James Tonkin b 1801 in St Buryan

[nstonkin]

We have been trying to find out more about my family history.
So far we know that we can be traced back to James Tonkin b. 1801 St. Buryan. James is my great, great, great grandfather. We believe he had a son, also called James (b. 1823).

It was another son, Joseph, (b. 1831) who left St Buryan - we don't know why but assume it will have been connected with employment prospects - and moved to Manchester where he married Sarah Eliza Jones in 1855. (She published a book of poems - under her married name S.E. Tonkin 'Rostherne Mere and other poems'.) There are now quite a number of Tonkins in Greater Manchester area who are descendants of James.

We are interested to know more about the family and their situation in St Buryan - indeed anything likely to be of interest. Any information gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Neville Tonkin

[Cornish Terrier]

Welcome to Penwith Genealogy Neville.

Looks like this one is going to be a challenge!

I have finally found Joseph ..... but not until the 1861 Census .......... and not under his own name.

In the end I had to locate him by searching for his wife Sarah and the reason is that his name was indexed as JAS Tonkin.

And that is exactly what it looks like on the original Census form.

Prior to that I have not been able to find any sign of Joseph except for a 'possible' baptism.

There seems to be no sign of him in 1841 or 1851 so if you have any other information to offer it would be helpful.

The baptism I found is:-

Joseph son of James and Mary Tonkin of Church Town baptised 29th May 1831 St Buryan

I say 'possible' because I can find no other children baptised to this couple.

It may be that the mother's name was recorded incorrectly but I do need more information to work with.

You mention a possible brother named James born about 1823. Can you tell me all you know about him please is it may give me the clues I need to track down the family.

CT

[nstonkin]

Many thanks for your very prompt response and for your efforts in finding out more. I am most grateful.
I am not sure that I can supply much further information I am afraid. My son - who is out of the country until June - may have something more but unfortunately it won't be possible to access that until his return.
What further information I have is that the father , James (senior) b. 1801 married someone called Nancy/Peggy but I don't have the date or a maiden name.
The birth year I have for James, the son, is 1823.
Joseph's birth date is not definite as 1831. It's listed as 'b. Abt. 1831' on an unattributed document I have but elsewhere it has been recorded as 1829.
That's about it I am afraid.

Many thanks for your help - it may be that we will not get much further but if I do find more information I will try pass this on.

Best wishes

Neville Tonkin (Northwich, Cheshire)

[Deleted]

There was a James Tonkin married Peggy Barnicoat
3.11.1821 Cuby with Tregony.

In the 1841 census
James Tonkin born 1801
Peggy Tonkin born 1801
Children:
James born 1823
Joseph born 1831
Amey born 1833
Samuel born 1836
Mary born 1838

Living at Fore Street, St James, Tregony.

Cuby in Tregony is a little way away from St Buryan but the dates
seem to fit.

Please check this information.

[Deleted]

There are two baptism/birth records for Peggy Barnicoat
29.7.1796 and 9.10.1796 both Cuby with Tregony.

Parents are Sampson Barnicoat and Chessen Moss
who married 9.4.1789 St Michael Caerhays.

I hope this helps you.

[nstonkin]

Very grateful for your interest and help with this. This gives us some interesting leads to pursue.
Many thanks!


Neville

[tonymitch]

Hi Neville

I have a smattering of Tonkins in my family tree...One going back to 1619 amd then his Dad, but no date for him. I haven't followed them up too greedily because they only married into my family, both sides, Mitchells and Furze. Both sides 'emigrated' Furze to the USA/S Africa/Lancashire and the Mitchells to Cumbria and then Lancashire only 11 miles from Manchester, and they came from St Buryan.

I have a wee bit of info about the crowd who moved to the Lancashire area in about 1890 so it looks as though your Joseph moved before my James, but what I have is an essay with meories of the life of an Cornish 'emigrant'. If you would like a copy please send me a PM.

Tony M (who has just returned from a concert in the Bridgewater Hall)

[marychown]

Nov 9, 2010 16:16:41 GMT -5 nstonkin said:

Many thanks for your very prompt response and for your efforts in finding out more. I am most grateful.
I am not sure that I can supply much further information I am afraid. My son - who is out of the country until June - may have something more but unfortunately it won't be possible to access that until his return.
What further information I have is that the father , James (senior) b. 1801 married someone called Nancy/Peggy but I don't have the date or a maiden name.The birth year I have for James, the son, is 1823.
Joseph's birth date is not definite as 1831. It's listed as 'b. Abt. 1831' on an unattributed document I have but elsewhere it has been recorded as 1829.
That's about it I am afraid.

Many thanks for your help - it may be that we will not get much further but if I do find more information I will try pass this on.

Best wishes

Neville Tonkin (Northwich, Cheshire)

Hello Neville,

Could that not have been James Tonkin, fisherman of St. Levan, who - according to the OPC record - married Nancy Hutchens, spinster of this parish, with witnesses Nicholas Hutchens and ? Jenkin at St. Buryan on 27 October 1827?

At OPC there is also a baptism record at St. Buryan for James Tonkin s/o James Tonkin, labourer, and Nancy of Church Town on 8 February 1829.

To be found under Family Search.org Beta (England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975) there is a baptism record for Joseph Tonkin s/o James Tonkin and Nancy at St. Buryan on 29 May 1831.

Regards,

Mary

[Deleted]

Hi Mary

I think your James and Nancy Tonkin are a closer match for nstonkin that my James
and Peggy.

Perhaps somebody else could have a look and put nstonkin on the correct path.

Lamorna

[marychown]

I thought this couple would be a good bet, Lamorna, because they are in St. Buryan and in the correct time period. I also found a couple of other children for that James and Nancy Tonkin:

William Doble Tonkin baptised St. Buryan 10 May 1840
Elizabeth Ann Tonkin baptised St. Buryan 28 Feb 1847.

Hope this information is of help to you, Neville.

Regards,

Mary

[nstonkin]

CT, Lamorna, Tony M, Mary

Many thanks again to all who have passed on information and suggestions. There are some interesting lines to follow up. We are away for a few days but I'll try to let you know how we get on with these leads in due course. Tony M - would be interested in the Cornish emigrant's memoires - (not sure how to do a 'PM' but I'll get my son to help me out on our return.

Thanks again

Neville

[Cornish Terrier]

Neville - To the left of this message is the box with the details of the member posting the note.

You will find two icons and in this case they are beneath my avatar.

One of these looks like an envelope and is for Email.

The second one is for PM (private message).

Just move your cursor over each to see what they are and then click on the one you want.

CT

[nstonkin]

Thanks for the herlp


Neville

[Tonkin]

William Doble TONKIN was the 5th child of James TONKIN and Nancy HUTCHENS. They were married in St Buryan in 1827 and had a total of six children in St Buryan.

James and Nancy landed in Adelaide, South Australia in the year 1847 with five of their children. Their youngest child, Elizabeth, died on the voyage out.

William Doble was baptised in St Buryan in 1840, and died in Mundoora, South Australia in 1912, aged 72 years.

James and Nancy TONKIN were my 3rd great grandparents. Hope this is of some use.

Roy - from down under.

[Cornish Terrier]

Thanks Roy - that would seem to eliminate James and Nancy from Neville's equation.

I think we need to look at this problem again from the start.

CT