52 Ancestors--Old Country—Thomas Davey Family in Cornwall

This is my third year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

The old country for the Davey family was County Cornwall, England. 

Thomas Davey, my husband’s second-great-grandfather, was born in County Cornwall, England on 3 September 1807.[1] He was baptized in Camborne, Cornwall on 7 November 1807 and his parents were James & Elizabeth Davey.[2]

Thomas Davey married Mary Nicholas on 23 May 1832 at St. Agnes, Cornwall after the banns were read for three weeks.[3]

Mary Nicholas was born in County Cornwall on 24 August 1811 and baptized at St. Agnes, Cornwall, on 19 September 1811 to parents, Edward and Susanna Nicholas.[4]

Here is a map of the area of St. Agnes. The Davey family was living in the area of Mount Hawke (at the lower edge of the photo below). Thomas was a blacksmith.

A small area of County Cornwall. "This work is based on data provided through www.VisionofBritain.org.uk and uses historical material which is copyright of the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth".   

Their first four children were born in Cornwall:

Elizabeth, born 5 January 1833 and baptized at St. Agnes. They were living in Mount Hawke and Thomas was a blacksmith.[5] 

Susan Nicholas, born 11 August 1834 and baptized at St. Agnes on 2 November 1834. They were still living at Mount Hawke, with her father working as a blacksmith.[6] 

Thomas Nicholas, born 7 Nov 1835 and baptized 24 July 1835 at Bridge in the Parish of Constantine in County Cornwall.[7] This location was on the east side of the peninsula north of Helford River. When jobs at mines ended, he would probably move to where newer mines were being built. Cornwall was filled with tin and copper mines.
 

 

Edward Nicholas was born in May 1837 and baptized 6 May 1837 in Constantine.[8] Young Edward must have been frail, as the Vicar, Edward Rogers did a private baptism, probably at the home in Bridge. There is no record in the bible or in death records of Edward’s death, however, the next child was also named Edward.[9]

I couldn't find Bridge on the map of the area of Constantine parish, but likely a small village on a creek.

Constantine Parish. "This work is based on data provided through www.VisionofBritain.org.uk and uses historical material which is copyright of the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth".   

After this, the other children were born in various counties in England. As Thomas was a skilled laborer, he could find work in many different places.

In 2018, we made a trip to England, where we visited County Cornwall, among other places in Great Britain. Because we traveled by train (and not by automobile), we did not have the luxury of finding all of the little villages where my husband’s Davey family lived. I did some research in Redruth while my husband toured a tin mine, and then we rode the bus out to St. Agnes.

It is still a small village. We walked around the church and looked at the cemetery, looking for Davey and Nicholas tombstones, but found none. The church was the third built, and was built after the Daveys had left for Constantine.

St. Agnes church (built after the Davey family left)

St. Agnes Church graveyard

St. Agnes village

Still, it was nice to walk in a village where our ancestors had walked.

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[1] Thomas Davey Family Bible, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Moore, Wilstch, Keyes & Company, 1859); original owned by [address for private use], transcription done by Mary Davey Korn, granddaughter of Thomas Davey.

[2] "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 16 May 2012), citing Cornwall Church of England, Parish Registers, Cornwall Record Office, Truro, Cornwall, England., Cornwall, Camborne Baptisms, Marriages, Burials 1776-1837, Baptism, 1807, Thomas Davey.

[3] For the Banns, see ibid, Cornwall, St. Agnes Parish, Marriage Banns, p 202, Thomas Davey and Mary Nicholas, 29 Apr 1832. For the marriage, see ibid, St. Agnes Parish, Marriages, 1813-1900, p 274, Thomas Davey and Mary Nicholas, 23 May 1832.

[4] For birth, see Thomas Davey Family Bible, Mary Nicholas Davey entry, 24 Aug 1811. For baptism, see "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-1900,"FamilySearch, Cornwall, St. Agnes, Baptisms, 1788-1812, p 175, Mary Davey, Baptisms 19 Sep 1811.

[5] "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-1900," database, FamilySearch, Cornwall, St. Agnes, 1833, p. 4, no. 30, Elizabeth Davy, Mount Hawke.

[6] Ibid, St. Agnes, 1834, p 46, Susan Nicholas Davey, Mount Hawke.

[7] For birth, see Thomas Davey Bible, 7 Nov 1835. For baptism, see “Parish Registers for Constantine, 1562-1961,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/),County of Cornwall, Constantine, Baptisms, 1813-1844, p. 156, no. 1245, 24 Jul 1835, Thomas Nicholas Davey; citing Cornwall Record Office, Truro, Cornwall.

[8] For baptism, see Thomas Davey Bible. For baptism, “Parish Registers for Constantine, 1562-1961,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/), County of Cornwall, Constantine parish, Baptisms 1813-1844, p. 161, 1937, no. 1283, Edward Nicholas Davey, image 262; citing Cornwall Record Office, Truro, Cornwall.

[9] Thomas Davey Bible. The three young sons named Edward all died in infancy.

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