Dent family of Coventry

[bgor]

I wonder if it is possible to check the baptism records for St Michael's for 1830 - 1840. I have found four of the children of William Dent and his wife listed as Ellen/Eleanor/Elinor. These are Joseph Hetherington (transcribed as Etherington in the reference that I have, but listed as Hetherington in Australian BMD records), John, William and Ann Eliza. William was baptised at Holy Trinity, but I have found no other listings there. There are two more children born before the family migrated to South Australia in 1840. These are Sarah Jane and Nathaniel. Nathaniel may have been baptised under another name as he is the only child with only one name in other records that I have referred to, and I have been unable to find any other references to him besides shipping lists and oral history transcribed to biographical directories.

Thank you

[CaroleW]

Hi

If they definitely left England before 1841 then this baptism does not belong to the same family

HANNAH DENT   Christening:  30 AUG 1841   Saint Michael, Coventry   
Father:  WILLIAM DENT    Mother:  ELEANOR 

[bgor]

Thank you Carole.
That is a little odd, for a number of reasons.
William and Eleanor (spelt Ellenor on the ships passenger list) left England on the "John" on the 12th of September 1839. Joseph Hetherington, Nathaniel, John, William, Sarah Jane and Ann Eliza are recorded with them. Sarah Jane died not long after their arrival. They then had another child named Thomas Agen, born in 1841 in South Australia. There are no birth or baptism records before 1842 in South Australia. Followed by 4 more daughters. Rather strangely, there are no Dent births recorded before 1855.

Not only this, but Eleanor had a sister named Hannah. Eleanor's maiden name was Eleanor Beasley, and she had 2 sisters, Hannah and Susannah (this is second hand information, I haven't checked the records yet) and a brother Joseph, who were also baptised at St Michaels. (Parents Joseph Beasley and Susannah). Her brother Joseph married an Anne Lacy and had a child before migrating to South Australia on the "Orleana" on the 29th of February 1840.

A bit of a puzzle it seems, as each of the other children seem to fit. William and Eleanor were married at St. Lawrence's, Foleshill, Oct 10 1831, and lived at Jordan Well before migrating. I would say there were two couples of that name, except that the other children seem to match, and Eleanor is perhaps not such a common name, and a child named Hannah is rather a coincidence.

I don't really know what to make of it.

[CaroleW]

Hi

I did check the 1841 census for a couple of that name but nothing

There is a Hannah Dent birth in June qtr 1841 in Tamworth and the 1851 has a Hannah Dent aged 9 living in Coventry St Michael with parents William and LUCY

[bgor]

Hi Carole,
Yes, I checked Hannah Dent after I replied to you yesterday and came up with two listings for Coventry, one of them for St Michael's. The St Michael's entry was a baptism for 30 AUG 1841, William and Eleanor, and the other a birth in 1842 in Coventry, parents William and Lucy. There are other children listed for William and Lucy, so I thought it might have been a transcription error and double-up, but probably not, it seems.
Carole, do you have original parish entries, or is there another way I can access them? I am relatively new to researching in England.
Many thanks.

[CaroleW]

Hi

Sorry - I don't have access to any parish registers but the IGI entries are transcribed from the original records

I don't know whether these links are of any use to you.  The first one is the main page of the website and the second is the Coventry section

http://www.hunimex.com/warwick/opc/opc.html#tyaiw

http://www.bmsgh.org/parish/warw/tyaiw/tyaiwintro.html

[bgor]

Thank you Carole,
I will have a look at these, and go over all the entries there and those that I have found elsewhere. I have actually found a number of William and Eleanor/Ellens for the time period, so I will sift through and make sure I have all of the details right.
I also found Susannah Beasley's christening at Saint Michael's, 4 AUG 1806. She died 20 AUG 1812. Eleanor christened 24 Oct 1808 at Saint Michaels. Joseph Beasley, 2 Jan 1815. But no Hannah so far.
Thank you for your help. It is greatly appreciated, especially when one is so far away from these sources.
Best wishes
Bronwyn

[dentfamilyaus]

I am researching my family history in Australia. William Owen Kitchener Dent and his wife Eleanor are relatives of mine. Their son William married Caroline Perkins they had 9 children in total that I can find . They moved to Western Australia and are buried in the Boyup Brook cemetery. One of their children William Owen Dent who later changed his name to Patrick William Dent is my grandfather. I am extremely interested to learn more about the family roots in the UK and also happy to help anyone seeking move details on the movements in Australia.

[bgor]

How nice to hear from you.
The William Owen Dent who was the son of William Owen Kitchener Dent, married Caroline Perkins in South Australia 1861. However he was born in England before 1839 according to several sources. The birth record in Coventry would make his birth 1837.  There is a William Dent recorded in the SA BMD as dying in 1905 at age 73, but I think this one may be too old, and he appears to have no family. I have William Owen Dent's death as 1908, but will have to check where I sourced that from. I don't have a place of Death or Burial. William and Caroline had 9 children born in South Australia. Their second child was named William John Owen Dent, and he was born in Port Elliot in 1865. I have a marriage record for his older sister, in Port Elliot in 1888, but no records for marriages of any of the other children.

I am descended from Thomas Agin Dent, who was the first child born to William and Eleanor in South Australia.

I wonder if you have any record of Nathaniel Dent, who was William Owen Dent's older brother? He arrived in South Australia with the rest of the family but there are no death or marriage records for him.

Bronwyn