This page is a place-holder to note who were George Borrow’s relations during his life. It points out some existing sources for those wishing to research further. Note not all details are listed for each person, just enough to help if you’re starting to research them.
William Knapp in his book Life, Writings and Correspondence of George Borrow, Volume 1, page 26, has the family tree (as he worked it out) of George Borrow. Click the image below to get full detail one.
George Borrow had no children, and his only brother, John, died before Borrow became famous, so Borrow himself has no descendants.
George Borrow married Mary Clarke and so her daughter, Henrietta Clarke, was Borrow’s step-daughter. Although Henrietta married William MacOubrey they didn’t have children, so there are no descendants via Henrietta, and with Henrietta’s death the descendants of Ann and Thomas Borrow (Borrow’s parents) died out.
Borrow’s father, Captain Thomas Borrow, was born December 1758 at Tredinnick, St. Cleer, Cornwall, his parents were John and Mary, and William Knapp gives their children as:
(Settled at) |
|
Mary and Elizabeth |
1747 |
Henry |
1748—Trethinnick. |
John and Nicholas |
1750—Truro and Liskeard. |
Samuel |
1753 |
Joan |
1755 |
Thomas |
1758—the soldier. |
John Borrow, George Borrow’s grandfather, died aged 37 before Thomas was born. Mary Borrow, George Borrow’s grandmother, died March 1773. Henry, the eldest son, became head of the household on his mother’s death.
Borrow’s mother, Ann Perfrement, born 1772 at East Dereham, Norfolk, had parents Samuel and Mary Perfrement, Samuel being a farmer at Dumpling Green. Shorter says she had 7 siblings. William Knapp gives their details as:
Elizabeth, bapt. |
August, |
1767. |
William, ,, |
Sept., |
1769, d. 1778, at Dumpling Green |
ANN, born 23rd |
Jan., |
1772, d. 1858, at Oulton. |
James, bapt. |
Nov., |
1773 |
Samuel, „ |
Apr., |
1776, d. 1864, near Holt. |
Mary, ,, |
June, |
1778. |
Philip, ,, |
Oct., |
1779, d. 1867, at Scarning. |
Sarah ,, |
Mch., |
1783, d. 1807, buried East Dereham |
The mother died in |
1814, aged 72. |
|
Picking up some details of the above below...
Note: George Henry Borrow was named after his uncle Henry.
Ancestry have a transcribed baptism for Henry, baptised 16 April 1749 at Saint Cleer, Cornwall, with parents John and Mary Borrow. Note the year differs from that given by William Knapp.
According to William Knapp Henry married Temperance Trenniman on the 8th of December, 1773.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for John Borrow, christened 2 October 1774 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for Henry Borrow, christened 13 July 1777 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for Mary Borrow, christened 28 December 1779 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for Samuel Borrow, christened 17 March 1782 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for William Borrow, christened 31 May 1784 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for Thomas Borrow, christened 27 October 1786 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance. [Is this is mis-transcription or did the child die and the following one was given his name?]
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for Thomas Borrow, christened 13 May 1788 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for Nicholas Burrow [sic] christened 24 November 1793 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents Henry and Temperance. [If this is genuine Nicholas was named after Henry’s brother.]
Ancestry have Henry listed in the Liskeard Poll book for 1837. He’s in Trethinnick with a freehold house and fields, and at what looks like the same place is his brother William, listed as occupier with house and fields.
Ancestry have an undated transcribed christening for a child William Borrow, parents Henry Borrow and Temperance. No dates or places though(!)
Find a grave have a death for Henry 13 March 1839, presumably from the burial book of St. Cleer’s Churchyard. They don’t have a photograph of the tomb.
Ancestry have a transcribed burial in St. Cleer churchyard, 17 March 1839.
Ancestry have a civil death registration for Henry Borrow dying January–March 1839, registered at Liskeard.
Walling says: Henry Borrow, of Looe Down, was a son of another Henry, George’s uncle, and therefore a cousin of the Romany Rye. Henry had a daughter, Ann, married to Mr. Robert Taylor, of Penquite, a person of some consideration in the locality
Ancestry have a transcribed christening for John Borrow, parents John and Mary. Was christened 4 February 1750 at St. Cleer, Cornwall.
