Devon Resources & Look Up Request SYMONS William & Jane

[chithead]

William 53 years (Shoemaker) & wife Jane 47 years immigrated to Australia with their son William aged 11 yrs DOB 17/12/1842 on the vessel "John Banks" arriving Port Adelaide South Australia from Plymouth on the 16/02/1855. (Devon listed as point of origin)
Any help to find their marriage date or birth dates would be appreciated as I've run into a brick wall, not knowing which parish of Devon they originated from.  chithead

[patrish]

As you have their sons exact date of birth I assume you have his birth certifcate,   it would give  his mothers maiden name and where he was born which should  help narrow things down a bit.

Patrish

[JaneyCanuck]

chithead, in case you aren't familiar with birth registrations (you may have William Jr's dob from a death record or family records?) this is where to search:
http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

Unfortunately there were 1 William Symons whose birth was registered in the last quarter of 1842, in St Thomas registration district in Devon, and 3 William Symons-s whose births were registered in the first quarter of 1843 in Devon: in Barnstaple, Honiton and St Thomas registration districts. (A birth in late December would commonly have been registered early in the new year - but it's also possible that a birth that early wasn't registered.) They may not have actually been from Devon; almost all the other William Symons births registered in the two quarters in question were in Cornwall (with one in London). If he wasn't known to have the middle name Henry as three of the Cornwall births did, that would narrow it down some.

The 1851 census shows one WS the right age with parents William and Jane: born and living in Camborne, Cornwall -- which is in Redruth reg dist, making him likely the birth registered in Dec quarter 1842 in that place.

However, that household had a number of children:

William, 35, Sawyer (wrong occupation)
Jane, 39
Tryphena, 13, at home assistant
Absolom, 11, errand boy
Willliam, 8, wedge driver to father
Eliza, 5
Mary Jane, 3
Caroline, 10 months
- all born in Camborne

... No, that household is in the 1861 census as Simons, still in Camborne. So at least you can rule out the 1842 birth in Redruth reg dist.

It could help find them in the 1851 census if you could confirm whether the couple had other children with them when they emigrated, and if you have any information about them. I'm not spotting another likely household in that census.

There's also the posibility that Jane was a second wife and William remarried between the 1851 census and the emigration in 1855.

[chithead]

Thank you patrish & janey canuck unfortunately I don't have a death certificate I received that date from a distant cousin who has kindly sent me a book on my Great grandmother's side which has little information on my Great Grandfather, the William born 1842. The only other information I have at this time is the passenger list of the John Banks which gives William's parents name age & origin. Therefore I'm going to try and find date of their deaths thru the South Australian Library and then we may have more information to work on. Thanks again I will be in touch when I get that info. Warm appreciation chithead

[Annette7]

Although they left from Plymouth, Devon they were native to Cornwall, not Devon.

Have found them on 41/51 census - the latter faint and has been recorded on 2 different sites a bit oddly but amounts to this:

1851 Census, Pendarves Street, Camborne, Cornwall - ref. HO107 - 1916 - 254 - 1

William Symons    50    Shoe Makr employing 1 labourer        b. Perran, Cornwall
Jane Symons      47                                                           b. Camborne, Cornwall
Joseph Ivy (??) Rowe  adopted son   22   Copper Miner                 ditto
Henry Symons   20      Copper Miner                                            ditto
Jane Symons     18                                                                     ditto
Louisa Symons   16      Dress Maker                                             ditto
William Symons  8       Scholar                                           b. Phillack, Cornwall
Mark Odgers   servant   22   Shoe Maker                             b. Kenwyn, Cornwall

1841 - Guilford, Phillack, Cornwall - ref. HO107 - 143 - 12 - 38 - 19

William Symons    40     Shoemaker
Jane Symons        35
Joseph Symons     12
Henry Symons     10
Jane Symons        8
Louisa Symons     6

There are 2 online trees with no detail re. parents of William and Jane but they do state that William senior d. 20/3/1856 Kapunda, South Australia and his wife Jane d.1886 Kapunda.

William Symons married Jane Hocking 24/10/1829 Camborne, Cornwall.

Would seem that the family were non-conformists - can only find baptisms for the 2 eldest Symons children:

Henry Simons  b.19/8/1830, bp.3/12/1830 Wesleyan, Camborne Circuit, Cornwall
Jane Simon     b.4/11/1832, bp.24/12/1832              ditto

This could be William seniors baptism:

William Simons  bp25/1/1801 Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, son of Alexander and Jane.

Baptisms all on familysearch.

Annette

[chithead]

Thank you Annette7, I'll check the "John Banks" passenger list for the other names though maybe the older siblings didn't travel out on the same ship or maybe on a earlier vessel or even later. More dectective work ahead. That was the case with another branch of my family the oldest son and his wife came out six months before his parents and 6 other younger siblings in 1847.
I thought maybe they (William and Jane) had married later in life or even a 2nd marriage for both as William 11 was the only child listed with them on the passenger list. My warm appreciation for your prompt reply chithead

[JaneyCanuck]

Bravo, Annette7, for finding them. I would bet that the older children, or at least some, were settled and stayed behind. For instance, there are Jane Symons marriages in Redruth reg dist in 1852 and 1853, and 1857. For the name Henry, there are two deaths and a marriage 1851-1855. It is always possible that a married son or daughter accompanied (or preceded or followed) the couple and William Jr to Australia.

[chithead]

I found Henry's marriage (1852) and immigration with his wife Grace a year prior to his parents (1854), right Henry as William, Father,  & Louisa witnessed wedding. Still haven't found anything on the two girls Jane & Louisa on Parish records checked right up to 1861 in case they show up in Census, Henry & Grace lost a son on their voyage out just 1 year old (Henry). Now to track them down in South Australia, phew another branch of the family. I've checked the passenger list on both vessels as often girls over 16 or sometimes  as young as 12 where listed as single females but they are not there. More fun ahead. By way what did you use to find that info on a Jane Symons, Janet, as the otc base I used thru rootschat came up a blank? warm regards chithead

[JaneyCanuck]

You've been busy.

By way what did you use to find that info on a Jane Symons, Janet, as the otc base I used thru rootschat came up a blank? warm regards chithead

Did you mean the possibilities I mentioned?

FreeBMD, the link I gave earlier:
http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

Transcription of the GRO index of births, marriages, deaths, from mid-1837 onward, pretty much complete for the 19th century, and up to some recent years, so far.

We'd all be nowhere without it.

(Anc'y has the same index, provided by FreeBMD, up to 1915, then did its own transcribing after that.)

Parish records for Cornwall are incomplete at the OPC site, especially after 1837. I know, because I've had a batch of burials on hand for too long now that I haven't finished transcribing ...