Thomas family on St Helena S. Atlantic

[Digas1]

Hello,

This is an attempt to break down a huge brick wall.
Evan Thomas m Ann Maria Phillips 13.3.1845 on St Helena Island, South Atlantic.
15 or so years after Napoleon's death on the island.
Owen Thomas m Sarah Gentry 8.8.1846 on the island.  For various reasons it is assumed Evan and Owen are brothers but this is not conclusive.
Evan's daughter Henrietta Louisa came to England and is my Great Grandmother.
Evan's son Owen John went to Boston and married Jane M Hubbard 25.12.1873.
Family lore says that one of Napoleon's gaolers/grooms was an ancestor.
As no record of the births of Evan or Owen can be found in the Archives on the island it is possible that Evan and Owen came to the island as children of a military family, one of the many who were brought over to look after Napoleon.
Clutching at straws, because of their names I am supposing that they could be Welsh.  A stretch, but I've got to start somewhere.
Hence this post.
Does any of this ring a bell with anyone?

Additional information:

In Boston, Massachusetts, Owen John Thomas and Jane had at least 2 children.  Henrietta A.  b1875 and Robert E. b 1880.
Robert E. Thomas m Florence R. (Nee unknown) and had a son Gordon E. b1902, California.

[welsh lady]

Hiya when were Evan and Owen born?
Have you got their marriage certs as this would give you Fathers name and Occupation and more to go on

Welsh Lady

[Digas1]

Hi Welsh Lady,

Thanks for your reply.  Unfortunately, although St Helena is British, I haven't found marriage certificates, only entries in the Parish Registers in the island archives.  No names were registered as parents in these entries.  Evan and Owen were born c1822, this date being derived from Evan's death entry in the archives.  I only had a short time on the island so didn't follow Owen's links.

However, your reply got me thinking.  Maybe there is a marriage record in the BMD's in Britain.  I've never thought of looking!  Thanks for the nudge in that direction!

Regards,

Digas1

[welsh lady]

If you go on to the General Register Office site you can order oversees certificates on there.The names are to common to find without more info.

Welsh Lady

[Digas1]

Hi Welsh Lady,

I'll do that.  I don't know why I didn't think of this before.  I just assumed that no certificates were issued.  Thanks for your help.

Digas1

Update:  I've just spoken to the GRO and am advised that no certificates were issued!  The rules weren't necessarily enforced.  Now Im really stuck.

[welsh lady]

Shame about the marriage certs .You say you have seen the original entries in St Helena in the Church Records which did not give the Fathers names.Did it give any other info e.g.witnesses?

Welsh Lady

[Arranroots]

Hi Digas1

Welcome to RootsChat! 

I am wondering why US censuses are no use to you - don;t they give parents' place of birth (or is that just the more recent ones?)

Goooogling finds several promising references:

St Helena Archivesoffers look-ups for a small fee

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/tourism/museums3.html

St Helena Virtual Archives books covering the history of the island

http://www.bweaver.nom.sh/

You don't say whether there is a military connection but the National Archives identifies the units that were posted there in Napoleonic times - might come in handy later?

http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Napoleon_on_St_Helena



A description of what is available & some links here:

http://www.sthelena.se/genealog/genealog.htm



There are plenty of others!

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Digas1]

Hi Welsh Lady.

Yes I have seen the originals.  I was lucky enough to visit the island a couple of years ago.  To be honest, I can't remember whether I saw the original logged entry or whether I used the indexing system that they have.  You must realize I was in a state of awe that I had managed to fulfill a long held dream to visit St. Helena and could only assimilate so much.  However, I have photos of a lot of the entries so will look at these again.  Once you get side tracked and go down another avenue of research, you tend to forget what information that you do have.  I use Family Tree Maker to record my info but it's only as good as the info I input!  It's also difficult to explain the archives on the island.  They're not like the archives I'm used to.  Without being derogatory, they're not as accessable.  The sad thing is that I believe the only other copies are in the National Archives, London or Witswatersrand?, South Africa.  Very little is digital and on line.

Regards,

Digas1

Arranroots, your post has just come up as I was typing.  Thanks for the input.  The island is UK not US and the GRO have told me that they don't have marriage certificates for that island. The look-ups offered by the archives take a very long time to come through.  That's the reason I visited the island.  I got tired of waiting for something I had requested.  I subscribe to the St Helena websites and the other connections I will take a look at.  Thanks for those.
I am truly grateful for any contacts, connections or threads.

[Arranroots]

Hi Digas1

I realise the island is not US but you said that they went there later?

I am no expert on US censuses though!

How wonderful to get to the island yourself.  That must have been quite an experience.

Good luck with your searches!

kind regards, Arranroots