John Middleton's Family History
The Colliver Line
Penzance, Cornwall
The Colliver line joins the Middleton family with the Marriage of my Paternal Grandfather Charles Louis Middleton to Constance Davy Colliver in Sydney in 1874 .
The Old Bath Inn, Penzance, Cornwall
EARLY COLLIVERsThis probable genealogy has been pieced together from IGI information and in some cases I have had to adopt assumptions to complete links. This information should not be considered definitive at this time.
I have traced the Colliver line back to Michael Colliver, who was baptised 11 May, 1766 in St Sampson Golant, Cornwall. It is probable that Michael was the fourth of six children of Thomas Colliver and Elizabeth but this link has been derived from IGI information, and while it is consistent with the information that I have confirmed it should be considered a best guess at this time.
Thomas and Elizabeth had six children, all baptised in St. Sampson, Golant (IGI), Cornwall, a village near Fowey and St Austell. Colliver families are also recorded in the neighboring villages of Lanlivery and Tywardreath in the 1700’s.
· Richard baptised 8 June 1756
· Robert, baptised 24 June 1759
· Elizabeth Baptised. 5 April 1761
· Michael Baptised. 11 May 1766
· Mary baptised. May 1768
· Robert baptised. 25 May 1770
The only marriage that I have been able to find that is consistent with known later dates and other information is the marriage of Michael Colliver, widower of Penryn, to Mary Henwood at St Enoder, on 24 Sept. 1798. If this is the correct marriage, then it is probable that Mary Henwood was Mary, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Henwood christened in St Enoder 13 July 1772.Michael COLLIVER, (my ggg grandfather), widower of Penryn, married Mary HENWOOD at St Enoder 24 Sept 1798. Michael & Mary appear to have had 8 or 9 children (?Charles-1796-possibly by a first wife), Michael-1800 ,Mary-1802, Jane-1805, Peter-1807, Anne-1809, Clarinda-1811, Thomas-1813 and Sophia Henwood C-1815).
I have been unable to trace Michael’s early life. Michael married Constance Warner Davy at Madron, Cornwall (then the Parish church for Penzance) on 22 August, 1831.
Michael was a hatter in Penzance in 1835-7. In “Old Penzance”, W Rees describes the Penzance Town Council in 1835 in the following ditty:
"PENZANCE TOWN COUNCIL IN 1835
Five Bankers, two Lawyers and one Auctioneer,
A Doctor, a Hatter, a man of veneer,
Lloyd's agent, a Grocer-a dealer in wine,
A seller of goods in the drapery line,
A vendor of hardware, and a burner of lime,
By trickery and canvass-by desert or chance,
Comprise the New Council of the town of Penzance"
Among the Councilors, Rees lists William Davy, wine merchant and M. Colliver, Hatter. It would appear that Michael Colliver was not successful in the election for the 1836 Council, but William Davy ( “ wine merchant and kinsman of Sir Humphry” ) was elected and was subsequently elected Mayor of Penzance for 1836.In the book, “Reminiscences of Penzance”, G. C. Boase writes:
Michael seems to have continued at the Penzance Gas Corporation until his retirement. A silver penstand given to Michael on his retirement remains in the family. He died 1 May 1866 in Penzance, and is buried in a family vault at Wesley Rock Cemetery . He was living at The Folly at that time. His son, Michael and wife Constance are buried in the same vault. I yet have not been able to locate the vault.“Returning once more to Mr. Molyneux’s shop, just above it was Mr. Michael Colliver’s hat establishment. This however, he did not keep very long, but became a lime burner at the Folly, and was afterwards and for many years the secretary of the Gas Company.”Michael and Constance had four sons and a daughter:
Michael died in a childhood accident, and the remaining boys became seafarers. I have located most of their descendants in the various colonies and in the UK. Peter is my great grandfather.Michael born 19 Dec. 1832,
William Davy born 17 July 1835
Edmund , born 13 Dec. 1837 at 6:30am
Peter Colliver, born 13 Dec. 1837 at 6:45 am
Constance Warner born 1843The family is recorded as living at The Folly in the 1851 census. The family also appears to have had an interest by leasehold in “Pottery Premises”, the Old Bath Inn, and The Willows in Penzance. The last two premises are still standing, the Inn still operating as a Pub, and adjoining “The Willows.”
