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