Henry Gregor (bef. 1785 - 1856)

Born before 1 May 1785 in Egloshayle, Cornwall, England

Ancestors

Husband of Jennifer (Brenton) Gregor — married 31 Dec 1807 (to Jan 1826) in St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Mary (Winter) Gregor — married 26 Aug 1827 in St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 16 Jan 1856 after age 70 in St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jessie Gregor [send private message], Gillian Wagenaar [send private message], and Maurice Williams [send private message]

Research Notes

In various records, Henry's surname was written as Gregor, Greggor, Gregory, Gregore, Grigor and Grigger. Some researchers (especially on Ancestry public trees) have put Henry's birth as Gwennap but the 1851 Census clearly states his birthplace as Egloshayle. (Also, the other Henry born in Gwennap can be traced down a different path!) The problem was that Henry was baptised as Henry Gregory but he married and died as Gregor.

Biography

Henry Gregor had a tough life full of hard labour and loss. He was born in Egloshayle, a lovely village in Wadebridge, Cornwall, England.^[1] He was baptised at the Parish Church (see photos) in Egloshayle on the 1st May 1785.^[2] He was the oldest of three children born to William Gregory and Rebecca Parnell. He was actually part of a larger 'blended family' of eight because his mother was previously married and had three children already from that marriage, plus she was a stepmother to two of her first husband's children. At the age of 21, Henry 'Greggor' married his first wife Jenifer Brenton (known as Jenny) in nearby St Merryn on the 31st December 1807.^[3] In the St Merryn Parish Register of Marriages, they were both recorded as 'of this parish' and they both marked their names with a cross. The witnesses were William Grigg and Daniel Spur (who was married to Henry's half-sister, Rebecca Brabyn). The couple had eight children between 1808 and 1822 but tragedy struck in January 1826 when Jenny sadly died, aged 43. This must have been devastating for the whole family because Henry was a working man so how could he also look after eight children, the youngest being only four years old.

Eighteen months later he married a young bride, Mary Ann Winter, and proceeded to have nine more children. They married on the 26th August 1827 at St Merryn Parish Church.^[4] The parish register notes that Henry 'Grigor' was a widower and Mary was a spinster, both of the parish. Both marked their names, and the marriage was witnessed by Stephen Grigg and John Bragg.

In 1832, Henry's oldest son, Philip, died in his early 20s. Henry was to lose several of his young children during these tough times of poverty and change in Cornwall. His work as an agricultural labourer meant that the family often lived in tied cottages with cramped conditions. Most of his children had to work from an early age so it's not surprising that in the 1841 Census, just two children are living at home. The family are living at Church Town, St Merryn. Henry is listed as a labourer, aged 55, his wife Mary, aged 32, and their two daughters, Nancy and Betsey, aged ten and two.^[5]

Ten years later in the 1851 Census, they are still living at Church Town but now the family consists of Henry, aged 65, an agricultural labourer, born in Egloshayle; wife Mary, born in Penryn; his married daughter Nancy, aged 22, and her husband John Rescorla, blacksmith; plus four of Henry's youngest surviving children: Betsy, 11, Eliza, 8, James, 4, and little Martha, aged 1.^[6][1] Just months after this census, tragedy was to strike again when his wife Mary died of typhus fever on the 13th December 1851.

Henry and several of his sons were listed as 'excused' in the St Merryn Poor Rate Books^[7] so his poverty is not in question. Sadly, this is even more evident in his criminal record. He was admitted to Bodmin Bridewell (Bodmin Gaol) on the 18th October 1852 for 'Stealing 300 Apples at the parish of St. Merryn, the property of Joseph CALLAWAY'. He was sentenced to four calendar months of hard labour as he was 'not here previously'. Henry was recorded as a husbandman of Egloshayle, late of St Merryn, aged 66, height 5' 3", grey eyes, brown & grey hair, fresh complexion, can read, wid 4 chd. Sandy & grey whiskers, lost all the upper front teeth, oval visage, and his behaviour was orderly. The transcriber of this record, Karen Duvall, also notes that a letter was sent on the 1st February 1853 to his son Thomas Gregor at Wadebridge, and Henry was discharged on the 18th February 1853.^[8] During the next year, Henry had obviously been sent to the workhouse because on the 21st May 1854 he was imprisoned at Bodmin Bridewell again, this time for 'Deserting from the St. Columb Union Workhouse & carrying away a suit of clothes, the property of the Guardians'.^[9] It was noted that this was his second offence and he was sentenced to 21 days imprisonment, being discharged on Saturday 10th June 1854. His behaviour was still orderly and his personal details were that he was aged 68, grey eyes, grey hair, fresh complexion, can read, wid 16 chd, powder marks around left eye, all the fingers crooked, round visage. Finally, his third recorded offence of 'Running away from St. Columb Union, taking with him a Suit of Clothes, the property of the Guardians' resulted in another ten days imprisonment, admitted on the 16th January 1855 and discharged on the 26th January.^[10] His description was recorded as aged 68, height 5' 3", grey eyes, grey hair, fresh complexion, can read, wid 1 chd. He was also recorded as having tattoos at this point: "form of an anchor & J.S.C. below left elbow, of a woman above right elbow & of a heart, Flat, S.P.O. & M A T below right elbow." He had several spots on left arm & back of left hand, right little finger crooked, oval visage and dark sandy whiskers. His behaviour was still orderly, though!

