Locating John Bassett’s adult children in the English Censuses

Article - 6 John Bassett of Madron (1790- 1868) 

John and Martha had nine children of which 5 survived through to adulthood. As discussed previously John & Martha’s living children were still all in the family home in 1841.  In this post, we trace the children as they begin to move out of their parent’s home and establish their own families

Artist Julian Ashton, “Taking the census” , Engraved in image published in The Australasian sketcher. 1881 Alfred May and Alfred Martin Ebsworth, Melbourne [The great census of the Empire of Great Britain, taken on the night of Sunday, April 3.] http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/257382 Accessed 10 July 20174

The 1851 Census

John’s eldest son William, and his family were living in Halligan, Crowan, Cornwall.[i] William had married Martha Moffatt in 10 July 1841 in Breage soon after the 1841 census. [ii]

William Bassett	Head	M	34	Tin Miner	St Hilary Cornwall
Martha Bassett	Wife	M	35		Breage Cornwall
Nanny Bassett	Dau	U	9		St Erth Cornwall
Mary Bassett	Dau	U	8		Breage Cornwall
Martha Bassett	Dau	U	4		Breage Cornwall
William Bassett	Son	U	6		Breage Cornwall
Elizabeth Bassett	Dau	U	1		Crowan Cornwall

Eighteen months after John’s eldest son married, his eldest daughter also got married to Stephen Davey on 26 December 1842 in Breage.[iii] This liaison must have facilitated the meeting of Ann’s brother John, to Stephen’s sister Catherine as they married six months later on 10 May 1843 also in Breage[iv]

These two couples didn’t live very far apart, in 1851 they were living next door to each other, Ann and her husband Stephen Davey lived household number 96.[v] John lived next door in household number 97.[vi]

Stephen Davey	Head	M	30	Miner	Gwinear Cornwall
Ann Davey	Wife	M	24		Breage Cornwall
Jane Davey	Dau	U	7		Breage Cornwall
Elizabeth Davey	Dau	U	5	Miners Daughter	Crowan Cornwall
John Davey	Son	U	2	Miners Daughter	Crowan Cornwall

Next Door

John Bassett	Head	M	30	Miner	Breage Cornwall
Catharine Bassett	Wife	M	27		Lanlivery Cornwall
Francis Bassett	Son	U	7	Miners Son	Crowan Cornwall
John Bassett	Son	U	4		Crowan Cornwall
Catharine Bassett	Dau	U	2	Miners Daughter	Crowan Cornwall

John and Martha’s two younger children, Martha and James, were still living in the family home with their parents John and Martha in 1851.[vii]

The 1861 census

By 1861 John and Martha were living alone and child free. John’s youngest daughter, Martha had married James Rowe on 4 October 1851 in St Erth, Cornwall.[viii]  Martha and her husband had moved to West Downs, Crowan in Cornwall.[ix]

West Downs, Crowan

James Rowe	head	marr	39	Miner	St Earth [sic]
Martha Rowe	Wife	“	32	Do’s [ditto] Wife	Breage
Julia Rowe	Daur	“	7	“    “	Crowan  “
Martha Rowe	Daur	“	5	“    “	Do [ditto]
Henry B Rowe	Son	“	1	“    “	Do [ditto]

John and Martha were living between their daughter and daughter-in-law’s home in the Hamlet of Fraddam, Gwinear.  Both young families were without their men, the husbands having already left for Australia, leaving wife and children at home in Cornwall.   Fortunately, the homes were only six doors apart.  

Fraddam, Gwinear

The rest of John and Martha’s children were living Fraddam with the exception of their youngest son James who we have not been able to located.

