Descendant of Theophilus Trewhella (~1825-1912) Buninyong

[AnotherTrewhella]

Hi,

I have been reading through a number of posts re Trewhella here on Penwith Genealogy with great interest.

My GGGrandfather was Theophilus TREWHELLA (~1825-1912) who died at Buninyong, Victoria, Australia on 25 Jan 1912.

Whilst his life in Australia is easily traced from when he married Elizabeth HILL in 1858, I have had little success in finding records of him prior his arrival in Australia. His death registration in 1912 lists his father as Trewhella Simon and his mother as Nanney (Berryman). I can however find no emigration or shipping records of when he arrived in Australia, nor birth/baptism records back in Cornwall.

The family history passed down through his grandson (Wilfred Roy Trewhella) does not help, as it seems to contain some "fiction":

According to his grandson, Theophilus arrived in Australia about 1855, when additional troops were sent out from England to assist following the Eureka stockade in Ballarat - but there is NO evidence of him being part of any English troops dispatched around that time! (Supposedly) once the troopers were no longer required to keep peace, they were sent home to wives and family, however Theophilus applied for a discharge, purchased land in Buninyong, and sent for his wife to join him in Australia (records however show that Theophilus married Elizabeth HILL in 1858, in Victoria, Australia). When she arrived, he met her in Geelong, and had their goods and chattels carted up to Buninyong where he had built a small two room cottage. He purchased four horses and a wagon and started a carrying business between Ballarat and Geelong.

I posted all the information I was able to locate about my GGGrandfather, Theophilus TREWHELLA, and my ancestors on WikiTree (www.wikitree.com/wiki/Trewhella-82)

I have wondered whether he might be the same Theophilus as the one who shows up in the 1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census at Stepney Cottage, All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, with (?father) Henry Trewella, (50, Clergyman) and (?mother) Elizabeth Trewella (50). He becomes a merchant seaman, and ends up in prison in 1847 in Falmouth, being sentenced to 7 years' transportation. Despite serving time in Millbank, Pentonville and Portsmouth prisons, he ends up being discharged in July 1855 (but was never transported) - the timing fits, and being a seaman, passage to Australia could be easier to obtain, and might not be recorded.

-> This does however contradict the names of his parents listed on his death registration, but it would explain the creation of a fictitious past to hide what would be considered an undesirable convict background!

I have also recorded all I could find about this Theophilus Trewhella on WikiTree (www.wikitree.com/wiki/Trewella-10)

For now I will chase up the comments I saw in some posts about Theophilus being the illegitimate son of Ann/Nanny Berryman who married Edward Trewhella .... thanks for the tips!

I would be most grateful if anyone can shed further light on my ancestor, Theophilus Trewhella.

[Cornish Terrier]

Hi and Welcome to the site.

I met Wilfred Roy Trewhella at Buninyong many years ago and he told me much of the same information. In the years since I have done a lot of work on Trewhella/Trewella/Trewheela/Trewhela (and other variations) from around the World and currently I am in the process of reviewing all of that information and updating my database.

I can tell you that the Theophilus you found in 1841 is NOT the same man. My belief at the moment is that the son of Henry Trewella (a Baptist Minister) ended up in South Africa as Theophilus Trewella Bennette after first having done a little time for some run-ins with the law!

Your Theophilus was certainly the illegitimate son of Ann (Nanny) Trewhella (nee Berryman) who was the widow of Edward Trewhela of Gwinear who had died about 1817. Ann had three illegitimate children after becoming widowed with only Theophilus and daughter Sophia surviving. Sophia Trewhella married a John Berryman at St Just in 1855 and also came out to Victoria where she died in 1858.

I see you have a post under the Trewhella forum which I will try to look at tomorrow if I get the chance. That will depend on whether any serious fires start in my area.

I will try to answer all other questions once I have read your post and will be happy to help you with further information about your Trewhella family.

CT