERS son of Father
John Mother Sarah Parish Fen
Drayton
Baptised 24 Sep 1786 Robert WILLOWS son of Father John
Mother Mary Parish Fen Drayton
Baptised
23 Nov 1788 Lettice WILLOWS dau of Father John Mother Sarah
Parish Fen Drayton (buried 2 Dec)
Baptised 20 Sep 1789 Frances
WILLOWS dau of Father John Mother Sarah
Parish Fen Drayton
Baptised 3 Dec 1794 Susanna WILLOWES dau of
Father John Mother Sarah Parish Fen
Drayton
Here our run of luck stops. The normal theory is quite naturally
that "Mary" in 1786 is simply
an error for "Sarah". No John
and Mary were in the area, and our Robert fits perfectly in the
family of John and Sarah. Nevertheless we can not go further without
registering the fact that we might be in error.
The marriage
of John and Sarah can be traced: 6 Apr 1773 John WILLOWES and Sarah
JOHNSON (spinster) both of the parish, married in Fen Drayton.
Witnesses were William COOTE and Isaac LENTON. John, Sarah and
William all made a mark rather than signing their name. Amazingly,
John seems to have lived to 91, and was buried in Fen Drayton in 1836
(meaning he was born about 1745).
However, from this point
back there are no more Willows, Willowes, Willis etc entries in the
Fen Drayton registers.
Also in 1773, in the neighbouring
parish of Conington, James WILLERS/ WILLOWS was married to Mary
Musick. The surnames Willows, Willowes, Willers and Willis are
relatively common in Cambridgeshire, and are mentioned in medieval
documents for example, but not in this particular area. So James and
Robert are likely to be related.
Further back
An obvious candidate parish for the origin of both John and James
Willows is Graveley, which is not too far away. According to
Familysearch, John was baptised there 2 Feb 1745, and a James was
baptised there 19 Jul 1747, both son to James and Frances. Frances
was then probably Frances Cely and her and James married in Graveley
25 Jun 1744. This couple had a number of children baptised in
Graveley.
The surname's home ground seems to be close to the University city
of Cambridge itself. A manor of the name WILLOWES was at Teversham,
and a family seems to have taken its name from that manor. For just
one earlier example (there are more to be found) see Chancery:
Inquisitions Ad Quod Damnum, Henry III to Richard III C
143/197/8 2 EDWARD III: Thomas in
the Wylewys of Barrington, and Margaret his wife, to retain a
messuage and land in Barrington acquired from John de Lancastre. So
it is clear that there might be more than one place named after
Willows. Forms of willow must always have been particularly common
in Cambridgeshire.
In many parts of Britain, the name
Willis is said to derive from the personal name William, so not all
Willises are related it seems.
The Barwell Family, and the Lewis family.
2 generations back from Emily
As we
saw, the parents of Louisa Lydia Barwell were Thomas Barwell and
Lydia Lewis. A suitable London marriage could be found just by using
the IGI: 14 Aug 1823 in St Dunstan, Stepney. Some baptisms follow on
from there, with Louisa being the youngest...
WILLIAM BARWELL was born 1 May 1827 and baptised 21 Nov
1830, Old Church, St Pancras London England
GEORGE BARWELL was
born 10 Sep 1830, St Pancras, London England and baptised 21 Nov
1830, Old Church, St Pancras London England
FRANCES BARWELL was
born 29 Sep 1836, Marylebone, London England and baptised 23 Oct
1836, Trinity, St Marylebone London England
LOUISA LYDIA BARWELL
was born 29 Apr 1838, according to the 1851 census this took place in
the parish of St George in the East, London. She was baptised 21 May
1838 at Trinity, St. Marylebone, London.
The family of Thomas and Lydia can
also be seen in the 19th century censuses, a search which I joined
with Heather Macdonald...
In 1841 Thomas Barwell, seaman is
45 years old, so born about 1796. He was at Marman St, The Tower
Hamlets, St George, (eclessiastical parish of St Mary's) and his
family was (showing that we have not found all the baptisms!)...
Lydia 45
William 13
George
9
Samuel 8
Mary 6
Lucinda 3
In 1851 Lydia is 50 and alone with
some of the children, a Mariner's wife, in St George in the East,
"Tower Hamlet". Perhaps he was at sea. Their address was 27
Spencer Street. The children with her were...
George 20, cigar maker, born St Pancras.
Louisa 11,
scholar, born St George in the East.
In 1861 Thomas was 65, so born about 1796; born "City of
Norwich, Norfolk". He was once again a Seaman. Lydia was 61,
born Whitchapel. The children were gone by now, but they were still
in St George in the East. They were still at 27 Spencer Street, noted
as "Spencer St North" but now with several distinct other
families living at the same address.
I have not been able to
find their death certificates yet.
In March 2008, I was contacted
from Melbourne concerning this webpage, by Lin
Starke, who comes from a New Zealand family of Barwells who knew
themselves to be related to a Louisa Barwell who'd gone to Australia
instead of New Zealand, and married a man named Willis. She descends
from George, mentioned above, who was a cigar maker in London. It is
very interesting (as will be seen below) that while still in London
George married Annie Jane Lambert Moore, the daughter of a wine
dealer, Frederick Moore. The marriage happened 7 March 1858. They
came to New Zealand the following year on the Zealandia.
George became a farmer at Loburn, North Canterbury.
Other siblings who came to New Zealand
were Samuel, who I mention above, and Susan, who I had not been aware
of before, who emigrated with George and his wife.
Samuel came out separately, but on the
same boat as his future wife, Dinah Jones, the Maori.
They married on the 27th September 1859 in the house of the Rev.
Charles Fraser, Christchurch. Samuel’s second wife Ann Davidson
died on 23 Mar 1917, and was buried at the Linwood Cemetery. Samuel
himself passed away, cause of death, senile decay, on 29 Jan 1918,
his address at that time being 368 Oxford St., Christchurch. To quote
information I received from Lin:
In an interview with
the “Lyttleton Times”, 6 May 1914, Mr. Samuel Barwell
said he was born in London in 1832, and joined the British Army at
age 16 yrs, went through the Hottentot, and Kaffir Wars in 1851-2-3,
and went to Crimea and the war against Russia and Turkey. He was
involved in the “Charge of the Light Brigade”, in which,
due to the bungling by the British war strategy experts, hundreds of
British soldiers were trapped and slaughtered in the valley dominated
by entrenched opposing troops. After the initial onslaught the Turks
roamed the battlefield, bayonetting any soldier showing any signs of
life, and here Samuel survived by feigning death on the ground. His
medal for Crimea was later decorated with clasps for the Battles of
Inkerman, Balaclava and Alma. (End of Interview). He was also one of
the storming troops at Sebastapol. He also held the South African
Medal for the 1850 war. (Hisson was to lose his life in the Boer War
in South Africa, 1899-1901).At a military function in N.Z. in 1914
Samuel said to Sir Ian Hamilton, that earlier in his career he was
once “Inspected” by the Duke of Wellington, the British
soldier who defeated Napolean Bonaparte .Samuel was one of the best
shots in No.2.Coy, Cant’y Rifle Volunteers in 1861. He drilled
the first volunteers, in the Market Hall Christchurch. They used to
go into North Hagley Park with the Brunswick Rifles.
Charles Barwell (one
of his grandsons), had a soft black velvet smoking cap of Samuel's,
and also a photo of his war medals. Another photo, taken of Samuel in
1907, showed him in uniform, with the rank of Sergeant-Major, with
three medals of the Crimea campaign.
Susan was married at the same house as
her brother Samuel, to Robert Taylor, 18th February 1861. Samuel and
Dinah were witnesses. She was 20 years old and a domestic servant at
the time.
3 generations back
To start with the
area where we know least, the Lewis family, we can also find a
suitable looking baptism for Lydia Lewis, along with corresponding
siblings and a marriage for the parents:
WILLIAM LEWIS and MARY OFFLEY married 1 APR 1799 St
Mary's, Whitechapel.
THOMAS LEWIS was baptised 4 May 1796 St
Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
GEORGE LEWIS was baptised 7 Sep 1798 St
Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
LYDIA LEWIS was baptised 25 Jul 1800 St
Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
HENRY LEWIS was baptised 20 Aug 1802 St
Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
RICHARD LEWIS was baptised 22 Jul 1804
St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
JOHN LEWIS 12 was baptised Apr 1807
St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney
London is difficult. On the other hand, the census entry for
Thomas sends us to a smaller city, Norwich, concerning which I have
received help from Norwich
researcher Gill Blanchard. This must surely be his family...
Marriage Licence Bonds, Archdeaconry of Norwich,
1791
William BARWELL of Saint Giles
Norwich Wine Cooper and John FOX of Saint Andrew in the said City
Plumber and Glazier bound £200 twelfth October 1791
William
BARWELL of Saint Andrew a Bachelor and Ann BARNES Spinster both of
full age
William BARWELL and John FOX both signed
Norwich
St. Andrew Parish, Norwich, 1791:
P.50.
