James Trethewey (1843 - 1895)

Born 1843 in St Stephen in Brannel, Cornwall, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elena (Tellem) Trethewey — married 16 Nov 1867 in Charlestown, Cornwall, England

Descendants

Died 3 Jun 1895 at about age 52 in Standerton, Transvaal

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Biography

This profile is part of the Trethewey Name Study.

James Trethewey was born in Cornwall, England.

James was born in 1843, the son of James Trethewey and Jane Bullon. His birth was registered in St Austell in 3rd quarter of 1843. ^[1] He was baptised in St Dennis on 24 December 1843. The family's residence was the neighbouring parish of St Stephen. ^[2]

In 1851 James, aged 7, was living at Goonvean Slip, in the parish of St Stephen in Brannel, Cornwall, with his parents Jane (Jenifer), and his younger siblings William (7), Victoria (4), Naomi (2), and Rosina (less than a year). Also in the houshold was his grandmother Susan Bullon, a widow aged 66. (See table below.) ^[3]

By 1861 James, now 17, was working as a stone mason, as were his father and brother William. The family had moved to Gunnislake in the Calstock area. (See table below.) ^[4]

James married Helena Tellem in Charlestown on November 16th 1867 (see Research Note regarding marriage record). The groom was 25, and the bride was 20. They were both resident at Trenowah, a hamlet near Tregehan Mills. James was recorded as a stonemason, as was his father, also called James. The bride's father was Joseph Tellam, a miner. The witnesses were Richard Bassett and James Stephens. ^[5][6]

James and Helena had 6 children:

• Anne, born 1868 in Cornwall
• Mary Lucy, born 1871 in Jersey
• William John, born 1874 in Cornwall
• Richard, born 1878, possibly in Cornwall
• Joseph, born c 1879, in South Africa
• Helena Maud, born 1880 in South Africa

When the 1871 Census was taken, James and his brother William and their families had both moved to Jersey. They were both living at 8 Albert Road, St Helier, and both still working as stonemasons. James and Helena's daughter Annie was also in the household.^[7][8]

James passed away in Standerton, Transvaal, South Africa on 3 June 1895. ^[9][10]

Research Notes

Ascertaining James's parentage

1871 Census

The only census I could find with a James and (H)elena Trethewey with a daughter Anne/ Annie is the 1871 Census of Jersey. Here James Trethewey (age 27), his wife Helen (sic) (age 22), and their daughter Ann (2), are living at 8 Albert Road, St Helier, Jersey, in the Channel Islands. James is a mason. They are living with another Trethewey family, namely William (26) and also a mason, his wife Susan (21) and their daughter Mary (5 weeks or months). All the adults had been born in England. Since Trethewey is not a common Channel Islands name, it seemed very likely that William was a relation to James, possibly a brother. ^[8][11][7]

James's, second daughter Mary's gravestone states that she was born in Jersey. This, along with the presence on the 1871 Census of his first daughter Annie confirms that the James of the 1871 Census is the correct one. The 1871 Census records James's age as 27, which is in contradiction to his death record, and would make James's' birth year c 1843/4. Given that death records are notoriously unreliable when it comes to age, since they rely on the informant rather than the subject, it is not impossible that the death record is incorrect.

Possible Birth Registrations

A search of possible birth registrations for the range of years 1839 - 1846 gave the following results: From the General Record Office for England and Wales, Index of Births (date range 1839 - 1846):

• TRETHEWEY, JAMES Mother's maiden name BULLEN, GRO Reference: 1843 S Quarter in ST AUSTELL Volume 09 Page 23
• TRETHEWEY, JAMES Mother's maiden name MENNEAR, GRO Reference: 1844 J Quarter in ST AUSTELL Volume 09 Page 7
• TRETHEWEY, JAMES Mother's maiden name POLLARD GRO Reference: 1845 M Quarter in TAVISTOCK UNION Volume 09 Page 526
• TRETHEWY, JAMES Mother's maiden name HICHENS GRO Reference: 1842 D Quarter in PENZANCE UNION Volume 09 Page 203
• TRETHEWY, THOMAS JAMES Mother's maiden name THOMPSON GRO Reference: 1843 M Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL DISTRICT Volume 09 Page 459
• TRETHEWY, JAMES Mother's maiden name HICHENS GRO Reference: 1842 D Quarter in PENZANCE UNION Volume 09 Page 203

There were seven possible birth registrations for the William Trethewey who is also living at 8 Albert Road St Helier. These are:

