| Subject: Re: George Hunn Nobbs |
Author:
Josef Nobbs
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Date Posted: 11:58:16 09/05/03 Fri
In reply to:
Joe Flynn
's message, "Re: George Hunn Nobbs" on 19:34:05 07/14/03 Mon
>Hi Muriel,
I read with interest your message regarding George Hunn Nobbs.
In the course of my own research I made a brief study of this 'gentleman' and it seemed that he had a very colourful background, hailing from both the Irish and English aristocracy and pursuing a distinguished naval career before settling on Pitcairn Island.
It appears that many of his descendants (I believe there is a descendant's society) pride themselves in having such a noble ancestor in their midst.
However, I am beginning to wonder as to the true identity of this 'gentleman'.
I have a suspicion that George Hunn Nobbs was not all he claimed to be. It is a distinct possibility that George Hunn Nobbs told some BIG fibs to impress the folks he came into contact with and conceal his true identity.
So far as I can see, it appears that all the accounts of George Hunn Nobbs's early life were his own accounts and I have seen no real provenance for any of his claims.
I fully expect he rose through the ranks of the navy and this is documented in the official records, but as for other sea-faring adventures I suspect these only existed in his own imagination.
The impression I have is that he was something of an opportunist and an adventurer and would have happily manipulated the truth to achieve his ambitions. I understand in searching out Pitcairn Island he was looking for a vulnerable small south sea island to 'control'.
But, the main contention concerns his antecedents.
There is a distinct possibility that the claim he made about his origins is a total fabrication to conceal the reality of his less than respectable background.
That his mother was a countess and his father a marquis is, I believe, a complete falsehood he propagated to serve his own ends, maybe even to help him up the greasy pole of his naval career.
George claimed he was the illegitimate son of Jemima Ffrench, countess of Moira (Ireland) by her lover Francis Rawdon Hastings, marquis of Hastings (England).
It seems that George was right about some things, he was certainly a bastard and his mother was called Jemima but she was no countess and his father was no marquis. Instead he was born illegitimate in Norfolk to an unmarried Norfolk lass called Jemima Hunn. I think his wayward father was a man called Nobbs. Jemima Hunn was the daughter of Edward Hunn and Jemima Hunn nee Lowe. I suspect that George was baptised George Hunn but later assumed his natural father's surname Nobbs retaining Hunn as his middle name. No doubt he entered the navy and concocted a story of much more respectable beginnings to help him get ahead as it were. I suspect this kind of embellishment of the truth was used throughout his life to give him an advantage over his fellow man.
It seems to me inconceivable that if George's version was true, that a man with such a noble lineage and aristocratic parentage would take the name of an obscure Norfolk family like Nobbs which just happened to be the name of the family he lodged with in Norfolk. It just doesn't add up. Surely he could have come up with something better which would have had some suggestion of a noble heritage.
I'd be interested in the thoughts of any readers or descendants with an interest in George Hunn Nobbs - what is the truth of all this - is there anyone out there interested in discovering it ! I can fully understand the desire for colourful and aristocratic ancestors but what really matters is to discover the truth, however disappointing this might be. Anything else is pure fantasy.
Josef Nobbs
>
>Hello Muriel, you'll find all the info. you need in
>this biography:
>
>'George Hunn Nobbs 1799 – 1884, Chaplain on Pitcairn
>and Norfolk Islands'.
>
>By Raymond Nobbs, Published by the Pitcairn
>Descendants Society of Norfolk Island, 1984.
>
>Cheers, Joe.
>
>
>
>>Hi, my name is muriel lowther, i'm enquiring on
>>information about my ancestor, george Hunn Nobbs,as he
>>is a descendant from my mother's side of the family.
>>She is a Nobbs, from Norwich Norfolk England. "I would
>>like to know where he was originally from, before he
>>came to Pitcairne Island?"I am also a descendant of
>>Charles Chase Raymond Nobbs."Is there any information
>>about him also?" If anyone could help me on
>>information about them, and their ancestors, before
>>they came to Pitcairne and Norfolk Island, it would be
>>very much appreciated. Thanking you, Muriel Lowther.
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