Family Branch: Bristol

The DEVONPORT, HENNOCK and (possibly also) TIVERTON branches of the family come from Hennock parish. However, the Pinsents were equally well established in the neighbouring parish of Bovey Tracey in mediaeval times. Some of the present family lines can probably be traced back there. However, there are gaps in the parish record and their linkages break down in the 1700s. There are countless Pinsents born and/or married and buried in Bovey Tracey still waiting to be assigned to a tree. 

The Bristol family can be traced back for ten generations or more to the Richard “Pinson” who married Elizabeth Gregory in Lustleigh in 1775. Richard’s father may have been the Richard Pinsent (1718 – xxxx) whose family farmed at Yeo, in Bovey Tracey but that is far from certain. If he was, this line would be an outgrowth of the TEIGNMOUTH Branch.  

Richard and Elizabeth had six sons; however, only two have families that can be traced. Abraham moved to Chudleigh and had several sons of his own – including a Thomas who was baptized as “Thomas Pinsent” by a Baptist clergyman. The “Pinsents” were well known in the district and the change in surname was probably largely a clerical matter. The names essentially sounded the same. Thomas served in the army and later became a “printer.” Several of his descendants also serving in the army, notably during the First World War. Since then, they have worked in a variety trades down to relatively modern times.

Richard’s other son, John Pinson married Mary and had several sons of his own, including two (James and John) who stayed on in the district and also adopted the name “Pinsent”. Their descendants worked in the potteries in Bovey Tracey when they were not on active service, and/or living in Plymouth. John’s son, William, probably had a relatively short-lived marriage with a girl called Sarah Eales and had son, Thomas James Pinsent, who went out to Australia and founded the AUSTRALIAN branch of the family. William and Sarah either split up or Sarah died as William ventured “up-country” and married (?) a girl from Gloucestershire. Their children and later off-spring made Bristol their home. 

John Pinson also had a son called Joseph who was a “miner” in Cornwall before he married and went out to New South Wales in Australia. He kept the “Pinson” name and his sons created a large population of “Pinsons” in and around Sydney. They are probably still there today. 

More Information

For a brief look at the BRISTOL family tree check out the Branch Summary. For the closer look at how they lived, “notable members” (“”) include full biographies. Family members marked with “” are discussed in their fathers’ biographies.

