Zenobia Rowe

[zibetha]

Mother of Gregory Rowe 1805, I found this information:

Cornwall, England, Militia and Sea Fencibles Index, 1780 - 1831
View Record
Name Zenobia Rowe
Birth Place Gulval
Military Year 1803
Military Place Cornwall, England
Unit or Occupation Levee en Masse Ages 15 - 60
Household Members
Name Age
Zenobia Rowe

I am curious as to what this means-- was this a tax or who was drafted and why? I do not know if Rowe was Zenobia's married or maiden name.

Zib

[Cornish Terrier]

I'm not quite sure what this means but it 'looks' like females were recruited into the 'fencibles' as well as males. The following link will give you an idea about these units:-

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencibles

Judging by the year (1803) and the age range of 15-60 I should think Zenobia is one of two people.

1. Zenobia Rowe (nee Pawley) baptized at Gulval 13th April 1735
2. Zenobia Rowe daughter of John Rowe and Mary Trewhela baptized at Gulval 16th June 1782

The first would be age 68 in 1803 so I reckon she is out …. unless her house was used for fencibles activities. And the only other Zenobia Rowe I have for Gulval was baptized in 1789 and would only have been about 13 or 14 in 1803.

On the face of it the daughter of John Rowe and Mary Trewhela would be the girl involved.

CT

[zibetha]

Thanks, CT--

This popped up as I checked out the Bryants, and I have not seen a record like this before. Fencibles hmm.

Zib

[londoner]

This must be Zenobia at the baptism of son Gregory:
Day Month 18-Mar
Year 1798
Parish Or Reg District Sancreed
Forename Grigory Bossence
Surname ROWE
Sex d/o
Father Forename
Mother Forename Zenobia Rowe

[Cornish Terrier]

There appears to be no further mention of Grigory Bossence Rowe in the OPC records either as a Rowe or as Bossence (including variations on all names) but after checking all the available Zenobia/Synobia (var.) Rowes it certainly looks like he must have been an illegitimate child to the Zenobia mentioned in my previous - i.e. 1782 Gulval d/o John Rowe and Mary Trewhela.

CT

[zibetha]

Well, this is interesting and taking an unexpected turn. After leaving off work on the Bryants, I checked my DNA match list and worked through a few more. I found a Williams family match who also has common ancestors Thomas Williams and Patience Michell that I have with my Australian "cousins" who have the Bryant line in their ancestry.

My new cousin has Joseph Kitchen Williams and Elizabeth Hambly Rowe as ancestors. It is Elizabeth who descends from Zenobia and Gregory Bossence Rowe. From his tree, I have that Gregory married Catherine Powning and raised a family at St. Hilary.

I don't seem to have any information identifying the Mary (one "L") Trewhela you have mentioned who appears to have died in 1845 at St Ives where she was residing with a son, John. Perhaps my DNA match is on that side of the family vs. Williams.

Zib

[Cornish Terrier]

I've now checked some of the information you provided and found that Gregory PERZENCE Rowe married Catherine Powning 11th November 1821 at St Hilary. From the 1851 Census it appears Catherine was about 9 years older than Gregory.
Skipping a few steps and found that Elizabeth Hambly Rowe was the daughter of Thomas Powning Rowe who was baptized to Gregory and Catherine at St Hilary in 1822.

I don't seem to have any information identifying the Mary (one "L") Trewhela you have mentioned who appears to have died in 1845 at St Ives where she was residing with a son, John. Perhaps my DNA match is on that side of the family vs. Williams.

Yes, Mary died at St Ives age 85 and was buried at Ludgvan 16th July 1845. I have not found her husband's burial yet but it is almost certainly either 1803 or 1809 at Gulval for which entries the Vicar lazily omitted to include the age!

As I have it Mary Trewhela was the third wife of John Rowe with he having been baptized at Towednack in 1732 to John Row and Prudence Noall. John was first married to Zenobia Baragwanath at Towednack in 1759 and then Jane Edwards at Gulval in 1776 before marrying Mary Trewhelaat Gulval in 1778.
From the first marriage there was one son, Richard, in 1761 and from the second marriage a daughter Ann in 1776. With Mary Trewhela there were a further nine children with the last being son James in 1797.

