CORNISH family of Exeter

[tracya]

I am searching for information on my great-great-great-great grandfather, John Cornish.  His death certificate (Canadian) lists him as being born July 10, 1809 in Exeter City.  He married Elizabeth Hellins on September 26, 1830 (and I cannot find any information on the parents of either of them) and had the following children in Exeter:

John Hellins Cornish abt 1831
Theophilus William (TW) Cornish abt 1832 (my ggg grandfather)
George Henry Cornish abt 1834
Charles Cornish abt 1836
Elizabeth Cornish abt 1840

I have searched for any information on this family while in Exeter and cannot find anything except an 1841 Census.  They show up in Canada on the 1871 Census.

John sr. was a shoemaker (cordswain), his son George was a Methodist Minister (he authored The Cyclopaedia of Methodism in Canada).  Some of the sons were Masons and I found a reference for one of them for a Knigths Templar association in Canada.

I am travelling to Exeter in the spring, and was hoping to know a little about where the family came from originally.  I've tried Revrend Cornish at the Society of Cornish's, but didn't hear back from him regarding John.  We were always told the family originated in Cornwall.

If anybody has any information or recognizes any of the names, I would be greatly appreciative.

Thank you.

[cheshiremog]

Dear Tracya
I have looked and looked but I can not even find the Cornish family on the 1841  I see the baptisms you have mentioned at Exeter and the marriage of Elizabeth and John in 1830 - but that is all I can find.

I think if you posted another request for a Devon Parish Record Look up you might be luck enough to get details from their wedding to say whether they were of the parish or not - something which may give a clue.

Also as they are so hard to find on the census - is it possible that they emigrated to Canada much earlier than 1871 ?  There is an emigration part to the site which may be able to look something up for you ? Go back to the home page and you will see the section.

If they did not go to Canada until about 1871 were all the children there with them ?  Some of their children would have been old enough to have married and maybe stayed behind in England by that time. If the children are with them in Canada maybe they went when the children were young ?

[deb usa]

Hi

107 St Sidwell St, St Sidwell

John Cornish 30 shoemaker Y
Elizth 30
Theophilus 8
George 6
Charles 5
Eliz 6 months
all born in county

it seems that John Hellins Cornish is not with them.

No luck yet, in finding them in 1851...

deb

[cheshiremog]

Yes I see them now - thanks
but no luck elsewhere
You'd think with a name like Theophilus it would be easier
but no joy!

[tracya]

Hi and thanks for the replies.

I agree that Theophilus should be easy enough to trace, but he isn't!  On his son's marriage cert he is listed as "TW" (and who can blame him?)!

this is turning into a real mystery for me.  I know that the family didn't just spring up from nowhere, and I thought I was on to something with a John Cornish born in Stapleford, but sadly, I also found that John on the 1841 Census, so it's not him.

I will check the Devon suggestion, thanks for that.

[toni*]

on IGI - extracted

Theophilus William Cornish b. 22 Nov 1832 bapt. 03 March 1833 Mint Lane-Wesleyan Methodist, Exeter, Devon, England
s/o John Cornish & Elizabeth Hollins

in the same batch

John Hillens Cornish
b. 10 JUN 1831  bapt.  07 AUG 1831   Mint Lane-Wesleyan Methodist, Exeter, Devon, England
s/o John Cornish & Elizabeth Hillens

Charles Hellins Cornish
B. 29 MAY 1836   bapt. 10 NOV 1836   Mint Lane-Wesleyan Methodist, Exeter, Devon, England
 s/o John Cornish & Elizabeth Hellins

note Elizabeths last name vairies!


 

[tracya]

I have noticed that...but I think it's "Hellins" as on the Canadian records I have found on the sons, all of them are consistent with Hellins.

It's like they don't want me to find them! 

[toni*]

i wonder why her maiden name was listed, was the minister just being meticulous?
only 3 of the childrens bapt were at that chapel so i wonder if they moved before the later births.
do methodist have separate records? i can't remember now (BMD)

[krisesjoint]

Some early Wesleyan records are like that. The Wesleyans were very kind to genealogists, by providing a date of birth as well a baptism date. Extra information on who the mother was also sometimes included. (never anything further on Dad's family) 

This type of information is not in ALL Wesleyan Baptims but in this case since the IGI lists a mother's surname you will probably find the wording of the actual document to read something like John Hellins Cornish son of John Cornish and Elizabeth his wife who is the daughter of XXXX Hellins and XXXX his wife 

If you are unable to view the records yourself, perhaps someone will take a look for you. If not these records can now be downloaded for a fee

http://www.bmdregisters.co.uk/

Kris