The North East Branch
Origins
The current top of Tree 1002 are John Pluck and his wife Lucy Chambless who were married in 1812 at St Leonard's Shoreditch. They had at least eight children between 1813 and 1829. The eldest, John, was baptised in 1813 at Ponder's End Independent church and the rest at the parish church of St Andrew's in Enfield.
Nothing else is known at present about John Snr and his origins. It is possible that he is PL412 in Tree 4 who was baptised in Arkesden on 23 September 1787, and about whom nothing else is known.
The next generation
John and Lucy's eldest child, also John, probably married, although no record of his marriage, or of his wife, has been found. There is no doubt about his parentage because his Non-Conformist baptism record is explicit about his parents. He had a son, Thomas, who was born in Ponders End around 1837 and went to Yorkshire fairly early in his working life - he married Mary Ann Cawthorne in Eston Parish Church in 1860. They had a least five children who gave rise to the Yorkshire branch of the Plucks which comprises the bulk of this tree. Dave Pluck has a copy of Thomas and Mary Ann's marriage certificate in which Thomas' father is recorded as John Pluck, a joiner.
Their third son, Charles, married Millicent Russell in London in 1845. In 1855 they emigrated on an assisted (£5) passage to Australia. After the occasional brush with the law, a touch of lunacy, and some bad parenting, this Australian branch settled down into respectability. A grandson of Charles and Millicent married in Sydney in 1900, was sentenced to twelve months for housebreaking in 1901, and then emigrated to New Zealand where two children were born.
The two youngest daughters, Eleanor and Catherine Louisa both married in Paddington.
PL No | Surname | Forenames | Notes |
| 0992 | CAWTHORN | Mary Ann | C1861; C1871; C1881; C1901; C1911; married 50 years, five children, all living. |
| 1012 | DINNIS | Mary Ann | C1901; C1911: married 27 years, 8 children 6 still living. Her mother, Jane Elizabeth Dinnis, 83, widow, is living with the family. There is a birth record in the GRO index which probably belongs to Mary Ann: Q4 1863, DENNIS, Mary Ann, Guisbro, 9d, 429. The Guisboro RD includes Eston. |
| 1173 | DOWNES | Mary Hannah | C1911: 38, born Leeds, married ten years, no children. |
| 1008 | EDWARDS | Nellie | C1911: married 4 years, 3 children, 3 living. |
| 4398 | HINCKS | Ann Emily | Her death in Newcastle needs confirmation as it is some way from Sydney. However, her daughter, Clarice, married in Gloucester, which is even further north. |
| 4079 | MITCHELL | Isabella M | No children found. |
| 0999 | MOORE | Sarah Anne | C1891; C1901; C1911: married 29 years, 8 children, 5 living. |
| 1175 | PERRIN | Nellie | No children found. |
| 0996 | PLUCK | Alfred Theodore | C1871: 5, scholar; C1881: 15, apprentice joiner; |
| 4404 | PLUCK | Amorelle | Name sometimes spelled Plucke. |
| 1009 | PLUCK | Arthur Cawthorn | C1911. |
| 0994 | PLUCK | Arthur Sidney | C1871: 9, scholar; C1881: 19, bricklayer; C1891: married, bricklayer; C1901: bricklayer; C1911: bricklayer. |
| 0991 | PLUCK | Catherine Louisa | Catherine appears to have been baptised twice: (1) At St Andrew, Enfield, on 8 March 1829, parents: John & Lucy (source: LDS transcription on microfilm) and (2) at Dulwich, St Barnabas in Southwark on the same day. The latter is an image of the parish register which clearly shows: 8 March 1829; Catherine Louisa daughter of John & Lucy Pluck Ponders End a Carpenter. T Bramly, Curate. It is not easy to explain this since it doesn't appear to have happened with the seven younger children. She has reversed the order of her names to Louisa Catherine on her marriage certificate. Henry was a coachman. |
| 0986 | PLUCK | Charles | The 1851 census of Thorney, Cambridgeshire, shows Millicent with her parents and two sons. There was no sign of her husband, Charles, anywhere in the 1851 census. The family travelled to Australia on the Samuel Boddington, arriving on 16 Feb 1855. 1855: A List of Immigrants on Ancestry clearly identifies Charles' parents as John & Lucy living in London and Millicent's parents as Robert and Jane living in Thorney. They were £5 POMs. The following is an entry in the Darlinghurst (New South Wales) Gaol Description & Entry Book for January 1866: Chas. Pluck, Age 49. Arrived in Australia in 1854. Born in Middlesex. Can read and write. Protestant. Lunatic. He was baptised in February 1818 so this entry fits him well as does the place of birth. I suspect that he was in gaol, not because he had committed a crime, but because there was nowhere else to incarcerate a 'lunatic' who was either disorderly or potentially violent. No record found after 1866. |
