EDDY Family of Cornwall

Family recorded in the 1841 Census (note ages rounded to nearest 5 years), reference St Just in Penwith 4-155 (Truthwall): EDDY«tab»William«tab»45«tab»M«tab»Miner EDDY«tab»Charlotte«tab»45«tab»F EDDY«tab»William«tab»20«tab»M«tab»Miner EDDY«tab»John«tab»15«tab»M«tab»Miner EDDY«tab»Nicholas«tab»15«tab»M«tab»Miner EDDY«tab»Charlotte«tab»14«tab»F EDDY«tab»Richard«tab»12«tab»M EDDY«tab»Joseph«tab»9«tab»M EDDY«tab»Ann«tab»7«tab»F EDDY«tab»Eliza«tab»4«tab»F

William was buried 18 Dec 1849, in St Just Wesleyan, recorded as of Truthwall, St Just.

In the 1851 census (transcription courtesy of Geoff McKee) at 65 (Ron Rowe has 66... don't know which is correct) Truthwall, St Just (all born St Just): Eddy«tab»Charlotte«tab»head«tab»wid«tab»«tab»57«tab» Eddy«tab»Richard«tab»son«tab»u«tab»21«tab»«tab»Blacksmith Eddy«tab»Charlotte«tab»dau«tab»u«tab»«tab»24«tab»School mistress«tab» Eddy«tab»Joseph«tab»son«tab»u«tab»19«tab»«tab»Tin Miner«tab» Eddy«tab»Eliza«tab»dau«tab»u«tab»«tab»15«tab»Dress maker

In the 1861 census, St Just in Penwith, 9-20 (both born in St Just in Penwith): EDDY«tab»Charlotte«tab»Head«tab»W«tab»68«tab»(village school mistress) EDDY«tab»Eliza«tab»Daughter«tab»U«tab»24«tab»(dressmaker)

In the 1871 and 1881 censuses, Charlotte is living with her son William Hocking EDDY and family.

As the 1841 census tended to round ages down to the nearest 5 years, William's real age would have been 45-49, suggesting birth year 1792-1796. Also, when William and Charlotte married, they were 'both of this parish', so looking for appropriate baptisms in St Just for William EDDY (although it's still possible he was baptised elsewhere), there are the following, son of: (a) William EDDY & Ann -, 05 Nov 1792, St Just in Penwith (b) base son of Mary EDDY, 11 May 1794, St Just in Penwith (c) William EDDY & Mary -, 25 Sep 1796, St Just in Penwith

Of these (c) can be eliminated as I believe that William married Elizabeth ROWE.

William was recorded as a miner of Truthwall when son Richard Boyns was baptised (1830).

I had hoped that the use of 'Boyns' as a middle name for son Richard would provide a clue as to which William EDDY this is. However, I think it more likely that this name was a connection with the HOCKIN family, not EDDY. I searched for a BOYNS / EDDY marriage but couldn't find any before Richard Boyns had been baptised. However, there was a BOYNS / HOCKIN marriage, and this was in St Just and furthernore, was a Richard BOYNS. He married Margery HOCKIN on 25 Dec 1800. I then hoped to find a link between Margery HOCKING and Charlotte's father, James, but it's not obvious. Maybe they're cousins, but they're not siblings (I stopped looking for a connection after this): Margery is likely to be the daughter of Benjamin and Margery, baptised 25 Feb 1776 in St Just. Benjamin and Margery had another daughter, Mary, but I could find no son James. Maybe the Richard BOYNS after which Richard Boyns EDDY was named was not family.

Perhaps the names James and Joseph could be linked moreso to the EDDY side. However, there are at least 2 HOCKING adults in St Just named Joseph that were there before Joseph EDDY was baptised, and there are more James HOCKINGs. That's not to say that James and Joseph EDDY aren't named after a close EDDY family member (William's brother/uncle, not father though as I can't find any baptisms to suit this).

Perhaps the keen use of Hocking and Boyns as middle names and even the degree of confusion over subsequent generation surnames is because William was the illegitimate child born to (b) above.