Mary (Old) Rosevear (1850 - 1944)

Born 17 Mar 1850 in St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of John Rosevear — married 10 Dec 1870 in St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Died 16 Jan 1944 at age 93 in Trevone, Padstow, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

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

Biography

According to her birth certificate, Mary Old was born at Trevear, St Merryn, Cornwall on the 17th March 1850 (although in the 1939 Register her birthdate was recorded as the 16th March). Her mother was Betsy Old but no father was recorded. This information was confirmed when Mary was baptised^[1][2] a day later on the 18th March 1850 as Mary Old, daughter of Betsy, spinster, living at Trevear (which is a hamlet of St Merryn). We can't say for sure that Richard Gregor was her biological father but her mother Betsy did marry him a month later. From then on she was known as Mary Old Gregor.

In her first census in 1851, 'Mary Old Griggor' was recorded as being aged one, born in St Merryn, the daughter of Richard (agricultural labourer) and Elizabeth. They were living at Trevear, a hamlet in St Merryn.

By the 1861 Census, Mary has four younger siblings and they have moved to Trevorgus Cottages, St Merryn. Parents Richard (38) and Betsy (31) are working as an agricultural labourer and dressmaker respectively, and the children are listed as Mary (11), Louisa (9), William (7), Lenora (5) and John (2). I bet that Mary was helping her mother either with the extra childcare, house duties or dressmaking!

Nine years later, after their banns being read on the 13th, 20th and 27th November 1870, Mary married a local lad, John Rosevear, in St Merryn on the 10th December 1870. John was recorded as a bachelor of full age, a labourer who marked his name with a cross. He was resident in St Merryn, and his father was John Rosevear, labourer. Mary Gregor was described as a minor and spinster, resident in St Merryn with a father, Richard Gregor, labourer. Mary signed her name as Mary Griggor and the witnesses were Henry Burden and 'Lewisa Griggor' (Mary's sister, Louisa).

Mary must have been about six months' pregnant when she married because their first child, Mary Louisa Rosevear, was born at Church Town, St Merryn on the 25th March 1871. In their first married census, John and Mary, plus baby Mary Louisa, are living with John's widowed mother, Betsy Rosevear, at Church Town. Betsy is working as a charwoman and John as an agricultural labourer.

In the next census in 1881, John and Mary had moved to 'Cottages', St Merryn. The couple now had two sons: William Francis, born in 1873 and known as Frank, and James Albert, born in 1875. (Daughter Louisa, aged ten, was staying with her grandmother, Betsy.) John was still working as an agricultural labourer but, sadly, this was to be his last census.

Husband John died at Trevone (between St Merryn and Padstow) on the 16th June 1887. According to his death certificate, he was a farm labourer and the certified cause of death was 'Congestion of Lungs 42 days and Pleurisy 14 days'. His brother, William Rosevear, marked his name and registered the death on the 18th June 1887. John was buried at St Merryn on the 18th June 1887.

Poor Mary, widowed at the age of 37 with three children to raise. In the 1891 Census she was living at Trevone and working as a charwoman. She was recorded as the head of the family and living with her son, Francis (17, an agricultural labourer), her youngest brother Joseph (23, also an agricultural labourer), and her nephew Richard (9, at school, an illegitimate son of her sister, Louisa). At least the family had three incomes between them.

In the next census in 1901, Mary was still working as a charwoman but had moved back to St Merryn. She was the head of the family, living at Water Cottages with her two sons (Francis, 27, and Albert, 26) who were both single and working as agricultural labourers, plus two grandchildren (John aged 7 and Mary H. aged 2).

Mary was not working in the 1911 Census but she was still living at Shop (a hamlet of St Merryn). She was recorded as a widow, aged 61, and born in the same village. Also living there was her son, William Francis (an unmarried farm labourer, aged 38) and her son, James Albert (an umarried stone quarryman, aged 36) plus her grandson John (a farm labourer, aged 17).

There were many mistakes in the 1939 Register. Mary was recorded as single instead of widowed and her date of birth was given as the 16th March 1850 (when her birth certificate said it was the 17th) but she was incapacitated so we don't know who actually gave the information. Mary was living at Water Cottages, St Merryn alongside her sister Louisa (also incapacitated), her daughter Mary Louisa (who remained single), and her grandson John Rosevear, a quarryman and the only one with a paid occupation.

According to her death certificate, Mary died on the 16th January 1944 at Chyan-porth, Trevone, Padstow, Cornwall. She was 93 years old, the widow of John Rosevear, a farm labourer. The certified cause of death was Senile Myocarditis and General Arterio-sclerosis, and was registered on the 25th January 1944 by Hilda Mary Baker, her granddaughter. She is buried at St Merryn in a shared grave (see image) with her two sons and her grandson, bless them all.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JWW2-CP2 : 11 February 2018, Mary Old, 18 Mar 1850); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 226,208.
2. ↑ The original baptism parish register can be viewed at: "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2Z4-GP1N : 22 July 2017), Mary, 1850.

• Birth and death certificates held by Jessie Gregor.
• UK birth registration: St Columb, Vol 9, Page 73, March quarter 1850, mother's maiden name OLD.
• UK 1851 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG2C-X53 : 9 November 2019), Mary Old Griggor in household of Richard Griggor, St Merryn, Cornwall, England; citing St Merryn, Cornwall, England, p. 11, 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.
• UK 1861 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7HR-BBM : 3 March 2021), Mary 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.
• UK marriage registration: St Columb, Vol 5c, Page 165, December quarter 1870 (John Rosevear/Mary Gregor).
• Banns from St Merryn Parish Register: "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJHB-K1JW : 9 March 2021), John Rosevear and Mary Gregor, 27 Nov 1870; citing Marriage, St Merryn, Cornwall, England, Cornwall Records Office, Truro.
• England Marriages: "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2J2-8YD : 13 March 2020), John Rosevear, 1870.
• UK 1871 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDZG-NR3 : 25 April 2019), John Rosevear in entry for Betsy Rosevear, 1871.
• UK 1881 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27H-NS12 : 11 December 2017), John Rosevear, St Merryn, Cornwall, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 11, Piece/Folio 2294/63, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,197.
• UK 1891 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W6F5-63Z : 4 May 2019), Mary Rosevear, Padstow, 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.
• UK 1901 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSHD-LZW : 21 May 2019), Mary Rosevear, St Merryn, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Padstow subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
• UK 1911 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7LP-75R : 18 July 2019), Mary Rosevear, 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.
• 1939 Register: Source Citation: The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/6742A. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
• Death index: "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCC-WZCC : 4 September 2014), Mary O Rosevear, 1944; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Bodmin, Cornwall, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
• UK death registration: Bodmin, Vol 5c, Page 76, March quarter 1944 (age given 93).