No.149. William
BARWELL of Saint Giles in this City Batchelor and Ann BARNES of this
Parish Spinster by Licence thirteenth October 1791. Both signed.
Witnesses: Elizabeth FOX. Frances REEVE. John FOX. Mary BARNES.
Saint Peter Mancroft,
Norwich:
(from IGI) William
was born 24 Aug 1792 and baptised 27 August
1792.
Norwich
St. Giles 1793:
September
13th. Mary
Ann
Daughter of William & Ann BARWELL (late BARNES Spinster) was born
Sepr. 11th.
Norwich
St.
Giles 1796:
April
17th. William
Son of William & Ann BARWELL (late BARNES Spinster) was born
April 15.
Norwich
St. George Colegate, 1798:
March. 14. BARWELL. Thomas
Son of William & Ann his Wife late BARNES Spinster Born Feb: ye
Second.
So Thomas was perhaps youngest, unless we include the baptism of
Harriot, also born to a William and Ann in Norfolk, but 2 baptisms
seem to appear, both in port cities: 30 Apr 1803 in Great Yarmouth
(birth 27 April), and 30 Apr 1803 Earsdon By North Shields,
Northumberland. If William was a wine cooper, and his son was a
mariner, perhaps we should imagine that the family was involved in
shipping in and out of Norfolk.
Due to the contact from Lin Starke, I can add that the New Zealand
Barwells believed Thomas to have been in the navy, although Lin, like
me, has found no record of this yet. Also, on his son George's death
certificate, Thomas was described not as a mariner (as he is most
frequently described in documents concerning the his children) but as
a "steward". It should perhaps be noted though, that this
certificate is also exceptional in getting the name of George's
mother wrong (as Charlotte).
4 generations back and further...
As it
happens, a Barwell family of merchants had become increasingly
involved in the wine trade in Norwich, a branch of whom became quite
wealthy. A version of the firm they ran, having originally been in
partnership under a
family named Suffield in St Giles Street, still exists under the
name Hayman Jones Barwell.
See http://norridge.me.uk/pubs/names_/firms/barw.htm.
It is fairly easy to find more information about the later
generations of this family on the internet. On this webpage we shall
focus upon their common ancestry, as it seems, with my Barwell
family.
In an 1808 Norfolk will John Barwell, merchant, of that line left
a trust for the children of his 3 brothers: William (deceased),
Joseph (deceased) and Robert. This John, apparently the brother of
our William, seems to be the same one who appears in the 1784 Baileys
British Directory, at Wymer Street, Norwich: - cooper,
wood/furniture/carriage trades(m), wine. His third wife Harriot,
mentioned in the will, must be Harriot Sedley. And his son also named
John went on to marry Louisa Mary Bacon, author of The
novel adventures of Tom Thumb the Great, published
in 1840. In an earlier 1781 document preceding his marriage to his
earlier wife Mary Rose, John is referred to as a Wine Cooper of
Norwich, the same trade as William Barwell. Gill also found the
following citation:
Rye’s
Norfolk Families, 1913 – Barwell
BARWELL
of Norwich
This
family considers itself
descended from the family of BARDWELL or BEARDWELL of West Harling;
who bore Gu. a goat salient arg. attired or. but no evidence has ever
been adduced of the descent.
John
BARDWELL, grocer and John BARDWELL, cook, probably father and son,
were admitted to the freedom of Norwich, 8 and 26 Elizabeth.
John
BARWELL, s of William BARWELL of Tivetshall, and grandson of another
William BARWELL of the same place, buried there 1837; was b about
1741, was of Norwich and Fundenhall. In
1786 he voted as a wine cooper in St. Peter Hungate, and 1791 was a
Roman Catholic wine merchant there. By his third wife Harriet, d of
John Somner SEDLEY of Morley, Norfolk (by female descent from John
SEDLEY, Esq., of Barford and Morley, High Sheriff, 1657-8) he had a
son.
John
BARWELL (Sheriff in 1839) who by Louise (d. of Richard Mackenzie
BACON, printer, newspaper proprietor. and author. who d. 1885, having
been the author of many children’s books) had a large family
including
John
BARWELL, wine merchant (now living), and Miss BARWELL of Surrey
Street, Norwich, and a brother, an artist
Arms used are those of
BARDWELL – Gu. a goat salient arg. attired or.
In
Lieut.-Colenel HARVEY’S recently published book on “Norfolk
Deer Hunting” (p. 17) a reference is made to a Thomas BARDWELL,
an artist, who painted the Woodton Hunt, and is supposed to have been
a connection of Thomas BARDWELL, the butler at Woodton, who died
there in 1719 aged 96.
Therefore we see
that our William was third in a line of Williams, and one of a group
of brothers who were perhaps in business together. It is interesting
that the family were Catholic, something which was unusual amongst
native-born English families at the time. However, it should be
mentioned that at his death in 1847, 84 year old John
Barwell was described as a convert to Catholicism, so his
relatives were probably not also Catholic.
Unfortunately the Tivetshall parish registers appear to be
incomplete. However these records appears to relate to our family...
William BARWELL and
Mary GIBSON in Pulham St. Mary the Virgin in 1730 (Boyds Marriage
Index)
Tivetshall
Baptisms:
1737
Eliz: D: of Wm. & Mary BARWELL
Baptiz . Septbr 18th.
1738[/39]
John Son of Wm. & Mary BARWELL
Bapt: Jan: 31st.
1739[/40]
Mary D: of Wm. & Mary BARWELL.
Bapt: March 23d
1741[/42]
John Son of Wm. & Mary BARWELL
Bapt: Feb: 2d. 1741
1743[/44]
Joseph Son Wm. & Mary BARWELL
Feby: 7th.
1760
Willm: Son of Anne & Willm: BARWELL
June 12.
1762
Thomas Son of William BARWELL &
Mary his Wife Jan. 28th.
William and Anne in 1760 appear to be a new couple because in 1757
a William who was a "singleman" married an Ann Savill in
this parish. (I guess this William is not the one who married Anne
Barnes later because that William was a "bachelor" and not
a widower.) Also note that two of the children above apparently died
young and appear in the burial register:
1739
John Son of Wm BARWELL
buried May 13th.
1742
Mary BARWELL an Infant
buried Aprill 27th.
The early connections to spellings with a "d", and the
nearby places Woodton and West Harling, certainly seem worth pursuing
further.
The Nicholl/ Nicholas/ Nicholls Family, and the Colston family.
We have already seen how Sarah Willis, who emigrated to Australia,
had been born about 1807-1815 in the parish of St Mary in Ely,
Cambridgeshire. We also know her parents names. Therefore we can
trace her baptism to 15 June 1816, where the parents are called James
and Elizabeth NICHOLLS. In the same parish an apparent older brother
was also baptised: William on 21 September 1813.
1861 death in sub-district Ely, district Ely, County
Cambridge
#285 Eleventh June 1861, West End Ely
James Nichols,
Male, 83 years, Farm Laborer
Old age, certified
The mark of
Mary Black present at death, West End, Ely
registered sixth
January 1861, George Cole, registrar
James and Elizabeth were from near to the hometown of the
Willis/Willows family, close to the Cambridge county border with
Huntingdonshire. Concerning James, there was a James Nicholis,
stagecoach driver, who was wrongfully charged tolls at Fenstanton in
November 1818 by a William Long "the stage coach running from
Cambridge to Huntington (owner George Giddings, St. Clement,
Cambridge)" Huntingdon Quarter Sessions FILE - QUARTER SESSIONS
BOXED PAPERS - ref. HCP/1/6 - date: 1815 - 1819 item: Michaelmas [no
ref.] - date: 1818.
In Hemingford Grey, Hunts., we find the
family of James...
24 November 1767. Thomas Nichols married Sarah Prior
22
November 1776. James, their son was baptised
14
November 1779. Sarah, their daughter was baptised
18
October 1781. Ann a daughter to Thomas and Darah was baptised
...and also concerning Elizabeth...
26 Oct 1803 Richard BEARD, bach., and
Elizabeth COLSTON (X), sp., both
of this parish, by banns.
Witnesses: Henry DRAGE Henry HART
13 Oct 1807
James NICHOLS, bach., and Elizabeth BEARD (X), wid., both of
this
parish, by banns. Witnesses: Elizabeth CRAIN(X) Henry
HART
Notice how an "Elizabeth Bard"
was a witness at the wedding of Sarah Nicholas in 1835. There
may have been children from the first marriage of Elizabeth Colston.