Ancestry have an image of John Borrow, cooper in Liskeard, taking on an apprentice (Thomas Holdipp) 12 October 1770.
Ancestry have an image John Borrow, master in Liskeard, taking on an apprentice (James Pollyblank) on 30 April 1797.
Ancestry have a transcribed record saying John Borrow was buried 2 March 1827 at St. Cleer. However, Find a grave has a John Borrow buried 27 February 1827 in St. Cleer, and born 1797, so could be the uncle’s son, not the uncle.
Ancestry have a John Borrow buried 6 May 1838 at St. Cleer.
Ancestry have a Nicholas Borrow christened at St. Cleer, 4 February 1750. Parents John and Mary.
Ancestry have appear to have a user-submitted document for a John Borrow born 1750 and died 1833. However, it doesn’t come up.
William Knapp has Samuel Borrow born 1753.
Ancestry has a user supplied transcription of a burial for a Samuel Borrow, 19 July 1772 in St. Cleer, Cornwall.
William Knapp says she was born 1755.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening of a Joan Borrow, christened 2 June 1755 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents John and Mary Borrow.
William Knapp says he was born 1758 and that he became a soldier.
Ancestry have a transcribed christening record for a Thomas Borrow, christened 18 March 1759 at St. Cleer, Cornwall, parents John and Mary Borrow.
William Knapp says she was christened August 1767.
William Knapp says he was christened Sept. 1769, died 1778, at Dumpling Green.
Ancestry have image with William Parfrement [transcribed as Parframons] born August 1769, christened 17 September 1769 at East Dereham, parents Saml and Mary.
Ancestry have image with William Parfrement, son of Samuel and Mary Parfrement, buried 10 June 1778.
William Knapp says he was christened November 1773.
Ancestry have image with James Parfrement [sic] born 3 November 1773, christened 10 November 1773 at East Dereham. Parents Samuel and Mary. Register seems to say he was the second son.]
Ancestry have a transcribed marriage of a James Perfrement to Deborah Learner 13 February 1798 at East Dereham, Norfolk. They also have the parish record which adds they both were single and of “this parish”. Among the witnesses was James Philo [of Lavengro fame] and Samuel Perfrement [James’ father].
Possible: Ancestry have a transcribed burial record for James Parfriment [sic] buried 18 July 1822 at Gaywood, Norfolk. [Gaywood appears to be near King’s Lynn]
William Knapp says he was christened April 1776, died 1864, near Holt.
Ancestry have image of marriage register of Samuel Parfrement to Susannah Payne, 7 May 1799 at Salthouse. It adds they were both single and of the parish.
Ancestry have image of 1851 census for Samuel, Erpingham district. Samuel is 74, born East Dereham, widower; his son Samuel is 50 born Salthouse; his nephew Phil Parfrement is 27 born East Dereham. They are all agricultural labourers.
Ancestry have image of Samuel Perfrement buried at Salthouse, Norfolk, 3 October 1863, he was 87 which means he’d have been born around 1776. He lived in Salthouse [which is on the coast about 2 miles from Holt.]
William Knapp says she was christened June 1778.
Ancestry have image with Mary Sophia daughter of Samuel and Mary Parfrement, christened June 4, 1778 at East Dereham.
Ancestry have image with Maria Parfrement [of East Dereham] marrying John Buchan [of Scarning Parish] 6 November 1803.
Ancestry have a transcribed burial of Mary Burcham, spouse of John Burcham, buried 1 June 1843, at St. Margaret’s, King’s Lynn. They also have the corresponding civil death registration.
William Knapp says he was christened October 1779, died 1867, at Scarning.
Ancestry have image with Philip Parfrement born 8 August 1779, baptised October 1779 at East Dereham, parents Samuel and Mary. It adds he was the fourth son.
Ancestry have image register of Philip Perfrement [of Scarning parish] marrying Ann Lee [of East Dereham parish] on 15 October 1817, at Scarning, Norfolk.
