Genealogy Chat

Hm... Gold mining, definitely more lucrative than tin!! An uncle of my husband went to Queensland and panned enough gold to make his wife a wedding ring!!. Willl send you the info and good luck in your searches. Janet

Jean, Hope you find where he buried the family treasure! Happy hunting! Jane

Hi again to Janet and Jane Thank you both for the added information, not knowing anything at all about the area and of course not being at all sure if I was on the right track with Shaugh Prior, I find it very intersting to hear about the tin mining. William Cross' occupation is shown as Miner on the birth certificate of his daughter in 1915 which was in Gymie in Queensland. Gympie was a big gold mining town from 1867. Jean

Jane/Jean. Yes, there are two churches in Plympton. I thought there was, but was not sure until I just checked. One is indeed Plympton St Mary and the other one is Plympton St Morice. Plympton fought very hard to keep its independence from Plymouth, but it was not to be and although when I was living in the area, it was more of a village and definitely outside of Plymouth, at one time it vied with Plymouth as a major town in the area. Sounds as though Jane may have found an ancestor for you at Shaugh Prior so you need to exhaust that area for Parish records first before you move on to any other villages. As Shaugh is under Plympton for Rregistration District don't be misled by that into thinking your ancestors are from Plympton. Just means that Plympton was the nearest big place for Registration purposes. According to a book I have there is a Captain Gordon Cross RN still living in Dousland close to Shaugh in 1999! One of yours or a co-incidence?? Janet

Janet (&Jean), Plympton St Mary is certainly one church in the town/village - I have the delight of rummaging in the long grass (wet - ugh!) around the headstones last year whilst on a short break in the spring. Have a feeling there's a 2nd church there too ... However, if you google Shaugh Prior Church, there are some images. This would be the one that relates to your ancestors Jean. Regs Jane

Jean Yes,Plympton is not that far away, in fact over the moor from Shaugh and Ditsworthy Warren you come to Plymbridge Steps which is not far from the village of Plympton. Plympton is now part of the sprawling mass of Plymouth but until very recently, about 1970, was a village in its own right. Plympton is these days more associated with the China Clay Industry which is above Plympton on Lee Moor but did become the 4th Stannary Town so was obviously heavily linked into the Tin mining industry . However, many people would have graduated from tin mining into the China Clay when the tin mining went down the 'pan' at the end of the 1800's. When I lived in that area the River Plym was totally white from the effluent of the China Clay Works but this was before the days of environmental awareness. Now the River is as clean as any of the other rivers in the area and is no longer the eyesore that it once was. There is a church at Plympton, I think it was called Plympton St Maurice, but I am calling on a memory of about 40 years ago!!. If you can get hold of an old map of the area you will see how it has changed over 150 years. The main City for this whole area is Plymouth. When I lived there I always referred to Shaugh Prior as Shaugh. That is what the locals called it. I have a few books on the area so if you think I can help with any further history then do get back to me. I did mention the Stannary Town of Tavistock earlier and perhaps I should expand a little more on this. A Stannary Town is historically the administrative Centre of a Tin Mining District from where the sale and export of the mined tin was arranged. There were many such towns in the tin mining regions of Devon and Cornwall. The Devon ones were Tavistock, Ashburton, Chagford and Plympton. The Devon Stannary Parliament would meet in open Forum on Crockern Tor, but most often they would meet in the Local Pub of which there are many around the Shaugh area!! Crocken Tor is above Two Bridges. I belong to the National Ramblers Association in the UK and just last week they published in their magazine 'Walk' the winners of the best walks in the UK and this walk from Sheepstor round to Ditsworthy Warren and Gutter Tor was one of the winning walks. If you wanted to send me your E Mail address I could send you a copy of the Walk which you would probably enjoy as it gives a little background to the area of your interest including the tin mining connection in the area. Janet

Thanks again Jane I just wasn't sure if someone born in Shaugh Prior would refer to it as 'Shaw'. We have an area around Brisbane called Wellington Point, we would never refer to it as Wellington. Jean

Jean, Remember, the Registrar or Vicar was only writing down what he heard .... 'Shaw' .... he didn't know how it was officially spelled! And the subjects may not have known either - or been able to read. I think you can safely assume that it's the Plympton one - Shaugh Prior. Regs Jane

