July 14, 2007
Dear Goninan/on/en Descendents:
This is the third Goninan Gathering Newsletter. If you did not receive the first or second, they are available on the internet at: http://www.goninangathering.com –Newsletter Archive. The last Newsletter was sent on March 27, 2007, and if you were lucky you probably received FOUR copies! Sorry about that- too many cooks in the kitchen! We hope this Newsletter will come as a single copy!
I am sure it will, as John Saunders has offered to let me send it to him, and then he will send it to you. He has also begun “The Goninan Times”. It is a gathering of historical information on the Goninan/on/en Family and promises to be a wonderful collection. If you have not received the first edition, and are interested, the e-mail address is: cornishroots@tesco.net
He will have many updated e-mail addresses from Goninans for that newsletter, so he will coordinate the sending of the Goninan Gathering Newsletter also. What a wonderful gift he is giving all of us about our ancestors and those historical times in
This Newsletter is somewhat later than I had planned. Some family medical issues and a wonderful trip to Cornwall and Wales have been distractions. We will make this letter shorter than usual, as I will follow up with more details about the Marriott West Hotel in
At the
Our Planning Committee is working, and will get together at the Cornish Festival in Mineral Point at the end of September. We thought we might get some rather unique ideas on entertainment with a “Cornish approach.” Maybe we will run into a real Cornish Choir from that area! We are hoping so.
So, the next two Goninan Gathering Newsletters are set. The next will have hotel information, and the following (probably in October) will have the schedule for the Gathering. I hope you all have June 26, 27, 28, 2009 highlighted on your calendar. You will love
The best way to communicate with me is: goninangathering@aol.com .
Sincerely,
Janet Sipes, Coordinator
below are some additional items which may be of interest:-
the 1841 census – a response to the item in last newsletter
email addresses – an appeal for help
the family tree – part (more to follow in future newsletters)
1. A response to the 1841 Census (included in the last newsletter)
My ancestors in the 1841 census – from Edward Goninan (born 1811 ref no.2)
to Daisy Richards (born 2003)
Hello, my name is Daisy Richards and I am four years old. I live in Carharrack in Cornwall and my dad is a falconer. My mum is Emma Saunders and she looks after me and my sister, Ruby. I am very lucky because I have two grandads and two grandmas. My grandad Saunders is nuts about Cornwall and says it is the best place in the world to live. I am not sure yet because I haven’t been anywhere else much. I have heard that Tasmania is very nice. My grandad Saunders says I am descended from Edward and Catherine Goninan who in 1841 (which seems a long time ago to me) were living in Connor Downs in Cornwall. Edward was a miner. My mum says there were lots of mines in Cornwall then but there aren’t any now. I am glad that I won’t have to work at a mine like my great, great grandma did.
Edward and Catherine had lots of children and one of these was William Henry Goninan and he married his cousin Grace Goninan and one of their children was my great, great grandma – Marah Hannah Goninan. She was born in 1868.
