Curnow family history

[ozgypsy]

I am keen for someone with a better knowledge of the Curnows, than I, to check whether I'm on the right track, and I'm also interested in whether there is anything that I've missed that ties the two family lines - It seems like there should be, but....!

William Edward Curnow (1826, in St Ives) was born to Paul Curnow (1792) and Jane Hosking in Madron (m. 1816)
Paul (1792) bn in Ludgvan to Paul (1757) & Honor Leddra (m. 1789, in St Ives )
Paul (1757) bn in Ludgvan to Paul (1731) & Sarah Ninnes in Ludgvan (m. 1756, in Ludgvan)
Paul (1731) was born in Ludgvan to Paul (1705), but no mother was listed.
Paul (1705) was then possibly born in Towednack to Paul C. (1670) and Mary Woolcock, who married in 1701, in Towednack
Paul (1670) was born in Redruth to John Curnow (1642) and Cheston James, who married 1668, in Towednack


Then in another branch of my tree, there is William Edward Curnow (again) who married Elizabeth Mary Paynter in 1845, in St Ives

Elizabeth Paynter (1845) was born to Elizabeth Curnow (1803) and John Paynter jr, who married  in 1827, in St Ives
Elizabeth Curnow (1803) was born in St ives, to Emmanuel C. (1776) & Elizabeth Quick, who married 1802, in St Ives
Emmanuel C. (1776) was born in St Ives to William C. (1723) & Martha Grenfell who married in 1755, in St Ives
William C. (1723), was born in Towednack to Charles C (1681) & Philippa James (Tangy) m. in Mawgan in Meneage, in 1710
Charles C (1681), was born in Towednack, to Matthew (1660?) & Emlyn Baragwanath m. in Towednack, 1679
Matthew (1660) was born in Towednack, to Robert C (1616), & Catherine Painter in 1654, in Towednack
Robert C, (1616) was born in Towednack, to Thomas C (1588) & Catherine ? 
Thomas C. (1558) was born to John C. in Towednack or St Kevern

So, can anyone help me with where to from here? I've reached a stalemate position in both lines - just wondering if they are connected further along the line.
Thanks heaps. 

[Cornish Terrier]

In years gone by I have done a lot of work on the Curnows although nothing much has been done now for a few years. However .....

I should mention here that once we get back to the earlier generations, particularly at Towednack, there are registers missing and only scattered Bishops Transcripts survive. What records that do survive are often damaged or fragmented or otherwise extremely difficult to read.

William Edward Curnow was baptised at St Ives 16th June 1826 to Paul Curnow and Jane Hosking

William Edward Curnow married Elizabeth Paynter 29th November 1845 at St Ives (I don't know that she was ever known as 'Elizabeth Mary' )

The line of William Edward Curnow is as follows:-

Paul Curnow 1792 St Ives son of Paul Curnow and Honor Leddra
Paul Curnow 1757 Ludgvan son of Paul Curnow and Sarah Ninnes
Paul Curnow (no baptism found) son of THOMAS Curnow and Martha Baragwanath nee Curnow (no baptism found but daughter of Paul Curnow and Mary Woolcock)
Thomas Curnow 1694 St Ives son of Thomas Curnow and Margery Dyer
Thomas Curnow (no baptism found) son of Thomas Curnow and Joan Painter
Thomas Curnow (no baptism found) son of Thomas Curnow and Joan Martin
Thomas Curnow (no baptism found) son of Thomas Curnow and Catherine (maiden name not known)

Elizabeth Paynter 1827 St Ives daughter of John Paynter and Elizabeth Curnow
Elizabeth Curnow 1803 St Ives daughter of Emanuel Curnow and Elizabeth Quick
Emanuel Curnow 1776 St Ives son of William Curnow and Martha Grenfell
William Curnow 1723 St Ives son of Charles Curnow and Phillip James
Charles Curnow 1681 Towednack son of Matthew Curnow (mother not known)
Matthew Curnow (no baptism found) son of Thomas Curnow and Joan Martin
Thomas Curnow (no baptism found) son of Thomas Curnow and Catherine (maiden name not known)

Those are the lines are the result of all that work that was done years ago and it is as accurate as I can get it based on all the available information. That information includes surviving Parish Registers and Bishops Transcripts as well as Wills.