Another example is on the census of 1841. At Mill Pit Road, Ely, we
find:-
James NICHOLAS, 60 year old Agricultural
Labourer
Elizabeth NICHOLAS, 55 years old
William NICHOLAS, 25
years old
Mary BEARD, 30 years old
In 1851 we find the same family
again in Ely, St Marys, West End:
James NICHOLAS, 72 year old Agricultural Labourer, born
in Hemingford
Elizabeth NICHOLAS, 68 year old wife, born in
Sweasey? or Swavsey, Cambridgeshire
William
NICHOLAS, 38 year old son, also an agricultural labourer now, born in
Ely.
In 1861, a census year, I can find the death registration for
James NICHOLS, an 83 year old Farm Labourer in West End, Ely.
Unfortunately English certificates at this time did not mention very
much about relatives at all. A researcher very long ago reported to
someone in the family that James NICHOLAS was in receipt of relief
from 1843 to 1860, and that his widow received money in 1861. But
what about Elizabeth?
NOTE. There appears to be
a problem with the generally accepted explanation of the origin of
Elizabeth Colston. In 1851 the census says she was born in "Sweasey"
which is interpreted to be Swavesey. In Swavesey there is a baptism
of an Elizabeth Coulson, not in the same year or even a neighbouring
year, but within the same decade. Because spelling changes and dating
errors were certainly common, however, after contacting Hal Coulson
in Canada, an expert on the Coulson of the area and doubts built up:-
First of all
Elizabeth in the Ely census would have been born about 5 years
earlier than the one found in the Swavesey register. Possible, but
not a good sign.
Secondly, the
one in the register seems to have married one Isaac Waters.
Presumably, someone came to the conclusion that Isaac Waters died
and Elizabeth re-married. Unfortunately for that theory I found the
couple in the the 1841 register, still alive and in Swavesey.
Elizabeth's age about correct for being the one we have in our tree.
This is the hardest thing to explain away.
Thirdly, I confirm that the marriage in Hemingford is very
obviously the marriage of our ancestors Elizabeth and James
Nicholls, but in those parish records she is said to be the widow of
a Richard Beard, who she had previously married in the same parish.
It seems very unlikely that James would be her 3rd husband at such a
young age.
Nevertheless, all this means is that we have no lead at all any
more for our Colstons!
Concerning the Nicholls/ Nicholas etc
family, the situation is not so much better. However it is promising
to find that a Thomas Nickals was baptised at nearby Fenstantion 6
Jul 1735, son of Thomas Nickals.
The Thurston Family
As far as I know, no one has found any record to trace Elizabeth
back to March. I have found that her marriage in Ely is however
mentioned in the register there.
The Johnson Family
As explained above, there is at least
some doubt about our descent from the Johnsons, but it still seems
very likely.
The Johnsons are said to be a very long
established family in Fen Drayton, going back to the earliest
registers. In a 1969 letter from the Vicarage there that he thought
they might be descendants of Dutch or Belgian immigrants because of
their "high cheek bones, similar to Dutch faces". Sarah
Johnson seems to have been baptised 19 May 1751 in Fen Drayton, the
parents being Robert and Sarah. It appears that they were married 6
September 1743 in Christ's College Cambridge, 9 miles away, and that
Sarah's name is Sarah Housden. Baptisms of the children of Robert and
Sarah:
WILLIAM JOHNSON 19 FEB 1743 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
MARY JOHNSON 13 SEP 1748 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
SUSANNAH JOHNSON 10 SEP 1758 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
BENJAMIN JOHNSON 13 SEP 1748 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
SARAH JOHNSON 19 MAY 1751 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
HANNAH JOHNSON 04 NOV 1753 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
ELIZABETH JOHNSON 26 SEP 1756 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
ALICE JOHNSON 13 SEP 1761 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
ROBERT JOHNSON 06 MAR 1763 Fen Drayton, Cambridge,
England
ALICE JOHNSON 19 JAN 1766 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
JOHN JOHNSON 24 SEP 1769 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
Robert Johnson was probably a son
of Benjamin Johnson (or Jonson) and Mary Dickins who married in Fen
Drayton 28 March 1714. Baptisms of the children of Benjamin and Mary:
Robert 5 December 1717. It appears he was third son...
BENJAMIN
JOHNSON 20 FEB 1714 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
JOHN JOHNSON
20 MAY 1716 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
ROBERT
JONSON
5 DEC 1717
WILLIAM
JOHNSON 29 NOV 1719 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
...then
a big gap, and then...
HANNAH JOHNSON 08 JAN
1726 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
SAMUEL
JOHNSON 06 APR 1729 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
PHILIP
JOHNSON 06 JUN 1731 Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
It appears that
in 1727 Sarah HOWSDEN daughter of Wm and Sarah was privately baptised
at the parish church of Fen Drayton Jul 2, with July 9 perhaps being
the date of this entry being made. Here are her seeming siblings,
though no marriage has been found...
MARY HOWSDEN 16 MAY 1725
Fen Drayton, Cambridge, England
SARAH HOWSDEN 02 JUL 1727 Fen
Drayton, Cambridge, England
EDWARD HOWSDEN 21 APR 1730 Fen
Drayton, Cambridge, England
MARY HOWSDEN 17 JUN 1732 Fen Drayton,
Cambridge, England
MARTHA HOWSDEN 04 JUN 1735 Fen Drayton,
Cambridge, England
According to correspondence from Richard Housden, "William
Housden (1696, Fen Drayton) married Sarah Perkins (born about 1702)
on 27 April 1723 at St Ives. Marriages of Sarah's sisters Mary and
Martha at Fen Stanton and William's death at Fen Stanton suggest that
the family moved from Fen Drayton to Fen Stanton sometime after
1735/6".
The Stearns Family.
Ruth
Stearns was the mother of Emily Jane Willis. Her birth, along
with those of her siblings, can be found using normal NSW
indexes:
14253/1861 STEARNS,
WILLIAM JOHN SARAH
WOLLOMBI
14930/1862 STERNS,
JOHN JOHN
SARAH WOLLOMBI
16343/1864 STERNS,
ELLIS
JOHN SARAH WOLLOMBI
16404/1866 STERNS,
(FEMALE) JOHN SARAH
WOLLOMBI
17841/1867 STERNS,
MARY A JOHN SARAH
WOLLOMBI
18044/1868 STERNS,
RUTH JOHN
SARAH WOLLOMBI
17308/1878 STEARNS, ALFRED
JOHN SARAH MURRURUNDI
16202/1877 STEARNS, HELEN
JOHN SARAH MURRURUNDI
15807/1876 STEARNS, CHARLES
JOHN SARAH MURRURUNDI
Obviously
her parents were John and Sarah, and they had moved from Wollombi on
the lower Hunter River, up into the newer territory of Murrurundi,
nearer to the Willis family.
2 generations
back from Emily.
As our starting point, here are
the marriage and death certificates for John and Sarah, the parents
of Ruth Stearns. It should be noted that their marriage has been
wrongly indexed on the NSW BDM server, with Mary's surname being
given as RACE or PLAN!
