Hingston Tree HL

The Mevagissey, Cornwall Connection

This line was compiled by Walter Samuel Hingston, grandson of Samuel Hingston (coxwain of Falmouth Lifeboat - see Odds and Ends No. 15) in 1981 & 1982. It was passed to Marlene Kavanagh in Australia who is a descendant of Richard Hingston, who has given it to me to place on this web page. The information given here at the moment is a summary of the current knowledge. I have now been given the 1841 census and baptism records for Mevagissey. Most are incorporated into the tree here, but not all of them. I also have the 1871 and 1881 census records, but not the 1851. There are still some loose ends to be tied up. Some families are shown here for convenience but are not tied in. Some information, particularly related to the descendants of the Luce family, has been supplied by Jack Steer <jacks@bukanin.fsnet.co.uk>.

The oldest entry in the 1841 census for which we have no link is SOPHIA HINGSTON, aged 76, a fish carrier, living at Cliff Street, Mevagissey.

According to Walter, a brother (name not known) of 1. Richard Hingston was the father of Edward Hingston, wife Charlotte ?White of Mevagissey. Their children were- James Mould Hingston and John White Hingston. Edward is No. 5 in Tree HH and his father there was also a Richard - his birth is well established in Morleigh, Devon; his mother was Sarah White and his wife was Charlotte Mould. So there is a conflict here. It might mean that there is a link between this tree and tree HH, or it could mean that one or other set of information is wrong.

This tree has now been updated to incorporate the results of the WEH study.

Generation No. 1

1. RICHARD HINGSTON is 1101 in WEH where he is listed as the son of HH#44. John Hingston and Anne(?) Hewett, married ELIZABETH ROLLIN TREGILGASS on 19 Mar 1777 in Mevagissey. He was described as a fisherman or seaman. Elizabeth was baptized on 7 Dec 1755 at Mevagissey; her parents were George and Elizabeth TREGILGASS. (There may be a link to Fowey as explained in Odds and Ends#64)

The children of Richard Hingston and Elizabeth are:-

Generation No. 2

4. JAMES HINGSTON (1105 in WEH) was baptised 20 Sep 1778 at Mevagissey (WEH says 1781 making him younger than John), the son of 1. Richard Hingston and Elizabeth Rollin (Tregilgass). He married JANE OLIVER. In the 1841 census they were living at Tregony Hill Street, Mevagissey. He was described as 60, a sailor; she was aged 50 and their son William was shown as aged 20 (needs to be checked - see below).

The children of James Hingston and Jane are:-

5. JOHN HINGSTON (1104 in WEH) was baptised 9 Jul 1780 at Mevagissey, the son of 1. Richard Hingston and Elizabeth Rollin (Tregilgass). He married MARY BLAKE (name from WEH); she was buried at Mylor, Cornwall on 7 Apr 1830, aged 51. John died 5 Dec 1862; probate was granted to his daughters Mary Ann and Eliza, both of whom were widowed by that time. He was described as a superannuated mate, RN. Several children were baptised in Mevagissy - John is described variously as a seaman or a fisherman. In 1841 the family were living at Coventry St, Mylor – John Hingston (navey p aged 60) with Mary Hingston (aged 30) and Eliza (aged 25), Richard (aged 8), James (aged 6), Eliza (aged 3) and Mary DREW (aged 1). James, Eliza junior and Mary DREW not born in Cornwall, others were. I assume the four younger children are grandchildren.

WEH says that John was for many years in H.M.Customs and that had two sons JOHN (1121 in WEH) and RICHARD (1122 in WEH) who was a pilot who drowned at sea. He does not mention the daughters listed here. Customs officers were deliberately moved around so it is possible that John and Richard do belong in this family but were born elsewhere.

The children of John and Mary are:-

2. SAMUEL HINGSTON (1106 in WEH) was baptised 11 Aug 1782 at Mevagissey (WEH says born at Fowey 4 Mar 1783), the son of 1. Richard Hingston and Elizabeth Rollin (Tregilgass). On 29 May 1806 he married ANN TOWSEY, the daughter of Richard and Margery (nee Tiller) (WEH says of Tregonning). Ann was baptized on 4 Nov 1781 at Cuby, Cornwall. Samuel was described as a Mariner. By 1817 they had moved to Falmouth and in 1838 he was a Custom house officer. In the 1841 census he is living at Well Lane, Falmouth with his wife and youngest daughter, Ann. (Some of the transcriptions show Johnsey in place of Towsey - needs to be checked).