Sadly, Henry died a year after that but at least it looks as if he was living with his family again. According to his death certificate, he died of Fits (not certified) on the 16th January 1856 at Trevair, Park Gate, St Merryn. He was recorded as Henry Griggor, aged 71, an agricultural labourer. His death was registered on the 18th January by William Griggor (who marked his name with a cross), present at death, residence Trevair, Park Gate.^[11] Henry was buried on the 18th January 1856 at St Merryn Churchyard.^[12] Although he was too poor for a headstone, it is a beautiful, peaceful place to rest (see photo).

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG2C-6ML : 21 October 2017), Henry Griggor, St Merryn, Cornwall, England; citing St Merryn, Cornwall, England, p. 15, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
2. ↑ Egloshayle Parish Register of Baptisms seen at the Cornwall Record Office by Jessie Gregor. Microfiche available at Wadebridge Library, Cornwall. Image also available via FamilySearch: "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLK-BZ3L : 2 February 2018), Henry Gregory, 1785.
3. ↑ "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYLH-YG?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-MNR%3A138123201%2C141896201%2C141913101 : 27 October 2023), Cornwall > St Merryn > Marriages, 1755-1812 > image 39 of 42; Cornwall Records Office, Truro. Her name is listed as Jane Brenton here. See also Cornwall Parish Registers, Marriages, Vol IV. London: Phillimore & Co, 1903. Page 117.
4. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2J2-D55 : 10 February 2018), Henry Grigor and Mary Winter, 26 Aug 1827; citing Saint Merryn, Cornwall, England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 226,209, 916,895. Microfilm image: "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYLH-9V?cc=1769414&wc=3CB4-MJQ%3A138123201%2C141896201%2C138136501 : 30 November 2016), Cornwall > St Merryn > Marriages, 1813-1837 > image 11 of 18; Cornwall Records Office, Truro.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQB3-T8H : 23 May 2019), Henry Gregor in household of Mary Gregor, St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1851 England Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1851. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England. Class: HO107; Piece: 1905; Folio: 202; Page: 15; GSU roll: 221057. Accessed on ancestryibrary.com, February 2024. See image.
7. ↑ Seen at the Cornwall Record Office - as entered by Jessie Gregor, 8 June 2019.
8. ↑ Cornwall OPC Database, Institution Inmates Record 224878 for Henry Gregor, Bodmin Bridewell (transcribed by Karen Duvall).
9. ↑ Cornwall OPC Database, Institution Inmates Record 225256 for Henry Gregor, Bodmin Bridewell (transcribed by Karen Duvall).
10. ↑ Cornwall OPC Database, Institution Inmates Record 225431 for Henry Gregor, Bodmin Bridewell (transcribed by Karen Duvall).
11. ↑ UK death registration: St Columb Minor, Vol 5c, Page 69, March quarter 1856 (age given 71). Death certificate held by Jessie Gregor, who transcribed it for the Cornwall OPC Database ([1] Death Certificate Record 1255) for Henry Griggor.
12. ↑ "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2Z4-GRZD : 22 July 2017), Henry Gregor, 18 Jan 1856; citing Burial, Cornwall, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, Cornwall Records Office, Truro.

• St Merryn Parish Register of Marriages and Burials seen at the Cornwall Record Office by Jessie Gregor, plus images on Family Search, and microfiche at Wadebridge Library, Cornwall.