Thomas FROUDE and Isabella GIBSON

Thomas FROUDE was born on the 21^st March 1796 at Dartmouth, Devon, England and christened 10th April 1796 at Dartmouth.

Dartmouth had long been valued for its deep water harbour. There's evidence of trading with Europe in Neolithic times and a settlement on the banks of the Dart even earlier. The harbour was well known in Europe. So when an invasion force of 13,000 English, Scots, Norman, German, Flemish and Frisian crusaders gathered for the Second Crusade in 1147, 164 ships assembled in Dartmouth. Later in that century, in 1190, 37 ships left Dartmouth to join Richard I, The Lionheart, on the Third Crusade.  Dartmouth Castle is shown below.

It was a home of the English navy since the reign of Edward III and was twice surprised and sacked during the Hundred Years' War, after which the mouth of the estuary was closed every night with a great chain. The narrow mouth of the Dart is protected by two fortified castles, Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle.  Kingswear Castle is in the foreground below with Dartmouth Castle across the other side of the Dartmouth Harbour entrance.

Ever since, Dartmouth has been a major naval port, so it is hardly surprising that Thomas FROUDE became a Master Mariner. It is hard to understand why anyone would leave such an idyllic town, but for Thomas the reason was Isabella GIBSON whom he met in Belfast, Antrim, Ireland. The two were married in Belfast about 1825.

Seven children are known for this family.

1. John FROUDE born about 1826 in Belfast, who married Jane Berry MILLER in about 1856 in Belfast, and then came to New Zealand. See here.
2. Thomas FROUDE born July 1827 in Belfast and christened 25 July 1827. Thomas married Sarah McCAULEY in Belfast on the 18^th February 1851. They moved to Salford, Lancashire, England in 1871. Their oldest son Robert moved to New Zealand. See here.
3. David FROUDE born February 1830 in Belfast and christened at St Anne’s Parish Church, Belfast on the 17^th February 1830. He married Margaret Jane AGNEW on the 3 November 1856 in Belfast. The family came to New Zealand. See here.
4. Sarah FROUDE was born on the 23^rd August 1832 in Belfast and christened 24^th August 1832 at St Anne’s Parish Church. She married James MONTGOMERY in Belfast but the date is unknown.
5. Jane FROUDE was born about 1836 in Belfast and married John NEILL in Belfast on the 14^th May 1856.
6. Robert FROUDE was born about 1837 in Belfast and moved to New Zealand where he married Priscilla WHITE in Auckland on the 15^th October 1862. See here.
7. Mary Ann Gibson FROUDE was born in Belfast about 1841 and married Samuel JORDAN in Belfast on the 23^rd July 1862. See here.

A modern view of Belfast Harbour.

 

 

The Origins Of The First Four FROUDE Families In New Zealand

All four families trace back to John FROUDE and Margaret BURGOIN who married 6 Jan 1774 at Cornworthy near Dartmouth, Devon. John is thought to have been born about 1750 and Margaret about 1751. Margaret was christened Margaret BURGOIN 24 September 1751 at Stoke Fleming, Devon. Sometimes the surname was spelt FRUDE or FRUID rather than FROUDE.

     

They had nine known children.

 1. Elizabeth FROUDE was born about 1774, christened 6 Mar 1774 Cornworthy, Devon and married William DODD on the 9^th April 1802 at Dartmouth.
2. John FROUDE, born about 1775, christened 1776 at Cornworthy, and married Margaret ELEMS in Dartmouth on the 6^th November 1810.
3. Samuel FROUDE was born about 1781 at Dartmouth. He was christened 3^rd June 1781in Dartmouth.
4. Robert FROUDE born about 1784 and Christened on the 5^th September 1784 in Dartmouth. He married Mary BARTLETT on the 6^th. January 1807 in Dartmouth.
5. Margaret (Peggy ) FROUDE was born about 1786 and christened on the 3^rd December 1786 in Dartmouth.
6. Mary Burgoyne FROUDE born about 1789 and christened on 4 October 1789 at Dartmouth. She married John BRIEN at Dartmouth on the 7 March 1816.
7. Sarah FROUDE born about 1792 and christened 27 May 1792 at Dartmouth.
8. Thomas FROUDE born 21 Mar 1796 at Dartmouth and christened 10^th April 1796 at Dartmouth. He married Isabella Gibson about 1825 in Belfast
9. Jane Randell Burgoyne FROUDE was born 9^th September 1798 at Dartmouth and was christened 9^th September 1798 at Dartmouth. She married John PROBERT on the 31^st May 1842 at St Pauls in Auckland. See here.

Dartmouth 

Now Thomas FROUDE became a Master Mariner and by 1825 had ended up living in Belfast, Antrim, Ireland, where he married Isabella GIBSON.  See here.