The Dominey Clan From 1740
Started from notes given to John Robert Dominey By his
father Arthur Jabez Dominey (1886 – 1978)
The Dominey family originated, as far as is known, around Yeovil and
Chard in Somerset. Certainly they
were there early in the 17th century.
My Great, Great, Great Grandfather Jon
(could be short for Jonathon or John) was born near Yeovil, Somerset
around 1740 and moved to near Southampton at about 1760 where he worked
in the building trade.
He quarreled
with another fellow over a girl known as “Belle of Purley” (presumably this
is related to the area near Southampton now known as Dibden-Purlieu) and eloped
to marry at Gretna Green in 1764. Nothing
is known beyond this date but it is believed that he returned to Southampton
about 1790 with his family.
My Great, Great Grandfather Samuel
(known as “Old Sam”) was born in Northumberland about 1780.
He returned to
the Southampton area with his parents and eventually entered the building trade
with his sons Samuel Jnr. And William. They
worked for many years building on Southampton common.
My Great Grandfather Samuel
(1809 – 1899) was born on the outskirts of Southampton.
Married to Sarah (Maiden name
unknown) in 1835. They had 4
children:-
Elizabeth - born in 1837 and
subsequently married, at Aston (presumably Birmingham) to Tom Sutton, a painter
and decorator).
John Jabez (my Grandfather) 1840-1930.
George (b. Ó1842) - Emigrated to America
in 1861 and settled in Massachusetts.
Polly (Mary we suppose) born 1845
– Married William Milne (Chief Civil Armourer of India) in 1869 and lived in
Calcutta thereafter,
My Grandfather John
Jabez (1840 – 1930) was born in Birmingham.
He was married twice, although the the name of his first wife is not
known. He was re-married in 1880 to
my Grandmother Fanny Draper who died
in 1906.
Family (first wife)
Selina
(1865 – 1925)
Ernest
(1868 – 1948) – Married Alice in 1894. 2 children:-
Ernest (b.1897) and Elsie
(1900 - Ó1956)
Matilda
(Tilly) (1870 – 1964) – Married
David Layton in 1892.
4 children:-
Dorothy (1894 – 1961); David
(b.1896); Robert (1902 – 67);
Ada (1872 – 1940) who married
Dan E. Cooper in 1902.
They
had 3 children:-
Eugene Daniel (b.1903); Ralph
(b.1905); Gilbert (b.1907)
The
family emigrated to Tasmania in 1920 and as far as we are aware any descendants
are still there (we did have a visit from a Tom
at the family home “UPTON WOLD” in the very early 1970’s).
Family (second
wife)
Eva
(1882 – 1940) Presumably a victim of the 2nd World War.
Gertrude
(1884 – 1972) – Married in 1906 to W
J Hulton. 4 children:-
John
(1907 – 1921); Ilma (b.1920); Una
; Barbara
Arthur Jabez (my father) (1886 –
1978) Married in 1921 to Alice Tubbs
(d.1958)
2 children:- Joyce Avril (b.1923) and John
Roger (1931- 1983)
Re-married in 1960 to my mother, Queenie
Victoria Audas (Nee
Elliot)
giving rise to myself, Alan Grant Dominey
(b.1960) and my brother Kevin Charles
Dominey (b.1961).
Rose
(1888 – 1966) Married in 1936 to Cyril
Greenway (d.1957).
Herbert (1892 – 1958) Married in
1929 to Alice Hayward.
A son, John (b.1931)
Married
Janet in 1964 and had 3 children;
Jane (b.1965
In
Kings Norton); Peter (b.1969 in Hertfordshire; and
Michael (b.1974 in Buckinghamshire.
During
the 2nd World War (1943) my father was working for the Adiralty in
Bath when he was visited by a
Captain
William Dominey from Texas USA.
He claimed that his forebears could be traced back to the Pilgrim
Fathers, hence he had looked up my father while in “the old country”.
However, I have checked the passenger lists for The Mayflower and no
Domineys appear (it could be that his mothers ancestors were aboard and that his
surname actually comes from the other US line whose original family name in
Germany was DAMINIG). Cap’n
Dominey also looked-up an old gentleman in Chard, Somerset who was, then,
between 97 and 98 years old.
We know little or nothing at the moment of any brothers or sisters prior
to 1800, we do know that Jon and
“Old Sam” had brothers but information on the female side is totally
lacking.
Another point of interest is that a Captain
W. Dominey, Master Mariner was lost at sea in 1862 and a memorial
stone (which my father saw about 1908) was erected in Ringwood cemetery,
Hampshire. When my father visited in 1950 he could not find it but, it may have
been moved to another spot. Obviously
he must have been a cousin to my Great Grandfather Samuel
Jnr. My father also remembered
“Old Uncle George” (who lived near Bristol) visiting his family at LADYWOOD
(this, I assume was the family home in Birmingham) in 1890, this must have been
Samuel Jnrs. brother.
My father came across many Domineys from Cornwall to Sussex in his
limited investigations into family history, some spelt the same, others with
variations such as DOMINY or DOMONEY. Some
were interested in possible family connections – others did not even want to
know, such as a butcher in Weymouth.
Since I have started to try and complete the arduous task started by my
father and half-brother, I have come across a couple of people in the USA
interested also in the Dominey Surname one of these is a Chuck Lewis, who I
believe is connected with the DAMINIG line and the other, more recent is a
Eugene Dominey about whom, at present I know even less (but that is sure to
change). I received an e-mail from
Chuck over Christmas 1999 to inform me that he had found another Dominey, this
one being a Captain
John Domini or Dominy who was, apparently, married to the LAST
Queen of the Hawaiian Islands.
More
to follow soon - I hope
I
can be contacted at:
alan_dominey@hotmail.com
Personal e-mail
or
alan.dominey@gecm.com
work e-mail