So far, I haven’t found any ancestral castles I could visit. I did visit Samoa when I thought Captain William Smith was my great great grandfather but DNA has disproved this.
Back in 1990, I visited Devon where my Davey ancestors lived. Without knowing it, I actually stayed in the village where they lived.
In 2015, I visited Ireland and the area around Garshooey and Carrigans in Donegal where my Jackson ancestors lived before being transported to Tasmania as convicts.
Since my big trip in 1990, I have found more ancestors from Scotland so maybe I would plan a trip there to find out more about Dad’s ancestors in the South Sutherland area. Mum also has ancestors from North Riding of Yorkshire so could check them out too.
John Dav(e)y was born 21 Jan 1834 as the 4th out of 12 children. His parents were John Dav(e)y (1800-1874) and Mary Anne Jennings (1807-1883). He was born at Clyst Honiton, in the county of Devon in England. A year later, his older brother Thomas passed away aged 7. In 1836, another brother was born and given the name Tom. In 1837, he lost another sibling Mary his oldest sister.
Local church and graveyard at Clyst Honiton
Siblings
1828 – Thomas – died in 1835
1830 – Mary – died in 1837
1832 – Selina
1836 – Tom
1838 – Herman – died in 1843
1840 – Mark
1843 – Luke (DNA match to a descendant)
1845 – Herman
1848 – Matthew Adam
1851 – George
1854 – Michael
Looking at the various births of John’s siblings some are born in Clyst Honiton, others in Heavitree and Clyst St George. The following is from Whites Devonshire Directory published in 1850 found on the relevant village pages at GENUKI.
CLIST HONITON, a village and parish on the east side of the river Clist, 4 miles E. by N. of Exeter, contains 467 souls, and 1760 acres of land.
The village of HEAVITREE, one mile E. of Exeter, has many neat houses, and is said to have derived its name from having been formerly the place of execution for the city.
CLIST ST. GEORGE, or Clyst St. George, a scattered village and parish, 1½ miles E by N. of Topsham, and 4 miles S.E. of Exeter, has 370 inhabitants, and 1001 acres of land.
In the 1841 English census, the family, including the children Selina, John, Tom, Hermon and Mark, were living in the village at St Georges Clyst. John senior was a carpenter.
By the 1851 census, John senior was aged 45 and his occupation was a master carpenter. John junior was an agricultural labourer. Living at home with their parents and John were Mark, Luke, Herman and Matthew. They were living in South Wonford in the parish of Heavitree.
John junior set sail on barque Wanderer under a bounty immigrant scheme. The ship master was John Woodcock. They left London 31 October 1854, the Downs on 3 November 1854, finally arriving in Hobart Town 13 February 1855. A total of 182 souls arrived safely from England and Scotland.
According to the shipping records John was 20 years old, religion Church of England and he could read and write. His occupation was farm servant. George Meredith was the name of the person on whose application John was sent out. Three other single men were also employed by George Meredith who would be reimbursed by the government for part of the cost of the bounty ticket.
John was occasionally mentioned in the ‘Meredith papers’ which are housed in the State Library Archives in Hobart. He was recorded last at ‘Cambria‘ in January 1857. His wages at this time were 7 pounds and 10 shillings per quarter.
Marriage and children
John Davey and Annie Dixon were married at the Manse at Evandale, Tasmania on 18 July 1859. John was a bachelor aged 26 while Anne was a spinster aged 18. Witnesses to the marriage were Hannah Dixon and William Costley.
Over the next 29 years until John died, the couple raised seven sons and five daughters to adulthood. They lived in English Town, near Evandale, Tasmania. The photo shows the newspapered walls inside the house as taken in 1987.
1860 – William John – grandmother Mary was the informant from Evandale
1861 – Mary Elizabeth – father John, labourer from Nile was informant
1876 – Samuel Percy aka “Frank” – John Griffin, constable from Deddington was informant
1878 – Harry – father John, farmer from Blessington
1880 – Eliza Amy – Adam Burston, constable Deddington
1885 – William – George Wills, constable Deddington
1885 – Ellen Anne –
Searching through the Tasmanian Names Index, the births of Charles, Frank and Ellen Anne are not found.
Sometime in the 1870’s John’s younger brother George also immigrated but he headed to New Zealand.
