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Hi Peter

Yes I did more work and the stories are now on my Fox Ancestry tree attached to Charles Cornelius Plunkett

I found the article where he is called a Count:

Advocate 7 Jun 1902 says of Charles Jnr:

"His father was Count Charles Plunket, an officer of the Royal Regiment of Malta, who served with distinction in the British and foreign service. His mother, who afterwards became Mrs. W. Furlong, was an accomplished musician, and from her he inherited his love for music, particularly that of a sacred character."

Then on the 1838 death certificate of Charles Cornelius Plunket his occupation was listed as follows. [see ROOTSCHAT]

"... regarding this death certificate I have finally obtained a copy and tho it's difficult to read I am sure it is the right man. Of course it doesn't help much because there is no info regarding parents or place of birth but it does describe his occupation as Count of the Holy Roman Empire!"

Another BDM notice for John Plunket, saying he was the son of Count James Francis Plunket of New Zealand, as follows:

Daily Herald Adelaide 29 Dec 1914

"Silver Weddings—Plunket—Rouvray.—At South Melbourne, 28th December, 1889, John Bernard Marie, second son of Count James Francis Plunket, of Merivale, Christchurch, New Zealand, to Eliza Frances, eldest daughter of James A. Rouvray, of Burnley, Melbourne."

So yes that is a bit further on the Plunket/t line

David

I am endeavouring to locate the family of Ann HYGHAM b c1750.  [My third Great Grandmother]

Ann married Jonathan HARRIS on 29 May 1790 at  St Leonard's Church of England, Hythe.

Ann HARRIS,  nee Hygham, d 4 Dec. 1801 Hythe.

Bruce EDMONDS

Hi Bruce I recently found a far better fit. If Ann had been born 1746 shed be older than her husband by 23 years at her marriage on 29 May 1790 to Jonathan Harris. 

Instead try this one:

Baptism Ann Hyham 1 May 1770 at Hythe, Kent, England
Parents : James Hygham or Hyham and Anne Fewkes

She died on 4 Dec 1801 at St Leonards, Hythe, Kent, England

Children:

John Hudson Harris 1790–1855
Nicholas Harris 1792–1848
Mary Harris 1793–
Thomas Harris 1794–1855
David Fox

Yes that is so; but it is known that he had an older brother already in the colony, a William Gilbert Harris, who was first to arrive in Australia before 1853. William was born 27 September 1821 and baptised on 5 December 1821 and was living in Redfern in 1856.  He was married 9 April 1852 to Elizabeth Austin (or Lees), a widow, and had two daughters, one was Martha who was born on 1 June 1853 in Sydney.

Jonathan also had another older brother Thomas, born in Hythe Kent in 1824, who, at the age of 31 with his wife Emma (nee Bailey), aged 32, arrived after Jonathan and Maria on the “Cressy” on 12 January 1856.

regards
David 

There is no doubt that Jonathan Harris was initially in Natal before coming to Australia.

In Australia he was a prominent teacher, as was his brother Thomas and daughter Sarah. The research into Verulam was originally conducted by Phyllis, nee Harris, who is now getting on in years. Jonathan settling 'on cotton or coast lands' at Verulam was researched in South Africa by Cynthia Goldstone.

Phyllis told me that family memory recalled that, in Natal, Jonathan was tutor to the governor of Natal's children. I have had no luck in researching the link to the Governor of Natal.

Phyllis inherited some objects passed down in the family from Jonathan's time in Natal that were distinctly native-carved.

Passengers with no connection with the Wesleyan Society were generally settled at Richmond and Byrne on the Illovo.  However, Jonathan and Maria were allocated 90 Acres on ‘cotton or coast lands’ .  They established their home at Durban, and joined up with the few devout Methodists who were there.

In recent years I have since confirmed that two of their children were born in Natal before coming to Australia.

. Thomas, was born at Durban on 19 March 1851, but his baptism is not listed in the Pietermaritzburg or Durban Wesleyan circuit records.

. Sarah Maria was born at Lidgetton, Port Natal on 23 April 1853 and baptised by Rev J Thomas, of the Pietermaritzburg Wesleyan Circuit, on 26 June 1853. Pietermaritzburg became a city that same year.

For more detail on their lives subsequent to arriving in Australia I have attached a detailed story in Ancestry to Jonathan Harris and Maria Blackwell.

David

Of course it doesnt help much because there is no info regarding parents or place of birth but it does describe his occupation as Count of the Holy Roman Empire! How can you find out about that?

The Catholic Encyclopedia states:

"The titles range all the way from prince to baron inclusive, and are bestowed by the pope as temporal sovereign. The title ordinarily conferred is that of count prefixed to the family name, which title is either merely personal or transferable by right of primogeniture in the male line."