The children of Samuel Hingston and Ann (Towsey) are:-

6. WILLIAM HINGSTON (1107 in WEH) baptised 9 Jul 1786 at Mevagissey, the son of 1. Richard Hingston and Elizabeth Rollin (Tregilgass). WEH says that he married in 1812 JANE LALEAN and had two children by her. His wife died and he then married her sister MARY LALEAN by whom he had a third child. In the 1841 census they are living at River Street when he is described as a "Cordwinder". Is this a mistranscription of cordwainer, meaning a shoemaker, or is it something to do with rope making? She is described as aged 40.

The children of William Hingston and Jane are:-

The child of William Hingston and Mary is:-

13. GEORGE HINGSTON. NB. George is not tied into this tree - he is placed here for convenience.

The evidence for this family comes entirely from an entry in the 1841 census. The family is shown as living at Cliff St, Mevagissey. George was aged 50, so born about 1790 (but 1841 ages are to nearest 5 years), in the Navy, with his wife JANE and five children.

In the OPC transcription the surname is shown as Kingston.

The children of George Hingston and Jane are:-

Generation No. 3

18. JOHN HINGSTON is probably the son of 5. John Hingston and Mary Blake and was baptised about 1806 in Mevagissey, Cornwall. He married OLIVIA PASCO of St Just on 14 Nov 1826 at Mylor, Cornwall. In 1851 they were living at Bay Cottage, Newchurch, Isle of Wight. John 45 (so born ~1805) Chief Boatman Coast Guard born Mevagissey, Cornwall; Olivia 45 born St Just, Cornwall; Olivia 19 Milliner born Flushing; Mary J 18 Dressmaker; Flushing; John H 13 St Helens IOW; Martha 11 St Helens; Amelia 7 Isle of Wight.

In 1861 at Godshill, IOW, John Kingston , 56 Olivia, 55 John Henry 23 Carpenter, Olivia Catherine 29 Milliner, Mary Jane 28 Dressmaker, Martha 21 Dressmaker, Amelia 17 Dressmaker. By 1871 they were living at High St, Ventnor. John, Olivia, Martha 31 and WILLIAM J HINGSTON, Grandson age 8. John Superannuated Coastguardman born Mevagissey. Olivia died Sep Qtr 1890 age 85 on the Isle of Wight and John died in the next Qtr, aged 86

1881 Census: Ventnor IOW John Hingston, 75, coastguard pensioner, b. Mevagissey Olivia, 75, b. St. Just, Cornwall Martha Saunders, daughter, m, 39, St. Helens IOW William J Hingston, grandson, unm, 18, Ventnor. Martha Saunders, granddaughter, 1, Ventnor

Probable children:-

3. RICHARD TOWSEY HINGSTON (1120 in WEH) was baptized 25 Apr 1813 at Mevagissey, the son of 2. Samuel Hingston and Ann (Towsey). He married, firstly, SARAH TRAIL LUCE on 7 Jan 1838 at Falmouth. He was described as a Mariner. Sarah was born on 6 Nov 1810 and baptized on 21 Jun 1812 at Mylor, the daughter of William and Anna (nee Harris); she died on 23 May 1847 aged 37 years at Falmouth. In the 1841 census Richard and Sarah are living at 28 Church St, Falmouth, when he is described as a Beer Dealer. Richard married, secondly, SUSAN JAMES WOOLCOCK on 19 Oct 1848; Susan was born in Chacewater, the daughter of Samuel Woolcock.

The children of Richard Towsey Hingston and Sarah Trail (Luce) are:-

7. JAMES TOWSEY HINGSTON (1109 in WEH) baptized 21 Sep 1815 at Mevagissey, the son of 2. Samuel Hingston and Ann (Towsey). His parents seem to have moved to Falmouth by 1817 when his younger siblings were born. As far as I can see he is the only logical person to be the James Hingston, Coast Guard, who is living at Buckley Street, Malborough in Devon in the 1851 census and Porham Streer, Falmouth in the 1871 census, where he is described as a Mariner, Customs Officer. If so, he married ELIZA HOCKING, born about 1817 in Redruth, Cornwall. (See below the list of children for a complication). In 1871, James Hingston (Mariner, customs officer, born Mevagissey, Cornwall) living in Porham Street, Falmouth with wife Eliza (aged 54, born Redruth, Cornwall) and son Richard (shipwright apprentice). In the 1881 census a James Hingston aged 66, pensioner Royal Navy, is living with his wife Eliza and sons Samuel and Henry at 21 Swanpool St, Falmouth.

The children of James Hingston and Eliza are:-

10. JAMES HINGSTON. NB. We have not yet linked this James into the tree - he is placed here for reference purposes. We have considerable evidence for a the family, but not where he was born. It is possible that this James and 7. James above are mixed up. To complicate matters further, there is also James Mould Hingston (Tree HH#9), who was born in Mevagissey in 1805. He is too old to be the coast guard and is separately found in the 1851 census, but he could conceivably have taken Joanna as his first wife. The original registers and the 1851 census of all the relevant entries need to be consulted to resolve who was who!

