What do you think? Am I researching the wrong person?

[iaindavenport]

Hello whats your opinion on the following:

I know from a mixture of birth, marriage certificates and the 1861 and 71 censuses that my ancestor Thomas Davenport (born 1829) was a marine fireman (stoker onboard a steam ship) between 1858 and 1881. On the 1881 census he is listed as a greengrocer at 7 Mere Lane Liverpool. His place of birth is almost always given as Clifton, Lancashire.

My research has lead me to believe that Thomas was a Fireman onboard the Stromboli a merchant ship sailing between Liverpool and Le Havre in France. As well as the 1861 census showing Thomas at home with his family I have an 1861 census with a Thos Davenport - Fireman, DofB 1829, place of birth Woolton onboard the Stromboli in Hutchinson's dock Liverpool. Name, profession and date of birth are correct but place of birth incorrect. Hutchinson's dock was approximately a 10 minute walk from the family's address in Nursery Street, Liverpool. Also Thomas's wife came from Woolton and all his children where born there. Coincidence???

I know that Thomas stopped working as a marine fireman around 1881 and that the Stromboli sank off the Lizzard in Cornwall in 1878. I recently acquired the Stromboli's crew agreements for 1870 through to 1878. This showed me that a Thomas Davenport worked as a fireman onboard ship every year and for every voyage (average voyage 1 week turn round) up to and including the last fateful voyage in 1878. On the crew agreements Thomas's place of birth alternates from Woolten to Liverpool. It is also worth noting that most of the crews places of birth are vague ranging from a country e.g. Canada to a town such as Woolton.

So the MILLION DOLLER QUESTION: IS THIS MY ANCESTOR OR WISHFUL THINKING ON MY PART?????

Lastly, I have tried searching ancestry for a Thomas Davenport, born +/-1829 in Woolton but have as yet not found any results.

Let me know your opinions, I am not sure what to think anymore.
Thanks Iain

[simone]

Hi Iain

Did Thomas marry twice, first to Jane then to Rebecca?

for the crew

1861 census
RG 9; Piece: 2651; Folio: 194; Page: 24
1 in 4 Court, Dalrymple St
Thomas Devenport 36 born Clifton, Lancs, Marine Engine Feeder ( fireman crossed out)
Jane Devenport 26 b Woolton
Elizabeth A Devenport 10
Mary Ellen Devenport 9
James Devenport 8
Jane Devenport 5
William Devenport 3
Thomas Devenport 1

all children born Woolton


1871 census
RG10; Piece: 3818; Folio: 14; Page: 21
30 Priory St
Thomas Davenport 42 Fireman b Cliton, LANCS
Rebecca Davenport 32b Apsely, Bedfordshire
William Davenport 12 b Woolton
Thomas Davenport 6 b Birkenhead
Joseph R H Davenport 4 b Liverpool


1881
RG11; Piece: 3663; Folio: 36; Page: 6
7 Mere Lane
Thomas Devenport 50 Greengrocer, b Clifton, Lancs
Rebecca Devenport 40 b Bedfordshire Applegise
Thomas Henry Devenport 11
Charles Frederick Devenport 12
Ada Letitia Devenport 9
Lottie Ellen Devenport 6
Ruth Devenport 3
Jasper Richard (Joseph) Devenport 14
all children born Liverpool

1891
RG12; Piece: 2947; Folio: 7; Page: 7
66 Hamilton Road

Rebecca Devenport 48 widow, b Aspley
Ada Devenport 18 b Liverpool
George F Devenport 11 b Liverpool
Zachariah C Spriggs 26 boarder


Simone x

[erika]

Hi Iain

Did Thomas go down with the ship?
I found this about the Stromboli, but wasn't really sure how many people died

http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?82398

[iaindavenport]

Hello Simone,
Thank you for reading my post. Yes Thomas Married twice and to the people you have shown in your post.
I have both marriage certificates.

[iaindavenport]

Hello Erika,
The crew logs tell me that he was onboard when the Stromboli went down but records no loss of life. The ship sank on the 20th of March 1878 while returning from Le Havre. The log tells me that Thomas was discharged on the 23rd of March at Liverpool.

[simone]

Marriages on Ancestry of Thomas Devonport to Jane Cooke in 1851.. his occ is Labourer.

Then in 1869 Thomas Devonport to Rebecca Hutton, he is a widower, occ Faireman.

