Stowaway with very little info

[almach]

Hence the description "scraps". Did you note 1891 - Cottle Island. Noted that no one from England resident on the island.

That's interesting, so possibly Thomas didn't first settle on Cottles Island.

[TrapperB]

Did the "stowaway" story come with any anecdotes that sound convincing, or was it just the word that was passed down? Our ancestors and the tales that descended from them can be very tricky. One great aunt told me her grandfather was a highwayman. Turned out he was a horse keeper then a mail cart driver on the London-Portsmouth Road. The road was very important in his life, but he wasn't a highwayman. And as for ages... A distant cousin was told that his great grandfather had been a "babe-in-arms" when his family emigrated from Ireland to New York in 1851. In fact the "babe" in question was really aged 11 but as an adult was knocking ten years off his age for vanity purposes, so he had to keep up the story! Bit like the ladies who coyly swear that they were child brides!
So don't cling too hard to the stowaway story or the alleged age at which it happened. All may not be what it seems.

Thanks Barbara

Yea that is why I signed up and started this thread, to hopefully find some truth. The stowaway story is all anyone has heard of his history. But even the 1921 census claims he was born in 1852 in Devonshire and immigrated from England shortly afterward. So either he stowed away as claims suggest, or came here with parents. Unless the Devonshire birth he claims is an outright lie.

Edit** and if he immigrated with parents, that would have been hard to hide from his 4 children I would think.

[almach]

Did the "stowaway" story come with any anecdotes that sound convincing, or was it just the word that was passed down? Our ancestors and the tales that descended from them can be very tricky. One great aunt told me her grandfather was a highwayman. Turned out he was a horse keeper then a mail cart driver on the London-Portsmouth Road. The road was very important in his life, but he wasn't a highwayman. And as for ages... A distant cousin was told that his great grandfather had been a "babe-in-arms" when his family emigrated from Ireland to New York in 1851. In fact the "babe" in question was really aged 11 but as an adult was knocking ten years off his age for vanity purposes, so he had to keep up the story! Bit like the ladies who coyly swear that they were child brides!
So don't cling too hard to the stowaway story or the alleged age at which it happened. All may not be what it seems.

I agree with you, Barbara.

[TrapperB]

That's interesting, so possibly Thomas didn't first settle on Cottles Island.

The story is that a family in twillingate took him in, gave him jobs/chores. Twillingate is a 30 minute drive from Cottles island. So that could be accurate, he may not have yet moved to cottles island at that point in time.

[TrapperB]

Hence the description "scraps". Did you note 1891 - Cottle Island. Noted that no one from England resident on the island.

Thanks helachau, also names of towns around NFLD and boundaries we’re not always concrete. But he did originally live in Twillingate.

[TrapperB]

That's interesting, so possibly Thomas didn't first settle on Cottles Island.

The 1891 “inhabitants born in England” says 1 in Twillingate
Then again, no males around the age of 35-40, so. Uhhhh frustrating.

[helachau]

On the Census Thomas declares himself "Church of England". Have you considered contacting St. Peter's Anglican Church, Twillingate as to what records they might hold?

https://heritage.nf.ca/articles/socie...can-church.php

[TrapperB]

Possible marriages for parents of Thomas Prior

Apr- Jun 1853 William Prior/Mary Ann Baker, Launceston 5c 78

Apr-Jun 1852 Thomas Prior/Eliza Painter, Tavistock 5b 632a

Oct - Dec 1853, William Prior/Elizabeth Tupp Bishop

Hi Almach, how did you find this marriage info?
I'm using the freeBMD then GRO and familysearch sites you all supplied.

[TrapperB]

Could I get help with some info I found? I think these are different than the other Thomas Priors already mentioned.. Any chance either of these do not show up on later census's?

Thomas Prior, age 9 in the 1861 census.
Birthplace: Little Dean
Father: Henry
Mother: Elizabeth
Event Place: Great Torrington
Residence note: School Lane

Thomas Prior, also age 9 in the 1861 census.
Birthplace: Tiverton
Father: William
Mother: Hannah
Event Place: Tiverton
Residence note: St Andrews Street

[almach]

Hi Almach, how did you find this marriage info?
I'm using the freeBMD then GRO and familysearch sites you all supplied.

Hello Trapper,

The marriages are from FreeBMD.