The CFHS marriage index shows a JAMES HINGSTON marrying JOANNA MORELEY on 30 Aug 1835 at Mevagissey. James appears to have been a seaman since Joanna is living at River Street, Mevagissey at the 1851 census with her daughters Mary Jane and Elizabeth. By 1871 she is widowed, living with her son-in-law Peter Moore and his wife Elizabeth. They are also at Tregony St, Mevagissey in the 1881 census.

The children of James Hingston and Joanna are:-

9. EDWIN LAWRANCE HINGSTON (1143 in WEH) born 10 May 1817 at Falmouth, the son of 2. Samuel Hingston and Ann (Towsey). He married ANN, who was born about 1827 at Falmouth. In the 1871 census they are living at Falmouth (CFHS index). The evidence for their children at the moment only comes from the 1871 census index. In the 1881 census they are living at 9 Swanpool St, Falmouth (without the children). Edwin is described as Mariner (M S) (Merchant service? - to distinguish him from the Royal Navy?) and she is a charwoman.

The children of Edwin Hingston and Ann:-

15. HENRY TILLER HINGSTON (1144 in WEH) baptized in 1819, the son of 2. Samuel Hingston and Ann (Towsey). (The middle name is uncertain - in some records it is recorded as Tiller, in others as Jeller and in others as Pellin) He married ELIZABETH PHILLPOTT, born c. 1820 in Falmouth, in Dec Qtr 1845 at Falmouth. Henry was a Cabinet Maker. In 1841 the family were living at William St, Plymouth Sr Andrew; in 1851 at 40 Union St, Tormoham (Torquay); in 1861 at 16 Pnsonby Place, St John Westmnster, in 1881 - Henry Pellin HINGSTON (cabinet maker aged 61, born Falmouth, Cornwall) living at 9 Oakden St, Lambeth, Surrey with wife Elizabeth (aged 61, born Falmouth, Cornwall) and unmarried sons Edwin Seymour (carpenter aged 35, born Falmouth, Cornwall) and Alfred Richard (carpenter aged 20, born Westminster, Middlesex)] [1891 – Harry HINGSTON (cabinetmaker aged 71, born Falmouth, Cornwall) living at 19 Hurley Street, Lambeth, London with wife Elizabeth (aged 71, born Falmouth, Cornwall) and son Henry (mariner in merchant service aged 36, born London]

The children of Henry Hingston and Elizabeth include:-

11. WILLIAM LALEAN HINGSTON (1113 in WEH) born 8pm Monday 27 Jan 1834, baptised 29 Jun 1834 at Mevagissey, the son of 6. William Hingston and Mary. The father's occupation is described as Labourer. He married MARY BOWDEN who was born about 1843 in Breage, Cornwall (Jun qtr 1865) (WEH says 5 Jun 1864 and that she was from Marizion, Cornwall). In the 1871 census a William L. Hingston, aged 37, born at Mevagissey, is lodging at Falmouth. He is married but not living with his wife. The only suitable married woman, not living with her husband in the same census in Cornwall is Mary, living at Penzance with three children. She is aged 29. In 1881 they seem to be living together again at Budock, Cornwall, which is near Penryn. He is described as a House Carpenter and Joiner, age 47, born at Mevagissey so presumably he was working in Falmouth while she was at home. WEH says that he moved to Falmouth as a carpenter and builder by trade and assisted the Prince of Wales to lay the corner stone of the church at that place. He was alive and well in 1900 when WEH met him.

The children of William Hingston and Mary are (from 1881 census):-

Generation No. 4

19. JOHN HENRY HINGSTON was the son of 18. John Hingston and Olivia Pascoe was born Mar 1838 at St Helens, Isle of Wight. John was described as a Carpenter. He married Ann Elizabeth Driscoll on 2 Nov 1861 in St Lawrence, Isle of Wight. (IOW FHS)

Their children appear to be:-

8. JOHN A. HINGSTON (1124 in WEH) born about 1843 at Bembridge, Isle of Wight, the son of 7. James Hingston and Eliza. He married GRACE ODGERS, also born about 1843 at Penryn, Cornwall. In the 1871 census they are shown living at Swanpool Street, Falmouth with their daughter (CFHS index). John is described as an Innkeeper. [1881 - John A. HINGSTON (licensed victualler aged 40 born Bembridge, Hampshire) living at 23 and 24 St John St, Stoke Damerel, Devon with wife Grace H. (aged 42, born Penryn, Cornwall), daughters Helen M. (scholar aged 10, born Falmouth, Cornwall) and Celia G. (scholar aged 9, born Falmouth, Cornwall), unmarried visitors John LIBBY (shipwright aged 41, born Falmouth, Cornwall) and Richd LIBBY (shipwright aged 25, born Falmouth, Cornwall) and servants Lucinda QUINTRELL (aged 20, born Gerrant, Cornwall) and Priscilla LAMPEN (aged 24, born Devonport, Devon)]

