PENHALL of South Australia

[Colleenleighton]

Hi, I am a descendant of John Hugh Bawden and Mary Henery.
Their children were (besides Johns first son John Bawden to his first marriage):
May Evelyn (Collins/miller) my Grandma my Grandpa being Percival Alfred Wescombe MILLER.
Cornelius, John Henry, Hilda, Josepha Mildred, Ivy Lavinia, Lyly, Myrtle Nellie, Voilet, Hilda, Albert James, Thelma Irene.
My Mother was the only child to May Evelyn and Percival her name Olive May Bament ( née Miller).
May was first married to Alfred Collins they had 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl. Alfred died at age 31 from I think a heart or lung condition. May died in 1966. She lied about her age telling most she was born in 1882 but I have her birth certificate and she was born in 1888, making her almost 16 when she first married and 16 when her first son Alfred was born.
Hope this fills in some of your missing pieces. Can't help with the penhall side sorry.

[JAS1]

Hello Colleen,
It is wonderful to hear from you, and you would be only the second descendant of John Hugh Bawden (apart from my own branch) with whom I have ever had contact.  My grandfather Henry, of course, was John Hugh's first child by his first marriage with Jane Ann Penhall.  The Penhalls and the Bawdens have been very difficult families to trace because of the dearth of male descendants bearing the Penhall or Bawden name.
Are you also tracing the Bawden family, because if so I would be happy to share notes.  Most of my information has come from family memories from my late mother and her sister, as well as the SA Indexes, and more recently Trove.  My grandfather Henry came to Victoria in the 1890s, and after John Hugh died he seems to have lost contact with the SA family.  My mother remembered meeting Hilda and one other sister once, and Cornelius worked in Victoria before he went to war.
I would very much like to share my findings, and fill out more of the story.  One mystery I have never been able to solve is the death of Josepha Bawden, wife of Henry Bawden senior and mother of John Hugh.  I was told she died before her husband died in 1909, and she was also dead in 1893 when her youngest daughter, also named Josepha, married Arthur Shepley, so her death must have been between 1867 (when her last child was born) and 1893. But when and where did she die?  There doesn't seem to be any government registration of her death, even under Bowden.  Do you have any idea?
I assume you live in SA; I am in Melbourne.  With thanks, John Schubert

[Colleenleighton]

Hi John,
Yes a pleasure to know a descendant of the Bawdens.  I am still researching a lot myself, so apart from what you probably already know, I can't tell you much more at this stage.  I have the names, birth dates and death dates of May's children to Alfred Collins, They would be a half blood line to you. I lived next door to my Grandma (May) with my parents at 116 Carlisle street, Glanville, she at 116a.She died when I was 5 I only just remember her.  She left my mother out of her will because she never liked my father. And Perival her 2nd husband (my grandpa) died before I was born. May's children to her first marriage never had children, not any of them.  One died from TB around 20 (Lionel), Ron had suffered from Polio and had a crippled leg (my favourite half uncle, I remember him well, Ronald) Harold also died of TB about age 60, Uncle Len was an alcoholic who caused much grief and lived with May til death.  Mabel died young as well. We used to have to hide under the lounge if we were visiting May and Len came home drunk, she would then hustle us out the door once he locked himself in his room where he eventually died. May was a very grumpy old woman from what I remember.  Uncle Ron was the last to die at 116a Carlisle st.  He loved my mum dearly and she him, leaving her everything in his will, so she ended up with all what her mother didn't want her to have anyway. May's children to the first marriage were young when AlfredCollins died, so I guess she had a difficult life for a while.  I do have some photos of her, but none of any Of her siblings or parents, except Cornelius, I obtained a copy of his Army Records with photos.
Are you the same person who wrote to the army on behalf of your mother?
Yes I am in SA and I am 54 years old married with 3 sons and a daughter all adults and one Grandson.  My maiden name was Bament and my married name is Leighton. If you have any photos of any Bawdens you would be happy to share, that would be great, or any other info and vice versa.

Colleen

[JAS1]

Hello Colleen,

Yes I would appreciate the full names and birth/death dates of your grandmother's family.  I have her birth date recorded as 9.9.1882, Port Augusta, and I guess I got that from the SA Indexes.  I have her first marriage as 1.8.1904, Alberton and the second as 15.10.1921, Semaphore.  I also have your grandfather's name Westcomb with an "e" on the end.  Is that incorrect?

I have no photos beyond my grandfather Henry, and would love one of John Hugh Bawden, and the copies you have of Cornelius.  I am happy to share any photos I have.

I am happy to send you some of my files of information, and I am happy to send you my personal email, unless you would prefer to keep our correspondence only via RootsChat.

Do you have the details of John Hugh's parents and siblings: JH was the eldest son of Henry and Josepha Bawden (nee Matthews), and was born in Cornwall in 1853 (died 1931).  His first wife was Jane Ann Bennicke Penhall (1856-1879) and second wife was Mary Jane Henery (c1860-1923).  Siblings to JH were Samuel (1855-1941) married Sarah Webb; Mary Emma (1858-1944) married William Ward; Frederick Henry (1864-1936) married Sarah Field; Joseph Matthews (1866-1866); Henry Cornelius (1867-1867); Josepha (1868-1952) married Arthur Shepley.  Do you have any contact with descendants of any of these people?

Henry and Josepha Bawden migrated with their two eldest sons JH and Samuel about 1856, and he worked as a miner at Kapunda, Wallaroo, Moonta and Port Augusta.

Yes, I am the person who wrote to the Army in the 1960's about Cornelius.  My brother and sister have both visited his grave in France, and I can send you a photo if you wish.

I am married (66), retired, but my wife still works as an optometrist.  We have two adult children and three grandchildren.

Its great to share this material with another family member,

John

[Colleenleighton]

Hi John,
Your email would be more practical for me to reply to.  I have an IPad and can just easily photograph anything I have (photos or documents and then just attach them straight from my IPad to your email address. 
I will gather up what I have and send to you once I have your email.  Unfortunately I don't have any photos of John Hugh or Mary at this stage.  Although my mother's photo albums had many unnamed photos in them.  My eldest sister is 67 she may have more of an idea or heard more when she was growing up.  Anyway I am more than happy to let you have and know anything I have on any related Bawdens, etc.  if I stumble across any info about Josepha will inform you immediately.  Sometimes these family trees can go on forever, as I have found out with my family's main names.  I only stumbled across some Bawden info and decided to go back a little on them as well.
Also, my Grandma (May), was born in 1888 not 1882. Sometimes the records from back then I have found can be wrong.  I obtained her birth certificate which I can also photograph and send to you.  Maybe she did not want people to know she was so young when she obviously fell pregnant and had to marry.  I don't even think my mother knew.

Kind Regards,
Colleen

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