PETER COLLIVER (1837-
Peter Colliver, became a merchant mariner. He took his masters certificate in London in 1866 (certificate #26038) and was mate on the Bodrhyddan on a voyage to the North and South Pacific in 1866-8, and was master of the Clemanthe on a voyage to North America in 1868. He arrived in Sydney from San Francisco as Mate on “William Turner” 6 October 1874 (Kemp Vandesvord, Captain) and married Catherine Hume Bowmaker on 27 October 1874.
Peter continued to serve on the “William Turner” through 1874-1876. He sailed to the Far East on the “Novelty” in 1877 . The Novelty was wrecked off Taiwan in January 1878, but all souls were saved. He then served as master of the Waverly and later on the “Syren” in the island trade, and from 1881 to August 1882 on the “Alice Mary”. He joined Her Majesty’s Customs Department on 20 March 1885.
A drawing on silk collected by Peter Colliver from the Far East (courtesy of Gladys Lunney)
Peter and Catherine had four children:
· Kemp William Colliver born 25 January, 1876
· Edmund Colliver born 26 July, 1877
· Constance Davy Colliver born 2 March, 1880
· Hannah Irene Colliver born 2 March, 1880
Peter Colliver & Catherine (Bowmaker)
Constance Davy Colliver married Charles Louis MIDDLETON in Sydney in 1903.
Constance Davy Colliver
OTHER COLLIVERS
WILLIAM DAVY COLLIVER (1835-1881)
William Davy Colliver, the second son of Michael and Constance Colliver, was born 17 July 1835. “William Davy married Frances Ann Merrell 6 Aug. 1867 in the parish of Poplar, London. Francis was born 1834 and died in 1910. William was apprenticed at 15 to the sea serving as an apprentice for 5 years and later as third, second and first mate. He later was captain on various ships. Papers have been found of testimonials from owners of various ships on which he sailed. On one occasion he took a paddle steamer (probably the Jorawar, of which he was Master 1864-1866) from England to Bombay and continued with her in command for about two years. Among other ships were S. S Celt, Queen of the Seas (Mate, 1866 on voyage to East Indies) , Koina, Pampue ( mate, China voyage 1867-8) , Mercury, Mauritius (1874), (Henry Allen1875-6), Eva (1876), (Bueris, 1877)) and eventually the Minintu which he apparently owned. He was a member of the Concord Lodge No. 757 Bombay of the freemasons.
Eventually he was admitted to the Providence Infirmary in Mobile Alabama, USA suffering from cancer in May 1881 and remained there until his death on 4th September 1881. He was buried in Magnolia Cemetery on the same day. From letters he wrote home to his family it was evident he knew he would not get better. He died of Cancer of the Abdomen (mesothelioma).”The information included in quotation marks is transcribed Family History notes suppled by Dorothy Lidgley . My additions are enclosed in parentheses
William and Francis had two sons, William Merrell Colliver, born 11 May 1868 and Henry Davy Colliver, b (?)30 Mar 1881, and a daughter Constance Francis (b 22 Dec. 1875).
EDMUND COLLIVER (1837-1874).
Edmund was the elder twin of Peter. He died in Hong Kong in 1874 without issue. A search of the Lloyd’s Captains Register fails to show an Edmund Colliver, suggesting that he did not share the seafaring life of his brothers.
CONSTANCE WARNER COLLIVER (1805-1924)
Constance was born in 1843 in Penzance (IGI). She did not marry and lived with her mother until her death in 1885 at Gloucester.
Two of her letters to her niece Hannah (Colliver) Lunney in Australia survive. On 20 January 1899 she wrote from the Blenheim Hotel in Cheltenham thanking her for two pictures (one apparently Sydney harbour) sent as Christmas presents. This letter also refers to the family relationship with Sir Humphry Davy: “ You will perhaps have heard your dear father speak of his cousin Dr Davy (Humphrey (sic) Davy) who was a doctor at Penzance. He has just lost L700 through a bank failure, the shock was too much for him and he had a seizure-it is very doubtful whether he will ever recover.”Constance died at 47 Homesdale Road, Bromley, Kent, 31 October 1924, and was interred in Bromley New Cemetery 3 November.
Acknowledgements
A number of aunts and their cousins have allowed me access to various treasures, ,and Family Bibles that contained Family records that proved invaluable in researching this family history. Gladys Lunney generously provided access to photographs (including those reproduced above) and various papers that have provided clues that allowed me to trace much of my Colliver family together with one of Peter Colliver's maritime journals and a book of silk paintings compiled from his voyages into the Orient. Various Colliver family members that I have located in the UK, Canada and Australia have also provided copies of records and papers that have allowed me to explore the family in greater detail.
ã John Middleton, 2000