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Northumberland Lookup Requests / Re: Thornhill family Newcastle on Tyne
« on: Friday 13 November 09 04:14 GMT (UK) »
I have an interest in the descendants George B D Thornhill and Jessie Amelia Matthews. Jessie’s sister, Emma Matthews was my Great Grandmother.
From my research I know that George & Jessie had 5 children all born in New Zealand. 3 of these children died very young. The other 2 children survived to adulthood, that is, Alice Margaret May Thornhill born 5 July 1880 and Helen Muriel Thornhill born 1883. Both these daughters were living in England in 1891 and returned to New Zealand in 1894. George B D Thornhill himself went to Australia and died there in 1893. The other child you referred to is Dora Evans Thornhill, noted as being your Great Grandmother. I can find no evidence that she was the daughter of George B D Thornhill. Dora was born 29 July 1887 at Napier New Zealand under the registered surname of Evans. I hold a copy of the birth registration. Her mother’s name is given as Jessie Evans aged 31 born in Monmouth Wales. This is almost certainly Jessie Amelia Matthews although for reasons unknown at the birth registration of Dora she gave her name as Jessie Evans. Evans was the maiden name of Jessie’s mother. The father’s name is not recorded on Dora’s birth registration.
The reason for the withholding of the father’s name is not known. In most cases, but not all, it could be that Dora was illegitimate. If George B D Thornhill was the father of Dora it is very strange why he was omitted from the birth registration and stranger still why Dora was registered under the surname of Evans. From school days at least Dora used the name Dora Evans Thornhill although this was not her given birth name.
As you already know, Jessie re-married in 1890 to Robert Kerr Somerville. This marriage seems to have been bigamy as her 1st husband was still alive and there in no record of a New Zealand divorce for them. If Robert Kerr Somerville was the father of Dora, in 1894 it became possible for Dora’s birth to be re-registered and Dora to be deemed a legitimate child of Jessie and her 2nd husband Robert K Somerville. This did not happen. Robert Somerville’s 1913 obituary states that he had 3 step daughters.
One can now only guess but to me it seems very likely that neither George Thornhill nor Robert Somerville were the biological father of Dora. If an older issued birth certificate, pre 1955 or 1969, for Dora is held by any family member, this may show the father’s name. Nowadays, New Zealand certificates are not issued showing the word “illegitimate” even through this word and the father’s name may have originally been recorded in 1887.
Family descendants can contact me by a personal message if they want to.
From my research I know that George & Jessie had 5 children all born in New Zealand. 3 of these children died very young. The other 2 children survived to adulthood, that is, Alice Margaret May Thornhill born 5 July 1880 and Helen Muriel Thornhill born 1883. Both these daughters were living in England in 1891 and returned to New Zealand in 1894. George B D Thornhill himself went to Australia and died there in 1893. The other child you referred to is Dora Evans Thornhill, noted as being your Great Grandmother. I can find no evidence that she was the daughter of George B D Thornhill. Dora was born 29 July 1887 at Napier New Zealand under the registered surname of Evans. I hold a copy of the birth registration. Her mother’s name is given as Jessie Evans aged 31 born in Monmouth Wales. This is almost certainly Jessie Amelia Matthews although for reasons unknown at the birth registration of Dora she gave her name as Jessie Evans. Evans was the maiden name of Jessie’s mother. The father’s name is not recorded on Dora’s birth registration.
The reason for the withholding of the father’s name is not known. In most cases, but not all, it could be that Dora was illegitimate. If George B D Thornhill was the father of Dora it is very strange why he was omitted from the birth registration and stranger still why Dora was registered under the surname of Evans. From school days at least Dora used the name Dora Evans Thornhill although this was not her given birth name.
As you already know, Jessie re-married in 1890 to Robert Kerr Somerville. This marriage seems to have been bigamy as her 1st husband was still alive and there in no record of a New Zealand divorce for them. If Robert Kerr Somerville was the father of Dora, in 1894 it became possible for Dora’s birth to be re-registered and Dora to be deemed a legitimate child of Jessie and her 2nd husband Robert K Somerville. This did not happen. Robert Somerville’s 1913 obituary states that he had 3 step daughters.
One can now only guess but to me it seems very likely that neither George Thornhill nor Robert Somerville were the biological father of Dora. If an older issued birth certificate, pre 1955 or 1969, for Dora is held by any family member, this may show the father’s name. Nowadays, New Zealand certificates are not issued showing the word “illegitimate” even through this word and the father’s name may have originally been recorded in 1887.
Family descendants can contact me by a personal message if they want to.