Ancestry have image of 1851 census where Philip [73] and Ann [67] are living in East Dereham.
Ancestry have image of Philip Perfrement buried Scarning 16 January 1867 aged 84. Was 18 years clerk of Scarning Parish.
William Knapp says she was christened March 1783, died 1807, buried East Dereham.
Ancestry have image of Sarah Perfrement buried 28 December 1807 at East Dereham, she was 23 so born c1784.
Taking a few of the children of the uncles and aunts (above):
William Knapp, vol. 2 p. 73, says in 1853 Henry was still alive, aged 76, living at Looe Down.
1851 census has Henry Borrow, head, widower, 72, farmer of 120 acres employing 6 labourers, born St. Cleer. Living Liskeard (area). His children are Nicholas 27, unmarried, born Liskeard, appears to be deaf and blind[?]; Henry 21 unmarried born Liskeard
Ancestry has probate: Henry Borrow, personal estate under £40,000. 19 August. The Will of Henry Borrow late of Truro in the County of Cornwall Gentleman who died 3 July 1880 at Truro was proved at the Principal Registry by the Reverend William Borrow of High Vicarage Bury St. Edmunds in the County of Suffolk Clerk the Son one of the executors. [So cousin Henry’s son was a minister who lived in Borrow’s old stomping group of Bury.]
William Knapp, vol. 2 p. 73, says in 1853 William was still alive, aged 69, living at Trethinnick. He was the son of (uncle) Henry and Temperance.
1851 census has William Borrow [transcribed as Barrow on Ancestry] living Trethinnick, Liskeard, head unmarried 66 farmer of 146[?] acres employing 8 labourers born St. Cleer. In the house is Elizabeth 60 unmarried his sister born St. Cleer.
William Knapp, vol. 2 p. 73, says in 1853 Thomas was still alive, aged 65, living at Lamellion. He was the son of (uncle) Henry and Temperance.
1851 census has Thomas Borrow living Lamellion, Liskeard, head married 63 farmer of 26 acres, born St. Cleer. In the house are Lahro[?] Borrow 63 wife, born Liskeard; John Borrow 23 son born St. Cleer.
Ancestry has a transcribed burial of Thomas Borrow, 22 June 1863 at St. Cleer.
William Knapp, vol. 2 p. 73, says in 1853 Elizabeth was still alive, aged 62, living at Trethinnick. She was the daughter of (uncle) Henry and Temperance.
In the 1851 census Elizabeth 60 unmarried born St. Cleer is living with her brother William (see above).
In the 1871 census she’s still at Trethinnick, St. Cleer, aged 80, head unmarried, of independent means, born St. Cleer
Ancestry have a transcribed burial of Elizabeth Borrow, 5 January 1885 at St. Cleer.
William Knapp, vol. 2 p. 73, says in 1853 Nicholas was still alive, aged 60, living at Trethinnick. He was the son of (uncle) Henry and Temperance.
1851 census has him living Trethinnick aged 67 head married farming jointly with a brother 286 acres employing 2 labourers and 4 boys, born St. Cleer. Other in the house are Elizabeth Borrow 59 wife born Liskeard; Nicholas 27 son farmer’s son, born St. Seodd[?]; Thomas 26 son farmer’s son born St. Seodd[?]; John Borrow, son 23 butcher born St. Seodd[?]; Samuel Borrow 18 son farmer’s son born St. Cleer
William Knapp, vol. 2 p. 74, (uncle) Henry and Temperance’s daughter Ann Borrow married Robert Taylor of Penquite Farm (4 miles north-east of Liskeard).
Ancestry have a transcribed marriage of Anne Borrow to Robert Taylor, 21 May 1834 at St. Cleer.
1851 census has Anna [sic] Taylor 39 living Penquite Farm, St. Cleer, married to Robert 55 farmer of 250 acres employing 12 labourers; she was born Liskeard, he was born St. Cleer. They have children in census.
The 1891 census has Anne living in Liskeard, 79 widow, born Liskeard etc.
George Borrow and his Circle by Clements, cf. Chapter 1
Life, Writings and Correspondence of George Borrow by Knapp.