On 6 May 1873, John was charged with larceny and spent three months in gaol in Launceston. A report of the crime was written up in the local paper and he was named in the police gazette for 1873.
In February 1874, his father John senior passed away at Heavitree, Devon, England. His mother Mary Anne passed away in 1883 also at Heavitree.
John must have had a tough life in Tasmania as he worked for many farmers around the Evandale area and would have had to ride a horse or walk to get to each farm.
John passed away in 1888 aged 55 years old. He died from jaundice according to his death record. He left his wife Annie to bring up 6 children under the age of 15. What a sad Christmas in 1888!
Ann Dixon was the second child born to free settlers David Dixon and Mayday (Mary) Pickering. Ann’s parents and her older sister Elizabeth had arrived in Launceston on 30 August 1841. They arrived as bounty immigrants on the ship Andromeda from London. David and Mary were working for their master, Henry Stephenson on the property at Curraghmore (Curramore) near Launceston, Tasmania when Ann was born on 31 December 1841. It was Henry who registered her birth on 27 January 1842.
On 1 April 1843, Mary and her two young children were robbed at their home at Spring Plains by three runaway convicts from a road gang at Ross. David would have been out working as a shepherd on the Curraghmore property.
Ann and her new baby sister Rachel, born in October, were baptised together on 10 December 1843 at Evandale. The surname is often written as Dickson in government records.
1852 – Sarah – born and died from influenza in same year in Evandale
In 1852, a D Dixon departed Launceston on the ship William, bound for Melbourne. He had arrived on the Andromeda so this was probably Ann’s father. Maybe he decided to try his luck on the goldfields. He took two horses and a dray with him.
By September 1852, David must have returned as he was signing a letter to James Cox re the evils of transportation and his praising of immigration.
In 1855, David, Elizabeth, Rachel, Hannah and Thomas were mentioned as giving money to the Patriotic Fund. I wonder where Mary and Ann were at this time? But this might have been another Thomas Dixon who gave 5 shillings compared to only 1 shilling from the three girls.
In 1858, Hannah is listed as a subscriber at Snake Banks which was a property near the town now called Powranna. Maybe she was employed as a servant by Captain Wood.
Marriage and children
Davey home at English Town
At age 18, Anne married John Davey on 18 July 1859 at the manse at Evandale. One of the witnesses was her sister Hannah.
1860 – William John – grandmother Mary was the informant from Evandale
1861 – Mary Elizabeth – father John, labourer from Nile was informant
1876 – Samuel Percy aka “Frank” – John Griffin, constable from Deddington was informant
1878 – Harry – father John, farmer from Blessington
1880 – Eliza Amy – Adam Burston, constable Deddington
1885 – William – George Wills, constable Deddington
1885 – Ellen Anne –
Searching through the Tasmanian Names Index, the births of Charles, Frank and Ellen Anne are not found.
But there is a Charles Davey marrying Lilian Ada Colgrave in 1895 aged 24.
Annie’s sister Rachel married Richard Burton in 1862 and John Davey was one of the witnesses.
Raising thirteen children in that small house in the photo must have been very tough on Annie especially after her husband died when the youngest child was only 3 years old. Annie is not mentioned in any newspaper articles that I have searched for.
Nothing more is known about Annie’s father since his mention in the papers in 1855, but her mother re-married at the age of 55 to George Histead in 1869. Annie’s sister Hannah married Jesse Lloyd on the same date as her mother in 1869. Her sister Rachel’s husband Richard Burton was one of the witnesses for both marriages.
Mary Elizabeth married Adam Brown at the home of John Davey in January 1879 according to Presbyterian religion.
Annie’s mother died in December 1883 from inflammation of the lungs. She was living in Longford area at the time and was registered under Istead for the death record.
Selina Anna married Alladean Maru in Ulverstone in 1887 by Church of England license. This family later moved to New Zealand.
Annie’s husband died in December 1888 and she had letters of administration given to her in June 1891. There was nearly 700 pounds.
Emma Louisa married Daniel Sullivan in Latrobe in 1889 under license of the Catholic Church.
George married Martha Jane Colgrave at the home of her parents also in English Town in 1890. Annie was present and it was under license of the Presbyterian church ceremonies.
When Annie died in October 1892, letters of administration were granted to her eldest son William. There was 95 pounds.
Sudden death of Mrs Davey 1892
Annie was very well liked in the district as shown at her funeral.