NSW MARRIAGE REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION
REF NO 1860/2838
GROOM -JOHN
STEARNS(HIS X MARK)
STATUS
-BACHELOR
PLACE OF BIRTH
-ENGLAND
OCCUPATION
-LABOURER
AGE -31
USUAL
RESIDENCE -WOLLOMBI
FATHER
-JOHN STEARNS
OCCUPATION
-WHEELWRIGHT
MOTHER -ZEBA
STEARNS (SURNAME HAS BEEN TICKED)
BRIDE
-SARAH PLOW(HER X MARK)
STATUS
-SPINSTER
PLACE OF BIRTH -N
S WALES
OCCUPATION -NOT
STATED
AGE -NOT STATED
USUAL
RESIDENCE -WOLLOMBI
FATHER
-WILLIAM PLOW
OCCUPATION
-LABOURER
MOTHER -MARY
WELSH
DATE
OF MARRIAGE -5/10/1860
PLACE
OF MARRIAGE -CHURCH OF ST JOHNS WOLLOMBI
NSW
RELIGION -CHURCH OF
ENGLAND
WITNESSES -HENRY
BAKER, JANE COLLYER
MINISTER
-JOHN F R WHINFIELD
BIRTHPLACE/AGE/PARENT
DETAILS WERE OBTAINED FROM CHURCH REGISTER NO 1375
NSW DEATH REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION
REF NO 1917/10294
NAME
-JOHN WILLIAM STEARNS
DATE OF DEATH
-22/9/1917
PLACE -BLANDFORD,
WARRAH SHIRE, DISTRICT OF MURRURUNDI NSW
OCCUPATION
-LABOURER, OLD AGE PENSIONER
SEX
-MALE
AGE -93
CONJUGAL
STATUS -
PLACE OF BIRTH
-BARRINGTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE ENGLAND
TIME IN
AUST COLONIES -ABOUT 60 YEARS IN NSW
FATHER
-WILLIAM STEARNS
OCCUPATION
-WHEELWRIGHT
MOTHER -(GIVEN
NAME NOT STATED) WESBY
PLACE OF MARRIAGE
-WOLLOMBI NSW
AGE AT MARRIAGE
-33
NAME OF SPOUSE -SARAH
PLOW
CHILDREN OF MARRIAGE
-JOHN 55, ELIAS 54, MARY A A 50, RUTH 49, JAMES 42, LIVING; 3 MALES,
2 FEMALES DECEASED
INFORMANT
-J STEARNS, SON, BLANDFORD
CAUSE OF DEATH
-SENILE DECAY
LENGTH OF ILLNESS
-
MEDICAL ATTENDANT -B L
MIDDLETON
DATE LAST SEEN
-21/9/1917
DATE OF BURIAL
-23/9/1917
PLACE OF BURIAL
-GENERAL CEMETERY MURRURUNDI
MINISTER &
RELIGION -Y F RUSHFORTH, CHURCH OF
ENGLAND
UNDERTAKER -A J
FISHBURN
WITNESSES -J L
NORVILL, E W STEWART
REGISTERED
-24/9/1917 MURRURUNDI
NSW DEATH REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION
REF NO 1902/6023
NAME
-SARAH STEARNS
DATE OF DEATH
-8/4/1902
PLACE -BLANDFORD,
DISTRICT OF MURRURUNDI NSW
OCCUPATION
-HOME DUTIES
SEX
-FEMALE
AGE -63
CONJUGAL
STATUS -
PLACE OF BIRTH
-MORPETH NSW
TIME IN AUST COLONIES
-
FATHER -JOHN
PLOW
OCCUPATION
-UNKNOWN
MOTHER
-UNKNOWN
PLACE OF MARRIAGE
-WOLLOMBI NSW
AGE AT MARRIAGE
-22
NAME OF SPOUSE -JOHN
STEARNS
CHILDREN OF MARRIAGE
-JOHN 39, ELIAS 38, MARY 34, RUTH 32, JAMES 27, LIVING; 3 MALES, 2
FEMALES DECEASED
INFORMANT
-JOHN STEARNS, SON, BLANDFORD
CAUSE OF
DEATH -NATURAL CAUSES, TO WIT HEART DISEASE
LENGTH
OF ILLNESS -2 HOURS
MEDICAL
ATTENDANT -MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY HELD AT BLANDFORD
8/4/1902
DATE LAST SEEN
-
DATE OF BURIAL
-9/4/1902
PLACE OF BURIAL
-HAYDONTON
MINISTER & RELIGION
-REV CHARLES BICE, CHURCH OF ENGLAND
UNDERTAKER
-WILLIAM MCNAIR
WITNESSES
-JOHN HANNAFORD, ALBERT WOOLCOCK
REGISTERED
-9/4/1902 MURRURUNDI
NOTE. Concerning the father of Ruth Stearns I
believe I must correct the most obvious and widespread version of his
origins. John William Stearns, as he appears on his death
certificate, seems to have been baptised William
in his native Barrington, and also to have arrived in Australia
carrying the name William. This conclusion was arrived at only after
quite extensive searching of registers and censuses looking for
alternative explanations, but there seems to be no doubt. In 1851, to
Barrington brothers, John and William, were still near home. In 1854,
William came to Australia on the Plantagenet of 1854....
William
Stearns, 28y, farm labr, b. Barrington Cam to John & Zebby, both
dead, c/e, reads, no relations in colony, good health, no complaints,
paid 1 pound to AJ Act.
John on the other hand, definitely
remained in England and can be traced in censuses and BDM
documents...
1841 census.
John STEARNS, 45 year old Wheelwright, is in Barrington
with only his oldest son John having left. With him are Sarah, 30,
Mary 14, William 15, Charles 13, Alfred 11, George 6, Allen 3, and
Rhoda 6 months.
John STEARNS is a 15 year old agricultural
labourer living with the Coleman family at Mill Lane.
1851 census.
In Barrington (which was in the district of Royston, and
sub-district of Melbourne), John and William are within a page of
each other, in households 24 and 27 respectively...
John (the father) and William STEARN were lodgers at the
house of John Sizer. They were a 61 year old Wheelwright and a 25
year old agricultural labourer respectively. Both were born in
Barrington.
John M. STEARN was lodging nearby, a 28 year old
Agricultural Labourer, staying with the family of John Neaves.
1851 marriage.
April 1851 John Sterns, son of John, to Ann Gentle
1861 census.
John STEARN is head of his own household in Barrington.
He is 37. His wife Ann is 26, and his son William is 8. There is no
sign of his brother William, nor his father John.
1871 census.
Similar to 1861. Now the ages are
47, 46, and 18. Their address is on High Street, which is probably a
new name for the same place they lived before.
1880 death.
Ann STEARN, in Royston district. 55
years old. June quarter (3a.206).
1881 census.
John is now 57 and alone, but at the same address. Still
called an agricultural labourer.
1881 marriage:
John Michael STEARN, 58 year old widower, son of John
Stearn, married Louisa Patman, a 52 year old widow, daughter of James
Felstead.
1890 death.
Louisa STEARN, in Royston district. 61
years old (3a.320).
1891 census.
John STEARN is living alone at Back Lane, a 67 year old
widower and farm labourer.
1901 census.
John STERNS, the brother of John in Australia, was a 78
year old pauper in the Royston workhouse. Still described as a farm
labourer.
This English information explains why Australian genealogists
could not find a shipping record for John, nor any sign of his
brother William in Australia. It also brings recorded ages more in to
line with baptism dates in Barrington. In Australia it seems that the
younger brother felt nothing was stopping him from using the name of
his father and elder brother!
3 generations back from
Emily.
As we now know, our ancestor, known as John Stearns, was in fact
the same person as William who was present at his father's death.
Here are the details from that certificate...
1851, death in sub-district Melbourne, district Royston, County
Cambridge
#59 Eighteenth May 1852 (sic), Barrington
John
Stearns, male 62 years, Wheelwright
Apoplexy, certified
The
mark of William Stearns, present at the death, Barrington
registered
Ninteenth May 1852 (sic), Alfred Baker Registrar
Above, in the 1841 census, we saw that
John was a wheelwright, as per his son's death certificate in
Australia, but his wife's name was Sarah and not "Zeba Wesby"
which is what the marriage and death certificates in Australia imply.
However by looking at Barrington records, the family of John the
wheelwright starts to make perfect sense - even the very unusual name
of his first wife. He had two wives over his lifetime, and the
children he had with both of them correspond with those in the 1841
census.
Marriage 1. JOHN STARNS and ZIBIAH WISBY
married 04 JUN 1816 in Duxford St. John, Cambridge.
These entries
are all from Barrington. They clearly had problems with Zibiah's
name...
1816 Mary 25 Dec - John & Ezebiah; died 11 Oct
1833 in Barrington 17 year old daughter of John & Eliza
1818 Eliza - John & Ezebiah
1820 Elizabeth - John & Zebiah; died 15 September
1833 in Barrington: 13y daughter of John & Eliza
1822 John Michael - John & Zeba
1825 William - John & Sabina
1828 Charles - John & Zebiah
1831 Alfred - John & Isabiah
Zibiah died 6 Oct 1833,
noted as "Eliza" 40 year old wife of John. Presumably
something went through the family. Two daughters and the mother were
all buried within a few weeks of each other in 1833. (Explaining why
all 3 entries make the same mistake about her name.)
Marriage
2. John Sterns (Widower) to Sarah Munns July 18 1834
1837 George
1839 Ellen
...there
must also be a Rhoda about 1840-41.
Throughout many of these entries John was being described as a
wheelwright, adding to the strength of the identifications.
3
generations back from Emily.
Stearns.
From
the death certificate of John Stearns the wheelwright we know he must
have been born 62 years before 1851 or 1852, meaning his baptism
should be about 1790. Furthermore, the 1851 census clearly says he
was born in Barrington, so we know where to look.
In
Barrington in those times there were a couple named William and
Phoebe. They married 5 September 1786. Phoebe's maiden name was
WEEB, an odd variant, it seems, of WEBB. They were buried in the
1830s: Phoebe in 16 April 1837, when she was 75 years old; William in
1835 when he was 74 years old. Their children's baptism in
Barrington...
Mary 05 JUN
1791
Elizabeth 17 MAR 1793
Ann 1806
Susan 1806
Rhoda 1808
But there was also a baptism in nearby Harston: John on 24 MAY
1789. A William Starns who lived in Harston in the early 1800s may
also have been a brother perhaps of John senior the Wheelwright, and
a son of William and Phoebe.