| 4375 | PLUCK | Charles Frederick Russell | He seems to have been in trouble with the law from an early age. The NSW Gaol Description & Entry Books, 1818-1930 has: 29 Nov 1882; No 685; Charles Pluck; committed by J Mair JP on 28 Nov 1882 to Maitland. Offence: stealing a watch, sentenced to 1 month in prison, discharged 27 December 1882. The NSW Gaol Description & Entrance Books for the same year records: Charles Pluck (alias Charles Brooklyn) age 14, born Sydney NSW; 'vessel arrived in ' N C; date of admission, 1882; gaol, Maitland; CofE; laborer; height 4'6-1/2', medium make, fresh complexion, brown hair, grey eyes, read & writes. Almost 20 years later the NSW Police Gazette of 12 April 1916 records: Charles Frederick Russel Pluck, charged with indecently assaulting Robert Begg, has been arrested by Constable Woods, Hamilton Police. Committed for trial at Newcastle Sessions. Bail allowed. He was tried later: the Index to Quarter Sessions Criminal Cases, Sydney & Country, 1913-1922 records: Charles Frederick Russell Pluck was tried at Newcastle on the 2nd of May 1916 and the NSW Police Gazette of 17 May 1916 records the outcome: Return of prisoners tried at the different Circuit Courts and courts of Quarter Sessions.: Charles Frederick Russell Pluck: Offence: Indecent assault on a male person; On whom comitted: Robert Begg; Where & when tried: Newcastle Q.S. 2 May 1916; Sentence: Acquitted on the grounds of insanity. Ordered to be detained in custody until the Governer's pleasure be known. The only other records of Charles are in the electoral rolls: The 1930 Electoral Roll for Newcastle, NSW has: Charles Russell and Ethel Jean Pluck of 47 Lindsay Street, Hamilton, storeman. They are both at the same address in 1937. This (apart from the birth of a son) is the only record I have found that refers to a possible wife. He died in 1941. |
| 4373 | PLUCK | Charles William | Emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1855. There is an Ancestry tree Ancestry tree (shazsullivan01) which shows a death in 1900 but provides no source. |
| 1001 | PLUCK | Edith Newbiggin | C1891: 6, scholar; C1901; C1911. |
| 0990 | PLUCK | Eleanor | The marriage certificate records that Eleanor's father was John Pluck, a carpenter. L Pluck (her mother?) was a witness. The groom's occupation was grocer. C1861: Eleanor's birthplace was Ponders End, she has a 3 month old daughter. |
| 1003 | PLUCK | Ernest Sidney | Ernest married his first cousin, Florence Pluck. C1891; C1901; C1911: bricklayer's labourer. |
| 4064 | PLUCK | Ernie Cawthorne | When I found this record in the GRO index I assumed that Ernie was a male (i.e. an Ernest). However, when looking at the marriage record in the GRO index I initially thought that I had stumbled across an early example of a gay marriage because Ernie had married Michael J Murphy. However, this was in 1939. It didn't take long to establish that Michael was not in fact a Michaela - a quick check in the birth index produced a record for a David EW Murphy, born in 1941, mother's maiden name Pluck. So Ernie must have been a member of the fairer sex. Her death record established that the C in Ernie C was Cawthorne. |
| 1015 | PLUCK | Florence | C1901; C1911: a housemaid. |
| 0997 | PLUCK | Frederick Nicholas Cawthorn | C1871; C1881: 11, scholar: C1901; C1911: fitter's labourer at steel works, 41, unmarried. |
| 4372 | PLUCK | Frederick Russell | Emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1855. This is probably our man - to the best of my knowledge there wasn't another Frederick Pluck in Eastern Australia at that time - he would have been aged 18. The NSW Police Gazette for 7 February 1866 records: Frederick Pluck, charged, on warrant, with absconding from the hired service of R S McDougal, Bellinger River, has been arrested by Constable Brassington, Kempsey Police. Fined 20s, or 24 hours in the lock-up. |
