Trying to find information on George Constantine @Constine COCKAYNE

[desoto1959]

This man, George Constantine COCKAYNE, also recorded as George Constine COCKAYNE, is my great, great, grandfather.   I have established that he was born in England about 1811.   He appeared before the judiciary at the Nottingham Assizes on 13th March, 1834 on a charge of housebreaking and was sentenced to life imprisonment and subsequently transported to Van Diemans Land later that year.   I have a wealth of information about him after he arrived down under, but his origins are unknown, other than that he was married with a child when sentenced.   It was not his first time in court, and his records describe him as "being an active burglar these past 7 or 8 years", and that he "has connexions of the worst kind".  I do not know where he lived, nor do I have any details of his court appearance.   I cannot find out who his parents were, or what he did for a living (apart from thieving!).   I have been onto the National Archives but trying to navigate their website from Australia is like trying to play chess blindfolded.  Does anyone out there have any information for me please? 

[LizzieW]

You could try searching on www.familysearch.org.   

Lizzie

ps.  By the way, there are only 2 references to George Cockayne on National Archives, neither of which are your ancestor.  They both served in the army, one was discharged in 1815 aged 21 and the other discharged in 1817 aged 40.

[KGarrad]

The court record from 1834 states that George was 21.

So that makes his year of birth c 1813?  Don't suppose it makes much difference really!

[davidrigg3]

Have you tried contacting the three people who have submitted records referring to him on familysearch, they all show addresses in Australia and two show email addresses?

[duc748]

Hi,

I live in Adelaide , South Aust  George Constantine Cockayne it appears is my great great grandfather too (my Nana's grandfather)
other than that i have no futher info only just got this news yesterday myself ...its all very interesting though
good luck with your search

ken

[Captain2]

Hello there and Welcome to Rootschat. Well, he certainly is a bit of mystery! I had a look at the Tasmania Archives and found George's records, he had a tattoo with an Anchor and Cable on one arm, the initials G.C. on the other - as they are his own  initials that wasn't much help!
There was quite a scattering of Cockayne throughout the UK on the 1841 census,  but there was quite a  concentration around the Derbyshire/Lancashire areas  that I noticed around the 1830-1840's through non-conformist registers.  There are a couple of non-confirmst baptism's for 'George' but nothing for George Constantine. 
 I wonder if there is a 'clue' with George being tried at the Nottingham Assizes?  If he was a local boy? 
Do you know the names of children?
sometimes this may help, he may have named them after parents, siblings etc.,
I shall keep looking and see if I can find anything further - what a mystery!
KR ngie

[Captain2]

I had another look at the records this afternoon. George was a labouurer lace maker from Nr Nottingham so that answers the question about being local and being tried at the Nottingham Assizes. He was 22 (as you know) in 1835 and the description reads Anchor & cable inside right arm and 1 Anchor & Cable (what looks like) E.C G C inside the left arm. Have a look at the description of him on the Tasmania Archives and see what you think about it being an 'E'.  Have looked and looked for a possible marriage or birth of a child for him - no luck!  What I did find in the 1841 was a single Eliza Cockayne in Nottingham (aged 30) working in the lace industry.  She may be a complete red-herring or a possible wife? if it is an 'E' it may have been for his wife? Sorry, I have probably given you more questions than answers now!   

Having read his conduct record.. he was a bit of a naughty boy!! 

Sorry I couldn't give you anything more concrete to work with.
Kind Regards

Angie

[desoto1959]

Thanks for your assistance re George Constantine Cockayne.   George's prison record said he was married with one child at the time of his transportation.   Efforts to locate the family have uncovered a marriage on July 24, 1853, in Stepney, Middlesex between a George Constine Cockayne and Emma Armstrong.   The father's name on this certificate was also George Constine Cockayne.   I believe that this may be the son that George snr. left behind.   Unfortunately the marriage certificate does not mention his mothers' name.   However, the following year, on August 20, 1854, I have a burial certificate for a George Constine Cockayne, aged 21, and buried in the Parish of St.Duncan, Stepney.   I don't think married life agreed with him!  The woman George snr ended up with on the Bendigo goldfields was one Elizabeth Fraser, without doubt.   Coincedence has it that while George was in Van Diemans Land, a female convict arrived who had been tried under the name of Elizabeth INNES, transported under the name Elizabeth Innes, but recorded in the prison registers in Van Diemans Land as Elizabeth Fraser@Innes.  It is possible that this woman reverted back to her maiden name or similar, but she definately went under both names.   Her place of origin was Grenock, Scotland.   This is the only woman with the name Fraser that I have been able to find with a remote connection to George Constantine Cockayne.   Apart from the villainy she got up to to get transported, when Elizabeth Fraser was shacked up with George on the goldfields she got into a bit more strife by way of a court appearance at Eaglehawk M.C. on a charge of "trumpery".   Fortunately for her, she beat the charge.             

[jorose]

If he was living "near Nottingham" in 1834 then certainly it wouldn't be surprising to find him/his family in records in Derby.

On the Stepney marriage in 1853, are there witness names? (Maybe his mother was there, under her maiden/new married name). What was his address?

It appears to me that Emma Cockayne nee Armstrong remarried Edward Jessop in 1856 (freebmd) - they are together in the 1861 and by 1871 have quite a few children with them (can't see any trace of a child between George and Emma, though).