Author Topic: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!  (Read 42962 times)

Offline semaphore

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #36 on: Tuesday 14 August 12 13:29 BST (UK) »
It's like a disease isn't it! Despite not having the time at all, I simply had to work out the link, and I think it is this.. I have a huge quantity of information, which, as I said, really needs to be sifted through. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of any of it because I have done no research at all, but it is so detailed that for the most part, I am assuming it is correct, and some things crop up from different sources so either it's correct or just repeated family lagend!
In 1719 Thomas Ashwin of Tower Hill, Bidford married Hester Manley of Crowle, Worc.
Their fist son, Manley, born the year of their mariage, married Mary Godfrey or Godfree in 1746. Their first son, Thomas married Phoebe Cormel in 1783 and she gave birth to 10 children of which your Edward is one.
However Thomas Ashwin and Hester Manley had 6 children. Their second son Thomas, baptised 1727, married Anne Smith of Littleton. They had 5 children. The eldest son, Thomas, born 1753 married Mary Price. He was a Magistrate and was killed in the Priestley riots in Birmingham on August 12, 1791.
Thomas and Mary had 8 children. I have details on all of them, but I am descended from their second son, Thomas Price born January 22, 1777, died blind at the age of 66 in Prestbury where he lived with two maiden sisters,Eleanor and Elizabeth. In 1804 he had married Grace, daughter of William and Sarah Jenkin of Truro. They were a Quaker family. Thomas and Grace had 7 children.
Their third child, Alfred Jenkin, born Cheltenham April 12, 1814 was an accountant. His first marriage to someone as yet unknown, produced two children, Edward Marston and Alfred Gordon. It may well have been that his first wife was a Marston because this name enters the family for the first time here. Alfred Gordon was born in Cornwall in 1843 and drowned off Cape Horn in his early 20's. I am descended from Edward Marston. Incidentally Alfred Jenkin went on to marry a second time with Susan Johnson Brick and had a whole lot more children, of which the eldest has left handwritten books about his experiences exploring the centre of Australia.
Anyway, Edward Marston,born 1845 in Cornwall went to Australia at the age of 3, presumably with his father, but this has never been researched I think. He married Susannah Tapley in 1873. The Tapleys were a well known Adelaide family after whom Tapley's Hill is named. Edward Marston bought land on the seafont at the Semaphore, then very fashionable,  in 1878 and in 1884 he built a large house. He and Susannah had 4 children of which my grandmother, Ethel Maud, born 1874 was the eldest. Milford born 1876 dropped dead in the street leaving his wife Nell with 2 sons. I do not know them at all. Arthur Malcolm was born in 1778 and married Mary MacDiarmid. They had two daughters, Mary and Margaret, both of whom married and had children, all of whom still live in Adelaide to my knowledge. I have been living in France for 33 years but I have seen them occasionally. Ethel Maud married the Reverend Wilfrid Walmsley Nicholson, whom she happened to meet in Adelaide,in London, and they moved to Thorneyburn in the very north of England where my father, Bryan Walmsley was born. Their second son, Edward Marston Ashwin was born in Askam Richard, where their father died at the age of 56, leaving Ethel with 2 boys 7 and 12. She decided to return to Adelaide but contracted tuberculosis on the boat and died 6 years later,also at the age of 56. Edward married and had 3 daughters, all of whom have married and had children, but he also died at the age of 56. When my father turned 56 he had a party, although he did not know his brother's fate at that stage!! I see all Edward's children and the eldest is coming to my  daughter's wedding. I married a Dutchman and came to France. Sadly I was widowed at the same age as Ethel, but instead of having 2 sons, I have 2 daughters, although they were the same age as Ethel's sons when their father died.
I hope you can wade your way through this! As I said, I have masses and masses of stuff but not very close to either of us, but my goodness, there are a lot of Ashwins around the world!
Susan

Offline whiteKat

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #37 on: Wednesday 15 August 12 09:21 BST (UK) »
Hello Susan,
How wonderful your information has been! I cannot believe how helpful it has been in sorting my head around all the Ashwins with the same names - I am so, so grateful. I believe now I have placed most in their correct generations with their correct parents - but my goodness I have spent all afternoon writing them down and sorting through them with the help of FamilySearch for dates etc.  - but I do so enjoy doing it. Thank you, thank you, thank you as now I can see the connections between many of them. The Ashwins loved repeating names down the generations - but what has been most helpful has been their use of the mother's maiden name as a second name. Phew - I think I need a drink!

I have also worked out our relationship with each other - if my calculations are correct. We share the same 6 x Grandfather Thomas Ashwin who married Hester Manley in 1719. Their children our 5 x Grandfathers were brothers - and I have gleaned this all from your information. Mine Manley Ashwin born 1719 and yours Thomas Ashwin born 1727- is that correct?

