bending my mind!

[girrawheen]

I am doing a search for a friend in her 70s who does not have internet connections. Her family has more brick walls than mine! Looking for anything concrete on John Bending. All our info on him comes from the info he suipplied on the birth certificate of one of his children. He says he was;
b. Feniton, Devon, 1830
m. Eliza Gray 22nd Sept 1870 Feniton, Eliza b Feniton 1851. (20 year age gap between John and Eliza)
Additonal in ifo is that their first child was born in Australia oct 1871
We think they came over on the Swiftsure in 1871. Eliza travelled under her maiden name of Gray. I can find no record of their marriage. I have found several John Bending in census but all married to other women or still in England when our John Bending was in Australia. We have not been able to trace John Bending in Australia after 1881 when the last child was born to the couple. Eliza then seemed to be with another partner by about 1887. We can find no death record of John Bending in Australia. He worked as a miner in remote areas so could have died without being identified or just gone missing in wild country. If we could just sort out the England side of his life perhaps that will give us some clue as to who his parents were etc. Does anyone have any info which could help? Girrawheen.

[KathNZ]

Could you please give more details e.g. children's names, birth dates and where in Australia they were born

[Mutley]

As you say, there are several. Genuki has information regarding Feniton, maybe they came from somewhere close by.
http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Feniton/ParishMap.html

[geneius]

Hello

A John BENDING b 1830 Coombpyne Devon ( 12 miles form Feniton) can be found at

1841 HO 107 200 17 & 1851 H0107 1862 65 17 Axminster area

BENDING Richard b 1793 Ottery Devon
BENDING Sarah 1795 Coombpyne
BENDING John 1830
BENDING Robert 1832
BENDING Thomasin 1835
BENDING Thomas 1837 declared as all born Coombpyne

I can not trace a marriage in 1870 of John BENDING = Eliza GRAY

[Nicolina]

Could he have been married previously? the 1861 Census RG09/1451/90/3 has a John BENDING, born about 1831, living at King Street, Stoke Damerel, Devonport wife wife Phoebe and 8 month old son Richard G. John's place of birth is difficult to read but looks as though it could be Coombpyne. This ties in with the 1841 Census HO107/200/4/3 which gives:

Coombpyne, Combpyne, Devon
Richard born about 1796
Sarah born about 1796
John born about 1831
Robert born about 1832
Thomasin born about 1834
Thomas born about 1837

all born Devon.

these are the only Census records that I've found.

[Nicolina]

there is a possible marriage for John BENDING in Newton Abbot District, Dec Qtr. 1859 Vol 5b Page 275. On the same page is Phoebe BOLLEN.

[geneius]

Hello

I have picked up the same 1861 census when john is desc as a Ships Carpenter, followed this through
there is another child Thomasin b 1864 New Brompton Kent

Phoebe next appears as the wife of Alfred HODGES on the 1871 census RG10 906 Gillingham

However there is a death entry John BENDING dec 1864 Medway

[girrawheen]

Hi KathNZ, Children we know of, (there could be more)
Alice Bending b 15/10/1871
Alfred Bending 24/10/1873
William Bending b 1/2/1875
John Bending b 10/1/1879
James b abt 1880 d 1880
Elizabeth b abt 1881 d 1881
All children born in Qld. Alfred born on a cattle station near Charleville. Other kids born Ravenswood, and possibly Chillagoe and Georgetown. Will have to get back to you on that. All children have John Bending listed as father and Eliza Gray listed as mother. We have traced all of above. One other child was born to Eliza Gray, Francis Bending b27/3/1887. Father's name missing from historical info I got through BMD Historical Index search. We think this child might be the child of Jhon Doyle but not sure. My friend would love to know where and when her great grandfather died. Also it would be great to find out more about the English rellies.
Jen.

[girrawheen]

Hello

A John BENDING b 1830 Coombpyne Devon ( 12 miles form Feniton) can be found at

1841 HO 107 200 17 & 1851 H0107 1862 65 17 Axminster area

BENDING Richard b 1793 Ottery Devon
BENDING Sarah 1795 Coombpyne
BENDING John 1830
BENDING Robert 1832
BENDING Thomasin 1835
BENDING Thomas 1837 declared as all born Coombpyne

I can not trace a marriage in 1870 of John BENDING = Eliza GRAY

elsabels

Hello, I found that one too but think I can discount him because of a marriage later. However I am keeping an open mind because I can't find this one in the 71 census. Thanks, Jen

[girrawheen]

Could he have been married previously? the 1861 Census RG09/1451/90/3 has a John BENDING, born about 1831, living at King Street, Stoke Damerel, Devonport wife wife Phoebe and 8 month old son Richard G. John's place of birth is difficult to read but looks as though it could be Coombpyne. This ties in with the 1841 Census HO107/200/4/3 which gives:

Coombpyne, Combpyne, Devon
Richard born about 1796
Sarah born about 1796
John born about 1831
Robert born about 1832
Thomasin born about 1834
Thomas born about 1837

all born Devon.

these are the only Census records that I've found.

It's just possible. I am keeping thjis one in mind because I don't think John Bending and Eliza Gray ever actually got married. He could have left a wife and family to leave with the much younger Eliza. Thanks, Jen

[girrawheen]

Hello

I have picked up the same 1861 census when john is desc as a Ships Carpenter, followed this through
there is another child Thomasin b 1864 New Brompton Kent

Phoebe next appears as the wife of Alfred HODGES on the 1871 census RG10 906 Gillingham

However there is a death entry John BENDING dec 1864 Medway

Elsabels

I found that too and think that might be the John married to Phoebe. However nothing is certain sure with this family!!

