Which Simon Wills belongs to me?

[nancygrubich]

Hi,

My name is Nancy Grubich and I live in Pennsylvania, US. My grandmother and grandfather emigrated from Cornwall in the early 1900’s. I have been doing research, mostly on ancestry.com and I am totally stuck on my third great grandfather, Simon Wills. He married Charity Eathorne in 1820. I cannot determine if my Simon Wills was born in Cury in 1787, having parents Henry and Alice, or the Simon Wills born in Helston in 1788, having parents John and Jane.

On ancestry.com, different people have either of the two Simons marrying Charity Eathorne.

In the 1841 census Simon’s birth year is about 1786. This might make him more likely to be from Cury but from past experience the census records can easily be off by a few years.

A lot of my relatives were from Constantine, Sithney, St. Keverne, Wendron and Helston so Helston seemed a good bet for where he was from.

Simon and Charity had the following children: John, Priscilla, Elizabeth, Jane, Alice, and Mary Ann Ethern Wills.

Simon from Cury had parents named Henry and Alice. His siblings were named Henry, John, Philipa, and Mary. Charity’s parents were Mary and Joseph. Her siblings were Joseph, Catherine, Mary, John, James, Elizabeth, Susannah, Grace and Sarah. (So if Simon from Cury is my relative, he and Charity named four of their children after her and his family members.)

Simon from Helston had parents named John and Jane. He had one sibling named Jane. Again, Charity’s parents were Mary and Joseph. Her siblings were Joseph, Catherine, Mary, John, James, Elizabeth, Susannah, Grace and Sarah. (So if Simon from Helston is my relative, he and Charity again named four of their children after their relatives.)

Another thing to point out is that if Simon is from Helston, his parents got married in Cury. (in 1778). If Simon is from Cury, his parents were also married in Cury. (in 1772.) This means that the both Helston Simon’s parents were from Cury and the Cury Simon’s parents were from Cury also. So either one of the Simons has ties to Cury from his parents.

Also Helston is closer to Wendron than Cury’s distance to Helston.

Helston to Wendron ... 2.6 miles
Wendron to Cury ... 7.2 miles
Helston to Cury ... 5.2 miles

I would so like to know what people think. Even more, I would love to see any record or documentation that would prove which Simon Wills was my Third Great Grandfather.

Thank you.
Nancy Grubich

[MarkJ]

Hi - and welcome!

Ages on the 1841 are pretty much a guide rather than fact. For starters, there was the "rounding down" which was applied in a hotch potch manner by some of the enumerators, not at all by others and strictly by others.

Helston and Cury are - as you say - all within a small distance. I suspect that with the points about recycling of family names etc which you have raised, it might prove difficult (or even impossible) to specify the correct chap....

Does Simon appear in 1851 I wonder - where there may be more reliable place information? Where was he in 1841 - so we can attempt to track him

Edit: Ah, Charity is a widow in 1851 I see

[MarkJ]

Where does the 1820 marriage date come from? Have you seen the Parish register or was this found elsewhere and where did this take place?

[nancygrubich]

Hi Mark J,

Thanks for the reply. I have one source for the Simon Wills Charity Eathorne marriage from the Cornwall Online Parish Clerk website. The LDS Family Search scan of their marriage is in the Wendron Marriages 1813-1881 Wendron Marriages Record book, page 68. It reads Simon Wills of this parish and Charity Eathorne of this parish were married in this church by Banns with consent on this twentieth day of July in the Year One thousand eight hundred and twenty. The witnesses were Peter Pascoe and John (Himan, I think)

Thanks Mark
Nancy

[nancygrubich]

Yes, Simon was buried on January 16, 1845. Charity then lived in various places with her children, later with her daughter Mary. She was buried January 14, 1886. In 1841, on the census record page, it shows the Parish of Sithney. Simon is a Tin-Miner. His age is 55, his estimated birth year is about 1786, He was born in Cornwall. It lists civil parish as Sithney, Hundres as Kerrier, County as Cornwall, And country as England. The registration district is Helston, sub-registration district as Wendron (piece:139, Book 2, Folio 54, Page number 14.

Thanks again Mark
Nancy

[MarkJ]

Found the marriage Nancy. I find the second witness surname difficult too!

I don't think this is going to be an easy one!

Mark

[nancygrubich]

Thanks Mark... Do you think it is a task difficult enough for me to enter under "Brick Wall" or should I wait a bit?
Take care.

Nancy

[MarkJ]

I wouldn't post another thread on the same chap - it will confuse things and isn't needed. If you decide you would rather have the thread under the Brickwalls section, I can simply move it to there for you

[nancygrubich]

Hi Mark,

Would you please move my original post to brick walls. I would like to try anything to help me. Thanks so much. Nancy

[christanel]

Done. pm sent

Christanel