Poyntons in Roscommon

[mareek]

My g.g. grandfather was one William Poynton, b. 1821/1822 in Roscommon.  He was transported for life to Australia by the Upper Canada Court Martial in 1838 for desertion from the 32nd Regiment of Foot (he would only have been 16 or 17 when this happened) and arrived in NSW in February 1840 aboard the convict ship Woodbridge.  He gained a Free Pardon in 1850.  The record of his marriage in St Francis RC Church, Melbourne, in 1849 have him as being a protestant.  Unfortunately, the parents are not listed on the record.  His Death Certificate shows parents as "Unknown", but has his birthplace as Athlone, Roscommon.  I am looking for any information regarding his origins and would appreciate any help on this.

[LH]

Griffiths Valuation of Roscommon (c. 1857) lists just three Poyntons - two in the same area - so it may be worth checking CoI Parish Registers for these areas, if they are are available.  Names on Griffiths are Thomas, John and James Poynton:-

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffithsall.php

Cheers

[mareek]

Thanks for the info.  Will check the records you suggest.

One interesting thing is that William's religion as listed as "Church of England" on his Marriage Certificate, which is odd given his Irish roots: I would have expected it to be "Church of Ireland".  It makes me wonder whether the family had migrated from the UK to Ireland relatively recently.

[rathmore]

http://www.convictrecords.com.au

this site might be able to get more information from Australia about William

he was one of 230 convicts departure 10.10.1839

[mareek]

Thanks for the info that's been posted on this topic.  I've subsequently found that William Felix was Irish by birth but not ancestry.  His birth was registered in the UK rather than Ireland because he was born to Thomas Poynton (Pointon) and his wife, Mary, while Thomas was stationed in Athlone with the King's Dragoon Guards.  Thomas was born in Ashby de la Zouch in 1787.  More research to do.