Selina Tonkin b 1840c St Buryan Cornwall

[wen]

Could someone look up any records. She moved to Australia before 1858.

[aussieray]

From passenger lists to Victoria. This family arrived in February 1855 on the "Gipsy Bride".
TONKIN EDWIN age I
TONKIN ELIZA 33
TONKIN HENRY 11
TONKIN JOHN 3
TONKIN JOHN 36
TONKIN SELINA 13
TONKIN SOPHIA 6
TONKIN WILLIAM 2

Hope this helps. Carol

[Tonkin]

Hi Wen.

I would be happy to help you with record searches in Australia. I can see from aussieray's reply you have the arrival date of the family. Let me know what you require and I will do some record searches for you.

Will await your reply.

Roy ... from Down Under.

[wen]

Thanks Carol and Roy.
I thought my Selina's parents were James and possibly Eliz (abeth?). I have Selina marrying Edward Jeffery in 1858 in Yankalilla, SA. Their first three children were born there (Selina, Edward, Mary), then the rest born in Victoria (James, Edith Robert, Lillian, Tonkin, Gilbert, Mildred, Esther, Wilfred). I think he was a Methodist preacher.
Thanks for any help.

[aussieray]

Hi Wen,
It would appear there are 2 Selinas. The one I gave you married Robert Williams in 1863.
The one that married Edward Jeffery arrived in South Australia 19th August 1847 on "Cressy" left London on 14th May 1847.
James Tonkin, wife (Ann/Eliz?), William Doble, Jas, # ch inc. Selina (1 d @ sea)
Info on this site -
www.familyhistorysa.info/shipping/passengerlists.html

Edward and Selina had James Walter, Edith, Robert Kelly, Lillian Hannah Ayra, Tonkin, Gilbert Kelly, Mildred Ethel Beatrice, Ester Marsland and Wilfred Sherbourne in Victoria.
Robert, Tonkin and James died in infancy. Mary died in 1899.


Always best to give as much info as possible or people like me could lead you astray.
Sorry about that, Carol.

[Cornish Terrier]

Okay Wen let me see what I can do to help.

First part of the problem is that there were two Selina Tonkins baptised within 11 months of each other.

This is the one Carol found arriving on the 'Gipsy Bride':-

Selina Tonkin bp. 31st October 1841 at St Levan daughter of John and Eliza Tonkin of Trevean

According to the Victorian Great War Index Selina Jeffrey died in 1920 age 80 at Hawthorn so, as you say, she was born about 1840.

Her father is recorded as Jas. and mother Unknown but this can often be misleading.

However the Index to South Australian marriages shows that Selina's father was James so there can be little doubt!

In this case however it appears to be correct and this will be your Selina:-

Selina Tonkin baptised 1st November 1840 at St Buryan daughter of James (labourer) and Elizabeth Tonkin of Church Town

In the 1841 Census James and his family were living at Trenuggo, Sancreed and Celenia (Selina) was age 7 months.

James TONKIN, 42
Elizabeth do., 44
Mary do., 13
Martha do., 12
Honnor do., 6
Celenia do., 7 mths

Let me try to compile a probable list of children:-

Mary bp. 6th April 1828 St Buryan d/o James (labourer) and Elizabeth Tonkin of New Town
Martha bp. 15th August 1830 St Buryan d/o James (labourer) and Elizabeth Tonkin of Boscawen
Honor bp. 27th July 1834 St Buryan d/o James (labourer) and Elizabeth Tonkin of West Moore
Selina bp. 1st November 1840 St Buryan d/o James (labourer) and Elizabeth Tonkin of Church Town

Other possible children:-

Elizabeth bp. 15th January 1826 St Buryan d/o James (labourer) and Elizabeth Tonkin of Church Town
James bp. 12th September 1832 St Buryan s/o James (labourer) and Elizabeth Tonkin of Clapper

There was more than one other family of James Tonkin with a wife Elizabeth so things do get a little confusing but I should think it likely these last two children belong as siblings to Selina.

Confusing matters more was an illegitimate child named James Tonkin Matthews baptised in 1826 son of Elizabeth Matthews. (James Tonkin recorded as father.)

But it begins to look like the following marriage might be the one you would be interested in:-

James Tonkin, labourer of St Buryan, married Elizabeth RUSSEL, spinster of St Buryan, 17th July 1824 at St Buryan by Banns.
Witnesses were Nicholas Turner and William Hutchens

This is one of a large number of marriages at St Buryan where the term 'with consent of parents' was used.

However I know that many of these marriages did not involve minors.

