born Launceston Cornwall c1788 or c1794

[majm]

Hi there,

I have an elusive chap who ended up in Australia.  However, I am trying to find his birth details.  His surname was BROWN, and his first name was John .... hence the dilemma.  From his Feb 1865 NSW death cert, he was aged 76.  From his obit, he was in his 77th year.  And, from the NSW 1828 census, (taken Sept, Oct, Nov) he was aged 40.  Hence, our family has assumed he was born c1788.  (Assumption first made by forebears in private records dating from 1870's). 

Recent discovery here in NSW shows HE provided information to an official who recorded his age in June 1844 as aged 50 at that time, ie born 1794, HOWEVER, on close inspection, his age in June 1844 could read 56, which again points to 1788.  This document also shows he was born at Launceston.  All other documents only say Cornwall, and do not mention any place in Cornwall.  His NSW Death Cert shows his parents as "unknown" to the informant who was a business associate.

As he came free to NSW, ie not transported as a convict, and arrived during the 1820's (before any immigration schemes were promoted), there's scant records in NSW archives about his origins.

To get back further on this line, I am striving to find his birth/baptism or to at least find his parents names.  In NSW he did NOT use any middle name, but several of his children had two given names, so perhaps a clue !  middle name was usually given as BRADFORD (once to a daughter by his first wife, once to his only son by his second wife, hence the belief that it may be a clue to his forebears)...


Any suggestions as to how I should proceed from here please ?

 I have boxes and boxes of info about his life in NSW, including correspondence covering 1820's until his death, and have lots of info about his descendants, its just his life in Cornwall, until around 1815 and then in Devon until about 1823 that is still "hidden".  In Devon he was associated with the Wesleyans, and a lay preacher with them.  His NSW correspondence suggests he was educated (5 languages, Mathematics, Navigation, architecture, Drawing etc) and that his father was a Yeoman.

Thanks for reading this long post.

Cheers,  JM

[fizzybubble]

No John Brown in Launceston itself only John Browning bap 1794 to John and Elizabeth.

Several John Browns in parishes around Launceston.

Fizzy

[fizzybubble]

OK

Brown/Bradford

1783 Altarnun George Brown married Ann Bradford

they had four children bap in North Hill
1783 - Mary
1788 - John
1791 - William
1801 - Ann

Altarnun and North Hill are not that far from Launceston.

The family may have moved there when the children were young and so John thought he was born in Launceston as that the place he remembers from his childhood.

Aby good ?

Fizzy

[trish1120]

Excellent work Fizzy

Cornwall OPC has all the baptisms;
Ann BROWNE has the most info;
Baptised 05 May 1801, North Hill Parish
Father GEORGE
Mother ANN
Fathers Occp, Yeoman
Residence, Lynher
http://www.cornwall-opc.org/index.htm
All info below on Cornwall OPC unless otherwise stated;

MARRIAGE;
May 1783
Ann BRADFORD was of North Hill
George BROWN of Altarnun
(IGI has the date as 29 May 1783)

BURIALS;
George BROWN, 10 December 1825, North Hill Parish
Age 67 (born c 1758)
Residence, Trethena in Altarnun

Ann BROWN, 18 February 1817, North Hill, Age 16, Residence Lynher (Daughter)

Ann BROWN, 19 October 1824, North Hill, Age 62 (born c 1762)
Residence, Lynher

William BROWN, Age 7, 10 December 1798, North Hill Parish, Parents GEORGE/ANN

Trish

[trish1120]

Hi JM,
Possible for George;
George BROWN, Baptised 14 November 1758, Altarnun
Father JOHN
Mother MARY

Possible Siblings;
MARGARET 1750
JOHN 1751
PHILLIP 1753
WILLIAM 1756
MARY 1762
EDWARD 1764
JANE 1771
All extracted IGI at Familysearch
(I'll let you find exact dates!, too lazy to type up!)

Marriage IGI;
John BROWN
Mary ROE, 02 May 1749, Altarnun, Cornwall

[fizzybubble]

I was actually the transcriber of those North Hill records. 

Fizzy

[osprey]

there's a will for a George Brown from 1825. George Brown, yeoman of Altarnun, 1825 ref AP/B/5618. You can get a copy from the record office in Truro

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=14713

[majm]

Hi Everyone,

I am a very happy lassie .... and like fizzy, I have transcribed records (alas, none for Cornwall,) I am "over the moon" as are several of my living rellies. Our phones have been running hot this morning.  Confirming "Our" John's life before he arrived in Sydney Town has been a brickwall for decades and decades and decades ... long before family history became popular. 

RChat has "done it again", but of course.

I think the "clincher" is Ann Browne's baptism showing the occupation of George as a Yeoman ... 

I will leave the thread open for a little while, if that's OK with Kris.  I intend contacting the RO at Truro re George's will.  If I manage to get that,  I will transcribe it and post it here.

He was a man of contrasts in NSW, and got into some situations, so that on his death there was still controversy http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28612081 (newspaper cutting SMH 3 July 1866 with 'brief' summary of a part of his 'remarkable', 'colourful' life in NSW).  Lots and lots of oral history has been handed down and over the past several decades, almost all has been confirmed with official records.  He was my great great great grandfather  ,

Already with the info you have all so generously found, I have found details online at the pilot site. 

Two words, from bottom of my heart 

THANK YOU

Cheers,  JM (from NSW Australia)

[majm]

Hi All,

A quick update, I will also be ordering the following from CRO, because from our oral history, and from his correspondence, "my" John was a school teacher in Devonport ! before he, his wife (born Sarah Rosevear) and their daughter Ann Bradford Brown sailed to Sydney Town on the ship "Elizabeth" arriving Sydney 7 April 1827, with their newly born daughter born at sea "just off the coast of New South Wales" on 3 April 1827. 

That baby was christened according to Wesleyan rites at the Macquarie Chapel, Sydney Town on 22 April 1827 ....  In Sept 1826, John went from Exeter to London (perhaps to attend the Wesleyan Conference, not sure), attended Whitehall, obtained various regulations re NSW Land Grants and then sailed from Plymouth 25 Nov 1826. 

Many of the passengers on that voyage were associated with the Wesleyans, including FOUR Reverends and their families. 

I and my elderly (second) cousins are direct descendants of the baby girl who was born on that voyage. 

A brickwall has come crashing down ....

Many, many, many thanks. 

Cheers,  JM 


RefNo Title

 
AD1767  Polyphant manor, Lewannick   
RefNo AD1767/3 
Title Surrenders and admissions, Steers and Jolls tenements, Lewannick
 
Date 27 Oct 1826
 
Format Manuscript
 
Extent 1 piece
 
Description 1. Admission and surrender of John Brown, schoolmaster, of Devonport, Devon, son and heir of George Brown, yeoman, of North Hill. Property: South Downs, North Downs, North Parks and Bowden, part of Jolls and Steers tenements. 2. Admission of William Coombe to property in Jolls and Steers tenements, as above Consideration: £430 Lord of the manor: Richard Winsloe, clerk