Chasing Thomas Dunstan across the ocean

[christanel]

I got a bit confused.....

What took you so long? I was confused from the start.

I'll take a fresh look at it later. Meanwhile someone may come and rescue us.

[Tootles]

After a quick Google search I found a brief discussion in the Cornish Mailing list of Rootsweb in Apr 2003 titled Whitford/Runals where their is a couple of responses from a Caddy descendant regarding Thomas Dunstan and Grace Caddy. If the email address is still active it may be worth getting in touch.

[christanel]

I have spent ages on this on and off all day and still no nearer to a satisfactory solution. It isn't just Thomas who can't be found in 1851 it is his parents and siblings also. Some look half promising but are in households as servants or visitor.
I can't see any shipping records either to place Thomas and Grace's arrival in Australia.

[christanel]

Well I think I have satisfied myself re Benjamin and Jane
1881 RG11/2323/8/10
Helston Union Workhouse
Ben Dunstan 63 Workhouse Master born Wendron
Jane wife 58 Matron born Constantine
Grace Dunstan unmarried 22 schoolmistress Sithney No relationship to Ben and Jane given
Samuel Dunstan son 14 Sithney

PS Forget it!!!!! Got birthdate for Benjamin mixed up with birthdate for Thomas!! Bah.

[Tinker]

Hi All
Confusing it certainly is! I can put your minds at rest on some of the issues now, though I barked up several wrong trees myself!
Benjamin and Jane produced children Thomas, two Anns (fate unknown), Benjamin, Nicholas, Elizabeth, Richard, Jane and Mary. The parents and daughters Mary and Jane went off to Australia in May 1847. Jane senior wasn't happy there, so they returned in mid-1851, minus Jane junior who married in a hurry to avoid a return journey. Elizabeth (my ancestor) went off to South Africa(!) in April 1850, and stayed there. Benjamin junior disappeared for a bit then reappeared in 1861 in Seworgan, Constantine, where he remained. Ben senior died in May 1860, Jane senior moved in with daughter Mary, who married William Opie in 1861, and stayed there 'til she died in 1876. (Much of this has recently been confirmed by Jane junior's descendant in Oz.) Phew!!

I am beginning to wonder if Thomas's tree isn't cobbled together with a bit of creativity. I can verify that there is an Ann Caddy, bapt 16 April 1822, Wendron, daughter of Thomas (tallies with marriage record) Caddy and Mary, which fits nicely. There is also a Grace Caddy bapt. 18 April 1824, Wendron, daughter of Thomas Caddy and Mary...sisters perhaps?, although that's no guarantee in a village where Dunstans and Caddys abound. However, the marriages sound a bit iffy to me. Thomas could have married the younger sister, I suppose and emigrated in 1854 with Grace heavily pregnant, but everything is a bit vague for my liking.....

[Tinker]

Tootles, both Jane's descendant and I have tried that email address and it's no longer valid, which is why I thought I'd try the forum!

[Tinker]

Aha! Thought I'd have a look for Grace Caddys in 1841 and 1851
1841: A Grace Caddy b. 1824, living with a Josiah Martin and family in Fiscor, Wendron (parish) hmmm
1851: Grace Caddy (born Constantine) in Higher Lux Street, Liskeard, with mother Mary (widowed) and brothers Thomas and Peter. Interestingly there's also a Grace MOYLE, shown as daughter to head of house, born 1850 and I'd bet my bottom dollar that she's Grace's illegitimate daughter!!
This info would certainly explain how Thomas acquired a daughter called Grace, and tallies with the Liskeard marriage mentioned earlier. A look at that marriage cert would certainly confirm whether Thomas is the son of Benjamin, or a different Thomas altogether.

(Acknowledgements for this census info where they're due-sorry, couldn't remember what I'm supposed to put.)

[Mutley]

I am also thinking Thomas is created from someone or somewhere but not where he should be!

By going into the IGI by the back door of Hugh Wallis's site, I can see all the baptisms for Wedron from 1562 to 1837 but I could not see a Thomas to a Benjamin and Jane or any other wife. I could not see Mary either but I may have missed hers.

Baptisms are
Ann 02 JUL 1820,
Ann 25 DEC 1821,
Nicholas 26 AUG 1827,
Elizabeth 25 APR 1830,
Richard 10 MAR 1833,
Jane 19 JUN 1836.

Wedron Burials from Cornwall OPC are online, maybe the first Ann is there.
Otherwise perhaps some children were baptised elsewhere?

[Tinker]

No, I couldn't find Thomas' baptism either, but as his parents only got married on 12 Feb 1820, and Ann no.1 was baptised in July 1820, he may have been baptised in his mother's maiden name. He's definitely there with them in 1841, though, and he appears as Thomas, son of Benjamin on his marriage to An(n)a Caddy. I also couldn't find a baptism for Ben senior, though I did come across one for a Benjamin John(s) or Dunstone, 10 Dec 1787, Wendron, mother Norah John(s), which was food for thought. There don't seem to be complete runs of baptisms: I have some of Ben junior's childrens' baptisms but not all...work in progress maybe? Also, the (new)IGI has some that Cornwall OPC doesn't, and vice versa.

[Tinker]

Oh, yes, and in support of the idea that Thomas was a pre-nuptial try-out, Jane's father was named Thomas...