Curnow and Chinn

[craig]

Hello everybody!

This is my first posting and I'm hoping to get some help - and also return favours whenever I can. I have many connections to West Penwith families in my family tree - and to start I'd really appreciate any help regarding two blockages.

Curnow
My GX4 grandfather is Walter Curnow, bptd Madron 21st April 1776. He is base born , with mother recorded as Alice Curnow. I have been unable to trace any details of Alice - any information would be appreciated.

Chinn
My GX6 grandfather is Thomas Chinn (or Ching), bptd. St Erth 9th May 1653. Mother is Brigot Chinn (Ching) and I cannot trace any records of a father, so again I assume he is base born. Any information on Brigot would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Craig

[cornishmaid]

Hi Craig, and a big welcome ;D

Lots of us here have Curnow connections, so I'm sure some interesting exchanges will be occurring on that one. And the Chinn/Ching name is one I haven't personally looked into, so it'll be good to investigate that line.

Bit short of time at the moment but will check the boards again later to see if anyone has been able to help at all.

Looking forward to your posts, and will do what I can later.

[newlyn]

There are a lot of Ching/Chinge at Kilkhampton.

On one site Brigot is down as the father not the mother.

The nearest to female Brigot? is Bridgetta Chinge married Johannes Anderton 17.12.1663 at Kilkhampton.

Will continue to look for clues Craig.

Newlyn

[craig]

Hi Newlyn,

Thanks for initial feedback. I do remember seeing Brigot as Father on one set of records - whilst you can never rule it out, it seems unlikely.

Kilkhampton does seem to be a major centre for the Chinn family - though, at the time, quite a way from St Erth I guess.

Any further ideas most welcome!

Craig

[Cornish Terrier]

G'day Craig and welcome aboard!

Be pleased to help you as much as I can although you have picked a couple of good ones to start with.

I am also interested in the origins of Alice Curnow and tried again a few months ago to see if I could find any further information about her.

At this stage it is still a big blank but I will be having another look at the problem as soon as I can.

Thomas Chinn is another problem altogether.

I would be thinking he was the one who married Elizabeth DUN at St Erth in 1679.

I just had a look at my Transcript of St Erth PRs and found something interesting:-

Ching[Climow] Thomas Brigot 9-May (1653)

Now, was this a case of the transcriber being unsure of the surname?

Or is there actually a double reference in the original PR?

If the answer is the latter then we might start pondering over whether CLIMOW was the surname of the father.

Just had a look through those early St Erth baptisms and cannot find a Bridget of any description let alone a Bridget Chinn so I suspect she was from another Parish.

And the only Bridget Chin recorded in IGI seems to be the daughter of Thomas in 1680.

I think it would be worthwhile to see if we have someone available who might be able to get a look at the original St Erth PR to find out exactly who that entry reads.

Also worth checking on Chinn Wills and after that any other early St Erth Wills to see if there might be some mention of Bridget or of Thomas.

Let's see how we go from here.

CT

[craig]

Thanks for this – the Climow angle does provide some food for thought that I will look at further.

And yes, Thomas Chinn does marry Elizabeth Dun (Donne) in 1679.

Interestingly, I believe Thomas is also mentioned in the will of Frances Kent. The connection isn’t definite, but I can’t find any other Thomas Ching in or around St Erth at the time. The transcription of the will is as follows:

FRANCES KENT, widow, of St. Erth
written: 15 Nov 1669
proved: 26 Feb 1669/70
brother: ANTHONY TERSISE 1 sh. & one old feather bed during his life, afterwards to his daughter JOHAN MICHELL
"his seven children" 1 sh. apiece
brother: WALTER TERSISE 1 sh.
"his four children" 1 sh. apiece
brother JAMES TERSISE' three children 6 d. apiece
cousin: ROBERT HAMPTON 1 silver spoon
"his three children" 1 silver spoon apiece
THOMAS CHING 4 sh.
EDWARD HAMPTON s/o ROBERT HAMPTON all the rest & executor
CHRISTOPHER COCK the Elder, gent, to be guardian of the executor, a minor

I found this researching Anthony Tresise (Tersise) who is also in my family line – which was how I found this website! (I have read the long thread on this family line – and will return to it again at a later point).

If this is my Thomas, I estimate he would have been about 17 at the time of the will – so what was the relationship between him and Frances Kent? And why does he get 4 sh. When her brothers only get 6d?

Let me know if you have any further thoughts.

[Cornish Terrier]

I am going to throw you a hypothetical to add into the mix for thought.

Two comments.

1. Frances KENT gave no indication of any relationship to Thomas CHING in her Will.

2. There is no indication that Brigot CHING was anything but a single mother in the St Erth PR entry.

What if Brigot was recently widowed and, for whatever reason, the name of the father was not recorded?

And then what if Brigot had been a sister to Frances?

Evidence seems to suggest that Frances was certainly not young when she died.
My understanding is that Robert HAMPTON was her nephew and he was baptised in 1630 s/o Edward and Elianor HAMPTON who were married about 1622.

So - has anyone considered the possibility that Frances may have been previously married and that, perhaps, Brigot CHING was her daughter thus making Thoms her grandson?

This would suggest that Brigot pre-deceased her but I cannot find a burial for her in St Erth.

Thomas may simply have been an employee or he may have been a ward of some sort to Frances.

The 4s. bequest certainly suggests a little more than being her employee I think.

But a thought just came to mind about my early comment - it would be unlikely that Brigot was a sister to Frances if we consider that Frances may have been up around her 70's and Thomas was born about 1653.

It certainly seems more likely than not that there was a relationship there somewhere.

[craig]

I need to look at this more over the weekend! But you're right - there has to be a relationship there somewhere

[Cornish Terrier]

Have a good look and a good think about it and see if anything comes to mind.

Any possibility you think of, or any thought about it at all for that matter, post it here so the rest of us can consider it.

No matter how absurd something might seem post it anyway because one of those thoughts/ideas might just turn out to be the key that solves the puzzle!

I was taught a long time back - come up with every possible solution you can think of and disregard each as, if and when it is proved incorrect. Eventually you will be left with, if not the ultimate solution, the most probable answer.