Household number 143[x]

Martha Bassett	head	marr	45	miners Wife Husband in Australia	Cornwall, Breage
Nanny    “	Daughter	umar	19	Dressmaker	Cornwall, Crowan
Mary	Daughter	unmar	18	works the tin mine	Cornwall, Breage
Martha J	Daughter	unmar	14	Learning dress  making	Cornwall, Breage
Elizabeth	Daughter		11		Cornwall, Crowan
John Bassett	son		7		Cornwall, Gwinear

Next Door

Household number 144[xi]

John Bassett	head	mar	70	Tin dresser	Cornwall, Madron
Martha (Carbis)	Wife	mar	65		Cornwall, Paul

And 6 houses down live

Household number 153[xii]

Ann Davies	Head	Marr	35	miners Wife Husband in Australia	Cornwall, Breage
Jane B Davies	Daughter	Unmar	17	Hatter	Cornwall, Breage
Elizabeth Davies	Dau	unmar	15	Learning Dress making	Cornwall, Breage
John Davies	Son		12	Scholar	Cornwall, Breage
Stephen Davies	Son		9	Scholar	Cornwall, Breage

[Note:  the name was spelt wrong on the census however we feel that this is our Ann Bassett for the following reasons:-

1.        the ages of the children match up perfectly

2.        Stephen Davey we know from other records is indeed in Australia

3.        Jane B would stand for Jane Bassett

the rest of the family were nearby and eventually, all travelled together to Australia]

Summary of findings

Family members in the English Census
	1841	1851	1861	1871
John & Martha	Blowing House Stamps, Breage	Godolphin Moor, Breage	Fraddam, Gwinear	No
William	Blowing House Stamps, Breage	Halligan, Crowan	No, wife only listed, recorded as being in Australia. Wife is living in Fraddam, Gwinear	No
John	Blowing House Stamps, Breage	Horse Downs, Crowan	No	No
Ann (Davey)	Blowing House Stamps, Breage	Horse Downs, Crowan	Yes, husband recorded as being in Australia. Fraddam, Gwinear	No
Martha (Rowe)	Blowing House Stamps, Breage	Godolphin Moor, Breage	West Downs, Crowan	No
James	Blowing House Stamps, Breage	Godolphin Moor, Breage	No	No

Mining was the family focus however during the mid-19th century the tin and copper industry in Cornwall went into a steep decline which may have prompted the move to Australia.  It would appear that by 1871 John and Martha’s entire family were no longer in England. The family migration to Australia began, as early as 1861

John’s youngest son James location in the 1851 census is not known.  It is thought he may have gone to Australia as did his brother and brother-in-law, but this has not been confirmed at present.

Next week I take a look at when did John Bassett (bap 1790) may have come out to Australia, which may have been more than once.

Previous Articles in this Series - John Bassett of Madron, (1790-1868)

Article 1 -  Who is John Bassett?

Article 2 - Looking for the Parents of John Bassett.

Article 3 - Living in the wake of family disaster

Article 4 - Locating the family through their children's baptisms

Article 5 - Locating John Bassett in the English Censuses

Sources

[i] "1851 Census England," database, MyHeritage (www.MyHeritage.com  : accessed  7 July 2017) entry for  William Bassett (age 34) & family,  village of Hallegan, Crowan, Cornwall, citing PRO HO107/1913 folio 511,  p.5  Crowan registration district, ED 1g, household 11.

[ii] FamilySearch, Marriage Banns of William Bassett and Martha Moffat, banns read 20, 27  June & 4 July 1841, Breage Church Register, Cornwall, England, Entry #16 p.4. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro. Marriage banns Breage Cornwall, 1841-1888. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SR3-118?cc=1769414&wc=3CB7-YWB%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138330201  : 14 April 2015 (image 5 of 201); FamilySearch, Marriage of William Bassett and  Emma Moffatt married 10 July 1841, Breage Church Register, Cornwall. Entry 188 p.94. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro.  Marriages Breage Cornwall, 1837-1846. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-987?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-C6J%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138352501  : 14 April 2015 (image 97 of 219) & repeated at FamilySearch, Marriage of William Bassett and  Emma Moffatt married 10 July 1841, Breage Church Register, Cornwall. Entry 188 p.94. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro.  Marriages, 1837-1848 Breage Cornwall.   https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR7S-95ZF?cc=1769414&wc=3CB7-T3J%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138357401  : 14 April 2015 (image 94 of 251)