Notable Members of the Tree

Abraham Pinsent, agricultural labourer, Chudleigh, 1787 – 1871.
Albert George Pinsent, quarryman and electrical engineer, Chudleigh, 1907 – 1976.
Albert John Pinsent, “Sergeant” in Devon Regiment and “clay cutter”, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1882 – 1928.
Alfred John Pinsent, printer and compositor, Torquay, Devon, 1869 – 1939.
Alfred Louie Pinsent, merchant’s clerk, Bristol, Gloucestershire, 1880 – 1944.
Archibald Frederick Pinson, butcher, Camdenville, NSW, Australia, 1869 – 1951.
Arthur Ernest Pinson, butcher, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1889 – 1960.
Cyril Edwin Pinsent, “electrician’s mate” and factory worker, Bristol, Gloucestershire, 1928 – 2003.
Dennis William Pinsent, unknown, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1929 – 2005.
Douglas George Pinsent, concrete plant worker, Kenton, 1927 – 1993.
Edwin John Pinsent, warehouseman and gardener, Bristol, Gloucestershire, 1868 – 1949.
Eric Henry Edwin Pinsent, soldier, paper products manufacturer and processor, Wimbledon, 1896 – 1959.
Frederick Arthur Pinson, hatter, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1857 – 1914.
Hilary John Silvanus Pinsent, aircraft technician (?), Hamilton, Ohio, USA, 1924 – 2019.
James Pinsent, Royal Marine and licensed victualler, Plymouth, 1825 – 1886.
James George Pinson, metal worker, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1913 – 1990.
James William Pinson, box maker, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1889 – 1950.
John Pinsent, agricultural, clay-pit, and district road worker, Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh, 1852 – 1917.
John Pinsent, agricultural labourer, Lustleigh and Ilsington, 1782 – 1849.
John Pinsent, agricultural labourer, Bovey Tracey, 1823 – 1902.
John Pinson, plumber and gasfitter, Rozelle, NSW, Australia, 1855 – 1919.
John Ernest Pinson, iron dresser, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1889 – 1960.
John Robert Pinson, butcher, Lakemoba, NSW, Australia, 1913 – 1989.
John Thomas Pinsent, electrician, Torquay, Devon and Hayes, 1896 – 1958.
Joseph Pinson, labourer and quarreyman, Islington and Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1819 – 1881.
Kenneth Edgar Pinsent, unknown, Exeter, Devon, 1943 – 2019.
Leslie Andrew Pinson, labourer, Rockdale, NSW, Australia, 1915 – 1960.
Leslie Walter Pinson, plumber, Annandale, NSW, Australia, 1881 – 1954.
Oliver David Pinson, parliamentary officer, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1923 –2005.
Richard Pinson, agricultural labourer, Lustleigh, 1745 – 1825.
Richard Pinsent, butcher, Ashfield, NSW, Australia, 1850 – xxxx.
Richard Alfred Pinson, butcher, Marrickville, NSW, Australia, 1877 – 1944.
Richard Thomas Pinson, tram conductor, Manly, NSW, Australia, 1889 – 1945.
Richard Thomas Pinson, butcher, Ashfield, NSW, Australia, 1850 – 1913.
Richard Thomas Pinson, buthcer, Marrickville, NSW, Australia, 1905 – 1966.
Robert Peter Derek Pinsent, 1926 – 2005.
Ronald Leslie Pinsent, unknown, Bristol, Gloucestershire, 1926 – 2007.
Roy Arthur Pinsent, Unknown, Bideford, Devon, 1934 – 2023.
Samuel Claude Pinsent, master butcher, Bristol, Gloucestershire, 1904 – 1988.
Sidney Pinsent, solicitor’s clerk, Wrington, Somersetshire, 1846 – 1880.
Sidney Carton Pinsent, house decorator, Romford and Chelmsford, Essex, 1891 – 1961.
Sydney John Pinsent, brickyard labourer and stoker in the Royal Navy, 1891 – 1968.
Thiery George Pinsent, 1891 – 1967.
Thomas Pinsent, printer and compositor, Torquay, Devon, 1834 – 1917.
Thomas Henry Pinson, butcher and sausage skin maker, Lakemba, NSW, Australia, 1881 – 1938.
Wallace Pinsent, kiln worker, Torquay, Devon, 1877 – 1955.
Wallace Frederick Pinsent, civil servant, Greater London and Bournemouth, Dorset, 1920 – 2004.
Walter Alfred Pinson, butcher, Rozelle, NSW, Australia, 1908 – 1998.
William Pinsent, baker and confectioner, Deptford, Kent and Ilford, Essex, 1860 – 1936.
William Pinsent, tailor and agricultural labourer, Plymouth, Exeter, and Islington, Devon, 1811 – 1879.
William Edwin Pinsent, engineer’s grinder in the automobile industry, Croyden, Surrey, 1912 – 1985.
William Henry Pinsent, clay worker and builder’s labourer, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1900 – 1965.
William Henry Thiery Pinsent, baker and confectioner, Corsham, Wiltshire and Bath, Somersetshire, 1865 – 1915.
William James Pinson, butcher, Concord, NSW, Australia, 1893 – xxxx.
William James Pinson, labourer and clerk, Cabarita, NSW, Australia, 1915 – 1988.
William James Pinson, printer and compositor, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1875 – 1945
William Henry John Pinsent, coachman and gardener, Bristol, Gloucestershire, 1841 – 1923.

All Members of the Tree