I believe more work on this
Stearns line should lead to further progress being made. Their burial
information tells us that William and Phoebe should have been born in
the ealry 1760s. There is a strange christening which matches Phoebe:
03 AUG 1762 Guilden Morden, Cambridge. The father is given as Feeby
Hoog (Feeby normally a female name), and the mother is given as Mary
Webb, and her own family name as Webb OR Hoog. However, there is also
a burial record at Guilden Morden soon after: Feeby daughter of Feeby
HOGG and Mary WEEB buried 11 May 1763.
The surname Stearns,
like Willis, seems to be found very far back in Cambridge, and
probably originates there in the early Middle Ages. In the Oxford
Dictionary of English Surnames the two early example
citations are from Cambridgeshire.
Wisbey.
Concerning
the Wisbey family of Duxford, a lot of work has been done
already...
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp
(search Zibiah
Wisbey)
http://www.btinternet.com/~pat.williams10/
http://www.btinternet.com/~pat.williams10/InternetTree/WC01/WC01_307.htm
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~weston/thurlow/d0002/f0000255.html#I14018
Zibiah
was the daughter of Thomas Wisbey, yeoman, and Mary Thurlow, who had
married 14 Feb 1792, in the parish of Duxford St John. Both were
members of families who had lived in the area for generations, and
were probably relatively well off compared to many people in this
time. The name Zibiah was used 6 times within a few generations
by this group of related families (surnames Andrews, Wisbey, Wilson
and Thurlow), and outside of the area is extremely rare.
For
the Wisbey line, after some research of our own, Heather Macdonald
and I found researcher Paul Svenson of Alice Springs, to whose work I
have nothing to add to say the least. These were Zibiah's siblings...
HENRY
WISBEY,
b. 29 May 1798, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 21 April 1873,
Duxford, England.
JOSEPH
WISBEY,
b. 1790, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 28 March 1799, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England.
GRACE
WISBEY,
b. 18 November 1792, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; m. JAMES
HAFFER,
9 February 1813, St Peters, Duxford, Cambridge, England; b. Ashwell,
England.
JUDITH
WISBEY,
b. 8 June 1794, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 4 March 1839,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; m. JOHN
PLUMB,
9 December 1814, St Johns, Duxford, England.
ZIBIAH
WISBEY,
b. 17 May
1796, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; m. JOHN
STARNS,
4 June 1816, St Johns, Duxford, England.
TIMOTHY
WISBEY,
b. 8 June 1802, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 24 August 1838,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; m. (1) MARY
WILSON,
25 October 1826, St Peters, Duxford, Cambridge, England; m. (2) MILLA
(AMELIA)
BLACKWELL,
14 October 1829, St Johns, Duxford, England; b. 9 October 1809,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 1889, Western Australia,
Australia.
SAMUEL
WISBEY,
b. 22 May 1804, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 12 January 1830,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
PETER
WISBEY,
b. 2 February 1806, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 11 July
1821, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
HANNAH
WISBEY,
b. 1808, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 16 January 1812,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
4 generations back from Emily.
Wisbey.
Thomas
Wisbey was a son of Richard Wisbey and Mary Wren, who had married 17
Oct 1756 in the parish of St Peter in Duxford. Here are the siblings
of Thomas, again using Paul Svenson as a reference:
THOMAS
WISBEY,
b. 11 March 1765, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 26 November
1847, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
JAMES
WISBEY,
b. 17 December 1769, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 11 April
1849, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
EDWARD
WISBEY,
b. 21 February 1768, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 27 March
1825, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
SARAH
WISBEY,
b. 6 June 1759, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 4 December 1847,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
SUSANNA
WISBEY,
b. 5 October 1760, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 11 October
1812, Whittlesford, Cambridge, England;
m. THOMAS
ANDREWS,
2 November 1779, Whittlesford, Cambridge, England.
RICHARD
WISBEY,
b. 30 May 1762.
MATHEW
WISBEY,
b. 12 November 1772, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 5 April
1773, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
Thurlow.
Mary
Thurlow could conceivably be one of several people of that name in
Duxford. For the Thurlows I have had the help of David Weston, who
runs the Thurlow
One Name Study, and also Pat Williams, who also has a
webpage for this family. Our starting point is that Mary, the
wife of Thomas Wisbey, was buried in 1819, at age 49, meaning she was
born about 1770. This brings us to two baptisms:
18 FEB 1770 Duxford St. John,
Cambridge: illegitimate dau of Mary
26
NOV 1769 Duxford St. John, Cambridge: Mary daughter of John and Mary
The second one seems to be ours. Her
family belongs to the group of families which used the name Zibiah.
She would have had an aunt named Zibiah according to this theory,
which is that of David Weston and others. However, according to Pat
Williams, a 1782 burial for a Mary Thirlow (sic) mentions that the
parents are John and Mary. To have the parents mentioned normally
indicates that the person being buried is young. This would seem to
indicate that our Mary is the illegitimate daughter of a mother named
Mary Thurlow. This older Mary would most likely be the daughter of
William Thurlow and Ann Stallion.
As you might expect both
options involve the same Thurlow family, and Mary Thurlow, the mother
in 1770 is probably related to Thomas Thurlow, her contemporary and
the father in 1769 as a first cousin. Their grandfather, it seems,
was John Thurlow. From there we can (following David Weston) trace
back a clear male line of Thurlows, concerning whom we do not yet
know anything except that they were in the registers, and so we can
summarise quickly as a descent table from one George Thurlow...
1.
George THURLOW
Marriage. Susan MAPLE m.
15 Nov 1624, Duxford St. John, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1 George THURLOW bap.
15 Apr 1632, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage. Audery ?
1.1.1
George THURLOW bap. 28
Jun 1655, St. Peter, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Sp. Mary HAYERMAN, dau. of Robert HAYERMAN and
Mary ?; bap. 7 Mar 1661, Little Shelford, Cambridge, England; m. 2
Nov 1676, St. Peters, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.1 Edward THURLOW bap. 18
Sep 1677, St. Peter, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.2 Ann
THURLOW bap. 29 Aug 1679, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.1.1.3 Thomas THURLOW bap. 2 Feb 1680; b. 1680,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.4 George THURLOW bap. 9
May 1682, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.5 Mary
THURLOW bap. 23 Aug 1683, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.1.1.6 Elizabeth THURLOW bap. 16 Oct 1684,
St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.7 Mary
THURLOW bap. 10 Jan 1684/85, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.1.1.8. John THURLOW bap. 11 Aug 1687; Duxford
St. John, Cambridgeshire, England;
First Marriage: Jane
BENTLEY m. 1 Feb 1706/07, Duxford St. John, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.1 Jane THURLOW bap. 4 Apr
1709, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Second Marriage: Ann
CLERK m. 24 Oct 1710, Thriplow, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.2 William
THURLOW bap. 24 Oct 1712,
Saint John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
First
Marriage. Ann
STALLION m. 2 Sep 1737, Duxford St. John,
Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.2.1
William THURLOW bap. 20 Oct 1737, Saint John, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.2.2 Ann THURLOW bap. 31 Dec 1738, St. John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.2.3 Mary
THURLOW bap. 16 Dec 1739, St. John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.2.3.1. Mary
Thurlow bap. 18 Feb 1770; possibly
buried 1770?
Married
Thomas WISBEY and died 1815; or died in 1782 or possibly 1770?
Second Marriage. Elizabeth
HUNT m. 20 Jan 1743/44, Duxford St. John, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.3 Thomas
THURLOW bap. 20 Jun 1714,
Saint John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage.
Mary? SMITH??
1.1.1.8.3.1 John
THURLOW bap. 23 May 1738, Saint John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.1.1.8.3.2
John THURLOW bap. 28 Oct
1739, Saint John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England;
bur.
27 Sep 1816 St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England;
Marriage.
Mary WILSON m. 12 Jun 1764, St. John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England;
bur. 1815, St. John, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England
This couple had a daughter named Zibiah Thurlow, a
younger namesake of our Zibiah Wisbey who appears to have been born
in 1784 and then to have died as a baby.
1.1.1.8.3.2.1 Mary
THURLOW bap. 26 Nov 1769, St John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Married
Thomas WISBEY and died 1815; or died in 1782?
1.1.1.8.3.2.2 Susan THURLOW bap. 21 Oct 1765; d. 23 Jan
1768
1.1.1.8.1.2.3 Sarah THURLOW bap. 13 Sep 1767, St. John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage.
John TINKWORTH
1.1.1.8.3.2.4 Richard THURLOW
bap. 7 Aug 1774 Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage.
Elizabeth BATES m. 6 Oct 1799
1.1.1.8.3.2.5
Rebecca THURLOW bap. 17 Apr 1776, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England; bur. 1810, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.1.1.8.3.2.6 Isaac THURLOW bap. 17
Apr 1776, Saint John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.3.2.7
Susan THURLOW bap. 11 Jul 1778, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.1.1.8.3.2.8 Zibiah THURLOW bap. 29
Sep 1784, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 7 Nov
1784
1.1.1.8.3.2.9 Isaac THURLOW bap. 21 Jun
1777, Saint John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.3.2.10
William THURLOW bap. 14 Sep 1772, Saint John, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage.