Thanks Vanessa I will have a look at the website Jean

Jean, I only live about 2 miles from Shaugh Prior and got married in Bickleigh Chuch which is the next parish over. Anyway, Shaugh Prior parish have a website which may be able to give you some more information address is www*shaughpriorparish*gov*uk. It was and still is to a certain extent known for it China Clay industry. Its a very pretty place and lots of people go there for Sunday walks, rock climbing etc. Vanessa

Thanks Janet - I guess you answered my questions, my main thought was if they ever called Shaugh Prior, 'Shaw' for short. With all the places you have given me to look for a birth, is the Plympton one still in with a chance? Sorry about the dealy getting back to you, time difference, Thanks again for the information Jean

It is Shaugh and not Shaw. Shaugh, Shaugh Prior, Shaugh Bridge are very close and part of the same area, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. Shaugh Prior has an interesting church. This area was heavily into tin mining with tin mines around Ditsworthy Warren and Gutter Tor and all around this area. Evidence of people's houses long since derelict, all very close proximity. You will need a large scale ordnance survey map to find Ditsworthy Warren and Gutter Tor and all the other villages of Clearbrook, Bickleigh, Sheepstor etc. The Rivers Meavy and Plym used to bear the signs of these mining activities, at least many signs were there when I used to walk around the area many years ago now! Tin mining went into decline in this area towards the end of the 1800's and this would have meant a mass exodus from the area. If you cannot find a birth in Shaugh Prior I would suggest you look at Meavy, Sheepstor, Dousland, Yelverton, Goodameavy, Hoomeavy, Gratton and Cadover as these are all areas very close to Shaugh. The main Stannary Town was Tavistock. There are other villages around as well, but suggest you arm yourself with a good Ordnance Survey map of the area or better still consult 'Phillimores Atlas of Indexes to Parishes' At £50 it is an expensive book to buy, but a good library somewhere should have a copy in its Reference Section. Janet

Hi Jane - I am not sure about the rest of the family, I haven't managed to find any reference to them at all. I have looked in the ships lists at the State Archives but haven't found any mention of William or his family. I have also tried the ships lists on the internet, nothing there either. Jean

Jean, Just a further thought .... did his father go to Oz as well? It occurred to me that the whole family might have gone. Anyway, happy hunting! Regs Jane

Hi Sandy That is the only birth I could find that looked likely. I don't think he would be on the 1901 census, I am not sure when he came to Queensland but he married in 1915. It was the Shaw Devonshire that threw me, I wasn't too sure about using Shaugh Prior, but if you more experienced people come to the same conclusions, that is good enough for me. thank you all for looking

Thank you for looking, miner was his occupation. Yes it is down as Shaw Devonshire England, I have seen the Shaugh Prior but can't find a birth for him there in 1882 Jean

Jean, Is this his birth: Sep 1882 Cross William Henry Plympton 5b 232 If you think so, then Shaugh Prior is the place - it's in Plympton Registration District. Am trying to find him on 1901 ... Jane

Jean on the 1901 census there is a SHAUGH & a SHAUGH PRIOR in Devonshire. Georgina.

Hi Jean Do you mean Devonshire in England? Meshaw - South Molton, Devonshire Huntshaw - Torrington, Devonshire From Old Maps: 1. Shaw , BERKSHIRE 1. Shaw , WILTSHIRE 2. Shaw , CHESHIRE 2. Shaw , LANCASHIRE AND FURNESS 2. Shaw , YORKSHIRE 2. Shaw , YORKSHIRE 3. Shaw , WILTSHIRE Was Miner Williams surname or his occupation? Suzanne

Hi - Can anyone tell me if there is or was a Shaw in Devoshire? I have a birth certificate from April 1915, with the father listed as William Henry Cross, occupation: Miner, age 33, born Shaw Devonshire England. I can find a total of 4 Shaw's but none in Devonshire, there is a Shaugh Prior in Devonshire but no sign a Shaw . I haven't had any luck finding a birth certificate for him or a year of arrival to Australia, but he married here in Queensland in September 1904. Thanks Jean in Brisbane