There are not many Goninans left in Cornwall because so many went to Australia and America. I am hoping that my mum will take me and Ruby to the family gathering in Wisconsin as I would like to meet you all. It’s great to be part of such a special family.You can find a photo of me at :-
http://www.lanner.fsnet.co.uk/daisy1.htm
(the above is what Daisy might have said could she read and write -don’t forget, we would like you share with us how you get from 1841 to the current day)
2. Email addresses
We have been checking email addresses to make sure they are up-to-date and to try and make sure the newsletter has as wide an audience as possible. As part of this exercise the following email were returned as rejected. I f you have an up-to-date email address for any of the following family members please let us know:-
Debbie Robinson was qbutterbee@optusnet.com.au
Brett Dovaston was dovaston@alphalink.com.au
Tina Edmunds was westwardscaffolding@bigpond.com
Craig Goninan was alexandrobin@optusnet.com.au
Glenn Goninan was lggon@telstra.com.au
Rodger Goninan was rodmar@hawknet.com.au
Johneen Harrison was jneen@iprimus.com.au
Nancy Heagney was walga2@bigpond.com
Ben and Laura Johnson was laura579@hotmail.com
Donald Kilsby was duck@datafast.net.au
Carole Larsen was calesq@aol.com
Jim Matranga was 10-er@worldnet.att.net
Zuzana & Julian Mero was zuzana@loadedfootwear.com.au
Pam Morris was roypam@bigpond.net.au
L & C Smithurst was lindsmithurst1@bigpond.com
Deris Thow was mactavish@supernerd.com.au
Charles & Olive Watson was chaoli@quil.net.au
3. The Family Tree
GONINAN FAMILY TREE
(ALSO GONINON AND GONINEN)
Although there are earlier references in the Breage Church records to Goninans it's not until the 1690's that it is possible to begin to make sense of the family tree. At that time there were two main families living in the Parish of Breage –
Edward and Annie who were married on the 18th November 1695 (Annie's maiden name was Stephens) and John and Thomasin who were married on the 1st August 1699 (Thomasin's maiden name was Williams). Both marriages took place at Breage Church. It seems quite possible that Edward and John were brothers. It is almost certain that all family members alive today (wherever around the world) with the surname Goninan (however spelt) are descended from one of these two families
By 1841 (the first full census in the UK) four family groupings had emerged and these are referred to for convenience as the Gwithian, St Just, Helston and Perranuthnoe branches of the family.
Edward and Annie produced three branches (Gwithian, St Just and Helston) while the descendants of John and Thomasin form the Perranuthnoe branch.
Edward and Annie had six children baptised at Breage Church:-
Edward 18th July 1697 (Helston branch); William 9th April 1700; John 19th May 1702; Anne 19th June 1704; Richard 6th Jan 1707 (St Just and Gwithian branches); Elizabeth 8th Feb 1709
John and Thomasin had five children baptised at Breage Church:-
Thomasin 19th Sept 1700; Richard 14th April 1703; John 18th Feb 1706; Henry 13th Sept 1711 (buried 14th Sept) and Henry 25th April 1717
The Four Branches:-
Part 1 the Gwithian Branch
Richard, son of Edward and Annie (baptised 1707) married Ann Rawlings at St Just Parish Church on the 6th July 1733. St Just is only a few miles from Breage and is on the rugged atlantic coast. With the advent of steam power, St Just was then emerging as one of Cornwall's major tin mining areas.
Richard and Ann had eight children. They were all baptised at St Just except their son Richard who was baptised at Helston. The children and baptism dates were as follows:-
Mary 28th April 1734; Elizabeth 12th Oct 1735; Richard 7th Aug 1737; John 10th May 1741; Edward 6th Jan 1749; Ann 27th March 1752; Peter 19th Aug 1756 and William on the same day. The Gwithian branch continues with Edward (baptised 1749).
He married Elizabeth Osborne at St Just Church on the 28th Feb 1772 and they had a son, Edward, but Elizabeth must died shortly after. Edward then married Margaret Rodda, again at St Just, on the 2nd May 1774. Soon after they must have moved to the Parish of Crowan because all of their children were baptised there. Crowan is near Camborne and was an important mining area.
They had at least eight children but their first four died young:-
Margaret, baptised 24th July 1776
John, baptised 27th Aug 1780
Margaret, baptised 28th March 1782
Richard, born 1784
Mary, baptised 3rd Sept 1785
Margaret, baptised 24th June 1787
Ann, born 17th Feb 1789, baptised 3rd May 1789
Richard, born 19th Feb 1790, baptised 21st March 1790
We are fortunate that in the case of Richard his date of birth is recorded in the baptism register, which was unusual. Richard was the only surviving son and he married Mary Ann Tellam on the 17th July 1810 at Camborne Parish Church. They both made their mark(ie could not write). Richard's occupation is given as miner. The witnesses were a Mary Richards and a John Gribbell.
