zenus manning in victoria 1857-1862

[arny]

Zenus was born in 1803 in Essex,England. He was baptised Zenas as a Baptist. That is the last record I have of him in England. He appears in the Victoria Gazette from 1857 to 1863 in gold towns Rushworth,Beechworth & lastly Hoddles Creek where he was the sole entry. I would be grateful for any help to fill in his story.

[judb]

No help in finding your chap but you may be interested in the following article which describes the Hoddles Creek diggings in 1863.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197288925

Hoddles Creek is a fair way from the other diggings location you mention.

Judith

[aahume]

Zenus/Zenas is transcribed as Tenus on Ancestry. He has a brother Joseph b 1818 married 1838 Essex.
Can't find any entries for either on 1841 and 1851 UK census although there could be gaps in these. Just trying to ascertain when Zenus left for Australia.. probably c 1852 when the Gold Rush started. In 1855 there is an entry (Vic Gov Gazette) for Mrs Manning and T S Manning: In 1857 same publication Zenus and Joseph. After 1864 there is no listing for Zenus at Hoddles Creek ( i believe the gold there wasn't as productive as they thought)
Can't find death entries in Vic or passenger list entry, although with the huge number of ships arriving c 1852 some lists are missing.(PROVic)
Sorry this is a little confused and you might already have this research but its always good practice to check everything! Also returning to England was not really a financial option for miners.

[sparrett]

It is worth noting, in case there is confusion about the Gazette entries, they are all notices of "letters waiting for collection"
Nothing to do with actual inhabitants of the places under which his name appears.

It hints at two things about Zenus.
He was possibly literate and there was some friends or family who knew where he was over the space of years shown.

Sue

[judb]

Re "Tenus" Manning on Ancestry - and I realise that Ancestry's search can be a bit hit and miss.
I am only seeing an entry for an unclaimed letter in Melbourne 1862.

As "Zenas" Manning there's the baptisms recorded at Thorpe Le Soken (Baptist),chapel, Essex
on 30 August 1803 for 3 children of John Manning and Mary his wife:
Alexander, b 29 June 1801 - undated annotation states 'died'
Sarah, b 18 December 1801
Zenas (could be poorly written letter 'u'),  b 10 February 1803
The 'Z' of of Zenas could be read as a 'T'

There is another apparent sibling recorded baptised at Thorpe Le Soken (Baptist), children of John Manning and Mary his wife.
Mary, b 28 June 1798

There is a tree on Ancestry which gives other children born to a couple with the same names.  This post may have errors as there are a number of children given with siblings born the in the same years as other children and baptised at the local church rather than the Baptist chapel.

I'm not seeing a brother, Joseph b 1818.

As to the 'Manning' entries in Australia there are so many of them and with only initials it's difficult to be certain that they are connected.   

Judith
Edit to add  -well found Sue - I missed that  they were letter collection lists.  So he could actually be anywhere!! Plus his unusual name makes mis-transcriptions possible and he may have used a different name anyway