ARE THEY FROM BRISTON OR ARE THEY FROM BRINTON?

Through Ancestry I was able to contact a descendent of John and Ann (Chester) Nobes – Chris very kindly sent to me information about her great-great grandfather was William who was born in 1820 in Brinton.  She also sent information about his parents and siblings: John Nobes was probably born in 1777 in Gunthorpe, Norfolk and baptized there on 6 Aug 1777.  His parents were John Nobes and Sarah Johnson. He was a labourer and a shepherd.  On 1 June 1797 he married Ann Chester in St. Andrews, Brinton, Norfolk. Ann Chester was born circa 1777 in Bale, Norfolk. John and Ann had 13 children –

1. Ann Nobes 30 Oct 1797 Briston, Norfolk

2. Henry Nobes 11 March 1800 Briston, Norfolk. Henry was possibly transported as a convict to New South Wales in Australia.

3. Sarah Nobes 1 April 1802 Briston, Norfolk

4. Susannah Nobes 10 June 1804 Briston, Norfolk. In 1826 Susannah married William Day. She came to Adealide (where I live) in South Australia and died there in 1893.

5. John Nobes 2 Sept 1806 Briston, Norfolk. This is your John, presuming that everything matches. I also have recorded him as marrying Mary Beckham (on 10 Nov 1828).

6. Martha Nobes 23 Sept 1809 Briston, Norfolk. Martha married William Field and they, too, settled in Adelaide. She died here on 16 June 1872.

7. Mary Nobes 24 Nov 1811 Briston, Norfolk. Mary married John Bullock on 24 Oct 1831 in Brinton.

8. Sophia Nobes bapt. 18 Feb 1814 Briston, Norfolk. Sophia married John Fuller on 21 Mar 1834 in Brinton.

9. Frances Nobes bapt. 18 Feb 1816 Briston, Norfolk

The last 4 children were born in Brinton, Norfolk which is in close proximity to Briston.

10. Ester Nobes bapt. 21 June 1818 Brinton, Norfolk
and her twin
11. Hannah Nobes bapt. 21 June 1818 Brinton, Norfolk. Hannah married Edward Stirges Key in 1860.

12. William Nobes 18 Aug 1820 Brinton, Norfolk. William was my great-great grandfather. He married Elizabeth Smith on 8 Aug 1847 in Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, Durham and they settled in Adelaide.

13. George Nobes 26 Oct 1822 Brinton, Norfolk. George married Mary Ann Ward on 24 Nov 1842 in Brinton.

Ann Nobes (nee Chester) died on 28 Jan 1850, aged 73 years.   John Nobes died on 7 Dec 1857 in Brinton, aged 81 years. On 23 March 1858, his daughter, Martha published his death notice in the South Australian Register, one of the local papers of the time. It read as follows:

On 7 Dec 1857 at Brinton near Thetford, Norfolk aged 81 years, Mr. John Nobes father of Mrs. William Field Melbourne Street, North Adelaide.

           This information also helped to clear up my confusion regarding where John was born.  It was clear from his list of siblings that they started out in Briston but later moved to Brinton, which is where our John married his wife.  There was only one Nobes family in the Briston area so I feel quite certain this is where we belong.

THE NOBES FAMILY OF KINGSTON, ONTARIO

Genealogy – always lots of questions, never enough answers!

John Nobes b:   02 Sep 1806 Briston, Norfolk, England d:   1860 Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario			Mary Beckham b:   1808 Norwich, Norfolk, England d:   Abt. 1865 Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario
Great grandmother
Mary Ann Nobes b:   11 May 1836 Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario d:   29 Nov 1880 Cobourg, Ontario
Paternal grandmother
Sarah Elizabeth Oakley b:   07 Feb 1860 Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario  d:   05 Oct 1923 Vancouver, British Columbia
Father
George Samuel Powell b:   29 Feb 1896 Vancouver, British Columbia  d:   24 Aug 1963 Vancouver, British Columbia
Doreen Gwyneth Powell b:   13 Jan 1924 Vancouver, British Columbia  d:   28 Aug 2011 Chilliwack, British Columbia

The Nobes surname is found mainly in the Norfolk, England area and this is where our family was from.  Variations of spelling make it sometimes difficult to find the surname in the records.  I have seen it spelled Nobbs, Nob, Nobs and Knobes.

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW - something I always try to keep in mind!  Sometimes I already have the information in my files but need to look at it in a different way to help the puzzle pieces fall into place. The Nobes family in general and John Nobes in particular have been one of my more elusive lines. 

       In the 1970’s a cousin sent me a copy of a transcription from the “Oakley Family Bible”.  I was never able to locate the bible.  The following is what I received:

Robert Oakley and Elizabeth Thomas married 35^th day of November 1821 by George Matthews, Tregynon, Wales

Samuel, son of Robert and Elizabeth Oakley, born in Manchester, England May 20^th, 1832

Mary Ann, daughter of John and Mary Nobes, of Norfolk, Virginia, born in Kingston, Ontario May 11, 1836

(Although the note says Virginia, I believe this was added by the transcriber.  Samuel Oakley married his 3^rd wife in Norfolk, Virginia but his first wifes family were from Norfolk, England and I think this is where the confusion stems from.)

Samuel Oakley of Accrington, Lancashire, England and Mary Ann Nobes of Kingston were united in marriage at her father’s residence.

Wm Pollack Minister of the WM Church.

Until recently the above was all I knew about John Nobes.  Many years ago, practicing “desperation genealogy”, I wrote to all the Nobes in the Kingston phone book – I think there were 5.  Not one was a relation and all had come to Kingston at a much later date.  Still no luck in piecing this family together. 

Enter the internet…I finally found my Nobes family in the 1861 census in Kingston, Ontario.  This census also recorded information about people born or died in 1860, thus John & his granddaughter were included.  John died in 1860 at the age of 54 from a disease of the lungs, his granddaughter and my great grandmother Sarah Oakley was born in 1860.  Unfortunately it is not clear what John’s occupation was, but it looks like chanlor.  Chandler is a candle maker, candle seller, grocer or can provide ships with provisions. 

      

      Daughter Sarah’s marriage included her mother’s maiden name – Beckham and the 1861 census gave Brinton, Norfolk as John’s place of birth.  This led me to John & Mary’s marriage banns.

Brinton, Norfolk, England Marriage Banns 1828

            

But who were John’s parents?  More pondering and digging.  If a direct search doesn’t work I try other names.  Sophie Nobes was a witness to their marriage.  Was she John’s sister?   More digging and I found both of them in the family of John Nobes and Ann Chester.