BRUNNING/BROWNING Flushing 19th century

[Petros]

William Griffiths BROWNING married Betsy PASCOE at Mylor in 1816 with the marriage witnessed by her father Antony. William was described as a mariner and was able to sign his name.
They subsequently had 10 children between 1817 and 1839 born in Flushing and baptised at Mylor. However, William was nowhere to be seen in 1841 and Betsy was a widow in 1851, remaining in Flushing until her death in 1877

William was variously described as a mariner or sailmaker so may well have been in the Royal Navy.  At some point the register entries started showing the family as BRUNNING, a name predominantly found in Suffolk.

William's origins and fate have proved elusive. One Internet site alleges he was born in Ontario but I have found nothing to confirm this

[Radcliff]

Have you checked to see if he was deceased when his older children married,

[Mabel Bagshawe]

I think the navy is a good bet, as I think three of his sons at least joined up

[Petros]

Have you checked to see if he was deceased when his older children married,

Unfortunately they don't state that he was deceased when they married

[ciderdrinker]

Good Morning
Sons William and Charles Allen Browning admitted to Greenwich Hospital School so he must have been Royal Navy and was probably a Greenwich pensioner.
The details for his sons at the National Archives may help

   ADM 73/181/73   
William Browning. When admitted to Greenwich Hospital School
Parents' names: William and Elizabeth Browning nee Pasco
Applicant born 29 April 1828. Parents married 16 January 1816 Mylor.

ADM 73/181/66
Charles Allen Browning. When admitted to Greenwich Hospital School:
Parents' names: William and Elizabeth Browning.
Parents married 16 January 1816, Mylor.

Even if it only gives William's death it would be something.

Ciderdrinker

[Petros]

Ciderdrinker. Many thanks, I hadn't spotted those entries and it is a good point. Unfortunately needing a visit to Kew to check

Since Flushing is so close to Falmouth, then a major naval base, and William had been described as a sailmaker I suspected he had been in the RN.

[Little Nell]

I found an obituary notice in 1912 for Pamela Adelaide Tregilgas, aged 82, widow of Thomas Tregilgas.
 It further states that she was the daughter of William Brunning RN of Falmouth.  Pamela was recorded with Betsy/Elizabeth in 1841.

Cornwall opc has a transcription of the marriage record where it states that William was a sailmaker.

Reasonable confirmation?

Nell

[Little Nell]

I think that their son William served in the navy too.  There are records for a William Brunning born 1824 at Flushing serving aboard HMS Vindictive and HMS Excellent in 1847 and 1848.  His mother Elizabeth was named as the next of kin so this gives a possible date by which William was dead.

William junior's service record is available to download from TNA, as is Charles' record. 

There is a report of an injury to Able Seaman William Brunning in 1852/3 at Devonport.

William senior was not noted as deceased on Pamela's marriage, but that does not necessarily mean that he was still alive.

Unfortunately it doesn't help with William senior's origins.

Nell

[Petros]

I found an obituary notice in 1912 for Pamela Adelaide Tregilgas, aged 82, widow of Thomas Tregilgas.
 It further states that she was the daughter of William Brunning RN of Falmouth.  Pamela was recorded with Betsy/Elizabeth in 1841.

Cornwall opc has a transcription of the marriage record where it states that William was a sailmaker.

Reasonable confirmation?

Nell

Thanks. Although I have a copy of her marriage certificate I hadn't seen the obituary