And yes I thoroughly agree with you - Family History certainly grabs hold of you with fervour filling your head and eating your time but I must say I get great satisfaction from the research and finding out new and exciting things. And having said that I was surprised and thoroughly delighted to receive your extensive message particularly as you have your daughter's wedding coming up at the weekend. I hope you have a wonderful day. I can truly relate to it all as we had one of our daughter's wedding in December last year and we had a wonderful time. Am I correct in believing the wedding is at Bretfortin? A beautiful place. A couple of years ago when my husband and I were in England we visited Bretfortin and Bretfortin Manor as the Manor used to be an Ashwin family home - a lovely place!

Thank you also for explaining your side of the family - it sounds most interesting especially your ancestor exploring Australia and and poor Thomas Ashwin b. 1753 being killed in the Priestley riots in Birmingham - I knew nothing of those prior to this! Family history certainly increases one's knowledge of history! I followed your family down the line from Thomas marrying Mary Price in 1774 and then down the line to Ethel Maud. I just loved reading it all and making the connections.

On my side my GGG Grandfather Edward Ashwin b. 1790, married Elizabeth Wheeler in 1814 and died in 1832 as you are aware. His son - my GG Grandfather - Martin Richard Ashwin was just a baby being born in 1831 when his father died. Martin Richard married Emma Priscilla Copson in 1855 and then in 1863 they emigrated to New Zealand with their then children, his mother and two of his maiden sisters. My G Grandmother Esther Alexandra Cunningham Ashwin was born in NZ a year after their arrival. She married Frederick Gover a School Master and had 4 children of whom my Grandmother was one - Daisy Gover. Daisy married her second cousin Alfred Adrian Gover who was a Superintendent of Police in Madras India - they had 3 sons - my father Alfred Terence being the second son. Unfortunately Alfred Adrian died of appendicitis in Madras in 1914 when my father was just 2 years old and his younger brother was one - so sad! Daisy returned to New Zealand and my father then grew up in New Zealand until coming to Australia in 1937 when he married my mother in 1938. My husband was born in Scotland but grew up in Australia and we have now been married for 40 years!

Your masses of information sounds very inviting  - even if not closely related. You mentioned maybe meeting at Christmas - are you coming to Australia at Christmas - it would be great to meet?

It has been wonderful talking. Have a wonderful wedding. Will talk again soon.

Regards
Kate

Gover (Chatham Kent) Ashwin (Worcestershire)Wheeler (Worcestershire) Copson (Warwickshire) Harvey (St Just Cornwall to 1850 - and then Australia) Peters (Mold Flintshire) Mundy (Hampshire)

Offline semaphore

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #38 on: Wednesday 15 August 12 13:07 BST (UK) »
Hello again!

I am so pleased I have helped you in your research and that you are excited by the additional information. My cousin, Janet, who has the same relationship to Ethel as I, has done a lot of research on our paternal grandfather's family, but I know she'll be terribly excited to hear about our "connection".

No, my younger daughter is ŕnly going to a friend's wedding in Bretforten this weekend. My own daughter is being married in Königssee in Bavaria because she has been living in Munich for the last 6 years. Her husband is French, not German, and he is already back here in Paris, and so she is seeking a job here in order that they should live together! Yes, sometimes very difficult for me, but my family is dreadfully "international".

My daughter and her husband are spending their honeymoon in Australia because, although she has been every year, and also for her work, her husband has never been, and is anxious to discover her "other" country. I will be in Adelaide predominantly,  and in Sydney for New Year. I do not know how that would work for you.

You are correct in your deductions about our relationship. However "my" Thomas is on the tree as the son after Manley and an 8 year difference just does not seem logical does it? This requires more time, which I just don't have at the moment.

Anyway, we're off to a good if exhausting start.

Best wishes,

Susan

Offline zepher

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #39 on: Monday 27 August 12 03:56 BST (UK) »
Hi, Martin Richard Ashwin is also my GGrandfather. I believe he was bankrupted in 1862 and that may have lead to them coming out to NZ.  I have a son Theodore Craven Ashwin born 1855, and a Craven Ashwin shows on the shipping list when they came out to NZ in 1863.  MRA was bankrupted in 1867 and spent 12 months in prison.  In 1879 he bought a Mill in Decanter Bay.
Extract from Decanter Bay from 'Banks Peninsula - People and Places by Ian Menzies - Canterbury Museum
"When the cream of the timber had been cut the mill was sold to M.R.Ashwin and operated further up the valley on land owned by the estate of James Cooke. The nine-roomed house and the mill were destroyed by fire in 1879 in suspicious circumstance. Mrs Ashwin and her son were charged with arson and acquitted in June that year for want of conclusive evidence". I understand the son in question was Martin.
MRA became bankrupt again in 1870. Some time around 1886 they moved to Wairoa in the North Island where his wife Emma Ashwin was a storekeeper and she was bankrupted in 1888. Records show MRA residing in Wellington in 1890 and then Wanganui in 1894 and we know MRA was buried in Hautapu cemetery in Cambridge.
The following is the inscription on the Ashwin headstone
In loving memory of
Martin R. Ashwin
died 28th Feb 1901
aged 69 years
also
Martin E. Ashwin
died 28th Nov 1902
aged 43 years
also Cecil Stanley Ashwin
died 30 April 1904
aged 22 years
also
Emma Priscilla Ashwin
died 2nd May 1916
aged 80 years


