Lenora Gregor (1856 - 1940)

Born 2 Mar 1856 in St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 6 Feb 1940 at age 83 in Trevone, Padstow, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jessie Gregor [send private message]

Research Notes

Her birth was registered as Lenora but she was baptised and known as Leonora. For instance, she signed that name with that spelling when she married! Like most of her family, the spelling of her surname was varied in different records (Gregor, Grigger, Grigor, Griggor, Greggor, etc). I've entered it on WikiTree as Gregor because that's what the majority of people will search for and it may avoid duplication. Beware, there was another Lenora Gregor also born in St Merryn in the same year but her parents were William and Jane Gregor.

Biography

Leonora was the fourth of eight children born to parents, Richard Gregor and Betsy Old. According to her birth certificate, she was born on the 2nd March 1856 at Cottages, St Merryn, Cornwall, daughter of Richard Griggor (agricultural labourer) and Betsy Griggor formerly Old.^[1] Her baptism record on the 12th April 1856 confirms her residence as Trevorgus Cottages and her parents as Richard and Betsy Gregor.^[2]

In her first census in 1861, Leonora was five years old and living with her family at Trevorgus Cottages, St Merryn.^[3] Her parents were recorded as Richard Greggor (an agricultural labourer) and Betsy (a dressmaker); and her siblings were Mary (11), Louisa (9), William (7), and John (2).

In the 1871 Census, the family were still living at Cottages. Leonora (transcribed as Laura) was now 15 with no occupation listed but I'm sure she was kept busy with her three younger siblings, Thomas (10), Charles (7), and the youngest and last child, Joseph (4).^[4]

Six years later, the banns of marriage were read on the three Sundays of the 12th, 19th and 26th of August 1877 'between Henry Jonas and Leonora Gregor, both of the Parish of St Merryn'.^[5] These banns were read at the same time as her brother William! Leonora married on the 10th September 1877 at St Merryn Parish Church and her groom was noted as Henry Jonas, of full age, bachelor and mariner, with no father listed. Leonora was also of full age, a spinster from St Merryn with father Richard Gregor, labourer.^[6]

Leonora and Henry had seven children and the first one (John) came along on the 26th March 1880. He was baptised on the 25th April 1880 when their residence was noted as Trevorgus Cottages with Henry still a mariner. It is typical for a mariner's wife to be noted as the head of the family when her husband was away at sea and this is what happened in her first married census. In 1881, Leonora was living at Trevorgus Cottages, aged 25, with baby John (1).^[7]

Four more children were born before the next census: Ellen Louise (in 1882), William Gregor Jonas (in 1885), Mary Elizabeth (in 1888) and Alice (in 1890). Sadly, poor little Alice was born at Shop, St Merryn, on the 15th November 1890 but, according to her death certificate, it was a premature birth and she died of convulsions. Although her birth and death were registered as Female Jonas, she was baptised and buried as Alice Jonas on the 17th November 1890. (Maybe the baptism was a kindness by the vicar.)

Leonora must have still been grieving six months later when the 1891 Census shows her living at Shop, St Merryn, with her own four children John (11), Ellen (8), William (5) and Mary Elizabeth (2), plus her nephew Charles (5). They must have been quite a handful with husband Henry away at sea again.^[8]

Two more children (Ernest born in 1894 and Richard Henry in 1899) completed their family. In the 1901 Census, the family were living at Trehemborne in St Merryn. Once again, Leonora was noted as the head of the family and now working as a dressmaker on her own account at home. Also in the house were the following: daughter Ellen, now 18 and working as a dressmaker, son William, 15 and working as an agricultural labourer, daughter Mary, aged 12, and sons Ernest, aged seven, and young Richard, aged two.^[9]

In 1911, Henry was finally at home at Towan, St Merryn when the census was taken! He is recorded as a mariner in the Merchant Service, aged 57. Leonora was listed as being 54 but she was actually 55. It confirms that the couple had been married for 32 years and had seven children but one had died. Also in the household was son William (aged 25 and now a cabinet-maker), son Ernest (aged 16 and working as a farm labourer), son Richard (aged 12 so still at school); and Thomas Henry Gregor who was a single, farm labourer, aged 50, and listed as a boarder although he was Leonora's brother.^[10]

Sadly, Henry passed away at Towan on the 17th November 1919, aged 66. According to his death certificate, he died of Senile Decay and Syncope (one fit) with the death being registered by their son, W.G. Jonas of Towan, St Merryn.

In the 1939 Register, Leonora was living at Lagos Hotel, Atlantic Terrace, Trevone, Padstow, Cornwall. This was the most beautiful place to live overlooking Rocky Beach! Leonora's entry has a couple of mistakes in that her date of birth was given as 2nd March 1857 (when it should have been 1856), and it said she was married when she had been widowed for 20 years. Along with three others, she was living with her single daughter, Ellen Louise, a boarding house-keeper; and her sons, William (a house decorator) and Ernest (a general labourer).^[11]

Leonora was still living at the Lagos Hotel when she died on the 6th February 1940.^[12] According to her death certificate, she died of Myocardial Failure and Acute Bronchitis. Although it stated that she was 84, she was really 83, but the error may have been due to the fact that her death was registered by her son, Ernest (present at the death) and he may have simply got it wrong.

I haven't found her resting place yet but will keep searching ...

Sources

1. ↑ UK birth registration: Lenora Griggor, St Columb, Vol 5c, Page 127, June quarter 1856, mother's maiden name OLD.
2. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NGMG-T46 : 20 March 2020), Leonora Gregor, 1856.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7HR-BB3 : 24 October 2019), Lenora Greggor in household of Richard Greggor, St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDZG-KVM : 25 April 2019), Laura Gregor in entry for Richard Gregor, 1871.
5. ↑ "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJHB-K1K8 : 23 July 2017), Henry Jonas and Leonora Gregor, 26 Aug 1877; citing Marriage, St Merryn, Cornwall, England, Cornwall Records Office, Truro.
6. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2D5Q-NGT : 13 December 2014), Henry Jonas, 1877; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1877, quarter 3, vol. 5C, p. 134, St. Columb, Cornwall, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
7. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27H-NS4K : 11 December 2017), Lenora Jonas, St Merryn, Cornwall, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 9, Piece/Folio 2294/62, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,197.
8. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WXBM-1PZ : 4 May 2019), Lenora Jonas, St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Cornwall county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
9. ↑ 1901 Census: Source Citation Class: RG13; Piece: 2205; Folio: 21; Page: 2. Source Information Ancestry.com. 1901 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
10. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7LP-7PF : 18 July 2019), Lenora Jonas in household of Henry Jonas, St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
11. ↑ 1939 Register: Source Citation The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/6696I. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018. Original data: Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of TNA, London England. 1939 Register (Series RG101), The National Archives, Kew, London, England.
12. ↑ UK death registration: Bodmin, Vol 5c, Page 249, March quarter 1940 (age given 84).

• Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates held by Jessie Gregor, her great great-niece!