On 23 Jan, Allana & Norman Inglis <inglis.n.a@gmail.com> wrote: > I recently discovered through the census that Charles Purnell's > birthplace was Clifton, GLS. Have been unable to find his parents. > CHARLES PURNELL was born Abt. 1802 in Clifton, Gloucestershire, England, Hi Allana, I have been scouting around my Bristol resources today for PURNELLs in Clifton. What I noticed was that a number of PURNELLs had associations with the Bristol parish of St. Augustine, which was next to Clifton so if you draw a blank with Clifton it might be worth pursuing St. Augustine PURNELLs. In the 1781 Bristol Poll Book, four PURNELLs were listed in St. Augustine. Matthew PURNELL was a gunsmith, John PURNELL was a mariner, George PURNELL was an accomptant and John PURNELL was a hooper. You didn't mention what the occupation of your Charles PURNELL was, but, if it was any of these, the St. Augustine PURNELLs might be worth pursuing. It's a very long shot, but there was also a Joseph and Mary PURNELL who had four children baptized at the church of St. Augustine the Less between 1816 and 1825 who just might have had children born in the first decade of the 19th century. They lived at a variety of addresses in St. Augustine one of them being Limekiln Lane, which I would associate with Limekiln Dock and ship building. Father's occupation was labourer at these baptisms More than half a century earlier, a Charles PURNELL, shipwright, was made a Bristol Burgess on 21st. March 1761. The PURNELL baptisms and Bristol Burgess information are included in CDs available from Bristol& Avon Family History Society -- www.bafhs.org.uk -- worth looking looking at if you are considering pursuing your PURNELL link in Bristol Josephine -- Josephine's Books, Ian's Pages, The Clutton 'Do' and the Glamorganshire Canal. http://www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

Josephine Jeremiah wrote: > The PURNELL baptisms and Bristol Burgess information are included in CDs > available from Bristol& Avon Family History Society -- www.bafhs.org.uk -- > worth looking looking at if you are considering pursuing your PURNELL link > in Bristol I coouldn't see a Charles PURNELL in the Bristol baptisms when I looked earlier. -- Charani (UK)

A little bit more about CHARLES PURNELL, he was born Abt. 1802 in Clifton, Gloucestershire, England, and died 03 May 1868 in New Plymouth, Had been a foreman of patternmakers at Napier's great engineering works. David Napier (1788-1873) established an engineering business employing over 20 men at York Road, Lambeth, in 1835. Charles superintended the construction of some of the gun boats that were built for the Crimean war. The family found life in New Zealand a wondrous challenge from what they had been accustomed to, particularly Mr Purnell Snr, who had been used to the control of men in large numbers, only needing to ring a bell to have his wants supplied. However, he did as best as he could under the changed conditions, working for the late Sir Harry Atkinson in the bush but only lived for about 12 years after arrival. Census 1: 1841, Southwark, Surrey, England (Source: census, Great Ginofer? St, St Saviour. Charles Purnell, 35, model maker, no; Sarah, 25, yes.) Census 2: 1851, Lambeth, Surrey, England (Source: census, 1 Richard St, Waterloo 1st. Charles Purnell, head, mar, 49, carpenter & joiner, b Clifton Gls; Sarah Ane, wife, mar, 36, b Christchurch Surrey; Charles W, son, 8, scholar, b Lambeth; James, son, 6, scholar, b Lambeth; George, son, 4, scholar, b Lambeth; Alfred H, son, 2, b Lambeth.) Immigration: 09 May 1856, New Plymouth, New Zealand (Source: Passenger list, Chatham from London as assisted immigrants. Mr and Mrs Purnell and 6 children. The Chatham was a barque weighing 540 tons and was captained by Capt Cole.) The shipwright Purnell could be a good one for me to follow up. Allana ----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Jeremiah" > On 23 Jan, Allana & Norman Inglis <inglis.n.a@gmail.com> wrote: >> I recently discovered through the census that Charles Purnell's >> birthplace was Clifton, GLS. Have been unable to find his parents. > >> CHARLES PURNELL was born Abt. 1802 in Clifton, Gloucestershire, England, > > Hi Allana, > > I have been scouting around my Bristol resources today for PURNELLs in > Clifton. What I noticed was that a number of PURNELLs had associations > with > the Bristol parish of St. Augustine, which was next to Clifton so if you > draw a blank with Clifton it might be worth pursuing St. Augustine > PURNELLs. > . > > You didn't mention what the occupation of your Charles PURNELL was, but, > if > it was any of these, the St. Augustine PURNELLs might be worth pursuing. >