They had the following children
Edward, baptised at Camborne 6th April 1811
Richard, baptised at Camborne 31st October 1812
Matthew, baptised at Camborne 22nd Sept 1814
Ann, baptised at Crowan 16th Feb 1817
William, baptised at Crowan 1st April 1819
Mary, baptised at Gwinear 18th June 1826
John, baptised at Gwinear 18th June 1826 (probably Mary and/or John were several years old when baptised)
Henry, baptised 10th Sept 1827 at Gwinear, it is assumed that this Henry died as a child although his burial has not been found.
Henry, baptised 22nd Sept 1833 at Gwinear
Jennifer, baptised 22nd Sept at Gwinear, ( again Jennifer and/or Henry were probably several years old when baptised.)
The children of Richard Goninan and Mary Ann Tellam
Ann
Ann was baptised at Crowan Parish Church on the 16th Feb 1817. She married Thomas Williams at Gwithian Parish Church on the 17th Nov 1835. They were both of Gwithian Parish and both made their mark. Children found to date are Elizabeth, Henry, Richard, William, Charles, Mary Anna, Grace and John.
Edward
Edward was baptised at Camborne Church on the 6th April 1811. He married Catherine Williams at Camborne Church on the 24th Feb 1834. Both were of Camborne Parish and both made their mark. Edward and Catherine had thirteen children (Edward, Elizabeth, Richard, John, John William, Elizabeth, William Henry, Matthew, Catherine, Catherine Jane, Eliza Ann, Emily and Mary Anna). They raised their family in Connor Downs. Edward was a miner. Sometime after 1861 they moved to Crane in Camborne. Catherine died on the 15th Oct 1875.Edward remarried to Elizabeth Edwards at the Redruth Registry Office on the 13th Nov 1878. Elizabeth was a spinster, age 51 of North Parade, Camborne. Both made their mark. The witnesses were Emma and Eliza Edwards. Edward died on the 23 rd July 1882 and was buried in Camborne Churchyard on the 27th July. There is a headstone and remembered with him are Catherine, his daughter Emily and granddaughter Emily Hosking and also Elizabeth his second wife who died in 1885. Two of Edward and Catherine’s grandchildren migrated to the US (Edward and William John)
Henry
Henry was baptised at Gwinear Parish Church on the 10th Sept. 1827. It is assumed that he died as a baby because another Henry was baptised on the 22nd Sept 1833 although no burial has been traced (however see also below)
Henry
Henry was baptised with his sister, Jennifer, on the 22nd Sept 1833 at Gwinear Parish Church. His age given at the 1841 census (12) suggest that he was born in 1828 or 1829 but, to confuse the issue even further, the family bible gives a birth date of 14th July, 1827 (although this was entered much later). At the time of his marriage Henry was living in Connor Downs and he was a miner. He married Mary Ellis on the 12th October, 1850 at St Ives Parish Church. Mary was a spinster living in St Ives and her father, Thomas Ellis, was a miner. Having tried America first, sometime around 1857 Henry went to Australia. Mary followed with their children in 1863 aboard the sailing ship 'Golden South' which arrived at Melbourne on the 26th Feb 1863. They lived in Victoria and South Australia before settling in Tasmania. They had ten children, Henry, Richard, Mary, William and John Thomas born in Cornwall and Robert Richards, Edgar, Edward Francis, Robert Matthew and Wesley born in Australia. Henry died of T.B. on the 11th Feb 1886 in Beaconsfield, Tasmania.
Jennifer
Jennifer was baptised, along with her brother Henry, on the 22nd Sept 1833 at Gwinear Parish Church but was probably born in 1830 or 31. In 1841 and 1851 she was living in Connor Downs and she married John Chegwin, a miner of Angarrack on the 20th August 1853 at Phillack Parish Church. John was 22 and a bachelor. They both made their mark and the witnesses were Thomas Blewett and Stephen Thomas. They had a daughter Charity. They migrated to Moorhead, Minnesota where they homesteaded for a year or so. They found farming was not, as they had always thought, an easier occupation than mining, so they decided to move eastward to Hancock, Michigan where John found work at the Quincy Mine. Jennifer died there in 1884.
