FAMILY LORE

January 28, 2024

#52Ancestors 2024

JANE SAMPSON AND THE MENZIES MYSTERY:

UNRAVELING FAMILY FOLKLORE

THE FAMILY FOLK LORE OF THE HARRY FAMILY

In the tapestry of family histories, there's often a thread of connection to greatness—a touch of what we fondly term "folklore." It's the kind of tale passed through generations, a captivating story that becomes part of the fabric of our lineage. My family, like many others, boasts such a tale—a remarkable connection to a famous figure, in this case, Sir Robert Gordon Menzies the 12^th and longest serving Australian Prime Minister, who over two terms in office was in the role for 18yrs). This story has been handed down, generation to generation, an enticing narrative that captured our collective imagination.

Jane Sampson, born in 1822 in Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, ENGLAND. Described as a stern yet loving mother, she stood alongside her husband, Joseph Harry, the patriarch of a burgeoning family. Their journey led them from Cornwall to Australia in 1849, a tale marked by eleven children, including their first son, James, whose life sadly started and ended in Cornwall.

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE JANE SAMPSON TO JOSEPH HARRY

The story, perpetuated through the years, found its roots with John Sampson Harry, who passed it down to his son Wes Harry. Wes documented it in a family history, shared with our cousin Peter R., whose distribution to the descendants of Joseph Harry Jnr in the 1980s cemented its place in our family lore. The captivating narrative proclaimed that Jane’s brother, John Sampson, was none other than the grandfather of Robert Gordon Menzies—a claim that left us awe-struck. We were kin to a Prime Minister of Australia! I spent years of immersing myself in the history of Menzies, to find the connection that had been claimed.

Doubts continued to linger. A persistent question gnawed at the edges of my understanding—why was Jane Sampson not recorded as John Sampson's sister in Menzies family archives? The geographical distance, with John Sampson’s father in Penzance and Jane living in Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, added another layer of confusion.

Peter R., armed with curiosity and a thirst for truth ordered Jane and Joseph Harry’s wedding certificate—which revealed Jane’s father as Thomas Harry, this was clearly not John Sampson's father, as he was named John Sampson. The myth that bound their stories together began to unravel.

JANE SAMPSON AND ELIZABETH SAMPSON 1841 UK CENSUS

A pivotal breakthrough occurred through a DNA match traced back to Jane Sampson’s sister, Elizabeth Sampson. This revelation, coupled with a check of the 1841 UK Census, placed Jane and Elizabeth side by side in Perranuthnoe, Cornwall, ENGLAND. The family's acceptance of the Menzies connection, may have been fuelled by a perceived resemblance, was understandable yet rooted in a tale of distant relatives rather than direct siblings.

This story, however, remains incomplete. The Sampson family may indeed share distant ties with Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, but the intricate details of this connection remain unexplored and is on my bucket list.