Hannah ABRAM m. 12 Oct 1797, Duxford St. John, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.1.1.8.4 Anne THURLOW bap. 27
Nov 1715, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage. Thomas LOFTS
1.1.1.8.5 George THURLOW bap. 24 Aug 1718, Saint John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.6 George THURLOW bap. 5 Oct 1722, Saint John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.8.7 John THURLOW bap. 12 Aug 1711, Saint John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
First Marriage. Mary ?
Second Marriage. Mary HARLOCK m. 7
Apr 1753, Duxford St. John, Cambridgeshire, England
Third Marriage. Sarah WOODS m. 3 Dec 1755,
Duxford St. John, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.9 Catherine THURLOW bap. 8 Mar
1687/88, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.10 George THURLOW bap. 20 Mar 1689/90, Saint John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.11 Robert THURLOW bap. 2 Oct 1692, Saint John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.12 George THURLOW bap. 25 Feb 1692/93, Saint John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.1.13 George THURLOW bap. 15 Aug 1696, Saint John,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.1.2
Thomas THURLOW
Sp. Alice ?
1.1.2.1 Susan THURLOW bap. 22 Jan
1676/77, St. Peter's, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.2 Susanna THURLOW bap. 3 Dec 1626, St. John, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England
1.3 Mary THURLOW bap.
21 Nov 1630, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.4 George THURLOW bap. 26 Oct 1628, St. John, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England
1.5 William THURLOW
bap. 23 Nov 1634, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
1.6 Robert THURLOW bap. 20 Mar 1634/35, St. Peter, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England
Sp. Alice HAILES m. 9
Feb 1658/59, Saint Benedicts, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
1.6.1 Elizabeth THURLOW bap. 26 Dec 1660,
Thriplow, Cambridgeshire, England
Sp. John PETERS m. 31 Jan 1681/82, St. John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England
1.7 John THURLOW bap. 26 Apr 1640, St.
Peter, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
5 generations back from
Emily.
Wisbey.
Richard Wisbey
was a son of Edward Wisbey and Sarah. Edward Wisbey married Sarah
Collier 20 October 1724 in St John Duxford. Their children were,
again following Paul Svenson:
COLLIER WISBEY, b. 10 September 1725; m. MARY
DOWSBERRY, 3 June 1750, All Saints, Long Stanton, Cambridge,
England.
EDWARD WISBEY, b. 3 December 1728,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 13 March 1804, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England;
m. MARY THURNEL, 19 May 1752, St Johns, Duxford,
England; d. 27 September 1797, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
JOHN WISBEY, b. 29 November 1730, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England.
RICHARD WISBEY, b. 25 March
1733, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 14 July 1814, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England.
THOMAS WISBEY, b. 2
November 1735, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 25 April 1755,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
JAMES
WISBEY, b. 20 July 1740, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 15
August 1826, Whittlesford, Cambridge, England;
m. (1) ELIZABETH HOCKLEY, 25 January 1764, Whittlesford,
Cambridge, England; d. 26 October 1769, Whittlesford, Cambridge,
England;
m. (2) MARY PRIME, 23 October 1770,
Thriplow, Cambridge, England; b. 22 March 1745/46, Thriplow,
Cambridge, England; d. 21 December 1828, Whittlesford, Cambridge,
England.
Wren.
Mary Wren appears to come from just
over the county border in Great Chesterford, Essex, where she
corresponds to a baptism in the following group of baptism to a
Richard Ren/ Renn or Wren, and his wife Martha, said to have had a
maiden name Thurmond:
JOHN WREN 27 AUG 1727 Bottisham, Cambridge, England
MARY WREN 24 AUG 1730 Great Chesterford,
Essex, England
MARTHA WREN 12 NOV 1732
Great Chesterford, Essex, England
RICHD RENN
01 APR 1735 Great Chesterford, Essex, England
I do not know what evidence was used to
decide upon the maiden name of Martha and if anyone knows, please
tell me! I try to check all claims as much as practical but I have
not been able to confirm this one because I have lost contact with
Paul Svenson, and I never made contact with the maker of this
webpage: http://www.scarr.org/cambs/WC04/WC04_089.htm
6
generations back from Emily.
Wisbey.
Edward
Wisbey is as far back as anyone has gone with the Wisbeys (or Wisbys)
so far. The name appears to come originally from Lincolnshire, but I
wonder if the ones around Duxford are the main surviving family to
use this surname.
Collier.
Sarah Collier
was from a Duxford family of Colliers. Paul Svenson explained her
ancestry to me. Reconstruction is helped by the fact that there are
several wills extant. Here are the baptisms of her and her
siblings...
SARAH COLLIER, b. 3 February 1702/03,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 11 February 1759, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England.
JOHN COLLIER, b. 10
January 1696/97, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
PAUL
COLLIER, b. 14 April 1701, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; m.
ELIZABETH PRIOR, 12 April 1726, St Peters, Duxford, Cambridge,
England.
ELIZABETH COLLIER, b. 31 January
1702/03, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 2 February 1702/03,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
RICHARD
COLLIER, b. 5 June 1704, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; d. 25
January 1705/06, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
Her father Edward Collier married SARAH
WATERSON 19 April 1696 in St Johns, Duxford, England.
Wren.
There
were Wrens a bit earlier in Great Chesterford, though they actually
seem to be too early to be the family of Richard. In Great
Chesterford, 17 Oct 1676, John Ren married Jane Jackson. "John
Ren of Debden and Jane Jackson both single persons were married
Octob: ye 17th' 1676". In turn perhaps these were their
children's baptisms, including a Richard.
RICHARD REN 05 JUN 1687 Great Chesterford, Essex,
England
ROBERT REN 12 JAN 1690 Great
Chesterford, Essex, England
WILLIAM REN 20 JUN 1692 Great
Chesterford, Essex, England
Thurmond.
If we accept that Martha, the wife
of John Wren, was a Thurmond, this seems to be her family:
John
Thurmond married Martha Coote 18 September 1683 in Great Chesterford,
and these baptisms seem to be theirs...
Martha
THURMOND; Baptism 2 Jun 1684
Martha THURMOND;
Baptism 20 Jun 1687
John
THURMOND Baptism; 5 Jan 1690; Great Chesterford, Essex,
England
William THURMOND; Baptism 10 Jul 1695
Martha
THURMOND Baptism; 31 Aug 1696; Great
Chesterford, Essex, England
Richard
THURMOND; Baptism 16 Mar 1697; Burial 6 Jun 1698
Mary THURMOND;
Baptism 4 Jun 1698; Burial 15 Aug 1699
Richard THURMOND; Baptism 16 Feb 1700; Burial 21 Jul
1701
Richard THURMOND; Baptism 1 Jan 1701;
Burial 12 May 1702
Thomas THURMOND; Birth 1703
(app); Burial 6 Sep 1704
Richard THURMOND; Baptism 15 Oct 1705;
Burial 7 Jan 1706
7 generations back from
Emily.
Collier.
Here are the
baptisms of Edward Collier and his siblings, the children of Paul
Collier and Prudence Rutland...
RALPH
COLLIER, b. Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
PAUL COLLIER, d.
June 1695, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; m. MARY CAWCOT, 24
October 1685, St Peters, Duxford, Cambridge, England.
MARY
COLLIER, b. Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England; m. GEORGE PARKER, 10
October 1690, St Johns, Duxford, England.
JANE COLLIER, m. ARTHUR
BENTLEY, 30 April 1688, St Johns, Duxford, England.
EDWARD
COLLIER, b. Cambridge, England; d. 22 January 1704/05,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
Waterson.
Sarah
Waterson was daughter of JOHN WATERSON and ELIZABETH. She was
born 19 March 1669/70 in Saint Benedict, Lincoln, Lincolnshire,
England/Lincolnshire, England, and died 16 May 1730 in Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England. Again, this information comes from Paul
Svenson with whom I have lost contact, so I can not confirm the
source of the information about the link to
Lincoln.
Thurmond.
Boyds Marriage index
gives: 1654 Thomas Thurmond & Mabel Bassett
GtChesterford
This could be the generation before John
Thurmond, for example his parents. There is also an Essex will:
1634 John Thurmond, husbandman
Gt
Chesterford
Coote.
In Littlebury, the following Coote
baptisms might be relevant.
1653 8 Nov Daniel Coote bap son of
John & Joane
1655 20 Nov Anna Coote bap dau of
John & Joane
1658 14 Jan Marie Coote bap dau
of John & Joane
1661 28 Jun Martha Coote bap
dau of John & Joane.
