The Goninan Family

The Goninan Family

As far as we know, the Goninan Family roots are in Cornwall. Certainly it is a very rare name. Spellings vary of course but the earliest written reference to the name is to be found in the burial register of Breage Parish Church in Cornwall. This entry appears in 1582:-

Jeneta uxor Johis Gonenan

Translated this means, I think, Janet (or Jane) wife of John Gonenan. This particular spelling is rare but it is almost certainly the family name. The family name is also found in the Protestations of 1641. This was when the House of Commons, in an attempt to show that the Country was united, required all adult males to pledge their allegiance to the King, Parliament and the (Protestant) Church of England. In the Parish of Breage in Cornwall the name of Peter Goninin is recorded and then in 1660 in the poll tax records we find the names of Peter Goninnan and wife, Richard Goninnan and wife, Thomas Goninnan and wife and Faith Goninnan.

Given that few folk could read and write it is not surprising that we find variable spellings of the name. I guess the spellings recorded depended on the whim of the person actually writing down the name. In fact it's not unusual to see a father and son's name recorded differently (eg Goninan and Goninon). Eventually three main spellings emerged. The accepted spelling in the UK is Goninan. This spelling is also found in Australia and the States but the branch of the family that settled in Wisconsin spell their name Goninen and the descendants of the branch of the family that settled in Tasmania, spell their name Goninon.

By the first census in the UK in 1841, four main branches of the family have become established. At that time there were just 39 people in the world with the name Goninan most of them living in Cornwall:-

The Gwithian branch (17)

Mary Goninan and her remaining unmarried children, Matthew, John, Henry, William and Jennifer

Edward (Mary's eldest son) and his wife Catherine and their children Edward, Richard and John

Richard (Mary's son) and his first wife Bessy and their children Elizabeth, Mary, Richard and Jane.

All of these were living in Connor Downs in the Gwithian Parish except for William who was lodging in St Just

The St Just branch (9)

William Goninan in Penzance with his daughter Jane

William (son of the above) and Jane Goninan and their children William, Alfred and Edward (living in St Just)

William's brother Josiah (serving in the army)

Peter Goninan in Madron workhouse

The Helston Branch (6)

Edward and Honour Goninan and their sons Edward and Henry (living in Helston)

Henry and Ann Goninan living in London (believed to be of the Helston branch)

The Perranuthnoe branch (7)

Richard and Ann Goninan and their daughter Elizabeth (living in Sithney)

Their son Richard and his wife Letitia and their children Eliza Ann and John William living in the Parish of Phillack (in 1842 they went to New Zealand before settling in Australia)

For more information contact John Saunders email lanner1970@outlook.com or follow these links:-

Goninan Family Tree