Thomas C. (1558) was born to John C. in Towednack or St Kevern

That is a very contentious statement and one that I most certainly do NOT agree with!

Thomas Curnow left a Will in 1643 and although the right hand side of the page has been torn away there is enough information to help compile a list of his children. There is also a mention of grandchildren which means at least some of his children would have been born before 1620.
Other sources that help compile the timeline of this family are the 1641 Protestation Return for Towednack (which includes sons Robert and the elder of two sons named John) and some surviving Bishops Transcripts which provide baptisms for some of his children. There is also the Phillimore & Taylor marriage transcript which provides marriage details for at least two of his children.
And there are also the Wills of some of Thomas Curnow's children that help to approximate when members of the family might have been born.

In 1641 there were two Henry Curnows at Lelant who I consider were probably father and son. There was only one Curnow family in the Towednack area in the early part of the 17th Century and as Thomas Curnow made the first bequest in his Will to son Henry it is logical that this is the elder of the two at Lelant in 1641. As the Protestation Returns were lists of males over the age of 18 then the younger Henry had to have been born no later than 1623. It then follows that if the two Henrys were father and son then the elder had to have been born probably before 1605 if we allow he was at least 18 when his son was born.
Then there is son Thomas who also appeared in the Protestation return. But with him we have a marriage to Joan Martin in 1630 which means that he was probably born before 1610!
Next we have daughter Margaret who appears to have been married twice - first to William Painter and later to William Russell. We know that she had a son Thomas Painter baptised 20th January 1630/1 so Margaret would have been born certainly before 1614 and probably several years earlier.
And then we have the elder of the two John - he married Johanna Vibert at Gulval in 1638 so we have another that must have been born before 1620 but who have born around 1613 based on what has been deduced about the other siblings.
There were several daughters named in the Will of Thomas Curnow for whom we have no further information but then there are still another three sons!
Matthew was baptised at Towednack 22nd February 1619 and buried at Towednack 5th March 1619 - that is recorded in the Bishops Transcripts so it is hard evidence that helps us place his siblings.
Robert signed the Protestation Returns so is another who had to have been born no later than 1623.
And finally the younger John who appears to have married Mary Baragwanath around 1650 - deduced from the Will of John Baragwanath.

By using the known event dates and then using the order of children as named in Thomas Curnow's Will it is possibly to arrive at a very reasonable timeline for the children. The total list of children is 12!!

Based on all the available evidence I arrived at the conclusion that Thomas Curnow may have been married as early as about 1596/7. We know Matthew was born in 1619 and the evidence suggests the bulk of the children were born before that date. The order of the children in the Will combined with details of other known events suggests that daughters Ann, Wilmot and Thomasin were probably born during the period from around 1613 to 1619. And then we have Margaret who I have likely born around 1606 followed by Mary Jane and Thomas born in the few years prior to that.
As he was the first child named in the Will and because of the two Henry Curnows at Lelant in 1641 I have nominated Henry as the eldest child and probably born around 1597 but no later that about 1600.

And that means that Thomas Curnow had to have married certainly before 1600 but more likely around 1596 or 1597. It therefore follows that he had to have been born no later than about 1576 and more likely closer to 1570.

And therefore he CANNOT have been the Thomas Curnow baptised at St Keverne in 1688.

And one final piece of evidence that just came to mind!!

John Cowrno (Curnow) of St Martin (St Martin in Meneage) was buried in the Church of Gwithian 'ye iiiith daye of January in the year 1606

Administration of the estate of John Curnow was granted on 9th January 1606 to his brother - Thomas Curnow.

Hope that all helps without confusing you too much.

CT