• TRETHENEY, WILLIAM Mother's maiden name TRETHENEY GRO Reference: 1846 M Quarter in SAINT AUSTELL Volume 09 Page 8
• TRETHEWAY, WILLIAM Mother's maiden name FERRIS GRO Reference: 1844 D Quarter in PLYMOUTH Volume 09 Page 413
• TRETHEWAY, WILLIAM Mother's maiden name BULLON GRO Reference: 1845 M Quarter in SAINT AUSTELL Volume 09 Page 26
• TRETHEWEY, WILLIAM HENRY Mother's maiden name RICHARDS GRO Reference: 1843 D Quarter in HELSTON Volume 09 Page 115
• TRETHEWEY, WILLIAM HENRY Mother's maiden name MENNEAR GRO Reference: 1846 M Quarter in SAINT AUSTELL Volume 09 Page 9
• TRETHEWEY, WILLIAM ROBERT Mother's maiden name STRONGMAN GRO Reference: 1844 J Quarter in SAINT COLUMB MAJOR Volume 09 Page 63
• TRETHEWEY, No mother's maiden name TRETHEWEY GRO Reference: 1847 S Quarter in ST AUSTELL Volume 09 Page 8

With a working hypothesis that the William of the 1871 Census was James's brother, research now focused on proving or disproving this, looking initially at the families with mother's maiden name Mennear and Bullen/Bullon.

A James and William Trethewey, both stonemasons of the appropriate age were found on the 1861 Census in Gunnislake in SE Cornwall. The parents' names were James and Jane. The same family was living in St Stephens, St Austell in 1851.

The James Trethewey who was the son of the family in this census was baptised in St Dennis on 24 December 1843, parents James and Jane. The family's residence was the neighbouring parish of St Stephen. ^[2] This would agree with the 1843 birth registration noted above.

A William Trethewey was baptised in St Stephens on 16 August 1845, parents James and Jenefer. ^[12] These both agree with the details on the 1871 and 1861 Census returns.

Discounting the Trethewey/Mennear Possibilities

There appear to be only two possible Trethewey/Mennear marriages on record that might have produced the James and William listed above. These are:

• 1823: Thomas Trethewey married Mary Mannear in St Dennis, Cornwall. ^[13]
• 1836: Samuel Trethewy married Betsey Meneir (sic) in East Stonehouse, Devon. This latter couple are already on Wikitree ( Betsey (Manhire) Trethewey (abt.1815-) and Samuel Trethewey (1792-1875) ) and there is no evidence of sons named James and William and therefore this couple can be discounted.

Thomas Trethewey and Mary Mannear can be found in St Austell on the 1851 Census with sons James and William and their siblings. This Thomas Trethewey was a clay labourer born in St Stephen in Brannel, and his children were all born in St Austell.^[14] They are also in the 1841 Census before sons James and William were born. ^[15] They can also be found on the 1861 Census, where James and William are both working as china clay labourers. ^[16] This James is therefore unlikely to be the James of the 1871 census in Jersey, who is a stonemason, and he is therefore not the James who married Helena Tellem.

Marriage of James Trethewey and Helena Tellem The marriage of James and Helena was tricky to find, because on the parish register Helena's forename has been recorded as 'Melinda'. The surname is clearly Tellam, although transcribers have struggled to read it, and the Free BMD transcript records it as 'Jekem'. ^[17] No other records have been found for a Melinda Tellam or Jekem, despite searching with wildcards and as many other variants as possible (one record has been found for a Melinda Trethewey, but she died in 1861, aged 38, ^[18] and six years before this marriage took place. She appears to be the Melinda Nicholls Hawken who married Thomas Trethewy (bef.1818-) in St Austell in 1844,^[5] and therefore can be discounted). However, for this 1867 marriage, the bride’s father’s details (Joseph, a miner) agree with that of this Helena Tellam, and the groom's father is recorded as James, a stonemason. It is not unknown for a parish priest to record a name incorrectly. Both bride and groom signed by mark, which may mean that they were not sufficiently literate to notice the error in the bride's name. Other evidence to support this being the marriage of Helena Tellam and James Trethewey is the fact that James and Helena's oldest daughter Annie's birth place is given, on an affidavit viewable on her profile, as Tregehan Mills, which is extremely close to Trenowah, the residence given for bride and groom. ^[19] In addition, the William and Susan Trethewey who were living in Jersey with James and Helena on the 1871 Census shows were married on the same day in Charlestown.

Taking all these pieces of evidence into account it seems that James's parents were James Trethewey and Jane Bullon, and that his year of birth was 1843.