| 4384 | PLUCK | George Alfred | He was sentenced to 12 months in Goulburn Gaol for house breaking on 26 March 1901. [See the Gallery section for his 'mugshots' and more detail of his sentence]. He subsequently went to New Zealand where two children were born. |
| 4405 | PLUCK | George Russell | No marriage or death records found. |
| 1017 | PLUCK | Harry Vincent | C1911: 13, at school. |
| 4402 | PLUCK | Herbert R | From NSW Register of Inquests, 1821-1937. 10 August 1898. Herbert Russell Pluck; 6 months; Sydney. Autopsy: Glebe Hospital, Glebe. We found that the said Herbert Russell Pluck at the Childrens Hospital Glebe in the District of Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales on the 9th day of August 1898 died from failure of the hearts action whilst under chloroform for a surgical operation. We further find that the chloroform was properly administered and that after unfavourable symptoms manifested themselves every effort was made to restore animation. |
| 1010 | PLUCK | Hilda Cawthorn | C1911: 8 months. |
| 1031 | PLUCK | Jean Winifred | Died of scarlet fever. |
| 1035 | PLUCK | Joan Margaret | The Q2 1932 GRO birth index has a manuscript footnote: *Pluck, Joan M. Carroll, Cleveland, see D46 [i.e. December quarter 1946]. This implies that the entry which was found in the December quarter of 1946 is a late entry and the birth actually took place in the second quarter of 1932. Presumably someone needed a birth certificate copy for Joan when she got to the age of 14 and it was only then that it was realised that her birth had not been registered. |
| 0984 | PLUCK | John | No marriage has been found for John. No census records have been found. No death record has been found. There is no doubt about his parentage - his non-conformist baptism record is very clear. |
| 1036 | PLUCK | John | A possible marriage: Q4 1956, Middlesborough = Handy. |
| 1019 | PLUCK | John Edward | C1911: 8, at school. |
| 4376 | PLUCK | Leonard Russell | There is an entry for Leonard Pluck in the NSW Register for the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children, 1852-1915. It does not give much information - the date (1 Feb 1882), his name, his age (5 years and 5 months), a note that he has come from R.A. (Randwick Asylum?), having spent 12 months at Randwick. He was 'discharged to the Boarding Out Office' on 25 March 1885, aged 8 years 6 months. There is no indication why he is there and the other members of his family were not. Perhaps he was 'difficult' physically or mentally? [see also the record of his younger brother, Walter, who was deserted by his mother when he was only 4 years old.]. He is listed in a number of NSW Electoral Rolls. In 1930 he and ?his wife, Mary, were living at 8 Chatham Street in Randwick East, South Sydney and working as a hotel employee. In 1954 he is at 43 Asquith Avenue, Rosebury, Cook with Margaret (2nd wife, or ? daughter) and Grace Edith, a clerk and possibly dughter. The same three are in Manoubra North, Watson, in 1943 |
| 1013 | PLUCK | Mabel Cawthorne | C1901; C1911: working as a cook in the Rectory at Bridlington. |
| 4399 | PLUCK | Militson Russsell | There is a death notice in the Sydney Morning Herald of 21 July 1882: PLUCK - July 19, at her parents'residence, Egan Street, Newtown, Millotson Russell, dearly beloved infant daughter of Reginald and Ann Pluck, aged 10 months.I |
| 4380 | PLUCK | Millicent C | Seven or more children. |
| 4396 | PLUCK | Millotson Ann | Willotson Ann in birth index, Millotson A in death Index. |
| 1000 | PLUCK | Minnie Gertrude | C1891: 8, scholar, with grandparents; C1901: teacher; C1911: school teacher, 28, unmarried. 'Minnie became a teacher at Pochin Rd infant school, Grangetown, and was well liked by pupils, parents and staff. Unfortunately she was killed after being struck by a Jaguar car at the junction of Thrush Road and West Dyke Road in Redcar. She was remembered by the installation of a stained glass window at the school' (info Walter Leonard and Louisa Pluck via Dave Pluck). From National Probate Calendar, 1937: PLUCK, Minnie Gertrude of 22 Bolckow-terrace Grangetown Yorkshire, spinster, died 14 January 1937 at Redcar Yorkshire. Administration: Durham 18 March to Sarah Ann Pluck widow. Effects £327 19s 9d. |
| 4063 | PLUCK | Nellie Henwood | C1911: age 2. |
