In October 1833 it was announced in The London Gazette that the firm of Bray and Hitchins, of Tavistock, manganese miners and dealers, was to be dissolved with the retirement of two of the directors/partners, and that henceforth the remaining twelve directors/partners would continue to trade as Hutchins and Sons. Included in their number was one William Bennallack.
I am interested in William Bennallack, b c 1778, who migrated from Cornwall circa 1800 and from 1803 was raising his family in the Tavistock area. When he died in 1839 he was described as a miner. An attempt to identify other possible partners in 1841 has proved a fruitless exercise.
My first objective is to establish if there is any additional records/information which might determine if the two William Bennallacks were one and the same.
My second objective is to learn more about what would appear to have been a form of miners' co-operative.
Working from Pigot's Directory 1822-23 I believe I have identified four more of the partners.
Jehu Hitchins, snr. Mine Agent (closely associated with Wheal Crebor). Jehu Hitchins, jnr. Assayor Josiah Hugo Hutchins. Son/brother of above. John Vigus. Mining Agent.
In 1831 all the partners were named individually as petitioning creditors in a legal action involving Josiah Wood of Manchester, manganese dealer and chapman.
Apart from William Bennallack (1778-1837), wife Mary, and his son, William, born 1806, wife Susanna,is there any record of another similarly named individual living/working in the Tavistock area during the period 1820 - 1840?