James CUMMINGS born 1808 at sea. Father, Captain John CUMMINGS

[ianmcd]

Hi All,
I am new to this Forum having stumbled on the discussions around John Cummings doing a Google search.

I have been been researching my family tree on & off for many years but mostly looking at my paternal McDonald side.  I have quite recently begun looking into my maternal Ingham side of the family & have identified some very colourful characters that came to Australia under some interesting circumstances.

Of particular interest to me at the moment is the Captain John Cummings (Senior) and his son Captain John Cummings as they are the start of that family connection into Australia.  I do have a lot of information on them that I have collected doing my private research through agencies such as Trove and the Tasmanian & NSW state records.  I am not sure if this thread is still being used/monitored or whatever but I would sure like to link up with anyone else doing research in this area.

Cheers
Ian

[Knighty2]

Hi Ian

I too am an "on/off" researcher. I have not had much time over the last 18mths and am just getting back into it.

I am a direct paternal descendent of John George Cummings who was a Captain and arrived in Tasmania with his wife Anne Boynton. They arrived in Australia in 1810 and having left the United Kingdom in 1908. 

Anne Cummings (neé  Boyton) is reputed to have had an affair with a visiting Supreme court solicitor Thomas Amos and produced a child in late 1819 who was subsequently adopted by Thomas Ransom and Catherine McNally and named Ann. I have not personally verified this.

Their son John GW Cummings, whom I have conflicting information which I have not been able to clarify with certainty which is correct, show him as being registered as being born in Hobart inn 1810 but is believed to have been born in England in 1805. It may represent not a birth in Australia but more a registration on arrival.

John GW Cummings married Ann Beams in 1834 and had a son Edward Cummings in 1837. 

John GW Cummings then married Mary King in 1843 and had a daughter Mary Anne Bunker. Hence the connection.

Anne Cummings (neé Beams) subsequently married John Knight and Edward was either adopted or just took on the surname Knight.

JGW Cummings is my 3rd Great Grandfather.

Would like to hear what research you have. Mine is all on line either through Ancestry or Roots. Planning to do some first hand research when I move my retirement to 3 days a week.

Cheers
Ian Knight
Brighton Vic

[Wiggy]

I am a direct paternal descendent of John George Cummings who was a Captain and arrived in Tasmania with his wife Anne Boynton. They arrived in Australia in 1810 and having left the United Kingdom in 1908.

Anne Cummings (neé  Boyton) is reputed to have had an affair with a visiting Supreme court solicitor Thomas Amos and produced a child in late 1819 who was subsequently adopted by Thomas Ransom and Catherine McNally and named Ann. I have not personally verified this.

[/b]

This snippet interests me mightily . . .  the Ann Ransom in our history is reputed to have been adopted but we couldn't work out from whom.  The one fly in the ointment is that when she married Francis Von Stieglitz in 1840 in Fingal, Tasmania, she gave her age as 22 indicating that her birth was in 1817 ish - obviously she could have fluffed her age a bit.   

How I would love to sort this one out as I have never been able to verify her birth . . .  if you can find a birth record for her, PLEASE let me know!   Would she have been registered as Boynton, Cummings or Amos?   

Cheers,   Wiggy       

[majm]

Welcome Ian from Brighton in Victoria. 

RootsChat is the very best forum for family history help. 


Yes,  may I support Wiggy's request .... please any information about the baby girl adopted by Thomas Ransom and Catherine McNally would be very welcome and promptly followed up.

JM

[Wiggy]

I've been searching the records and can't find anything JM . . .  wonder if , being illegitimate, they sailed under they radar - - -I know Thomas (Ann's brother) was born out of wedlock too, but Thomas Amos was a highly respected Lawyer visiting from Sydney, so . . .   

Anyway . . .   

[majm]

I remember 

And today there's images online    Rev Knopwood's baptisms :

Ann, born 21 April 1817 (so nearly 200 years ago) no father named, and mother as Mary SAVAGE of Hobart.  Rev K baptised Ann on 26 August 1818. 

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9CH-C5WS  (fingers crossed link works)

Fingers crossed overall too 

JM

[judb]

Apologies if you already have this - I haven't re-read all of the other thread.  This looks like the marriage of John CUMMINGS and Ann BOYTON

27 October 1805 at Alverstoke, Hampshire
John CUMMINGS, Ann BOYTON

My resource has no other details, just this index entry from Hampshire Marriages Transcription

Pallot's Marriage Index says he is "Capt in the Garrison Battalion" and the marriage was by licence.

Judith

[majm]

Good Sleuthing Judith 

Hi All,



2nd August 1810, Rev Knopwood, in the parish of Hobart Town, baptised THREE children, as follows

John George William, son of John and Ann CUMMINGS nee Boyton, Abode Hobart Town
James Boyton, son of John and Ann CUMMINGS nee Boyton, Abode Hobart Town
Mary Ann Elinor, daughter of John and Ann CUMMINGS nee Boyton, Abode Hobart Town.

There is nothing on the image that I am looking at to suggest that any of those three children were born at Hobart Town.  I suggest the usual order for that joint ceremony would be to record the eldest child’s details first in the register and then the subsequent entries would also be in chronological order. 

Here is the live link for the image from Rev Knopwood’s parish register.  Note the next entry is for a child aged 7 years, does not mention his parents by name nor give the child a surname.  Notice also that Rev Knopwood does not include dates of birth for anyone of the 29 baptisms on the double page image. 

https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD32-1-1-p013j2k

The following is INDEX info, and does not include birth date info.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTXW-Z4K  John George William
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTXW-CVB James Boyton
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTXW-37J Mary Ann Elinor



Cheers,  JM 

[Wiggy]

I remember 

And today there's images online    Rev Knopwood's baptisms :

Ann, born 21 April 1817 (so nearly 200 years ago) no father named, and mother as Mary SAVAGE of Hobart.  Rev K baptised Ann on 26 August 1818. 

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9CH-C5WS  (fingers crossed link works)

Fingers crossed overall too 

JM

Actually that entry names the father as Lawrence - and mother as Mary so I think we can dismiss them  - for 'my' Ann anyhow.