In Essex there are Coote wills
from the right area:
1678 John Coote, Littlebury
1695 William Coote, barber,
S Walden
1698 William Coote,
baker, S Walden
1699 Joan
Coote, widow, Gt Chesterford
The Saffron Walden Cootes have a PCC
will (Matthew brother of William).
8 generations back
from Emily and further.
This far back we can only
follow the family of Prudence Rutland, the mother of Edward Collier.
The children of her parents JAMES RUTLAND and MARY COWELL were:
SARAH
RUTLAND, b. 29 May 1625; m. JOHN DISBOROUGH, 27 September 1649,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
MARY RUTLAND, b. 26 October
1628, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
PRUDENCE
RUTLAND, b. 1 May 1633, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire, England; d. 16 June 1695, Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
England.
ALICE RUTLAND, b. 25 July 1637; m. BENJAMIN DALE.
FRANCIS
RUTLAND, b. 9 February 1639/40, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
The Rutlands were clearly landed yeoman with property in several
counties, which means that I was able to find out that 2 of James's
relations left "PCC" wills - not county wills. James
himself left a will dated 1666. The relationship between them appears
to be as follows...
There were three brothers, Edward, Thomas
and William. In 1641 Edward made a PCC will mentioning that William
had already died, and that his brother Thomas had lived in a mansion
house in Duxford. Edward appears to have no children, and therefore
left most of his possessions to the children of his two brothers...
·
Thomas, who had a mansion house in Duxford, was
father to William Rutland who was to be executor and main heir of his
uncle Edward. This William left his own PCC will in 1665 which
specified that his wife was Grace, and his children were Edward,
Sara, Grace and William. He also named a brother Symon and a sister
Ffortuna Rutland. He also appears to have box and chest from Edward
Rutland which corresponds perhaps to 3 chests left by Edward to
William.
·
William, brother of Edward was already deceased,
and had left a bigger family: James, Robert, and possibly the godson
of Edward, John, who was not yet 21 in 1641.
The 1641 will of Edward seems to have
needed some sort of extra inquest, which exists in Latin, and which
constantly names the same lists of people: William Rutland the
executor and "nepotes ex fratre" on the one hand, and a
strange list which is apparently not an accident because it appears 3
times. Following is my interpretation:
Thomas Rutland (brother),
James and Robert Rutland (nepotes), and then "Merria Rutland als
Cole als Cowell Nicholao Cole alias Cowell, Rutlands John, Simon
and Thomas, and Ffortuna Coatman als Rutland (nepotes and nepotem)
and lastly Merria Dun(?) als Waler als Malden (neptem ex
sorore).
Here is my speculative family tree..
1.
? Rutland
1.1. William
1.1.1. James (our ancestor?)
1.1.2.
Robert
1.1.3. John? (godson of Edward with will 1641)
1.2. Edward (will of 1641).
1.3.
Thomas
1.3.1. William. Executor and main heir of Edward (will
of 1641). Married Grace. Will of 1665.
1.3.1.1. Edward
1.3.1.2. Sara
1.3.1.3.
Grace
1.3.1.4. Edward
1.3.2. Symon
1.3.3.
Fortuna
The Plaw Family: the Willis family's two convicts!
At her wedding, Sarah Plow said her parents were William Plow and
Mary Welsh. At her death her mother is forgotten and her father is
now John Plow. This is a confusing branch, and so I'll start by
presenting a lot of raw data. The most obvious confusion is
concerning the name of her mother.
On her baptism we see:
NSW BAPTISM
TRANSCRIPTION(EARLY CHURCH RECORDS) REF NO -VOL 22
NO 1310
REGISTER -CHURCH OF
ENGLAND BAPTISMS SOLEMNIZED IN THE PARISH OF MAITLAND IN THE COUNTY
OF NORTHUMBERLAND NSW IN THE YEAR 1838
NAME
-SARAH PLAU (ALTERED FROM PLAW)
DATE OF
BIRTH -16/6/1838
DATE OF
BAPTISM -29/7/1838
FATHER
-WILLIAM PLAU (ALTERED FROM PLAW)
OCCUPATION
-LABOURER
MOTHER -MARGARET
PLAU (ALTERED FROM PLAW)
RESIDENCE
-MORPETH
MINISTER -G K
RUSDEN
We can also find siblings...
NSW BAPTISM
TRANSCRIPTION(EARLY CHURCH RECORDS) REF NO -VOL 37A
NO 2714
REGISTER -CHURCH OF
ENGLAND BAPTISMS SOLEMNIZED IN THE PARISH OF WOLLOMBI IN THE COUNTY
OF NORTHUMBERLAND NSW IN THE YEAR 1851
NAME
-WILLIAM PLOW
DATE OF BIRTH
-1/6/1840
DATE OF BAPTISM
-14/9/1851
FATHER -WILLIAM
PLOW
OCCUPATION
-LABOURER
MOTHER -MARGARET
PLOW
RESIDENCE
-WOLLOMBI
MINISTER -JOHN F R
WHINFIELD
NOTES -NOTATION IN
PENCIL ADJACENT READS: INDEX ALSO "PLAW"
NSW BAPTISM
TRANSCRIPTION(EARLY CHURCH RECORDS) REF NO -VOL 37A
NO 2715
REGISTER -CHURCH OF ENGLAND BAPTISMS
SOLEMNIZED IN THE PARISH OF WOLLOMBI IN THE COUNTY OF NORTHUMBERLAND
NSW IN THE YEAR 1851
NAME -JAMES PLOW
DATE OF
BIRTH -25/6/1842
DATE OF BAPTISM
-14/9/1851
FATHER -WILLIAM PLOW
OCCUPATION
-LABOURER
MOTHER -MARGARET
PLOW
RESIDENCE
-WOLLOMBI
MINISTER -JOHN F R WHINFIELD
NSW
BAPTISM TRANSCRIPTION(EARLY CHURCH RECORDS) REF NO
-VOL 66 NO 893
REGISTER -ROMAN CATHOLIC BAPTISMS
SOLEMNIZED IN THE PARISH OF WEST MAITLAND IN THE COUNTY OF
NORTHUMBERLAND NSW IN THE YEAR 1849
NAME -MARY
PLAW
DATE OF BIRTH -24/4/1848
DATE OF
BAPTISM -29/6/1849
FATHER
-WILLIAM PLAW
MOTHER -MARGARET
WALSH
RESIDENCE
-WOLLOMBI
MINISTER -J T LYNCH
(There were also two more children,
John and Thomas.)
Concerning this sister Mary, we also have
her marriage, showing her sister Sarah Stearns as a witness...
NSW MARRIAGE REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION
REF NO 1862/3232
GROOM -ROBERT LEWIS
STATUS
-BACHELOR
PLACE OF BIRTH
-CLYDE RIVER SCOTLAND
OCCUPATION
-ENGINEER
AGE -FULL AGE
USUAL RESIDENCE
-WOLLOMBI
FATHER -ALEXANDER LEWIS
OCCUPATION
-BLACKSMITH
MOTHER -CATHERINE RANKIN
BRIDE
-MARY PLAW(HER X MARK)
STATUS
-SPINSTER
PLACE OF BIRTH -HINTON
NSW
OCCUPATION -SERVANT
AGE
-15
USUAL RESIDENCE -WOLLOMBI
FATHER
-WILLIAM PLAW
OCCUPATION -LABOURER
MOTHER
-MARGARET JONES
DATE OF MARRIAGE
-9/6/1862
PLACE OF MARRIAGE -CHURCH OF ST JOHNS
WOLLOMBI NSW
RELIGION -CHURCH OF
ENGLAND
WITNESSES -THOMAS CROTHERS, SARAH
STEARNS (HER X MARK)
MINISTER -HUGH CALVELEY
CLOUGHTON
BIRTHPLACE/AGE/PARENT DETAILS WERE OBTAINED FROM CHURCH
REGISTER NO 1375 THE CONSENT OF WILLIAM PLAW, FATHER OF MARY PLAW,
WAS GIVEN TO THE MARRIAGE OF MARY PLAW WITH ROBERT LEWIS, THE SAID
MARY PLAW BEING UNDER THE AGE OF 21 YEARS
The parents had married 14 August
1837 in the Church of England parish of Christ Church in Newcastle.
At the time of marriage the mother was called Margaret Jones, and
this does appear to be the most common name used to refer to her.
William was 33 and Margaret was 21. They needed permission from the
governor because they were both convicts who had not served out their
sentences. (William had a ticket of leave.)
And here is the
death of Sarah's father...
