Nancy Thomas Richards
(1834-1900)
Toban Wild in Australia has carried out extensive research into the Richards and Mi(t)chell families. What follows draws on that research.
Nancy Thomas Richards was born in Zennor, Cornwall, and baptised there (50°11'30.50"N, 5°34'02.47"W) on 26 Oct 1834. After migrating with her family to Australia in 1854, she married James Watson Rosier in 1856 and had 10 children (see Rosier page for details). She was buried in Kew cemetery (Melbourne) on 19 April 1900.
Nancy was the third of the 10 children of a John Richards who married Elizabeth Mitchell in Zennor on 17 Mar 1827.
The shoemaker/cordwainer John Richards (the author's great-great-great-grandfather) was born in Madron (just outside Penzance) and christened in Zennor on 27 Oct 1805. He was the son of another John Richards who married Mary Thomas in Zennor on 1 Sep 1791.
John Richards' wife Elizabeth Mitchell was born in Zennor and christened on 27 July 1804, second of the six or seven children of Samuel Mi(t)chell, a farmer of Zennor (chr. 11 May 1777, bur. 16 Sep 1853) and Mary Lowry of Modbury, Devon (chr. 2 Aug 1772, bur. 13 Jan 1848 after burning to death, according to the parish record).
Samuel and Mary were married on 10 Sep 1798 in St. George's, Modbury (approx. 50°20'57"N, 03°53'13"W). This Samuel Mi(t)chell was the son of Samuel Michell m. Jane Edwards 12 Mar 1776, while his wife Mary was the daughter of Charles Lowry m. Elizabeth Toms (chr. 11 June 1764 in Modbury), daughter of William Toms chr. 6 Nov 1785 in Modbury. See Sherriff Family website. The 1841 census records as follows:
1841- Higher Tregarthen, Zennor, Cornwall
MICHELL/Samuel/M/60/Ag Lab/Cornwall
MICHELL/Mary/F/60/Not in County
and the 1851 census, after Mary's unfortunate demise, records:
1851 - Tregarthen, Zennor, Cornwall
MICHELL/Samuel/Head/W/M/74/Ag Lab/Cornwall - Zennor
At the 1841 census, the Richards family is living in Church Village, Zennor, and is thus constituted: John Richards (38) Shoemaker; Elizabeth Richards (35), Elizabeth ["Eliza"] Richards (13), Mary Richards (11), Jane Richards (10), Nancy Richards (7), Elizabeth Richards (5), Grace Richards (3) and Louisa Richards (2 months).
At the 1851 census, we find the family living in St Andrews Street, St Ives. They are listed as: John Richards (head, 46) Cordwainer, born Maddron (i.e. Madron), Cornwall; Elizabeth Richards (wife, 45) born Zennor, Cornwall; Elizabeth Richards (daur, unm, 23) born Lilant (i.e. Uny Lelant), Cornwall; Mary Richards (daur, unm, 21) Dress maker, born Lilant; Jane Richards (daur, unm, 19) born Lilant; Nancy Richards (daur, unm, 16) Shoe binder, born Zennor, Cornwall; Eliza Richards (daur, 14) born Zennor; Grace M. Richards (daur, 12) Scholar, born Zennor; Louisa Richards (daur, 9) Scholar, born Zennor; Rosina Richards (daur, 7) Scholar, born Zennor; Lavinia Richards (daur, 1) born St Ives.
[The ages recorded in the censuses do not always tally either with each other or with other available information.]
John Richards, "shoemaker", was an assisted immigrant, with his wife and 9 children, aboard the 458-ton barque Nestor, which departed 21 May and arrived in Portland, Vic. on 16 September 1854 after 118 days at sea. The ship was scuttled a few days after arrival [see the Barcham website: http://www.barcham.org.uk/Nestor.htm]. The couple settled in Portland where John died in 1874 and Elizabeth in Palmer Street (38°21'0.14"S, 141°35'58.38"E) on 8 Oct 1889 (Gradual decay from old age). They were of the Wesleyan/Methodist faith.