OSBORNE - HONEYSETT

My maternal, or distaff, great grandfather was Charles George Knight OSBORNE, (1854-1944). Born in West Maitland, NSW, he grew up and married a local girl, from the nearby town of Morpeth, named Lydia Jane MANSFIELD, (1861-1905), in West Maitland, in 1884.

Charles, Charlie, or 'Goey', as he was well-known, was one of two sons (that I know about - the third, being Thomas J, (1852-?)), of Isaac Thomas Knight OSBORNE, and Eliza Russell HONEYSETT, who were married in West Maitland, in 1851.

Isaac's ancestry is unknown, but I've heard it said that it may be possible he came to Australia, via Nova Scotia. Eliza's family goes back to the 1500s, in the English County of Sussex. Her family name, 'HONEYSETT', has had some variations over the years, as you will see in the following. The name comes from the Belgian, 'HANOZET', and literally translates as 'son of John'.

Eliza's father was Thomas Honeysett, (21/9/1811-17/7/1880). He married Elizabeth Ann RUSSELL, (24/6/1813-20/1/1896), in Burwash, Sussex, England. U.K. Elizabeth's father was Thomas RUSSELL, (19/6/1768 - ?). Thomas Russell's father was James RUSSELL, and his mother, Mary BALCOMBE, whose father was Richard and mother, Elizabeth CARTER. Thomas Russell married Mary Ann DANN, whose father was John, and mother, Elizabeth Mary CHANDLER.


Thomas' father was also Thomas, (1770-11/7/1842) who married Elizabeth HYLAND, (1777-28/11/1842), in Burwash. Thomas senior's father was John HONEYSETT, (30/12/1729-13/5/1775). John was born in Sandhurst, and baptised on 31st Aug. 1730. John married Mary CRUTTENDEN, (10/2/1729-1785), who was born in Benenden, U.K., on the 3rd Nov. 1762. Mary's father was John CRUTTENDEN, (1/2/1703-30/5/1792) and her mother was Mary POOLE, (1708-1787). John Cruttenden's father and mother were John CRUTTENDEN, (16/3/1678-31/12/1764), and Anne VENA, ( ? - 17/7/1743).

John Honeysett is buried alongside Mary, in Sandhurst.

Here, I'll digress for a little aside to the main story. A relative of mine, Tom Wynn, through this line of the family, sent me this information about the Honeysett family, of which, I was previously unaware. Tom also sent me a photo of a cottage in Dallington, Sussex, where John and Mary Honeysett were listed as tenants in 1766! The cottage is called, 'Flasket's Cottage', and is located in Baker's Lane. (Yes, that's big Tom in the photo!)

John Honeysett's father was, yes, you guessed it, John HONEYSETT, (1703-27/1/1780). John married Martha GREENSHIELD, (? -1785), and had 13 children! John was the first to have the name spelling of HONEYSETT. His father was David HENESETT, (25/3/1675-1749). David married Elizabeth RHODES, (? -8/9/1748), in Dallington.

David's father was Adrian HENESETT, (20/10/1633-21/5/1682), who married Susanna HOLLANDS, (1639-1702), from Hailsham, Sussex.

Adrian's father was Thomas HENESETT, (c.1600-2/12/1639) and his mother was Tamasin BLACKMAN, (? -25/5/1639). They were from Westfield and Ninfield, Sussex.

Thomas' father was Clement HENESIT, (14/2/1575-c.1616) - note the different spelling, and mother was Anne HUNT.

Clement's father was Peter HENESIT, (1540-9/1/1593), and mother, Clemens TOLE.


Many thanks to Tom Wynn for this information. Anyone wishing to know more about the Dann, Russell, Honeysett, Balcombes, Hylands and Testers families, in Australia, please contact Tom Wynn who runs a current database of all these families, click: < HERE >

see also: "My Distaff ancestory - Watson and Osborne".


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