Genealogy
From Stephen & Anne Carkeek of Redruth, Cornwall — tracing one branch of the family across the Atlantic
The Redruth Branch
Our traceable family line begins with Stephen Carkeek and his wife Anne Maxfield, who lived in Redruth, Cornwall in the early 19th century. They had at least nine children, born into the height of Cornwall's great mining era. The family name "Maxfield" — preserved in the middle name of their son William Maxfield Carkeek — provides a useful identifier for this branch of the family in the records.
Of their nine children, several emigrated during the great Cornish diaspora, scattering the family across North America, Australia, and beyond. This page traces the line through their son John Carkeek, whose descendants eventually settled in North America.
The Journey
John Carkeek's journey from Redruth to Toronto followed a well-worn path taken by thousands of Cornish families in the 1840s. The typical route was by sailing vessel from Falmouth or Plymouth to New York or Quebec, then westward by canal and lake steamer to the rapidly growing city of Toronto.
Toronto in 1847 was a city of around 20,000 people, growing rapidly as an entrepôt for immigrants heading further west. The city had a sizeable Cornish community, as many miners passed through or settled there. John's second marriage in Toronto — to Eliza on 7 August 1847 — suggests he had been in Canada for some time before this date, possibly since the early 1840s.
Help Us Fill the Gaps
Our family research is ongoing. There are significant gaps — particularly around John Carkeek's life in Canada after 1847, and the generations that follow. If you are a descendant of John Carkeek, or have records relating to any of Stephen and Anne's children, we would be very grateful to hear from you.
Do you have documents, photographs, stories, or records relating to the Carkeek family? Every piece of information helps build a more complete picture for all descendants.
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