Searching South Australian Passenger Lists from www.familyhistorysa.info/shipping/passengerlists.html

has produced the follosing possibility:-


TONKIN James, wife (Ann/Eliz?), William Doble, Jas, 3 ch inc Selina (1 d@sea) arrived 1847-08-19 on Cressy from London 1847-05-14 [Source:6,7,10,20]

I now need to see if I can find anything more that might establish whether we have the right Selina.

At least we know the father is James and the ship arrived in South Australia.

I will post any further results here.

CT

[Cornish Terrier]

Well it seems that Carol got busy while I was searching and came up with the same results of the 'Cressy' just before I did!

Never mind - the information is now in 'stereo' and 'duplicate' which means there must be a very good chance it will be correct!

CT

[wen]

Thanks Carol and CT,
Fantastic, and sorry for not putting too much info, I wasn't sure how accurate my info was and didn't want to lead anyone down the garden path!
This is definitely the right family as Selina named one of her children Mary Russel! I was wondering about the Russel - thought it could be a surname, so now more pieces of the puzzle are filled. Thanks so much! I will now do some more sorting. This is a great site by the way. Thanks again.

[Cornish Terrier]

Very pleased to be of help Wen!

I wasn't sure about the Russel marriage but it did look the most likely.

But now we have the link with the name being used later so I am happy.

Elizabeth's age was recorded as 44 in the 1841 Census but I think she may be the Elizabeth Russel d/o Walter and Catherine who was baptised at St Buryan 7th July 1799.

No guarantees on that but she is certainly in the right area.

One problem perhaps is that Walter and Catherine do not feature amongst the children of Elizabeth.

Once you are sorted let us know which way you want to head and we will once again try to help.

CT

[Tonkin]

Your James Tonkin and Elizabeth Russell arrived in South Australia on the ''British Sovereign" in 1847 with two children. Also recorded on the list was Elizabeth Tonkin, Mary Tonkin and Martha Tonkin. There is no Selina mentioned and she will be one of the two children.

The James and Elizabeth Tonkin who arrived on the "Cressy" in 1847 were my great-great-great-grandparents. Their young daughter Elizabeth died on the voyage out. They had a son named William Doble, but his second name was never recorded on the passenger list.

The passenger list you are looking at has been compiled from four different sources and somewhere along the line someone has confused one James Tonkin and Elizabeth with the other. My lot never had a daughter named Selina, but did have a William Doble, but as I said, his second name was not recorded on the passenger list, but it is on this one.

Hope this is of some help.

Roy

[Cornish Terrier]

Thankyou Roy!

I said in my post there was more than one James Tonkin with wife Elizabeth but I didn't think it extended to the point of trying to get us confused on arrival in South Australia!!

I should think it likely the second of the 'children' would be Honor who would have been 13 at the time of arrival.

Every little bit helps.

If you have any additional details about the voyage of the British Sovereing (such as sailing and arrival dates) Wen may find them useful.

CT

[Tonkin]

The "British Soverein" London via Plymouth. Captain J. Cow.

Left Plymouth on 13 April 1847.

Arrived Port Adelaide, South Australia on Saturday evening, 17 July 1847.

Seven children died and five were born on the voyage out.

I did some research on James Tonkin and Elizabeth Russell who arrived on the "British Soverein" in 1847 some years ago. This James and Elizabeth are ofter confused with my ggg grandparents James and Elizabeth who arrived on the "Cressy" in 1847. It's easy done because the wife's maiden name was never recorded.

I don't know if this James Tonkin and Elizabeth Russell are connected to my clan in Cornwall, but it would be interesting to find out. Further research may find a connection.

My offer to assist Wen with record searches still stands. Just waiting for directions.

Roy ... from Down Under.

[Cornish Terrier]

Thanks for the additional information Roy.

I'm sure Wen will be interested in discussing this further with you.

CT

[wen]

Hi Roy,
Sorry to keep you hanging, I have a rotten cold and haven't been online. Thanks for your extra help. It does get confusing so thanks for clarifying.
The only thing I have been told is that Selina was born 15.10.1839 in Buryan, Cornwall and married (at Harcourt Chapel,Yankalilla,SA) to Edward Jeffery. Edwards parents were Wiliam Jeffery and Eliza Aynes, their first three children were born in SA and the rest in VIC. They moved around a bit I gather and spent some time in NSW as well.
I appreciate any help as apart from what has been shared on this site I have hit a brick wall.
Wen

[Cornish Terrier]

Wen - just let us know what brickwalls you have and supply any little bits of information you can and we will see if some 'rearrangement of the mortar' can be arranged!

CT