Elizabeth TRENEWTH - brick wall, any help welcome!

[pipemma]

Hello there,

I'm a newbie to this forum and registered in the hope that someone might be able to help me with a brick wall I've hit. I'm trying to find out about my 4 x great grandmother

Elizabeth Trenewth was born around 1810/1811. When she married my 4 x gt grandfather, John Penligen, in Plymouth in 1832 her surname was Hurrell, so presumably she had previously been married and widowed. In the 1841 census she was living in Plymouth with her 2 children, Emma Jane and Frederick John Trenewth Penligen. However, John Penligen married again in late 1845 so Elizabeth must have died by then and, presumably, sometime that year as John was at sea and was left with 2 young children.

My problem is I can't find out anything more about Elizabeth Trenewth - I can't find who her parents or siblings were, her marriage to Mr Hurrell or his death, or even her death. As the 1841 only lists her birthplace as out of county, I don't even know where she was born (except with that surname I am assuming Cornwall) which is proving an even greater hindrance to further research (as I'm in Switzerland, I'm rather tied to research I can do online).

If anyone can help me out or point me in the direction of other places to search (I think I've exhausted ancestry, and google isn't getting me very far) I'd be extremely grateful. Thanks a million in advance!

ETA: I don't know if it helps, but her son, Frederick John became a captain in the RN and his entry at the National Archives names him as Frederick John Tremouth Penligen...

[krisesjoint]

Hi pipemma,

A big welcome to RootsChat. 

You mention she must have been married before as her name was Hurrell at the time of marriage. Do you know this for certain? Just wondering if you have the full entry for the Plymouth marriage. If not and you know what parish the marriage took place in, I suggest you post on the Devon Board and hope someone can take a look at the register for you. The first thing to spring to mind is that this may not be her maiden name. The name being included in her sons name may be for another reason. (Possibly even connected to her husbands ancestry)  I think the first step should be to find if she was in fact widowed in 1832 - hopefully the full entry from the parish register will provide a marital status for her. Also the possibility that witnesses or something further as to residence may help. I am not having any luck with an Elizabeth (something like Trenoweth, which is what springs to mind) born in Cornwall 1806-1811.

Another thing I notice, which would make me wonder if there is in fact a Cornish connection to Elizabeth is with that 1841 census entry. As well as N (No not born in County) there is also a tick in born under whether born in Scotland, Ireland or Foreign Parts, although the Country is not specified. The enumerator seems to have used the F for entries where the person was born outside the UK but only a tick for those born in Scotland or Ireland.

Cheers Kris 

[pipemma]

Hi Kris

I'm 99% certain that she was widowed as, on her son's birth certificate, she is listed as Elizabeth Penligan, late Hurrell, formerly Trenewth. Devon FHS already sent my their transcript pf the parish record for the wedding which doesn't actually seem to list her marital status at the time of marriage

In fact it seems that John Penligan married 3 times, always to widows, so I'm having much the same issue with all of them except the last who is well into civil registration period. However, I'm descended from his eldest daughter, born to Elizabeth, so obviously my primary interest lies in her.

John Penligan is also proving difficult to trace prior to civil registration; I can't find a baptism (dob ca. 1809) and although there is a marriage in 1803 between a John Penligan and Mary Turner, I have no corroboration for my supposition that they are his parents. There is also a Catherine Penligan who married in 1840 and a Mary Penligan, age 50, who was in service in Maidstone in 1861 - possibly sisters? Again no luck with corroboration. Ho hum

[pipemma]

Another thing I notice, which would make me wonder if there is in fact a Cornish connection to Elizabeth is with that 1841 census entry. As well as N (No not born in County) there is also a tick in born under whether born in Scotland, Ireland or Foreign Parts, although the Country is not specified. The enumerator seems to have used the F for entries where the person was born outside the UK but only a tick for those born in Scotland or Ireland.

Cheers Kris 

I'd never noticed that before! Wow, a Scottish or Irish connection? Any bright ideas where to start looking there then?

[toni*]

could it have just been a mark rather than a tick?

There are Trenowth and variants in Cornwall on the OPC site, but i cannot say for sure that Elizabeth is yours
have you tried http://www.cornwall-opc.org/index.htm

[krisesjoint]

Hi,

Yes that birth cert certainly seems to clarify there was a previous marriage, and the name TRENEWTH. I hope you saw my comment re the 1841 census ( I think I added it while you were typing)

Kris  

Typing over each other again....LOL

IT is definitely a tick Toni 

[pipemma]

could it have just been a mark rather than a tick?

There are Trenowth and variants in Cornwall on the OPC site, but i cannot say for sure that Elizabeth is yours
have you tried http://www.cornwall-opc.org/index.htm

I agree it looks like a tick when compared with the others.

I have looked at the OPC site but to no avail. If there really is a northern connection, I'll have to have a bit of a rethink I guess. Thing is, would that suggest an actual Scots or Irish family or simply a Cornish family travelling? Not a common name north of the border as far as I can see...

[cornish-bill]

I have a complete Index for all Marriages in Cornwall 1813-1837. No match for Hurrel-Trenewth. Suggest that you concentrate on Hurrel for marriage, death and Will in Devon firstly then elsewhere.

cheers, Bill

[maidmarianoops]

 any help
sylvia

Elizabeth Penligen abt 1810

 Registration 1899 Oct/Nov/Dec
Died age 89  Woolwich Greater London Kent
Volume1d

Name Elizabeth Penligen
Birth APR 1810
Death   Dec 1899 Woolwich Kent
Elizabeth Penhaligon Birth apr 1811

Death Dec 1890  Truro Cornwall