Jane Cowling/ Bastian/Pashbee/Gill -Devon/Cornwall

[Brentor boy]

Jane Cowling was baptised at Brentor, Devon, on 31 January 1808, daughter of Robert and Alice.
On 22 July 1852, as Jane Pashbee, widow, she married George Gill in Berry Pomeroy, Devon.
On 17 Sep  1835, as Jane Bastian, widow, she married George Gardener Pashbee in Falmouth.

There is record of a marriage between a John Bastion and Ann Jane Couling in Falmouth on 6 December 1828 which is possibly of relevance but without additional supporting details I am reluctant to come to any firm conclusion. Falmouth is a long way ftrom Brentor, although Jane's parents did originate from St Agnes.

George Pashbee was baptised in Falmouth in 1810. He was a seaman. He was known to be at sea in 1830/1  (R N?), and was issued with a merchant seaman ticket in 1847. In 1841 a Jane Pasbey was recorded as living in High Street, Falmouth. Age shown as 25, she was recorded as being born IN county. If this was her, perhaps George was at sea.

I would welcome any thoughts, observations or additional information that might help me firm up the period 1808-1835.

[pinefamily]

There are several questions that come to mind.
What was Jane's father's occupation? Could that have led them to move around? Where are the parents buried? This could lend more weight to the Falmouth marriages.
Have you found a burial for John Bastian? If there is a John Bastian burial in Falmouth before 1835, then it looks like the right marriage in 1828.
And lastly, where is Jane Pashbee in 1851? Is she widowed?

[Brentor boy]

Jane's father was a miner. He migrated from St Agnes to Brentor circa 1800 in pursuit of employment. He is buried in Brentor.

Working from the Cornwall OPC site, the closest match within the time frame is the burial of a John Bastian, a pauper aged 27 in St Keverne on 3 May 1832. John Bastion, the bridegroom, was a common seaman. Is it just possible that illness or injury forced him to "go on the parish"? There a record of a seaman, James Bastian of St Keverne, drowning in Falmouth harbour so it seems it would not have been an unusual occupation for a man from St Keverne.

In 1851 Jane was a widow, working as a servant in the household of Robert Platt, R C priest, in Bridgetown, Totnes, Devon.

[pinefamily]

I would say you are pretty much on the money with what you have. The only things I might query is why Jane went to Falmouth, and is that burial for John Bastian correct?

[Brentor boy]

I have just developed a theory to explain Jane's move to Falmouth, and the key is Rev Robert Platt.

Jane continued his servant, following him to Somerset in 1861 and Gloucestershire in 1871.

In 1841 Rev Platt was in Falmouth, with a servant, Joanna Cowling,17, born out of county. Jane had a sister named Joanna, born 1822, who I have not been able to trace in Devon. Only once in subsequent censuses did her age match her year of birth. Did Joanna travel from Brentor to Falmouth to replace Jane during her marriage to John Bastion?

What I need to do now is see if Robert Platt ever served in a Devon parish (Tavistock?) before moving to Falmouth when he might have engaged Jane as a servant who then travelled with him to Falmouth. All totally speculative but theoretically feasible.

[osprey]

have you traced the son, John Henry, baptised 17 Oct 1830 in St Keverne to John & Jane Bastian, abode noted as Town of Falmouth, father a seaman?
Have you checked the various witnesses to the marriages to see if they are related in any way?
I notice that on the 1852 marriage, Jane's father is recorded as Robert Collins.

The record office has a removal order dated 23 May 1832 for Jane Bastion, widow of John, & her son John aged 2 years & 9 months, Jane & her son to be removed to Manaccan where she was from. There's also another removal order dated 3 July 1832 but with the son showing as one year 6 months with John, Jane & son John being removed from St Keverne to Phillack.

Possible burial for John Bastian in St Keverne 3 May 1832 aged 27, abode Ponsengate, noted as pauper.

You can search the record office catalogue here

http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/DServe/searchpage.htm

You can order copies of documents as well
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/community-and-living/records-archives-and-cornish-studies/enquiry-and-copy-services/

[Brentor boy]

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions, Osprey.

I was aware of the baptism of John Henry but have yet to trace him in 1841. The notice of the removal of the family to Manaccan is new to me but it looks as if it could link the marriage, baptism and burial into a cohesive narrative. More research required.

The naming of the  bride's father in the 1852 marriage as Robert Collins is an error. The certificate shows him as a miner. Jane's father was Robert Cowling, miner. In his will, dated 1849, John Cowling, son of Robert Cowling, miner, of Brentor, names Jane Pashbee, wife of George Pashbee, as his executrix.