Jamaica - looking for the family of Robert Thornhill & his wife Charlotte Eliza

[Westy11]

Hi all

This is a really long stretch and a shot in the dark.. I am looking for Ada Thornhill who married William Dillwyn Janson in about 1850 - 1855 [early].  The only reason I am posting is that I have searched in English records for Ada and did find that she was born on 20 Oct 1831 at sea.  Her father was Robert Thornhill.

Through another post a family was discovered that is potentially related to Ada and in this instance the father Robert's occupation was given as gentleman and Ada's mother as Charlotte Eliza.  When Ada was 9 she was at school in England boarding. 

This family also had a daughter baptised in England in 1844 to the same couple named Emily Amber Frances. The fact that Ada was born at sea and her father was a gentleman made me wonder if perhaps they lived in Jamaica?  Tenuous at best isn't it...

As you can see this is the sum total of what I have which is hardly enough even to post BUT I have had some spectacular successes through Rootschat Forum on which I had thought was useless.

So i am posting and have my fingers crossed.

Westy11

[avm228]

I don't know anything about Jamaican records but I see that William Dillwyn Janson b 1828 Hornsey is enumerated as unmarried in both 1851 and 1871.  Why is it thought there was a marriage to Ada c1850-1855?

1851: HO107/1769/327/49
1871: RG10/2414/33/15

Added -I see that in fact an 1853 marriage in Switzerland was found on a parallel thread: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=686041.msg5302502#msg5302502

[Westy11]

Yes I assume William and Ada married and I assumed they married after the 1851 census.  They had one child who was born in 1855 at Upton Cum Chalvey, Buckingham and died at Devon when she was 2.  This is my reason for selecting the date range I did.

I did see the 1871 census record you mentioned where William was listed as unmarried and I wondered if perhaps Ada had died although I could not locate a death record for her on FreeBDM.  I could not locatre the 1861 census record for the couple.

I do know that many people did not marry or married after the birth of the child however William Dillwyn Janson came from a long line of Quakers and with that came strong principles:  but this is just an assumption and i certainly know of one other instance where a Quakeress had a child outside of marriage [but I don't know if she was excommunicated as a result or if the birth was kept hidden].

Westy11

[avm228]

The other thread also gives an 1844 London address for Robert & Charlotte Eliza Thornhill - to be honest if it were me I would be following that up first. Is there any particular reason to think they were connected with Jamaica (other than having been on a ship in 1831)?

I see that the death of a British national named Charlotte Eliza Thornhill was registered with the consulate at Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, 1866-1870.

[Westy11]

I did try to follow the 1844 London address for Robert & Charlotte Eliza Thornhill but I couldn't get any traction.  I did find that the other daughter Emily married Eustace Neville Rolfe but it occurred to me to also try for Jamaica.  No - no other reason other than a gut feeling. 

As to William he died aged 48 of rapid consumption on 13 Jun 1876 living at Garsdon Rectory Wiltshire.  I couldn't locate any probate records for him nor have I been able to determine why he was at the Rectory.  As you will have seen in the 1851 Census he was working with his father Alfred Janson - Alfred was an underwriter for Lloyds Bank so this doesn't indicate he took hold orders. 

Its a bit of a mystery

Westy11

[avm228]

For what it is worth my feeling is that there may be a significant link to Italy for this family.

We have:

1866-1870: Death of a Charlotte Eliza Thornhill at Leghorn, as already posted
1892: Death in Naples of Ivy Rolfe, 22, second daughter of Eustace Neville Rolfe of Heacham Hall Norfolk
1908: Death of Eustace Neville Rolfe aged 63, Naples

[avm228]

Actually it seems Eustace Neville-Rolfe was the Consul-General at Naples when he died, having entered the consular service at Naples in 1895.

His Times obituary (16 Dec 1908) says that in 1867 he married Emily Auber Frances, daughter of the late Mr Robert Thornhill.  Emily died in 1900, leaving issue.

[Westy11]

I don't know anything about Jamaican records but I see that William Dillwyn Janson b 1828 Hornsey is enumerated as unmarried in both 1851 and 1871.  Why is it thought there was a marriage to Ada c1850-1855?

1851: HO107/1769/327/49
1871: RG10/2414/33/15

Added -I see that in fact an 1853 marriage in Switzerland was found on a parallel thread: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=686041.msg5302502#msg5302502

AVM228

I have to admit I totally missed those posts.......

What a doofus. [me]

Westy11

[avm228]

The Norfolk Chronicle of 5 Oct 1867 announced the marriage of Eustace Neville-Rolfe to Emily Auber Frances, daughter of "the late Robert Thornhill, Esq", so he was already deceased.