[Nicolina]

Medway District is in Kent, a long way from Devon.

[KathNZ]

Have a look on the NLA Australian newspapers web site. Type in "John Bending" and the first article to come up is the report of an old and respected resident of Ballarat who attempted suicide in 1904. It doesn't give his age but if you have access to Victorian BDM indexes you may be able to check this one out.

Sorry cancel that idea, I have just found this John Bending on google & he's not your man.

[KathNZ]

There is a death of a John Bending, parents Elias & Mary Ann in Mayfield, NSW in 1937. No age given.

[girrawheen]

Have a look on the NLA Australian newspapers web site. Type in "John Bending" and the first article to come up is the report of an old and respected resident of Ballarat who attempted suicide in 1904. It doesn't give his age but if you have access to Victorian BDM indexes you may be able to check this one out.

Sorry cancel that idea, I have just found this John Bending on google & he's not your man.

Hi Kath,
I found a few John Bendings in Victoria through the electral rolls. Interesting to see that John Bending was also a miner, same as our John Bending. Our family spent their lives in Qld and I don't know if there is any link to the Victorian Bendings. Jen.

[girrawheen]

There is a death of a John Bending, parents Elias & Mary Ann in Mayfield, NSW in 1937. No age given.

I don't think this is our John as he would have been over 100 years at time of death. Jen.

[geneius]

Medway District is in Kent, a long way from Devon.


Mmmm, but isn't Gillingham in Kent where Phoebe and her 2nd hucband were?

geneius

[Rona]

Hello,

I'm not sure if you have discovered this or not, but Eliza & John Doyle appear on the 1903 electoral roll in OK Copper Mine. Eliza dies in 1931: 1931/C3506 Eliza Doyle F: John Stephen Gray M: Ann Pike

I could not see a marriage for John & Eliza despite the fact that she has taken on his name. They also have another 2 children together, aside from Francis - registered under the name DOYLE.

Regards
Werona

[Jim NQ]

Hello Girrawheen,

Having an interest in John Doyle, the pathfinder of North Queensland fame, who is said to have married Eliza Bending, nee Gray, I have also undertaken research concerning John Bending and Eliza. Like others on this forum all my efforts have come to a dead end, especially with John Bending. Eliza put out the story that John Bending was killed in a bushfire along with her sons. No death can be found for John but I can account for two sons that died at Mareeba of natural causes. Eliza and John Doyle were said to have married at Herberton but I can find no marriage. John Doyle is another mystery in as much as I have never been able to locate his birth in NSW. A person named D. C. at Gordonvale is related to one of the Bending boys.

Cheers,
Jim NQ.

[Jim NQ]

Hi KathNZ, Children we know of, (there could be more)
Alice Bending b 15/10/1871
Alfred Bending 24/10/1873
William Bending b 1/2/1875
John Bending b 10/1/1879
James b abt 1880 d 1880
Elizabeth b abt 1881 d 1881
All children born in Qld. Alfred born on a cattle station near Charleville. Other kids born Ravenswood, and possibly Chillagoe and Georgetown. Will have to get back to you on that. All children have John Bending listed as father and Eliza Gray listed as mother. We have traced all of above. One other child was born to Eliza Gray, Francis Bending b27/3/1887. Father's name missing from historical info I got through BMD Historical Index search. We think this child might be the child of Jhon Doyle but not sure. My friend would love to know where and when her great grandfather died. Also it would be great to find out more about the English rellies.
Jen.

Hello, Jim N.Q. here...Regarding the child Francis Bending born 1887 he was, as you suggested the son of John Doyle. This is stated at the time of his death in 1888.
Cheers.

[Jim NQ]

Hello

A John BENDING b 1830 Coombpyne Devon ( 12 miles form Feniton) can be found at

1841 HO 107 200 17 & 1851 H0107 1862 65 17 Axminster area

BENDING Richard b 1793 Ottery Devon
BENDING Sarah 1795 Coombpyne
BENDING John 1830
BENDING Robert 1832
BENDING Thomasin 1835
BENDING Thomas 1837 declared as all born Coombpyne

I can not trace a marriage in 1870 of John BENDING = Eliza GRAY

The John at Coombpyne is unfortunately not the one. I now have the details of his death certificate. He died and Pheobe, his wife, remarried. He was a shipwright. The John Bending of the search remains a true mystery. When he arrived in Australia he seems to have gone to what was then Bending Station near Charleville, Queensland.
Cheers,
Jim.

[Jim NQ]

Correct, Kath...The above was John August Bending of Swedish stock. The name was changed from Binding.
Cheers,
Jim.

[girrawheen]

Hi Jim NQ, sorry for the long delay in replying to your post. I had given up on the John Bending search. However I have some info on John Doyle if you're still interested. John was born in Churchill, Wollondilly near Goulburn, N.S.W. Parents were Laurence and Bridget nee McCormack. I know the person you refered to as D.C., in fact they are the person for whom I was doing the research. They would like to know where the story about the bushfire came from as they hadn't heard that one! You can send me a private message if you like. Thanks for your interest. Girrawheen.