G'day Leigh - welcome to our little gathering.
I will be very interested to learn exactly where you fit into the family as it would appear from your introductory note that we share the same ancestors - William TREWHELLA married Ann COCK at Towednack 31st December 1767.
First thing I can is that I have no idea exactly when, or under what circumstances, Matthew TREWHELLA came to Victoria.
I have just spent a couple of hours looking at information about the family and re-checking Passenger Lists etc. and can still find no record of him.
I will try to keep this note brief but will be able to add much more in the coming days as our discussions progress. (And after I have had some rest.)
John TREWHELLA married Jane CHINN at the Wesleyan Chapel, Hayle on 5th January 1850. (I only recently found that information via the West Briton Online.)
They had four children who must have all been baptised in the Chapels or on the Wesleyan Circuit or similar.
It seems that wherever they were baptised the Registers were not available at the Cornwall Record Office when I was there in 1994.
However:-
John born 1850 Phillack died 16th February 1900 at Phillack and was buried 20th February 1900.
He married Jane Pryor BOWDEN at Phillack 5th November 1872.
Jane was 11 years older than John and had been previously married. I know of no children to John TREWHELLA.
Matthew born 1852 and you seem to know a fair bit about him which we can discuss further later on.
Martha Jane born 1854 at Phillack married John BENNETT at Phillack i n 1877 but I know nothing more about her just yet.
Catherine born 1855 at Phillack.
I have just re-checked the Census records and Matthew has gone by 1871 which fits with the details on his Death Certificate of which I also have a copy.
You will have noticed, no doubt, that his parents were named as Matthew TREWHELLA and Margaret (formerly JANE) which is very obviously incorrect.
As for travelling to Australia with a Christopher TREWHELLA ....
He did have an uncle Christopher but I have no record of him ever having left Cornwall and I would be wondering why he should bring a young nephew to Australia and then return without him.
There was another Christopher TREWHELLA who came out to Victoria and also settled in Bendigo.
This fellow would have been a cousin but he was married at Bendigo in 1860 so was here a good while before Matthew's alleged arrival. In fact it appears that Christopher arrived in 1858 according to my records.
I must say that I had never heard the story about Matthew arriving with a Christopher but ...
Given you did not seem to know of any siblings I think you will now be interested in his sister Catherine.
Catherine married James STEPHENS at St John's Church, Latrobe St., MELBOURNE in 1889 and died in Brunswick in 1921.
At the moment I only have one son recorded for her and he was born in 1896 so I must do some more work there.
Whilst searching the PROV Passenger Index earlier I think I have found Catherine's arrival.
In the 1871 and 1881 Census she was known as 'Cate' and there was a 'Kate' TREWHELLA, age 28, arriving in Victoria in November 1884 on the "Orient".
Right name and right age and I am sure this is her.
Now - I had never really tried to research the CHINN side of the family. Primarily, I think, because I did not have access to the required records at the time.
But I have tonight had a search around and I 'think' I have got Jane's family.
One problem with Jane is that she never seemed to know just how old she was.
In the 1841 Census she was 6.
In the 1851 Census she was 22.
In the 1861 Census she was 29.
In the 1871 Census she was 30. (This could be 38 but looks more like 30)
In the 1881 Census she was 48.
I cannot find her in 1891 at the moment but when she died in 1896 her age was recorded as 63.
From what I have found tonight it looks like she was the daughter of John and Martha CHINN.
The Transcript of the Parish Register for Phillack shows JOHN baptised 4th May 1834 at Phillack but the IGI records this as JANE.
I have since found John's baptism in 1832 at Gwithian.
So, as I currently understand it, the family is this:-
John CHINN married Martha OLIVER at Phillack 5th February 1826
In the Census Martha's birthplace is given as Gorran so she would be:-
Marth OLIVER bp. 25th April 1802 at Gorran d/o Charles & Catherine
I have not yet tried to locate John CHINN's baptism as there are more than one of that name in the area so will need to check it carefully.
Children for John and Martha are:-
William bp. 17th October 1826 at Phillack
Catherine bp. 15th June 1828 at Phillack
John bp. 22nd April 1832 at Gwithian
Jane bp. 4th May 1834 at Phillack
Edward bp. 22nd November 1835 at Phillack
Joanna bp. 29th December 1839 at Phillack
Martha J born about 1843 at Phillack
That is about all I can tell you about them at the moment.
And I am not 100% certain this is the right family but it certainly looks like it might be.
I had best finish up now and get away from the PC for a while I think.
Look forward to further discussion with you and let's see if we can find out a little more about Matthew and his arrival in Australia.
CT