Tracing William Thackwray's roots maybe via "Sheffield Emigration Society around 1820" or wife ?
Hello Sheffield Indexers !
I need assistance in finding information on members of the "Sheffield Emigration Society around 1820" ?
My great-great-great-great grandfather William Thackwray immigrated to South Africa in 1820 as a member of the Sheffield Immigration Society and I am hoping to find more details on his life prior to 1820 .... such as his birth place, residence, parents & siblings names in the society membership documents ?
The only information I have at this point is :-
"William Thackwray, was an 'emigration society' member from Sheffield,
THACKWRAY, William 40. Agricultural implement maker. wife Dorothy nee Pownall 43.
children: John 18.(a Mechanist) Dorothy 15, Ann 13, William 11, Joseph 9, James 4.
The Northampton sailed from Gravesend on 13 December and reached Table Bay on 26 March and Algoa Bay on 30 April 1820."
(ref http://www.1820settlers.com/)
William Thackwray was 40 in 1820 so was born around 1779-1780.
His wife Dorothy Pownall was 43 in 1820 and born around 1777.
I have seen two conflicting marriage ref on https://familysearch.org for 1801 & 1802.
So it appears he was in Sheffield area prior to 1820 BUT to find his birth details or parents is a challenge any ideas other than the Sheffield immigration Society & his wife Dorothy Pownall/Pownell ?
Re: Tracing William Thackwray's roots maybe via "Sheffield Emigration Society around 1820" or wi
Good news, I have an update on our family research update on tracing William Thackwray's roots ... I now have a 1779 hometown in Yorkshire called WETHERBY!
So although William Thackwray's last born, two sons Joseph Ebenezer Thackwray & James Thackwray were born in Sheffield in 1812 & 1815 ... William's home area was 40 miles North of Sheffield around WETHERBY where he and his sister Mary were both baptised ...
- Our 1820 South African Settler - William Thackwray
- is now verified as being baptised in 1779 in Wetherby
- 1779 - Wm, son of John THACKERAY baptised 20 June 1779 All Saints, Wetherby, Yorkshire
- we verified this fact via an 1826 Letter in Kew National Archives where William's sister Mary Greenwood nee Thackwray applied to emigrate to the Cape Colony with her husband Joshua Greenwood & 10 children to join her brother!
- thus we found Mary Thackwray's 1784 Baptism in Wetherby with father John Thackwray!
- 1784 - Mary THACKWRAY daughter of John THACKWRAY laborer baptised 13 June 1784 in St.James, WETHERBY, Yorkshire
- 1804 - Joseph GREENWOOD and Mary THACKWRAY both of this parish were married by banns on Sept. 16th 1804 in BRAMHAM, Yorkshire (West Riding)
- research shows father John could be spelled Thackeray, and so we accept our Thackwray as our current surname BUT realise pre-1779 it was spelled differently clearly?
Now, GEDMATCH DNA matches to other family trees link us to many family trees with Thackeray, Thackray & Thackwray ancestors all going back to Petrus Thackeray b. abt 1520 most likely in Fewston? - d. 1568 Cowthorpe.
The research theory is Petrus Thackeray was born in Fewston and was possibly a Catholic, who left and settled in Cowthorpe, due to the religous conflict in the North of England after 1534 - which was the date The English Church renounced papal authority when Henry VIII failed to secure an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon which started the religous conflict in the Thackeray Hamlet of Fewston ... and thus Petrus Thackeray settled in Cowthorpe for a peaceful and better life?
Can your research group give any thoughts on Petrus Thackeray being born Circa 1520 within or close to the Fewston area?
Re: Tracing William Thackwray's roots maybe via "Sheffield Emigration Society around 1820" or wi
Warren Thackwray
Good news, I have an update on our family research update on tracing William Thackwray's roots ... I now have a 1779 hometown in Yorkshire called WETHERBY!
So although William Thackwray's last born, two sons Joseph Ebenezer Thackwray & James Thackwray were born in Sheffield in 1812 & 1815 ... William's home area was 40 miles North of Sheffield around WETHERBY where he and his sister Mary were both baptised ...
- Our 1820 South African Settler - William Thackwray
- is now verified as being baptised in 1779 in Wetherby
- 1779 - Wm, son of John THACKERAY baptised 20 June 1779 All Saints, Wetherby, Yorkshire
- we verified this fact via an 1826 Letter in Kew National Archives where William's sister Mary Greenwood nee Thackwray applied to emigrate to the Cape Colony with her husband Joshua Greenwood & 10 children to join her brother!
- thus we found Mary Thackwray's 1784 Baptism in Wetherby with father John Thackwray!
- 1784 - Mary THACKWRAY daughter of John THACKWRAY laborer baptised 13 June 1784 in St.James, WETHERBY, Yorkshire
- 1804 - Joseph GREENWOOD and Mary THACKWRAY both of this parish were married by banns on Sept. 16th 1804 in BRAMHAM, Yorkshire (West Riding)
- research shows father John could be spelled Thackeray, and so we accept our Thackwray as our current surname BUT realise pre-1779 it was spelled differently clearly?
Now, GEDMATCH DNA matches to other family trees link us to many family trees with Thackeray, Thackray & Thackwray ancestors all going back to Petrus Thackeray b. abt 1520 most likely in Fewston? - d. 1568 Cowthorpe.
The research theory is Petrus Thackeray was born in Fewston and was possibly a Catholic, who left and settled in Cowthorpe, due to the religous conflict in the North of England after 1534 - which was the date The English Church renounced papal authority when Henry VIII failed to secure an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon which started the religous conflict in the Thackeray Hamlet of Fewston ... and thus Petrus Thackeray settled in Cowthorpe for a peaceful and better life?
Can your research group give any thoughts on Petrus Thackeray being born Circa 1520 within or close to the Fewston area?
As you will see the Parish Registers do not start until 1594.
You seem to have covered ground that we would have suggested so I don't know what else we can help with. We usually just cover the Sheffield area but certainly willing to make suggestions to you re Fewston. Many Catholics in that time period worshiped I believe at the home of which over landed gentry covered the area and had remained Catholics.
If I can think of anything else I will certainly come back to the Forum.
Elaine in Ottawa.
PS my husband and I know the Wetherby area very well, but in recent times.
Also found on the same site.......
The Register Books commence in 1504. Deficient as to marriages for 1635 and 1636.
BUT where they are I dont know. Maybe Northallerton.