Rowe-6599 09:07, 2 March 2021 (UTC)

1861 Census

1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census: Gunnislake, Calstock, Tavistock, Cornwall, England. ^[4]

This shows two brothers of the right age, both masons, both of whom were born in St Stephens - which is most likely St Stephen in Brannel, in the St Austell registration district.

1851 Census

1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census: Gonvean Slip, St Stephens, St Austell, Cornwall, England ^[3]

This appears to be the same family, although there are a couple of discrepancies. James senior's birthplace is St Dennis rather than St Winnow and his wife is Jenifer rather than Jane. The latter can be discounted as the names often appeared to be interchangeable in Victorian and earlier Cornwall. Note the presence of a mother-in-law, Susan Bullon.

Baptism of James Trethewey

A James Trethewey was baptised in St Dennis on 24 December 1843, parents James and Jane. The family's residence was the neighbouring parish of St Stephen. ^[20] This would agree with the 1843 birth registration noted above.

A William Trethewey was baptised in St Stephens on 16 August 1845, parents James and Jenefer. ^[21]

Rowe-6599 11:40, 16 February 2021 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ General Record Office for England and Wales, Index of Births, Record for: TRETHEWEY, JAMES Mother's maiden name BULLEN, GRO Reference: 1843 S Quarter in ST AUSTELL Volume 09 Page 23
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Cornwall Online Parish Clerk Database, Baptisms, Record for James TRETHEWEY, 24 December 1843, Place St Dennis, Residence St Stephens, Transcriber Jessie Evans/John Evans
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG2Z-H9C : 9 November 2019), James Trethewy in household of James Trethewy, St Stephens, Cornwall, England; citing St Stephens, Cornwall, England, p. 12, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7BX-GQH : 29 December 2020), James Tretheway in household of James Tretheway, Tawstock, Devon, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFZS-K7X : 13 March 2020), Melinda Nicholls Hawken in entry for Thomas Tretheway, 1844.
6. ↑ Cornwall Online Parish Clerk Database, Marriages, Record for James TRETHEWEY and Melinda (sic) [can't read] , Date 16 November 1867, Place Charlestown, Transcriber Julia Mosman.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFTG-BVG : 16 November 2020), James Trethewey, 1871.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Free to view Ancestry Image
9. ↑ "South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court, 1869-1958," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLQ7-TRKZ : 3 April 2020), James Trethewey, 1895; citing Probate, Standerton, Transvaal, South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Archives (formerly Natal State Archives), South Africa; FHL microfilm 1,367,098.
10. ↑ "South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court, 1869-1958," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPTN-7N92 : 7 April 2020), James Trethewey, 1895; citing Probate, Transvaal, South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Archives (formerly Natal State Archives), South Africa; FHL microfilm .
11. ↑ Ancestry Record 7621 #3686862 Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871: 1871 Channel Islands Census, Class: RG10; Piece: 5758; Folio: 58; Page: 8; GSU roll: 895829
12. ↑ Cornwall Online Parish Clerk Database
13. ↑ Cornwall Online Parish Clerk Database, Marriages, Record for Thomas TRETHEWEY and Mary MANNEAR, 22 March 1823, St Dennis, Transcriber J Evans/K Halley.
14. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG2G-34S : 9 November 2019), Thomas Trethewy, St Austell, Cornwall, England; citing St Austell, Cornwall, England, p. 18, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
15. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQB9-4DH : 23 May 2019), Thos Trethewey, St Austell, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
16. ↑ Ancestry Record 8767 #17762665
17. ↑ https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=%2B1stqQopOy3xrEtR8zy4bw&scan=1
18. ↑ Cornwall Online Parish Clerk Database, Burials, Day Month 03-Jan Year 1861,Parish Circuit Or Chapel Charlestown, Forename Melinda, Surname TRETHEWEY, Age 38, Residence Mt. Charles, Transcriber Julia Mosman
19. ↑ See Ordnance Survey, 6 inch to the mile, England and Wales, 1841 - 1952, Cornwall LI.NW (includes: St Austell.), Surveyed 1881, Published 1888, https://maps.nls.uk/view/101438942, accessed 27 February 2021
20. ↑ Cornwall Online Parish Clerk Database, Baptisms, Record for James TRETHEWEY, 24 December 1843, St Dennis, Transcriber Jessie Evans/John Evans
21. ↑ Cornwall Online Parish Clerk Database

• TAB MHG 10110 1895

See Also:

• The Trethewy Society, Trethewy One-Name Study: Person ID I3604
• The Trethewy Society, Family Groups: Group 1: The Visitation Group. (Head – James (c1517-c1573).

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