Dear Mary
Thanks for your letter. For some time I've meant to find out a bit more about my (?our) family history and perhaps you have spurred me on!
The details you give show sufficient similarity to my own version to be more than co-incidence but there are some odd discrepancies.
Here is the earliest information unconnected by direct evidence.
This is what I had until your letter popped up. I suspect you can improve on it significantly both in extent and accuracy. I'm looking forward to that.
* JW's marriage certificate stated he was 20 when he married in 1855 though rumour has it he was younger.
You probably already know that J.W.Stoneman {Trevan} was born on 3.9.1855 from 3 Castle St {Plymouth} being registered on 20.9.55. This was in the district of St Andrew (King Chas the Martyr) I was going to visit the Clare Place records office {Plymouth}. I'm told that they have pretty extensive details as far back as 1595.
The other thing is:- my grandfather seemed to know of a link with the Trevans in Port Isaac. They have a number of graves in St Endellion churchyard and various commemorative plaques and graves within the church itself
The 1841 Census also records that there was a Susan Trevan (aged between 65 and 70) living at St Endellion.
The other link between the above and Plymouth is that the tablet for John Archer and Ann was made by Greenhams and that for Matthew and Henry by Bovey & Co. These were both Plymouth firms - an unusual choice in the normal run of events for a small parish on the north Cornish coast.
The other family said to bear some relation is the Trevan-Hamblys. The only one I know of, and I met his son recently, lives at 28 Comfort Rd, Mylor (Falmouth 72693) but still retains a cottage at Port Isaac. He is Dr.M.T-Hambly. You might like to contact him??
Frederick wrote a history of Port Isaac. The father of a friend of mine told me the following tale - passed on to him by one Cyril Mitchell of St Austell. Cyril's grandfather used to say that when Wesley visited Port Isaac the Trevans (who were High Church) ridiculed him to which Wesley retorted "Time will come when the Trevans will be extinct". I must try to track down a copy of the book. Some 20 years ago I had dinner in the Trevan House Grill in Port I. The elderly couple who ran it could remember an old lady who had helped Frederick with his surgery when she was a young girl and they still had the operating block complete with leather straps! No anaesthetics!
Other than that there is a D.W.Trevan (who farms at Little Petherick). He gave my father the following information some years ago.
There was also a Harry Trevan b1839 d 25.9.06 who was a local methodist preacher in the Chapelton Circuit.
If you can shed any light on a link between Plymouth and Port Isaac I'd be delighted to hear. Stoke Damerell keeps popping up and so do certain distinctive names or combinations viz - Adolphus, Cazandra, the John Williams.
What you don't say is where you might fit into all this. Do let me know the full extent of what you've found out - when time permits. Cerian embellished your envelope before, I fear, I noticed what she was doing.
Good hunting
Yours sincerely
[signed] Chris
