Photo 3 - The grave of Catherine Ebbott nee Mathew

Tresmeer church is situated down a little dead-end road that runs into someone’s farm.

It was very peaceful wandering around reading the gravestones, the church as you would expect was sitting on top of the rise looking down over the country side, we could even see the kids playing football in the adjacent back yard

I was very excited when we located an Ebbott grave in the yard; however I had no idea who Catherine Ebbott was.  But I was soon to learn that she was the wife of my third great granduncle!  It was the only grave that I could find that had any connection to my family, in that particular churchyard, there may have been others but after a while it becomes overwhelming trying to remember all the possible connections.

Transcription of the grave of Catherine Ebbott nee Mathew.

 “In Loving Memory of

Catherine Ebbott

of this Parish

who died 24th May 1902

Aged 85 years. Thy will be done”

The person behind the gravestone of Catherine Ebbott nee Mathew

After a little research I was able to find the following - Catherine was born in 1817 as Catherine Mathew and christened in 6 Apr 1817 in Tressmeer.

In the 1841 Census I found her living in Tresmeer Church Town with her parents.

(Ancestry.com, "1841 England Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, Ancestry.com.  (www.ancestry.com.au : accessed 3 Feb 2013), entry for The Mathew family; Parish: Tresmeer; County: Cornwall Class: HO107/14/:; Page: 7)

1. Uriah Mathew,65, Farmer
2.  Catharing Mathew, 50,
3. William Mathew,25
4.  Catharine Mathew, 20
5. Thomas Mathew,15,
6. Sally Mathew, 15,
7. Uriah Mathew,13

Living not very far away from the Ebbott family in Trerimince, Tresmeer, Cornwall, England

(Source:- Ancestry.com, "1841 England Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, Ancestry.com.  (www.ancestry.com.au : accessed 1 Jan 2010), entry for Philip & Mary Ebbott & family, Tressmeer, line 19 - 24, Parish: Tresmeer; County: Cornwall; PRO HO107/134/14/: ; Page: 7.  )

1. Philip Ebbott aged 65, Farmer 
2. Mary Ebbott aged 55 
3. Wilmit Ebbott, aged 85, Ind 
4. Henry Ebbott, aged 20, Tailor 
5. Gregory Ebbott, aged 20 
6. William Ebbott, aged 11 
7. William Congdon, aged 20, Male Servant 
8. William Cory, aged 15, Servant 
9. John Reed, aged 11, Male Servant 
10. Elizabeth French, aged 15, Female Servant 
11. Mary A. Rundle, aged 20, Female Servant 
12. Henry Harris, aged 7, male servant

The Ebbott family has had a long association with the Tresmeer Church of England.  Looking through the parish records it looks as through there were several generations Gregory Abbott who was buried in the churchyard according to the parish records on the 19 May 1778 (source OPC site), unfortunately I didn't find a headstone marking any of the graves that I saw.  Gregory Abbott father in law Paul Upton was also baptised in that very church as well on 3 Nov 1679 (source OPC site). 

It was probably through this church in which Gregory Ebbott from Tremaine, met Catherine Mathew, the two churches were only 1.4 Miles/2.2 Kms travelling distance apart, if not in the church perhaps in Tresmere town centre while picking something up or visiting the tailor, Thomas Ferrett, perhaps some sort of relation of his mother(?).

The couple's marriage was announced in The West Briton And Cornwall AdvertiserF on Friday 4 April 1845 

“At Northpetherwin, on Tuesday last, Mr, Gregory EBBOTT, of Trerummer, in the parish of Tresmeer, yeoman, to Miss MATTHEW, of the same parish.” 

the church in which the event took place has yet to be identified.

The couple migrated to America sometime shortly after, and their first child Caroline was born in 1846 in Wisconsin, United States of America in the first year of their marriage, both mother and child returned possibly sometime in 1849 to England.  Catherine may have been pregnant with her second child, Elizabeth Ann (although I am unable to verify this) when she returned. It would appear that Gregory never returned to England, as he applied for a divorce in 1854.

