Hello Cornwall forum readers
I’ve been researching my mother and father’s Cornish families for about 12 years, with quite some success. But not with the Redruth Trewelas. Every time I go near them, I get more confused.
That’s partly to do with the quality of information available in the registers, partly to do with the legendary variation in spelling of the surname, partly to do with multiple families with the same parents’ names in the same region, and partly to do with the strong possibility that these folks moved about a bit.
I am aware that there are a number of Trewela researchers out there, and perhaps they can help point me in the direction of likely Trewela families?
Here’s what I know:
My maternal grandmother often talked about her family being from Redruth. I’ve found that on her father’s side, her ancestors are almost exclusively from St Agnes. Over on her mother’s side, there are Wendron lines. The only line that seems to have any Redruth connection is the TREWELA line - my grandmother’s grandmother.
Due to my grandmother’s repeated assertion that her people were from Redruth - particularly in the face of her largely St Agnes and Wendron ancestry - I have come to believe that the Trewelas must have strong Redruth roots. The Trewelas are an important family in our ancestry, as the name “TREVELLA” has been passed down through the generations to the present day.
I am certain that my 3GGM (my grandmother’s grandmother) was baptised in Redruth on 12 Jan 1812. Her baptismal name was Christiana TREWELA. I know what became of her - she married Thomas TIPPETT from Grade and they raised a family of seven in Relubbus, St Erth. Christiana died in her early 30s of complications arising from a psoas abscess.
On her baptism record, Christiana’s parents were listed as John and Mary. It seems most likely that they are the John TREWELA and Mary THOMAS who marry at Redruth in October 1801 - further reinforcing the Redruth connection. However, John TREVELA and Mary HARRIS also married in Redruth in 1790. It is plausible that Christiana could be their daughter.
A good place to start for me would be to sort out which of the Redruth region children belong to which John and Mary. So far I have identified:
• Richard TREVELA or TREVENA, baptised Redruth 1791
• Mary TREVELA, baptised Redruth 1792
• Mary TREVELA or TREVENA, baptised Redruth 1794
• John TREWHEELA, baptised Gwinear 1798
• Elizabeth TREVELA, baptised Redruth 1798
• Susannah TREVELA, baptised Redruth 1800
• Richard TREVELA, baptised Redruth 1802
• Ann TREVELA, baptised Redruth 1804
• David TREVELA, baptised Illogan 1807
• Jennifer TREWELA, baptised Redruth 1809
• Christian TREWELA, baptised Redruth 1812
I am sure there will be more.
If some kind soul out there has already sifted through these TREWELAS, your learnings would help me greatly and I’d be ever so thankful. :-)
Very best regards,
Grant Limeburner Mitchell