His name is recorded as Devenport, not Davenport, on the marriages as it is on most of the census records?

Simone x

[erika]

Thanks Iain
If Simone is right with the census, Thomas was dead before 1891

There is a death for a Thomas Davenport age 56 Sep 1882 Liverpool 8b 111

Not sure if that could be him

No deaths for DEVENPORT or DEVONPORT

[simone]

sorry Iain, think we cross posted there.. realise you will have the marriages, just posting for the crew

[iaindavenport]

Hello everyone,
Thomas died in 1882 in the Liverpool Infirmary and in 1881 he is listed as a greengrocer at 7 Mere lane, but Kelly's directory shows that the shop was his son's William Davenport.

[erika]

What was Thomas's father's name? There are a few baptisms on Family Search

[iaindavenport]

Simone,
The spelling varies from document to document. On the crew records it varies between Devenport, Davenport and Devonport.

[iaindavenport]

Thomas's father is given as Thomas Davenport, Labourer and on one marriage certificate as Bricklayer.

[erika]

This could be completely wrong, but given all the other mis spellings of the name!!

Thomas Debbinport bap 15 Jan 1829
Wesleyan Methodist, Over Darwen, Lancs
Born 22 Nov 1828
Father Thomas Debbinport

Haven't a clue where Over Darwen is, but clutching at straws for you Iain :win
Later it's transcribed again as Debbenport!!, mother Ann

[iaindavenport]

Hi Erika,
Thanks for your help. I've been researching my family since 2006 and its been hard work. I gave up trying to find Thomas Davenport or his father past 1861. Thomas appears to be a very common name when combined with my surname. So I'm trying to add some depth to my research hence the Stromboli line of research.

My ancestors where a weird bunch half the children where baptised half weren't. Some where baptised in a catholic church the others church of England. I have 12 confirmed children of Thomas from 2 marriages, 1 bastard and 4 possibles. Most of his children just seem to disappear around 1881 no marriage or death certificates. A combination of no money and no religion seems to make my ancestors difficult to trace.

So any straws are welcome

[Bertieone]

Thomas snr was determined to have a son named after him, 1861, Thomas 1 bn Woolton. 1871, Thomas, 6 bn Birkenhead. 1881, Thomas Henry, 11, bn Liverpool.

Thomas Henry was born Nov 1869 and baptised along with his sister Ada Letitia at St Peter's Liverpool (I'm sure you know)

Was Thomas Henry bn 1869, Liverpool, the Thomas born Birkenhead and a clerical error made?

A Thomas Davenport was registered, Wirral, 1865, 8a 418.



Bert

[MaryA]

Over Darwen is close to Blackburn, Lancashire.

[Blue70]

There's more than one Clifton in Lancashire. There's a Clifton between Kirkham and Preston. Another between Salford and Bolton. Possibly more so difficult to locate his place of origin.


Blue

[Hilary]

Clifton on the Fylde has a church but the village was also within the parish of Kirkham. Baptisms for Clifton are not onwww.lan-opc.org.uk but I imagine there registers will be at Lancashire Record Office.

[iaindavenport]

Hello Education Officer and Blue,
I'm pretty sure its Clifton, near Manchester as there where no Davenports registered in the Clifton near preston and a quite high concentration in the Clifton near Manchester. I tried paying a researcher to look at Parish records but they advised me that without any information from the 1851 or 1841 census records it would be an expensive process unlikely to turn up any results.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions, it is appreciated.

Cheers
Iain

[simone]

Hi

Been looking at Devonports who married at about same time as Thomas.. Only one that looks possible to be a sibling, she lists also father Thomas, labourer. Marries at St Nicholas in 1853, 2 years after Thomas.
11/7/1853
Mary Devonport, full, spinster, Somer St? (can't make out this street name), father Thomas, labourer
William Swift , full, bachelor, Plasterer, Rose Place, father George Swift, Plasterer.
witnesses John Allen and Margaret France.

tried to track her in 1851..
possible at 4 court, Lionel Street
HO107; Piece: 2185; Folio: 146; Page: 70;
Thomas Devonport 46 labouer b Wavertree
Mary Devonport 17 b Liverpool
Elizabeth Devonport 15 b Liverpool

have tried to track this family back to 1841 to see if there was a Thomas with them but struggling to find them in Liverpool or Manchester way.

may just be coincidence but perhaps worth a pair of fresh eyes

Simone x