Richard Edwards + Elizabeth REDRUTH CORNWALL Help Please

[juliaanna1701]

Hello everyone,

I am hoping someone can help me navigate the brick wall I have come up upon in my family research. My ancestor, Richard Henry Edwards, was born abt 1834-1836 in Redruth, Cornwall according to his marriage certificate - he states his parents as RICHARD + ELIZABETH EDWARDS.
I have been searching the records (in particular the Cornwall OPC) but unfortunately the gaps in the parish records are for the thirty years I really need - ie 1800-1830ish. I have found on the IGI an EDWARDS family who resided in Redruth who seem to match:

Elizabeth Edwards
19 March 1820
REDRUTH, CORNWALL, ENGLAND
father:
Richard Edwards
mother:
Elizabeth
      
Richard Edwards
25 December 1821
REDRUTH, CORNWALL, ENGLAND
father:
Richard Edwards
mother:
Elizabeth
      
Patience Edwards
23 November 1830
REDRUTH, CORNWALL, ENGLAND
father:
Richard Edwards
mother:
Elizabeth
      
Jane Edwards
25 February 1824
REDRUTH, CORNWALL, ENGLAND
father:
Richard Edwards
mother:
Elizabeth
      
Richard Edwards christening:
23 March 1827
REDRUTH, CORNWALL, ENGLAND
father:
Richard Edwards
mother:
Elizabeth

Richard Henry Edwards
11 June 1829
REDRUTH, CORNWALL, ENGLAND
death:
12 November 1829
father:
Richard Edwards
mother:
Elizabeth
      
Richard Henry Edwards
16 February 1836
REDRUTH, CORNWALL, ENGLAND
father:
Richard Edwards
mother:
Elizabeth

There seems to be four sons born in the family all named Richard, but the first three have corresponding death records for soon after birth. My ancestor is hopefully the last Richard Henry Edwards, born in 1836, which would match with his marriage record here in australia.

Unfortunately, that is where my search has stopped, as there are quite a few RICHARD + ELIZABETH EDWARDS options to continue my line further.
I have found a marriage for a RICHARD EDWARDS + ELIZABETH JOHNS in 1819 in Redruth, which sounds very promising, but on looking it seems that this Richard edwards when he married Jane was apparently on his third marriage (according to other researchers on ancestry) but the marriage transcript on the OPC does list him as a bachelor. Have I made the right connections with the children and this marriage?

The second question is then when was RICHARD EDWARDS and ELIZABETH (POSS JOHNS) born and to whom. They both state OTP on the marriage transcript, but there are only births that I can find quite a lot earlier on, making them older parents - not immpossible, but uncommon in that time. I have found a birth record for RICHARD in 1788 to HENRY + PATIENCE EDWARDS (which fits nicely with the children's names) and one for ELIZABETH JOHNS (if the mother is elizabeth johns) for 1790, parents RICHARD + JANE (again, fits nicely). Their ages then at marriage and births for the children make them a lot older, which would be okay for RICHARD if he was indeed on his third marriage, but the statement of bachelor and spinster leaves some doubts.

I know RICHARD HENRY EDWARDS immigrated in 1847 to SA, AUSTRALIA along with a JANE EDWARDS + ELIZABETH EDWARDS (his sister, not mother) aboard the BRITISH SOVEREIGN.

Can someone have a look and see if there is anything I have missed or any other theories as to whether the RICHARD + ELIZABETH EDWARDS stated on RICHARD HENRY EDWARDS's marriage cert is the one I have found? And are those births the right ones, even though it does make them a lot older?

Please any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Spike H]

Hi again Juliaana

What makes you think your Richard EDWARDS came to SA on the British Sovereign?
Here is the 1847 passenger list
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/1847BritishSovereign.gif
I can't see a Jane or Elizabeth EDWARDS. There is a Richard but he could be attached to another family, and, according to your query he would be 11 (maybe 13 based on his marriage cert). One would have to ask what is an 11/13 year old going to do when he gets to SA?

[juliaanna1701]

Hi again Spike,

For starters, I had trouble finding any other information on an immigration for a Richard Edwards who came to australia prior to marriage in 1853 in Reedy Creek. I found a long ago post on the ancestry board by another researching asking the same question about the identities of the Richard Edwards, who was travelling on the British Sovereign with (I forgot in original post) Patience Edwards; and this is the original post:

Hello listers,
Have we any descendents of the following people?
William Glasson m. Jane Edwards
Edwin Johns m. Elizabeth Edwards
Richard Henry Edwards, who later m. Eizabeth Davey
I believe that Jane, Elizabeth and Richard may have been siblings and arrived together on the British Sovereign 1847with [perhaps] more extended family, from Redruth in Cornwall.
It would be wonderful if others were interested in this family too.

That was what spike my interest Spike (sorry for the pun) as the siblings are all possible matching siblings for my Richard Henry Edwards, plus the time he needs to get to australia isn't great. I have found a census record for 1841 that fits as well for the family:

1841 Census - Redruth District • Redruth, Cornwall, England

Aged 7. Born in county. Residing at Hoskings Row 1 Elizabeth Edwards, 45, BAKER, In county. Jane Edwards, 15, In county. Richard Edwards, 7, In county. Book 14 Folio 8 Page 9

Thoughts?

[Spike H]

Didn't Richard and Elizabeth DAVEY marry in Victoria? Maybe he immigrated there rather than SA.

[Spike H]

OK, this becomes more possible now that we know the "sisters" were married before they came out here.
Have you been able to find the marriages in Cornwall?

[DavidG02]

Hello everyone,

I am hoping someone can help me navigate the brick wall I have come up upon in my family research. My ancestor, Richard Henry Edwards, was born abt 1834-1836 in Redruth, Cornwall according to his marriage certificate

Does his marriage certificate give an age?

Richard Henry  Edwards and Elizabeth Davey married in Victoria Australia in 1853 Reg 811

So would he be 17? I accept the 19 - at a stretch- for me a pre 1834 birth is more likely.

I like the 1827 at Redruth-St Uny : birth was March 1827. A death in FEB 1829 of a Richard is indeed listed in Redruth-St Uny  BUT I have a concern as the stated age is given as 3 and not 23 months or 2 years. I would get a thicker pencil if this was my search. It fits a voyage at age 20 it fits a marriage at age 26.

All findings at FindMyPast as Cornwall OPC is unreachable on my settings right now.

[Spike H]

He says he's 19 on the 1853 marriage certificate.
He's 7 on the 1841 census (if that is him).

[DavidG02]

Thanks Spike

Hello listers,
Have we any descendents of the following people?
William Glasson m. Jane Edwards
Edwin Johns m. Elizabeth Edwards
Richard Henry Edwards, who later m. Eizabeth Davey
I believe that Jane, Elizabeth and Richard may have been siblings and arrived together on the British Sovereign 1847with [perhaps] more extended family, from Redruth in Cornwall.
It would be wonderful if others were interested in this family too.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48543217

This shipping intelligence list will be of interest then

For the British Sovereign.

John Edwards wife and four children, Wm. Edwards, Mary  Ann Edwards,
<snip>
 Patience Edwards, Peter Eddy, Wm. Glasson and wife, Richard Edwards,
<snip>

These are the only Edwards on the BS

[Spike H]

David,
I'm not sure that John Edwards is related. His wife is Ann Pearson (from memory).
The possibly relevant (or not) passengers are Mrs William Glasson, nee Jane EDWARDS and Mrs Edwin/Edward Johns, nee Elizabeth EDWARDS.
http://www.familyhistorysa.info/shipping/passengerlists.html (surname Edwards)