The child of John Hingston and Grace is:-

14. RICHARD HINGSTON (1129 in WEH) born about 1853 at Salcombe, Devon, the son of 7. James Hingston and Eliza. In the 1871 census he is living with his parents at Falmouth and is described as a Shipwright Apprentice. He married ELIZA(BETH) GERRY (she was born 1856, the daughter of Thomas Gerry and Jane Willoughby, Publican of St Agnes) in Falmouth in 1879 and they emigrated to Sydney in 1880. Richard, a competent tradesman, worked on the construction of the Circular Quay wharves in Sydney. WEH says he was in the furniture business and that he lived at Redfern, NSW (a suburb of Sydney). Both Richard and Eliza are buried in Sydney's Rookwood Cemetery Anglican, Section 6/1129&1130. He died 6 Feb1942 she 6 July 1919. There is a single stone stating the above dates only with name. The family (5 generations) in Australia is being researched by John Mitchell.

The children of Richard and Eliza are:

16. SAMUEL HINGSTON (1130 in WEH) was born in about 1857 at Salcombe in Devon to 7. James Towsey Hingston and his wife Eliza; I have not yet found a PR entry but he is listed in FreeBMD in Dec Qtr 1857 (as Hingstone).  In the 1851 census his parents were listed as living at Buckley Street, Malborough but this is actually in Salcombe because at the time it was not a separate parish.  His father was in the Customs Service and the family were moved around and finally settled at Swanpool St in Falmouth where in the 1881 census Samuel was still living with his parents, who by then were retired.  Samuel married EMMA JOSE, the daughter of Frank Jose of 17 New Street in Falmouth. Frank worked a 'quay punt' (a type of inshore working boat) around the harbour and was also cox of the Falmouth lifeboat; he died of a heart attack whilst racing his boat in the St Mawes Regatta in 1903 and his son, another Frank, had a replacement boat built.  After Frank died it seems likely that Samuel and Emma moved into Frank's house - they were certainly there in the 1911 census. (The information about Samuel and his family comes from Helen Peters (hojpeters@hotmail.com).

Samuel was coxswain of the Falmouth lifeboat from 1901 to 1919.  This is not a full-time position so he presumably had a job near the lifeboat station. In Feb 1914 the Falmouth lifeboat Bob Newbon, under the command of Samuel Hingston, managed to rescue five crew members from a ship in tough conditions. The remaining 15 mariners, whose bodies were recovered from the coastline, are buried in a mass grave at Veryan Church. The German steel barque, Hera, 1,994 tons and fully laden with nitrate, was making a landfall off the Lizard following a 91-day passage from Pisagua, Chile but her tired master had been relying on dead reckoning navigation. In heavy weather he overshot Falmouth by several miles before coming to grief on Gull Rock, off Portloe.  The Falmouth lifeboat coxswain, Samuel Hingston, and his 15-man crew were towed to the scene of the disastrous shipwreck by the harbour tug Perran.  Samuel Hingston later described the rescue, saying: “On the way we encountered heavy seas. When about a mile offshore we slipped the Perran and went in between Gull Rock and Nare Head to speak with the coastguards who were on the shoreline. “All at once I heard a whistle blowing. We heaved in our anchor and got underway. Then we saw a speck on our lee bow and later we made out five men hanging on a spar. We experienced considerable difficulty in rescuing the men because of the heavy seas. Our bowman, William Leuty, badly crushed his finger in the rescue.”   (Article in the Falmouth Packet)

Samuel was friends with the artist Henry Scott Tuke who painted him several times. Emma died 4 Apr 1926 aged 60 (so born ~1874) and Sam died in 1944.

Samuel and Emma had the following children,

17. SAMUEL PHILLPOTT HINGSTON born Dec Qtr 1857 Westminster, the son of 15. Henry Hingston and Elizabeth (Phillpott). He was a Builders Labourer. He married LUCY ELIZA HUNT at Lambeth Dec 1878. In 1901 they were living at 1, Ripley Street Ripley Mews, Newington, Southwark, Samuel Hingston 43 (1858) Builders Labourer Westminster; Lucy 39 Lambeth; Henry 20 Builders Labourer Southwark; Florence 21 Lambeth.

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Page updated 21st February 2021. C.J.Burgoyne