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The Hitchens family


My maternal grandfather's mother (so one of my great-grandmothers) was Mary J. Hitchens, by her maiden name, from a family that strikes by its fertility and by the way it so largely stayed rooted in Feock during the later 19th century. Because Mary J.'s father latterly worked for the estate at Trelissick, it is very tempting to think that it was she who arranged for her son James Green, my grandfather, to work in the gardens, from where he was sent to Kew Gardens for a year's training when still only about 12 years old. The family seems to have come to live in the row of houses along the road going down to King Harry Ferry, where later my mother was born. The information comes from the transcripts of the Census returns (the place-name at the end of each line indicates the person's place of birth)

1841 Census (before they moved to Trelissick)
Penryn  Gluvias Street,
James Hitchins,40,,Mariner,In county,
,,Jane Hitchins,,40,,In county,
,,Mary Hitchins,,9,,In county,
,,Ann Hitchins,,7,,In county,
,,James Hitchins,8m,,,In county,

1851 Census
King Harry
James Hichins,Head,M, 50, Boatman, born in Truro Cornwall,,
Jane Hichins,Wife,M, 49, born in Kea Cornwall,,
Francis Hichins,Son, U,21, Ship Builder Apprentice, born in Kea Cornwall,,
Mary J Hichins,Dau, U, 19, born in Kea Cornwall (my great-grandmother)
Ann Hichins,Dau,U,,12,Scholar,Kea Cornwall,,
James Hichins,Son,,10,,Scholar,Penryn Cornwall,,
Ellen Hichins,Dau,,,5,,Kea Cornwall,,

On the 1851 Census day, the owner of Trelissick was in residence, without his family but well looked after:
Trelissick House,
John D Gilbert,Head,U,39,,Magistrate Fmr 386ac,East Bourn Sussex,,"Employes 32 men, 1 woman & 1 boy"
,,Francis Richards,Hind,M,42,,Bailiff,Gulval Cornwall,,Possible additional unreadable text in occ
,,Grace Richards,Hsekpr,M,,45,,Madron Cornwall,,
,,John James,Footmn,M,25,,,St Germans Cornwall,,
,,Ann Walters,Cook,U,,40,,Crowan Cornwall,,
,,Catherine Pascoe,Hsemad,U,,32,,Madron Cornwall,,
,,Emma Pearce,Drymad,U,,19,,Feock Cornwall,,"

John Green and Mary J. Hichins were married in 1858, when he was 28 and she was 26. At the following Census in 1861 she was living alone In Feock, married and working as a "Seamstress." Her husband seems to have spent several years away since they only began to have children in 1865.

1861 Census
King Harry
James Hitchens,Head,M,61,,Boatman,St Mary Cornwall,,
Jane Hitchens,Wife,M,,60,,Kea Cornwall,,
James Hitchens,Son,U,21,,Shipwright,Penryn Cornwall,,
Ellen Hitchens,Dau,U,,15,,Kea Cornwall,,

La Feock (by now son Francis is married)
Francis Hitchens,Head,M,31,,Shipwright,St Feock Cornwall,,
Jane Hitchens,Wife,M,,26,,St Feock Cornwall,,
Mary J Hitchens,Dau,,,8,Scholar,St Feock Cornwall,,
Thomas Hitchens,Son,,4,,Scholar,St Feock Cornwall,,
Richard Hitchens,Son,,2,,,St Feock Cornwall,,

1871 Census
King Harry,
James Hitchens,Head,M,70,,Boatman,Truro Cornwall,,
Jane Hitchens,Wife,M,,70,,Kea Cornwall,,

Feock Marble Head,
Francis Hitchens,Head,M,41,,Shipwright,Kea Cornwall,,
Jane Hitchens,Wife,M,,36,Wife,Feock Cornwall,,
Mary J. Hitchens,Dau,U,,18,,Feock Cornwall,,
Thomas Hitchens,Son,U,14,,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Richard Hitchens,Son,,12,,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
William Hitchens,Son,,10,,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Frank Hitchens,Son,,7,,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
James Hitchens,Son,,5,,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Annie Hitchens,Dau,,,3,,Feock Cornwall,,
Charles Hitchens,Son,,1,,,Feock Cornwall,,