NSW DEATH REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION
REF NO 1866/7218
NAME
-WILLIAM PLAW
DATE OF DEATH
-7/9/1866
PLACE -WOLLOMBI
NSW
OCCUPATION
-LABORER
SEX -MALE
AGE
-62
CONJUGAL STATUS
-
PLACE OF BIRTH -SUSSEX
ENGLAND
TIME IN AUST COLONIES
-41 YEARS IN NSW
FATHER
-WILLIAM PLAW
OCCUPATION
-UNKNOWN
MOTHER
-UNKNOWN
PLACE OF MARRIAGE
-NEWCASTLE NSW
AGE AT MARRIAGE
-33
NAME OF SPOUSE -MARGARET
JONES
CHILDREN OF MARRIAGE
-SARAH 28, JAMES 24, JOHN 22, MARY 19, THOMAS 16, LIVING; 1 MALE
DEAD
INFORMANT -MARGARET
PLAW (HER X MARK), WIFE OF DECEASED, WOLLOMBI
CAUSE
OF DEATH -TAPE WORM
LENGTH
OF ILLNESS -ONE MONTH
MEDICAL
ATTENDANT -JOHN MILNE
DATE
LAST SEEN -6/9/1866
DATE OF
BURIAL -9/9/1866
PLACE OF
BURIAL -CHURCH OF ENGLAND CEMETERY
WOLLOMBI
MINISTER & RELIGION
-CHURCH OF ENGLAND SERVICE READ BY HENRY CHARLES
MASTERS
UNDERTAKER -ROBERT
DALY
WITNESSES -THOMAS
MATTHEWS, JOHN ANDREWS
REGISTERED
-20/9/1866 WOLLOMBI
SURNAME IS CLEARLY
RECORDED AS "PLAW" IN THIS REGISTER
William Plaw arrived in Australia 7 May 1825 on
the 'Hercules 11 (1)'. He'd been tried Surrey in 1823 and
sentenced to life. He was 19.
On the 1828 Census, William is a
Government Servant Labourer for George Sparkes at Wye Harbour
NSW.
The records concerning what convicts were convicted for
vary a lot. In the case of William Plaw some court records are
available. He had been charged for two instances of theft, one of
which was highway robbery.
Minute Books
Puts
himself. Jury say Guilty no goods To be hanged &c
William Plaw
19 Robbery in the Highway on David Estick and
taking from him his goods and monies value £11.10.6
William
Plaw Puts himself. Judgment on another indictment
Stealing goods value 18s. of the Right Honourable Fletcher Lord
Grantley
Indictment Files
The
Jurors for our Lord the King upon their present that William Plaw
late of the parish of Woking in the County of Surrey Labourer on the
sixteenth day of June in the fourth year of the Reign of our
sovereign Lord George the Fourth by the Grace of God of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King Defender of the Faith with
force and arms at the Parish aforesaid in the County aforesaid in the
King’s Highway there in and upon one Daniel Estick in the peace
of God and our Lord the King then and there being feloniously did
make an assault and the said Daniel Estick in corporal fear and
danger of his life in the Kings Highway aforesaid then and there did
put and one bag of the value of six pence ten pieces of the Gold coin
of this realm called sovereigns of the value of Ten pounds and three
pieces of the Gold coin of this Realm called Half Sovereigns of the
value of thirty shillings of the goods chattels and monies of the
said Daniel Estick from the person and against the will of the said
Daniel Estick in the Kings Highway aforesaid then and there violently
and feloniously did steal take and carry away against the peace of
our said Lord the King his Crown and Dignity
The Jurors for
our Lord the King upon their present that William Plaw late of the
parish of Wonersh in the County of Surrey Labourer on the thirtieth
day of September in the fourth year of the Reign of our Sovereign
Lord George the Fourth, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland King Defender of the Faith, with force and
arms, at the Parish aforesaid, Ten pounds weight of Venison of the
value of ten shillings and fifteen pounds weight of Mutton of the
value of eight shillings of the goods and chattels of the Right
Honourable Fletcher Lord Grantley then and there being found,
feloniously did steal, take, and carry away, against the peace of our
said Lord the King, his Crown and Dignity
There is a report via family members that Daniel Estick was
actually a member of the jury concerning the second charge. I could
not confirm this, and it would not be normal. In fact it seems that
after passing a death sentence on the first charge the court did not
even bother with the second charge.
Margaret Jones
arrived in Australia 6 Sep 1835 on the 'Mary 111 (5)'. She'd
been tried at Worcester in 1835 and sentenced for 7yrs at 19yrs of
age.
In her case we have a record of the trial from a newpaper
of the time:
Worcester Herald,
Saturday January 10th
1835, p. 6 col 2
JONES, Margaret, 17, charged with stealing,
on the 5th day of
July last, at Bromsgrove, three silver tea spoons, and one silver
table spoon, the property of Mr Ellis, of that place. Mr Ellis keeps
a public house at Bromsgrove, and the that above-mentioned day the
prisoner, in company with a man of the name of Parton, were drinking
there; prisoner was observed suddenly to leave the house, and Parton
soon followed; she was noticed, on going up the street, to be
wrapping some silver spoons up in her shawl, and the circumstance
being named to Mr Ellis’s family, the robbery was discovered to
have been committed. Pursuit was immediately made, and she was taken
into custody by a person named Bellamy, about a mile from Bromsgrove,
on the Kidderminster road, in company with Parton, when the spoons in
question were found concealed about her person, and she was
afterwards given into the custody of Kings, the officer. The spoons
were produced in Court, and sworn to by Mr Ellis as being his
property. The prisoner said in her defence, that she knew nothing of
the robbery, and that she had received the spoons from Parton, but
called no witness, and the Court and Jury disbelieving her statement,
she was found guilty. Mr Lavender stated that the prisoner had been
convicted at a former sessions, and sentenced to three months’
imprisonment, and Kings, the officer, said she was a confirmed thief,
having been twice convicted at Gloucester – Seven
years’ transportation
This may be her prior conviction:
5'3/4" Dark brown
hair grey eyes fresh complexion broad face small scar near left
eye large scar under rt arm pit scar on her rt shoulder mole
between her shoulders two moles near the navel a mole on rt thigh
rather stout made not read or write
Hawker
Details:
1833
Lent Assizes.
When brought in 14 Feb 1833
When tried and event
of trial: Lent Assizes March 28 1833
Six calr months in the
gaol
Removed 2nd April 1833
How bahaved: very bad
Number
237 Mary Welch. Age 15
Parish: Carmarthan late Cheltenham
By
whom committed: Thos Newell Esqr
Charged on the oaths of Emma
Brakewell and others with having on the 12th day of February instant
at the parish of Cheltenham feloniously stolen taken and carried away
a cotton gown and a piece of cotton the property of Thomas Brakewell.
The description in this conviction can
be compared to that of her Australian records (which I have from
Heather Macdonald)...
Margaret Jones alias Mayden, 19y, roman catholic,
single, b. Somerset,
housemaid/nurse girl, stealing silver
spoons, tried Worcester Qtr sessions 5
Jan 1835, 7yr sentence,
4mnths prior conviction, 5' 21/2, ruddy & freckled
complexion, brown hair, dark hazel eyes, small round scar
left cheek bone, 2
moles back of neck. Arrived on the
"Mary III (5)" 6 Sep 1835 from London to
Port
Jackson
On the 1837 General Muster Margaret Jones 21y was
working for William Dunn
of Paterson NSW.
It appears that the year before she married William Plaw, she
had requested permission to marry another man, William Benhsam
(Bentham), who was 36 years old. He had come on the 'Midas
(2)", and like William had a life sentence. Like Margaret he was
"on bond" (William was on a ticket of leave). "Margaret
Jones alias Maydew" was 20, having arrived in Australia only a
year earlier.
What was her real surname? We may never know.
The unusualness of Mayben, which is however perhaps a real Somerset
name related to Mabin, Maben, Mabon etc, makes it sound real. Mabon
was the name of a British god, but it just means "boy". In
Wales and Brittany there is a vaguely remembered Saint Mabon, who
might be a story based upon the older god. Also note that Margaret
was Catholic - something quite unusual in many parts of England at
the time. Llanfabon
in Southern Wales, not so far from where Margaret was arrested, had a
church dedicated to Saint Mabon. See
http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/~l079/St%20Mabon.html.
This Saint was believed in by Catholics and also associated with
Cornwall: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4376
On
the one hand, Jones and Walsh/Welsh might just have sounded like good
aliases. On the other hand, once she was free it was these two
surnames which she used, mainly Jones. Mayden and Maydew and other
variants in the records might even be the real name! In any case, all
her surnames, and indeed her religion, do not conflict with what we
know of her from the place she was arrested. Her roots are most
likely somewhere in the more isolated parts of the South West of
Britain.
She is a mysterious case, and no one has so far
succeeded in finding her death certificate. She was however there to
sign the death certificate when her husband died. The "Free
Settler or Felon" website lists letters in the “Maitland
Mercury” of 24 December 1851 where
William Plaw of Wollombi wrote a letter
cautioning “against giving credit to his
wife Margaret as she had deserted her home and family without just
cause”.