John
John was baptised at Gwinear Parish Church along with his sister Mary on the 18th June 1826. In 1841 he was living at Connor Downs and in 1851 he was in Calstock as a copper miner. He married Elizabeth Thomas at Gwithian Parish Church on the 15th Feb 1853. They were both living in Connor Downs. Elizabeth was 23, a spinster and her father, Thomas Thomas, was a miner. Both made their mark and the witnesses were William Moon and William Mitchell. John and Elizabeth had four children, Elizabeth Mary, John, Amelia Martha and Richard. John may have died in Australia in June 1858 although this doesn't tie in very well with the date of birth of their last child, Richard, which was the 25th Jan 1859 in Camborne.
Mary
Mary was baptised at Gwinear Parish Church on the 18th June 1826 (at the same time as her brother, John). Mary married John Noble on the 6th March 1840 at Gwithian Parish Church. Mary gave her age as 19 so she was probably born in 1820. John was a bachelor, aged 27 and a miner. His father was William Noble also a miner. Both made their mark and the witnesses were Wm Farr and John George. Two children identified to date, John and Jane.
Matthew
Matthew was baptised at Camborne Parish Church on the 22nd Sept 1814. In 1841 he was living in Connor Downs. He married Belinda Gartrell on the 2nd Nov 1845 at Gwithian Church. He gave his occupation as a farmer. Belinda was 30 and a spinster living in Connor Downs. Her father was Benjamin Gartrell, also a farmer. The witnesses were John Holman and John Andrawartha. They had two children in Cornwall (Matthew Henry & John Gartrell) before they migrated in 1849 to the United States, settling after a while near Mineral Point in Wisconsin. They had sailed on the ship 'Bark Marquis of Chandos' and arrived in New York on the 5th May 1849. They had three more children (Matthew Henry, Benjamin and Louise).They built a house at Vinegar Hill in Illinois (deed dated 11th May 1852) and then on the 21st May 1855 bought 80 acres in Benton,LaFayette County, WI. They subsequently moved to Iowa County,WI. The first Matthew Henry died in 1853 and is buried at Old Vinegar Hill cemetery just across the state border. John also died at a young age, possibly on the voyage over. Matthew applied for US citizenship on the 15th Jan 1856. Belinda died in 1868 and Matthew in 1883. Both are buried at the Providence Cemetery, near Hazel Green in Lafayette County, WI.
Richard
Richard was baptised at Camborne Church on the 31st October 1812. Richard married Betsy Cock at Gwithian on the 12th June 1834. They were both of Gwithian Parish and both made their mark. The witnesses were Charles Cock and William Harris. They had five children, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, two sons named Richard and another daughter, Jane. In 1841 the family was living at Connor Downs. Betsy died in 1844 and Richard married Maria Garterel at Phillack Church on the 28th March 1845 (note the marriage cert reads Carterel but it is believed that Maria was a Gartrell and sister to Belinda who married Richard's brother, Matthew). Richard gave his age as 33 and he was a miner living at Connor Downs. Maria was a spinster, age 33, living in Hayle. Both made their mark. Her father's name was Benjamin. They had two children Richard and Louisa. In 1861 Richard , Maria and Louisa are living in Camborne (East Charles St) and Richard's occupation is given as a baker. Richard died on the 1st July 1871 and was buried in Camborne Churchyard on the 4th July. There is a headstone.
William
William was baptised at Crowan Parish Church on the 1st April,1819. He married Grace Hosking on the 18th July,1842 at St Just Parish Church. Grace was a spinster, age 21 living in Churchtown, St Just. Her father was John Hosking, a husbandman. William was also living in Churchtown,St Just and both made their mark. The witnesses were John Hosking and John Frezear. They settled with their family in Gwithian Parish (Prazelore and Connor Downs) and William was a miner all his life. He died in 1884 and was buried at Gwithian Church on the 20th February where there is a headstone. William and Grace had eleven children, one boy (William) and ten girls - Grace, Mary Jane, Ann, Elizabeth, Alice, Catherine Francis, Jennifer, Martha, Frances Hosking and Louisa. Their son William and his family settled in the US
to be continued