Offline whiteKat

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #40 on: Tuesday 28 August 12 00:46 BST (UK) »
Hello Zepher,
How absolutely wonderful! Thank you so very much for the details and photo of the gravestone identifying where Martin, Edward, Cecil and Emma are buried in Hautapu Cemetery and the story relating to their history. I am most appreciative of all the information. Thank you so very much - I am delighted. I will have to visit the cemetery when I travel to New Zealand - and say hello to the ancestors! Martin and Emma had such a huge family they must have descendants all over the place. As you have read no doubt, I am descended from Martin and Emma through Esther Alexandra Cunningham Ashwin - their first born child upon arriving in New Zealand.

I had wondered at the reason Martin and family went to NZ in 1863 - it had been hinted to me by another that it was through bankruptcy so it appears to be a so! Poor Martin Richard - I don't know whether 'poor' is the right word - seemed to have many issues through his adult life, but I suppose life could be really hard in those days. Thank you for the information on his 'issues' I have read some amazing details of his problems through the Trove newspapers - the detail in these is amazing - you feel you can actually picture what actually took place.

I hadn't known until your post where MRA and EMA were buried - only their death dates - and seeing the headstone has just added so much more to their story. I thank you.

Regards
Kate
Gover (Chatham Kent) Ashwin (Worcestershire)Wheeler (Worcestershire) Copson (Warwickshire) Harvey (St Just Cornwall to 1850 - and then Australia) Peters (Mold Flintshire) Mundy (Hampshire)

Offline macash

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #41 on: Sunday 16 September 12 05:56 BST (UK) »
Hello all Ashwin descendants,
I have just found Rootschat and have had a great time reading about the Ashwins.
I was very intrigued to find that my information on the early history is the same as Susan's.
Actually, my family is descended from Alfred Jenkin Ashwin's second marriage to Susannah Birch, in Adelaide.
I would be very interested to hear more about this family and maybe I can add some extra details.
Regards,
Beth

Offline semaphore

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #42 on: Sunday 16 September 12 11:10 BST (UK) »
Hello  Beth,

This site is amazing isn't it? Delighted you have discovered it too and very interested to hear you also are a descendant of Alfred Jenkin Ashwin. On my tree it is noted he remarried a Susannah Johnson ? Brick from Maidstone in Kent. I see her name was actually Birch! One of the children from this marriage was Arthur and I have two large handwritten notebooks in which he has written about his experiences in outback Australia. After him on my tree, I have Harry, who apparently died, then Ada or Alice, Wilmott,Tom and Frank, but I have absolutely no dates for any of these, no evidence that the names are correct or that they  even existed. My side of the family, as far as I know, never met them. All the issue of my great grandfather, who was Alfred Jenkin's second son by his first marriage, are in Adelaide, except that I have been in France for the last 33 years. I can tell you about the various children etc. From which of Alfred's second batch of children are you descended?

Look forward to hearing more and shall tell my cousin about you.

Susan   

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #43 on: Sunday 16 September 12 12:40 BST (UK) »
Hello Susan,
I was thrilled to receive your reply tonight. I thought you might be still involved with your daughter's wedding.
I have accurate dates etc. for AJA's 2nd. family. There were 8 more kids, but sadly only 3 survived. You are correct about Arthur who was the first born,, 1850, of the 2nd family. The surviving girl was born 1861 and my g.grandfather was Frank Yardington b.1865, his father died 1867. It must have been a terrible time for Susannah. They ended up in Ballarat, and Frank went to Horsham in Victoria, where he lived for the rest of his life. Are the diaries of Arthur which you have, original copies? Did you know there is a published book of his diaries which includes details of his early life in Adelaide and also some details of Edward Marsden Ashwin?
Beth

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Re: On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!
« Reply #44 on: Sunday 16 September 12 13:16 BST (UK) »
Hello Beth, Goodness me! Speaking to a hitherto unknown relative twice in a day is very novel to say the least. I am gathering from the time difference that you must be in Australia.

Do I dare say that in view of his 8 further children and the 18 that were born to the family in NZ, these Ashwin men were pretty....active!

I was in Ballarat a couple of years ago for the first time but had no idea I might have any ties with the place.You do not say at all where you are now.

Yes, my simple exercise books are handwritten originals. At least, I imagine it is he who wrote them. I am amazed and heartened to learn that there exist published copies of his writing and am dying to see them.My first cousin on my mother's side, who came for my daughter's wedding and will be with me from Wednesday onwards, has a first cousin on her paternal side who was very interested when I mentioned these "diaries" because she is a prominent librarian who publishes early "Australiana". I will have to tell her she's too late! Of course they have nothing at all to do with the Ashwins. Fascinating!

We must update the family tree, or rather the version I have of it.

Susan