Thackwray 1820 South Africa Settler roots back in Sheffield, Yorkshire area ?

[WVThackwray]

Our forefather William Thackwray & wife Dorothy Pownall, had children in Salford & Sheffield, before leaving as British Government Sponsored Settlers to South Africa in 1819 ...

But we cannot locate William Thackwray's born about 1779 actual origins, birth, baptism, siblings or parents ... any ideas on solving this ?

William Thackwray left us this message in an 1865 family bible (attached) about Salford & Sheffield but didn't leave info on his birth place ...

Maybe there is a Thackwray group in the UK that is interested in a Y-DNA testing group project ?

Thanks
Warren Thackwray

[rosie99]

Welcome to rootschat

If the parents were William Thackwray and Dorothy Pownall then they married in Isleworth, Middlesex in January 1802.  The first child was baptised in Church Hulme, Cheshire the same year. 

Quite a distance between them giving no clues to the origins of either of them. 

[WVThackwray]

Thanks Rosie99,

Yes, it appears they married in Isleworth, Middlesex in January 1802, they may have met there if William Thackwray was doing an apprenticeship as a "Wheelwright/Carpenter" or apparently it was the fashion to come out to London area to find a marriage partner in those times ?

From the British Cape Colony records, we know a little more on wife Dorothy Pownall 1771–1850
BIRTH 1771 • Church Hulme, Cheshire, England, as we have a request for her sister Catherine wife of Crofts Mayor family living at Thorp Arch, or Boston near Wetherby, Yorkshire in 1826, wanting the British Government to sponsor their passage to South Africa ... I don't think they came ... BUT it does prove that the Pownalls' origin was Chesire close to Salford & Yorkshire ?

And Yorkshire appears to be the "hotspot origin for Thackwrays', Thackrays', Thackerays' etc" as per https://jon.thackray.org/family-tree/ research ?

So a Y-DNA Thackwray project might help narrow our search to a specific family tree ?

Or maybe Catherine & Crofts Mayor's family descendants might have information, if we can track them down ?

This type of research is challenging detective work, and help from other researchers in the community is needed and welcome

Thanks
Warren Thackwray

[willsy]

Welcome from me too

It seems they were still in England 1831, there are some settlement papers on Anc. 21 Jan 1831 Shoreditch about Caroline, Grace and Hannah, Croft is a baker working for a Mr. Burton in Manchester, Grace her daughter lives at Grays Inn with her sister Hannah.

Just looked at the 5 Jun 1829 Shoreditch record and it confirms their marriage details, Croft not in the parish

There are some more if you search the London poor law and settlement records

Grace marries Edward Baldock 1844 Islington and Francis and Ann Mayor are witnesses

[willsy]

The marriage Lic. as Catherine mentions on the settlement

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F149-GHZ

[garstonite]

Baptism: 3 Jun 1804 Gravel Lane Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Salford, Lancashire, England
 Dorothy Thackeray - Daughter of Wm. Thackeray & Dorothy
     Born: 7 May 1804
     Abode: Salford
     Register: Baptisms 1793 - 1840, Entry 531
     Source: LDS Film 560900
 
......................................................
do you know how old he was when he married - this record is a little strange - BAPTISED in Kirkham ,Lancashire - by Blackpool - but the family LIVE in Saddleworth ,Yorkshire - check out the ABODE on the record - I know the spelling is slightly different ,but not all Curates were spot on with their spelling ...I just thought the Saddleworth  Yorkshire abode too much of a coincidence ?

Baptism: 14 Oct 1783 St Michael, Kirkham, Lancashire, England
 Wm. Thackory - f. Thos. Thackory & Sarah
     Abode: Saddleworth, Yorkshire
     Notes: Duty 3
     Source: LDS Film 1502433
 

[WVThackwray]

Hello Garsonite,

Thanks, I am very interested in your research thoughts !

1] According to the Northampton Ship passenger list, which arrived in Table Bay, Cape Town on 26th March 1820, on route to William's final destination of Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth ...
- as per this resource www.cdbooks-r-us.com/freebies/bsa.pdf (pages 133-136)
- William Thackwray's age is listed as 40yrs
- and wife Dorothy Pownall's age is listed as 43yrs
- so on his marriage in 1802, William would have been about 22yrs
- therefore William's birth year is approx 1779-1780 ?
- thus a baptism date of 1783 is possible for William ?
- however, it appears Dorothy was older than the 43yrs listed in 1820 as her baptism at Church Hulme, Salford was in Dec 1773, making her 47yrs old ... but I imagine she being very image and self-conscious of being 7yrs older than her husband ... is the reason for the 4yr discrepancy ?

2] The mis-spelling of Thackwray-Thackory doesn't worry me as I have seen so many spelling variations already through our research ... BUT why did you feel Saddleworth, Yorkshire was a coincidence ?

3] I am battling to see Source: LDS Film 1502433 as familysearch.org shows Film # 004421040 with 614 images ... SO not certain where or what to look at ... can you help out here ?

4] Also when I try go to the Register: Baptisms 1793 - 1840, Entry 531
     Source: LDS Film 560900 familysearch.org takes me to Film # 004407886 with only 173 images ... so I can't see Dorothy Thackeray's actual baptism image ?

5] I have tried to document my research finding on a closed family research Facebook group :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/130742654291672/ you are welcome to join if you want read my research findings ?

Thanks
Warren