Mary Trewhela was baptized at Crowan 28th June 1761 to James Trewhela and Ann Tregear and at this point in time I believe James to have been baptized at Crowan in 1727 to John and Mary Trewhela. Mary was the only child to James and Ann.
James Trewhela was the subject of a Settlement Order but was eventually buried at Gulval in 1787. Wife Ann was buried at Ludgvan in 1814 at the age of 93 and rather than the age it was the actually entry in the Ludgvan register that identified her. The register shows that her name was originally entered as 'Ann Tregear' which was crossed out and replaced with Ann Trewhella.

CT

[zibetha]

OKAY! I am more than somewhat stunned. I do have James Trewhela and Ann Tregear on my worksheet but had no children for them. I guess the plot thickens!!

Zib

P.S. To my cousins here -- take a DNA test if you haven't already! It certainly compliments the paper trail.

[zibetha]

And I am still curious about the role of women in the Sea Fencibles if anyone can enlighten me.

Z

[Cornish Terrier]

And I am still curious about the role of women in the Sea Fencibles if anyone can enlighten me.

Zib - Zenobia and at least two Rowe men were assigned to a 'Unit' or 'Occupation' labelled 'Levee en Masse ages 15-60). This is a term taken from a concept that originated during the Napoleonic Wars and particularly after 16th August 1793 according to the following Wiki article:-

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levée_en_masse

As you will see when you read the article it was a form of 'mass conscription' and could involve men, women and children. About halfway down the page you will find what amounts to, in part, a list of functions and although this is specifically French it would appear the practice was copied on the other side of the Channel.

And here is another interesting article:-

dorset-ancestors.com/?p=566

CT

[zibetha]

Thanks, CT,

Perhaps Zenobia had the opportunity to sew clothes or tents. I expect the daily stipend would have been beneficial if the actual opportunity presented itself. I don't see the information as to the number of people recruited from her household. That is interesting. Her son would obviously have been too young to do anything of service.

Zib

[Cornish Terrier]

I'm not too sure just who else might have been in the household with Zenobia at the time but I did just spot something that might send shivers down the spine of a few people.

Zenobia's sister Mary Rowe (1779 Gulval) married John ROWE (1782 Madron s/o Richard Rowe and Cordelia Uren)

Zenobia's brother John Rowe (1784 Gulval) was married twice with the first wife being Mary ROWE (born about 1786 but not yet identified).

With Zenobia's Parents being John and Mary I am sure it might have caused more than a little confusion in the village!

CT

[londoner]

Looking at burials on the opc it looks like the mother of Gregory died at Sancreed in 1801. There was a much older Zenobia (85) buried at Gulval in 1818 was she the wife of the John who had son Richard baptised at St Ives and so possible gt aunt, or grandmother ( if Zenobias father John was also her son), of Gregory?
The other Zenobia, daughter of Richard, appears to have married William Perry in 1821 having has a base child William the previous year. Although they also baptised a John and Mary among their six children, Richard being the youngest! Censuses seem to confirm that she was the younger Zenobia.

[Cornish Terrier]

The Zenobia Rowe buried at Gulval in 1818 was born Zenobia Pawley and baptized at Gulval 13th April 1735. She married James Rowe at Gulval 21st October 1764 but at this stage I don't quite know where James fits in.

Zenobia of 1789 married William Perry as you say and as she was daughter of a Richard Rowe I had originally thought she would be the granddaughter of John Rowe/Zenobia Baragwanath. I have their son Richard buried at Gulval 30th January 1837 but so far have not identified a marriage for him.

There are a number of Richard Rowe marriages with the most likely being at Paul 5th May 1787 for Richard Rowe of Madron to Margaret Catherine. That one would need to be followed up when I get the time.

Based on entries in my database the 1801 burial at Sancreed would have to be the mother of Richard but then it is confused by the Fencibles entry.

CT

[londoner]

Sept 5, 2018 8:04:18 GMT -5 Cornish Terrier said:

The Zenobia Rowe buried at Gulval in 1818 was born Zenobia Pawley and baptized at Gulval 13th April 1735. She married James Rowe at Gulval 21st October 1764 but at this stage I don't quite know where James fits in.

Zenobia of 1789 married William Perry as you say and as she was daughter of a Richard Rowe I had originally thought she would be the granddaughter of John Rowe/Zenobia Baragwanath. I have their son Richard buried at Gulval 30th January 1837 but so far have not identified a marriage for him.

.

CT

I should have remembered Zenobia Baragwanath!