Look up request Henry Skewis Skewes Skews Gwennap

[teilujnitram]

I'd appreciate some help with Henry Skewis, or Skewes.  I think he's my ancestor and in the census he says he was born in Gwennap.  I've looked on the OPC and found a baptism around the right time, July 1803, to parents James and Susanna. There was a baptism in Kea of a Henry as well, in 1802 to different parents.  How likely is it that I can assume that Henry Skewis of Gwennap is my ancestor?  I know Kea and Gwennap are pretty close, but if in the census he always says he was born in Gwennap is that good enough?  And is it possible to find out anywhere what the parents did for a living before the censuses started?  Many thanks for your help on this.

[rosie99]

Does your Henry have children James & Susan/na   

Do they have children with the same names as the other Henry's parents

[osprey]

does your Henry marry or remarry after civil registration so that father's name would show on marriage certificate?

It's possible one of the candidates died age 24, buried 22 Oct 1826 In Kenwyn, address Fairmantle Street.

1851 census shows children William, Henry, James, Susan & Catherine so not much help there!

[rosie99]

1851 census shows children William, Henry, James, Susan & Catherine so not much help there!

One set of parents on the baptisms mentioned were James and Susanna

[IMBER]

You may benefit from obtaining a copy of Cornish Heritage by Keith Skues (1983). This book explores the surname Skewes and all its variants and lists thousands with that surname recorded in historical records etc. It's almost certain that many of those you are researching will be listed somewhere in the book.

Imber

[Ayashi]

Sometimes families moved around so you can't guarantee that someone was christened in the same place they were born- or said they were born. One particular case that comes to mind is one of my ancestors. I found out that there were two men of the same name born approximately the same year in the same place- but only one christening. If the other Peter had been mine, I would easily have claimed the same christening. After some investigation I believe it is correct for my line and the family of the other Peter didn't move into the area until the christening of his youngest sibling. Neither can one assume that the person was born in the same area they lived- I have one ancestor in Newcastle who, as it turned out on one single christening for one of his many children, was born in Scotland.

The further back you go the less easy it is to prove things, sometimes it can be an accumulation of circumstantial evidence.

Some questions you can ask yourself, of any earlier ancestor (I'm sure people can add some)-

- Did he name any of his children after his supposed parents?
- Do the names of his supposed siblings reappear in his own children?
- Do any of the children named in the potential christenings subsequently die?
- Can you trace any siblings on the census? (sometimes family members are with them)
- Are there any witnesses named on marriages, either his own or potential siblings?
- Are there any Wills?
- Do they appear in any newspapers?
- Is there a common occupation? (can be coincidence)
- Death certs- if you are lucky, the informant might be a slightly more distant relative.
- Are they sharing a house with someone on the census? Occasionally cousins/in laws/etc can lodge together.
- Keep an eye on dates- I have one family where several cousins were christened on the same day, which turned out to be the date of the grandfather's funeral (get the most out of the church, eh?)
- Are there records such as school/apprenticeship records?

[teilujnitram]

Does your Henry have children James & Susan/na   

Do they have children with the same names as the other Henry's parents

Hi Rosie99, thank you for your reply.  He does have James and Susan, but he also has the Catherine (which is the name of the other potential mother, and  a Henry (which is the name of the other father too!)

I think Osprey is correct in that I think the other candidate died aged 24, and his parents were the Henry and Catherine (Kenwyn).  It looks as if they went on to have another child - Henry again, but he died aged 6 months and again at Fremantle Street.

I therefore think the Henry in Gwennap in 1803 is the right one.  I guess the two families may have been related (hence using many of the same names).  I'll have to take a look at the parents and grandparents, if I can find them.  They did move around a bit, as he was a miner, and then a farmer and then a carrier and farmer.

I will check through the suggestions made by Ayashi - this is very helpful advice - need to be rigorous! and I will try to get a copy of that book Imber .

Thank you all very much for your help, it's much appreciated.  If you come across anything else please let me know.  I am fascinated by his wife Ann, as I think she possibly had some children out of wedlock before she married Henry - and if it's the correct Ann Aunger, she was incarcerated under the bastardry rules in Bodmin in 1826.  I am a bit unsure about her though.  Think she was born in Cold Northcott (Coldknocket) near St Gluvias. 

[osprey]

1861 census Ann's place of birth is given as St Clether, some distance from Gwennap

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CON/StClether

Simon Hodge Aunger, son of Ann, was baptised in St Clether 3 Jun 1821, residence Cold Northcott.

[teilujnitram]

Hi Osprey, yes you are right    I got confused.   I also wondered whether Ann may have died and he may have remarried as I see there is a gap at some point in the births of the children.  I need to do some more digging but am not hopeful of finding the right Skewes.  i've ordered the book now so that may help I gues.