The divorce however may not have been common knowledge back in England, as Catherine is still listing herself as married at least up until 1871.

• In the 1851 Census Catherine is living with her parents and eldest daughter, Carolene who was 5 years old. Carolene was listed in the census as being born in America. Although Catherine is listed as married her husband is not present. 

Cornwall Online Census Project-1851 (Transcript of Piece HO107/1899 (Tresmeer & Tremaine); Enumeration District 3 & 5; Civil Parish of Tresmeer accessed http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kayhin/51899a.html#ED3 on Friday 22 July 2005).  

• In 1861 Catherine appears to be living by herself in the house next to her parents. 

Cornwall Online Census Project—1861 Transcript of Piece RG9/1518 (Part 2) (Folio 49 Page 8, Enumeration District 4, Civil Parish of Egloskerry, Eccl. Parish of -).

• In 1871 Catherine is still listed as married but is living by herself and listed as an annuitant 

Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871.  Class:  RG10; Piece:  2223; Folio:  62; Page: 12;

• In 1881 - Catherine is living by herself next to the Bluett family still married but still no husband listed and she is listed as retired. 

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1881 England Census[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. 1881 Class:  RG11; Piece:  2275; Folio:  47; Page: 1

• In 1891 Catherine is 73 Living On Her Own Means

Cornwall Online Census Project—1891, Transcript of Piece RG12/1802 (Folio 43 Page 7 Enumeration District 1, Civil Parish of North Petherwin, Eccl. Parish of North Petherwin).  

• In 1901 Visiting John & Elizabeth Fryan and listed as single.

Ancestry.com. 1901 England Census[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.  Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901.  Class:  RG13; Piece:  2182; Folio:  6; Page: 3

I wonder how the extended Ebbott family felt with their kinsman’s wife leaving him behind in a foreign land – I am sure they were happy  about the state of affairs, but they must have known, as Catherine and her daughter moved back to her home town.  

Photo 2 - churchyard cemetery of St. Winwolaus, Tremaine, Cornwall

Having waited so long to see the gravestones it felt very special to be able to walk around the churchyard and take my own photo of them.  I had no idea that the four graves stones would be standing all in a line,  I had been expecting to have to search the entire yard.  Unfortunately the faces on the grave stones are slowly deteriorating over time, but wording on the front is still visible.   

Left to right:-

Gravestone 1 – Mary Jane Ebbott who died at the age of 3 and the great granddaughter of John Ebbott & Wilmot Baker

Gravestone 2 – John Ebbott (the son of Gregory Abbott & Dorothay Upton) & his wife Wilmot Baker (daughter of John Baker & Margery Hambly)

Gravestone 3 – Margery Baker nee Hambly mother of Wilmot Baker and wife to John Baker

Gravestone 4 – John Baker father to Margery Baker and husband to Margery Baker nee Hambly

Transcriptions of the headstones

Gravestone 1 - Mary Jane Ebbott

Sacred

To the Memory of

Mary Jane

Daughter of

Philip & Grace Ebbott

of the Parish of Tresmere

Who died April 26th 1848

Aged 3 years

Gravestone 2 – John Ebbott transcribed in aprevious post

Gravestone 3 – Margery Baker

IN

MEMORY OF

MARGERY BAKER

wife of John Baker of this

Parish who was Buried the

16th day of August 1815

In the 84th Year of her Age

Reader who looking on this lettered stone

My fate deploring though let's of thy own

On this I portent truth do though rely

To thee both death and judgement day be nigh

Gravestone 4 – John Baker

Here lieth the Body of John

Baker of this Parish who was

Buried the 29th day of July

1793 in the 63rd year of his age

Day 1 -The Family History Writing Challenge

To see my first post for the Challenge you will need to click "A firm Religious foundation"
A few observations  -
The more I write the less I feel I know, there are several threads in John Ebbott's life  which wind together to create an increasingly interesting story, I knew he had been heavily into the Wesleyan Church movement but I hadn't until now realised how much this was part of his Cornish heritage and perhaps mould his actions as he grew older.