[iii] FamilySearch, Marriage Banns of Stephen Davey & Anne Bassett, read 20, 27 November & 4 December 1842,. Breage Church Register, Cornwall. Entry 85, p.17/18 "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro. Marriage banns Breage Cornwall, 1841-1888. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-413?cc=1769414&wc=3CB7-YWB%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138330201  : 14 April 2015 (image 12 of 201);   FamilySearch, Marriage of Stephen Davey & Anne Bassett, married 26 December 1841,  Breage Church Register, Cornwall. Entry #258, p.129. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-HTZ?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-C6J%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138352501  : 14 April 2015 (image 132 of 219)

[iv] FamilySearch, Marriage Banns of John Bassett and Catherine Davey read 23, 30 April & 7 May 1843.  Breage Church Register, Cornwall. Entry #109 p.22. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro. Marriage banns Breage Cornwall, 1841-1888. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-H44?cc=1769414&wc=3CB7-YWB%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138330201 : 14 April 2015.  (image 14 of 201); Marriage of John Bassett and Catherine Davey, married 12 May 1843, Breage Church Register, Cornwall. Entry #276 p.138. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro. Marriage Breage Cornwall, 1837-1846.  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SRQ-MD1?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-C6J%3A138123201%2C138287901%2C138352501 : 14 April 2015 (image 141 of 219)

[v] "1851 Census England," database, MyHeritage (www.MyHeritage.com : accessed  7 July 2017) entry for  Stephen Davey (aged 30) & family, village of Horse Downs, Crowan, Cornwall. citing PRO HO107/1913, folio 485 & 486, p.25 & 26; Crowan registration district, Helston subdistrict, , ED1e, household 96.

[vi] 1851 Census England," database, MyHeritage (www.MyHeritage.com : accessed  7 July 2017) entry for  John Bassett (age 30) & family, village of Horse Downs, Crowan, Cornwall. citing PRO HO107/1913, folio 486, p.26; Crowan registration district, Helston subdistrict, , ED1e, household 97.

[vii] “1851 England Census,” database, Ancestry.com(www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 July 2017). Entry for John Bassett (aged 61), Godolphin Moor Breage, Cornwall; citing PRO HO107/ 1913, Folio: 245; Page: 14, Helston registration district, St Keverne subdistrict, ED 1b, household 48.

[viii] FamilySearch, Marriage of James Rowe and Martha Bassett married 4 October 1851, St ERth Church Register, Cornwall. Entry #220, p.110. "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images. Cornwall Records Office, Truro. Marriages St Erth, Cornwall 1837-1870,  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DTL7-TH3?cc=1769414&wc=3CBC-2NL%3A138123201%2C141323201%2C141197201  : 14 April 2015 (image 112 of 252); England, Registrar General. Marriage Certificate for James Rowe and Martha Bassett, married 4 Oct 1851 St Erth, Cornwall; citing 4^th Quarter/Vol 9/p 275 Penzance registration district: General Registry Office, Southport.

[ix] "1851 Census England," database, MyHeritage (www.MyHeritage.com: accessed  7 July 2017) entry for  James Rowe (aged 39) & family, village of West Downs, Crowan, Cornwall. citing PRO RG 9/1575, folio 19, p.8; Helston registration district, Crowan subdistrict, ED2, household 34.

[x] “1861 England Census” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com: accessed 9 July 2017) entry of Martha Bassett (aged 45) & family, village of Fraddam, Gwinear, Cornwall. Citing PRO RG 9/1585, Folio: 37, p.35; Redruth registration district, Phillack subdistrict, ED 6, household 143

[xi] “1861 England Census” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com: accessed 9 July 2017) entry of John Bassett (aged 70) & wife, village of Fraddam, Gwinear, Cornwall. Citing PRO RG 9/1585, Folio: 37, p.35; Redruth registration district, Phillack subdistrict, ED 6, household 144

[xii] “1861 England Census” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com: accessed 9 July 2017) entry of Ann Davies (aged 35) & family, village of Fraddam, Gwinear, Cornwall. Citing PRO RG 9/1585, Folio: 37, p.37; Redruth registration district, Phillack subdistrict, ED 6, household 153