Travis from Wyndonham 1825 birth

[thylacene]

Have traced by ancestor Thomas Travis to Norfolk where he was transported to Australia in 1844 for sheep stealing. Convict documents are difficult to read but appears he was from Wyndonham where he was born around 1825.
Would very much appreciate if someone has access to BDM documents if they can confirm his birth or christening and possibly parents names.
Not sure if this is possible but am finding it difficult from Oz.
This line is proving very difficult for me..he was quite a character apparently, liked a beer and was always in trouble whilst serving his 10 yrs, and still proving difficult!!

cheers & many thanks from Oz

[Pete T]

Hi there....
Was just browsing the Travis surname and came across your post.
Err... my name is Travis (Pete Travis) -and I live in Wymondham in Norfolk!!!!!
I've had a look through the 1841 census returns, and there is no Thomas Travis recorded as living anywhere in this area. That doesn't mean anything of course,  the census returns notoriously missed people, and anyway, he might have been travelling at the time. As you probably know Travis is a name specifically associated with Lancashire, and Yorkshire.
Exactly what information do you already have???
Posted the above last night, but have been wondering what a Northern lad was doing in Wymondham in 1844. However, it's just struck me that the railway station opened in 1845, so presumably the line was being laid during 1843/44. He could have well been a navvy, with the bright idea of adding a bit of mutton to his diet.
I've checked the census for 1841, and there are only 11 Travises mentioned between the ages of 15 and 18 -and the only 16 year old comes from Warrington.

[thylacene]

Hi pete,
Great to hear from you!...am not sure what Info I can supply you about Thomas Travis.
All the details I have are from his convict records which state he was tried in Norfolk on March 25 1844 for sheep stealing and was Transported to Hobart for 10 yrs arriving in Hobart on Sept 6 1844.
He was Protestant, a bricklayer by trade & could read & write.
He was 21 yrs old With Native Place stated as Wyndonham Norfolk.
Thomas had 10 offences listed between his arrival & 1853, mostly for being drunk & disorderly and fighting.

He married another Convict Ellen Dempsey in 1854.

As for details on his time before Transportation I have hit a brick wall.
If Thomas does turn out to be attached to your line, I have full details of his decendants in Oz.

cheers

Mike

[suffolk*sue]

Does the marriage cert give any parental details?

[thylacene]

No such luck. Tasmanian Marriage Certificates did not include parent details until 1896

[Pete T]

Hi there
Right, if he was 21 in March 1844 he would have been 19 in March 1841 when the census was taken. And the only 19 year old Thomas Travis recorded   is from Liverpool, and occupation "jSmith" (Junior Smith?) parents John and Susannah. John Travis is also a "smith". Whatever your records say I am absolutely certain that he was not originally from Wymondham
The occupation of bricklayer is a puzzle, but if my theory that this is connected with the building of the railway is correct, that project would have used both metal workers to lay the track and bricklayers to build the stations. So he may have, errr.. multi-tasked as we would now say. I'm not sure how much local labour was used, but if my memory is correct the railways were usually built by specialist gangs that travelled the country
The date of March 24th is very helpful, as the original court records should be available.He was probably tried in Norwich Assizes, quite a few people were transported from here, having been held in the old castle jail. Also there may well be some magistrates committal documents in our town archives.
Anyway, I'll try to find out more over the next few weeks, and I'll keep you posted

[suffolk*sue]

Don't forget ages were rounded down in 1841, so any of the 15yrold Thomas' could be a likely candidate.
I totally agree that he didn't come from Norfolk as there doesn't appear to be any Travis' in Norfolk at that time.
The court reports and maybe newspaper reports may yield more information.

 

[fred59]

Found these on the following website, i know the dates don,t match but Thetford is not far from Wymondham, maybe Thomas Travis is the father of your Thomas, and maybe Elizabeth is another relative, just a guess really but its a little more to go on.

http://www.genealogy.doun.org/transcriptions/index.php


Surname Listings for 'TRAVIS'

Baptisms (Parish Register)

Place.                   Register.                   Year.                     Surname.        Forename.             Parents.
Thetford   District      Thetford St Marys        1742                      Travis              Thomas              Willm & Mary

 

 

Mitford & Launditch District   Little Fransham

1901 Census
TRAVERS, Elizabeth B, 54   serv wid cook (domestic)
Born,Barton Bradstock, DOR
38/1--3
DOR (Dorset)?
              Regards Gordon

[Pete T]

Thanks for the complement Gordon.
I know that us Travises are a pretty hardy lot, and I hope I'll still be able to father children at the age of 80!!!! 
Seriously though, thanks for the research. First historical reference I've seen to the name locally in the 18th or early 19th century. So he may just be a local lad -but if so the name seems to have died out, probably with him. Does anyone know if the 1841 census records for Norfolk are complete, or do they have big bits missing?
Another thought has occurred to me. If my hunch that he was working on the building of the railway is correct, it is always possible that he was Irish....
Another useful reference could also be http://archives.norfolk.gov.uk/documents/pdf/NRO014_Transportation_to_Australia.pdf but I note that they say that the records could be a bit patchy. But i should be able to get into Norwich after the Easter break so I can have a look.
Incidentally, March 25th 1844 was a Monday, and I think was a fortnight before Easter that year. Which looks like he was tried at the beginning of the Easter Assizes of that year.