| 4378 | PLUCK | Percy Herbert | 1930 Electoral Roll; Goulburn NSW, at 37 Montague Street, departmental manager, with wife, Annie Elizabeth. 1936 & 1937 Electoral Roll; Belmore NSW, at 171 Canterbury Road, shopkeeper, with wife Anne Elizabeth. |
| 1020 | PLUCK | Ralph | C1901: 5, at school. |
| 4394 | PLUCK | Reginald C | In the Australia Birth Index record his parents are shown as Charles and Millotson. The C in his name almost certainly stands for Chambless - his maternal grandmother's surname. It is also recorded as Champley and Champness. |
| 4388 | PLUCK | Reginald Charles | 1930 Electoral Roll: North Sydney: living at Roslyn, Smith Road, Artarmon: Thomas Reginald, carrier; Jane, home duties; Reginald Charles, articled clerk. 1931 Electoral Roll: North Sydney: living at 60 Chelmsford Avenue, Roseville: Reginald Charles, solicitor ,and Hazel, home duties. 1949 Electoral Roll, now living at 6 Fern Street, Pymble. 1963 Electoral Roll: Sydney and Hazel now at 211 Elizabeth Street, Hyde Park, West Sydney. |
| 0993 | PLUCK | Thomas | C1861: married, 26, traffic clerk; C1871: 35, foreman of iron works; C1881: traffic agent at iron works; C1901: iron works foreman; C1911: pensioned calcined burner foreman. |
| 1002 | PLUCK | Thomas Arthur | C1891: 5, scholar; C1901; C1911: married, bricklayer (blast furnace). |
| 0995 | PLUCK | Thomas Henry | C1871: 7, scholar; C1881: 17, blacksmith's striker; C1901: blacksmith; C1911: blacksmith, steel works |
| 4377 | PLUCK | Thomas Reginald | NSW Police Gazette of 3 April 1889: 'Balmain. A warrant has been issued by the Balmain Bench for the arrest of Thomas Pluck, charged with assaulting Susanna Jorgenson of Balmain, on the 12th ultimo. He is about 21 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, medium build, clean shaven, dark hair, a labourer'. 1930 Electoral Roll: North Sydney: living at Roslyn, Smith Road, Artarmon: Thomas Reginald, carrier; Jane, home duties; Reginald Charles, articled clerk; and at 18 Smith Road (? same address): Annie Ellaline, stenographer. In 1931 we have Thomas Reginald, Jane and Annie - all at no 18. 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1943: no change. 1949: same address, but only Thomas and Annie. No marriage or death records found. |
| 4382 | PLUCK | Walter | From the NSW Police Gazette of 24 June 1885: Newtown: A warrant has been issued by the Newtown Bench for the arrest of Elizabeth Pluck, charged with unlawfully deserting her child, Walter Pluck, aged 4 years, leaving him without means of support. She is about 35 years of age, 5 feet 3 or 4 inches high, medium build, brown hair, fresh complexion, shabbily dressed. Supposed to have gone to Newcastle about a fortnight ago. No marriage or death record found. |
| 1006 | PLUCK | Walter Moore | C1901; C1911: grocer's errand boy. |
| 0998 | PLUCK | Walter Newbeggin | C1881: 5, scholar; C1911: 35, b. Grangetown, married 10 years, clerk in steel works, no children. |
| 1016 | PLUCK | William Dinnis | C1901; C1911: 16, messenger in steel works. |
| 4371 | RUSSELL | Millicent | Emigrated to Australia in 1855. An Ancestry tree (nmercieca) gives her death as 1875 in Newtown NSW but provides no source. There is some confusion about her name. It is Millicent in the GRO marriage index and in Crisp's Marriage Licence Index, but Millotson in the baptismal record of her son Frederick Russell. Her parents are probbly Robert Russell and Jane Bradshaw who married in Thorney on 19 Nov 1811. |
| 4374 | WALSH | Eliza Josephine | There is an Ancestry Tree (shazsullivan01) which gives her birth as 1846 in Sydney but provides no source. See also the records for her son, Leonard, who was placed in The Randwick Asylum for Destitute children at the age of 5, and her son Walter, who she deserted at the age of four. |
| 4386 | [PLUCK] | Ethel Jean | The only record of Ethel is in the electoral rolls. She was listed with Charles between 1930 and 1937. She was alone, at the same address, in 1943 - Charles having died. No marriage record found. There is an entry for an Ethel JANE Pluck in Index to Deceased Estates Files, 1923-1958. This gives the date of death as '13:3:46', the address as 'Hamilton' and a figure of '£2738' which is probably the size of the estate. There is no further information. |
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Dave Pluck for his help in compiling the Yorkshire branch of this tree.