King Harry (now working for Trelissick? After this they vanish completely from English census records. Emigrated?)
James Hitchens,Head,M,30,,Shipwright,Penryn Cornwall,,
Martha Hitchens,Wife,M,,30,,Feock Cornwall,,
Elizabeth Hitchens,Dau,,,9,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
,,,Mary Hitchens,Dau,,,7,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
,,,Martha Hitchens,Dau,,,4,,Feock Cornwall,,

Sandows Gate (daughter Ellen is married)
Thomas Dixon,Head,M,27,,Blacksmith,Feock Cornwall,,
,,,Ellen Dixon,Wife,M,,25,,Kea Cornwall,,
,,,Thomas Dixon,Son,,6,,,Feock Cornwall,,
,,,Joseph Dixon,Son,,4,,,Feock Cornwall,,
,,,Elizabeth J. Dixon,Dau,,,7m,,Feock Cornwall,,

1881 Census
Trolver Croft,
Francis Hitchens,Head,M,51,,Shipwright,Kea Cornwall,,
Jane Hitchens,Wife,M,,46,,Feock Cornwall,,
Thomas Hitchens,Son,S,24,,Shipwright,Feock Cornwall,,
Richard Hitchens,Son,S,22,,Mariner,Feock Cornwall,,
Frank Hitchens,Son,S,17,,Mariner,Feock Cornwall,,
James Hitchens,Son,S,15,,Labourer General,Feock Cornwall,,
Annie Hitchens,Dau,U,,13,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Edwin Hitchens,Son,U,9,,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Lilly M. Hitchens,Dau,U,,7,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,

Trevella (daughter Ellen now has a large family)
Thomas Dixon,Head,M,36,,Blacksmith,Feock Cornwall,,
Ellen Dixon,Wife,M,,34,,Kea Cornwall,, (daughter of James Hitchens, who is living with them)
Thomas Dixon,Son,S,16,,Oyster Dredger,Feock Cornwall,,
Joseph Dixon,Son,,14,,Agricultural Laborer,Feock Cornwall,,
Elizabeth J. Dixon,Dau,,,10,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Emma Dixon,Dau,,,8,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
William Dixon,Son,,7,,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Catherine E. Dixon,Dau,,,5,Scholar,Feock Cornwall,,
Annie Dixon,Dau,,,4,,Feock Cornwall,,
Alice Dixon,Dau,,,2,,Feock Cornwall,,
James Dixon,Son,,1,,,Feock Cornwall,,
James Hitchens,Ftrlaw,W,80,,Formerly Mariner,Truro Cornwall, (so his wife having died he is living with his daughter's family. He died in 1886)

1891 Census
Bathtown Trolver,
Frances Hichens,Head,M,61,,Shipwright,Employed,Feock Cornwall,,
Jane Hichens,Wife,M,,56,,,Feock Cornwall,,
Thos Hichens,Son,S,34,,Fisherman,Neither,Feock Cornwall,,
Rich (Hichens),Son,S,32,,Mariner,Employed,Feock Cornwall,,No ditto marks for surname
Edwin H (Hichens),Son,S,19,,Mariner (Seas),Employed,Feock Cornwall,,No ditto marks for surname
Lilly M H (Hichens),Dau,S,,17,,,Feock Cornwall,,No ditto marks for surname
Edwin Thomas,Grnson,S,6,,Scholar,,Feock Cornwall,,

Goonpiper, (4 more children have been born!)
Thomas Dixon,Head,M,47,,Blacksmith,Employed,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Ellen Dixon,Wife,M,,45,,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Thomas Dixon,Son,S,26,,Labourer (General),Employed,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Elizabeth J Dixon,Dau,S,,20,,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,William Dixon,Son,S,17,,Blacksmiths Apprentice,Employed,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Catherine Dixon,Dau,S,,15,,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Annie Dixon,Dau,S,,14,,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Alice Dixon,Dau,S,,12,Scholar,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,James Dixon,Son,S,11,,Scholar,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Harry Dixon,Son,S,9,,Scholar,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Edwin Dixon,Son,S,7,,Scholar,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Fredrick Dixon,Son,S,5,,Scholar,,Lafeock Cornwall,,
,,,Edith Dixon,Dau,S,,2,,,Lafeock Cornwall,,