This got me pondering about the evolution of religion in John's family

John’s great grandparents John Ebbott & Wilmot Baker 
Their children were baptised at different churches in the same area

1.  1776 “Philip Upton the son of John Ebbet and his wife was bapized Feb 7th” (John’s grandfather)

"England, Cornwall Parish Registers,1538-2010," images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12042-90183-96?cc=1769414&wc=MMVH-K3Y:n789505778: accessed 01 Feb 2013), Cornwall > Tresmere> Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, 1574-1793 > image 16 of 41.

2.  1778 “Elizabeth daughter of John Ebbot of Tresmere & Wilmot his wife was baptized Jan 30”

"England, Cornwall Parish Registers,1538-2010," images, <i>FamilySearch</i>(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11082-189155-77?cc=1769414&wc=MMVH-J7C:n1849574411: accessed 01 Feb 2013), Cornwall > Egloskerry> Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, 1573-1785 > image 122 of 127

When Philip Upton Ebbott came to have his own children there doesn't seem to be a strong pull back to the traditional church and his children are baptised as Wesleyan Methodists.

John’s father grew up in a Wesleyan Methodist home in Cornwall at time when Wesleyan Methodism was sweeping Cornwall

The children of John Ebbott & Sally Bone (John's parents)

1. 1840 John EBBOTT Launceston, Wesleyan Methodist  father - John
2. 1843 Phillip Henry EBBOTT Rilla Mill, W.M. Chapel Parents - John & Sarah 
3. 1846 Emma Jane EBBOTT Rilla Mill, W.M. Chapel Parents - John & Sarah 
4. 1850 William EBBOTT  Launceston, Wesleyan Methodist  Parents – John & Sarah

John was not christened in the same church as his father nor his aunt who was his father’s only sibling, or even his mother, even though they were all born in the same area. 

I haven’t been able to find all of siblings of John Ebbott born 1840. 

      5.  Julius born 13 Dec 1841 seems to have been buried 13 days later, so may not have been christened.

The last two children (I haven’t been able to locate their baptism records yet  - added to my to do list.)

      6. Fredrick Francis Ebbott born in Australia in the Castlemaine district, Victoria

      7.   Helen Harriet Ebbott born in Australia in the Castlemaine district, Victoria.

Unfortunately the scanned baptismal records for the Non-Conformist Churches in Cornwall are not freely available to check online so I have used the On-Line-Parish Clerks site to locate their christenings.

Photo 1 - An aerial shot of Westcott farm, Cornwall

I've used this photo before on my blog however I have included it as part of the "February Photo Collage Festival" because of its personal significance to my ancestral research, it is the first tangible and identifiable location of my Ebbott family in Cornwall, England.  It gives me visual, and reminds me of the narrow roads that we had to navigate to get to the property which I visited in 2012.  Although they are not particularly clear in the picture I was also fascinated by the hedges that line each side of the road dividing the farmland from the cars, and shielding the church and houses from passers-by.  

We only know the ancestors came from this particular location from the epitaph on John Ebbott (b.1751) gravestone which reads  

“TO THE MEMORY OF

JOHN EBBOTT

of Westcutt in this Parish

who finished his course May 29, 1825, aged 73 yrs

ALSO, in memory of  WILMET, his wife who departed this life

on the 2nd day of January 1845

AGED 91 YEARS” 

This is my 5^th great-grandfather, it was his grandson(my 3^rd great grandfather), wife and family including my 2^nd great grandfather who came out to Australia in 1852.

Note:-Westcott was known as Westcutt in the 1841 Census.  The family however  were no longer living on the property, but were living in Trerimince, Tresmeer, Cornwall which looks to be quite near Terburtle, Tresmeer, Cornwall and not too far from Tremaine.

February Photo Collage Festival

Photo Collage for John Ebbott

Here is my offering for the February Photo Collage Festival.  I am doing my Family History Writing challenge on John Ebbott so the photos fit nicely in with that theme.  Stay tune as I work my way through the collage and hopefully reveal some of the secrets locked in the images.  Lets hope I can keep up the pace.