Thomas family on St Helena S. Atlantic

[avm228]

The 1880 US census for Somerville, Middlesex, Massachusetts shows Owen J. Thomas (28, printer) and his wife Jane M. (29. Keeping House) plus children Henrietta (5) and Robert (4 months), both children born Massachusetts.

The birthplaces for Owen and Jane are both given as St Helena, and both also give their own parents' birthplaces (all 4 of them) as St Helena too.

Anna

[Digas1]

Hi Arranroots,

Sorry, I didn't read your post properly.  However, it was Evan's son, my GGGrandmother's brother who went to Boston.  I've tracked down 2 further generations from him.  Yes a US census does give the parent's birth place and this is in fact given as St. Helena but Evan is not recorded in the registers and nor is his brother Owen as being born on the island.  I can only assume that Evan's son didn't know where his father was born and gave St Helena as a substitute.  The strange thing is, although the surname Thomas is very common on the island, there were very few Thomases before the mid 1800's.  In the 1814 census of the island, there is only 1.  From this I have made the leap to think that the name must have come in with the military, possibly guarding Napoleon.

Hi Anna, I was typing while your post came through.  I have got this census info.  Owen and Jane were born on the island.  It's Owen's father Evan who is not in the birth records on the island.  Thanks for your time and effort.  It was kind of you to look this up for me.

Digas1

[avm228]

It's Owen's father Evan who is not in the birth records on the island.

Yes, I gathered that it was Evan's birthplace you were looking for, which is why I highlighted the bit about Owen's parents' birthplaces.

Never mind

Hope you find what you're looking for

Anna

[Digas1]

Hello,

I've just had the most amazing piece of luck.  A gentleman was reading my post on the St Helena genealogy web site and he has information about Evan.  He has given me Evan's date of birth, where born and his father's name.  ie 1.9.1821, St Helena, William.  I have answered this gentleman's post and will hopefully have more information and sources, soon. 

Apparently, Evan's father, William, was a clerk from Coity near Bridgend, South Wales who sailed on the HMS Eurydice on 29.9.1816 to St Helena to work for Solomon's, provisioning ships.  He married and had both son's on the island and died tragically, by drowning in 1829.

I must now try to find information about Coity, the HMS Eurydice.  I must confess, I'm truly amazed at this stroke of luck.

Thanks everyone who replied to my post and if there is any more information on the people and places that you think may help, I would be so grateful for your input.  If I can return any of these favours, please let me know.

Diags1

[Arranroots]

Hi again Digas1

That is great news! 

I hope your exchange of info proves very fruitful.

Your request will remain here, so anyone with further info will find it.

If you have further questions don;t hesitate to ask & perhaps we can come up trumps next time - at any rate, please mention us to your new contact - we grow by spreading the word!

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Digas1]

Hi Arranroots,

It really is wonderful.  It's about now that I realise why I do this.  I will mention this site to the gentleman.  I heard about the site from the radio!  There's a genealogy program, I can't remember which day, that I happened to catch.  The radio is on all day at our house and I just caught the tail end of the program that happened to mention your site that day.  They say fact is stranger than fiction, you just couldn't make up the string of coincidences that has brought me to this point!

Regards,

Digas1

[avm228]

Wonderful! I hope the information will continue to flood in.

Keep us posted and let us know if there is any more we can assist with.

Anna

[Digas1]

Thanks Anna.  I certainly will keep you posted.

Digas1

[earthlysparky]

I realise that I'm digging up a very old thread here, but I am also descended from William Thomas!
Owen Thomas would be my grandmother's grandfather.