Hello Lindy,

From what you say it seems likely that these are the same individuals. I also have some details on the brother of Mary Emily GREGORY (1822 - 1881); according to my records he was Thomas Davies GREGORY (1822 - ????) also baptised at Illminster on the 3 Feb 1822. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The following is a transcription form the 1861 Census of England and Wales;

In the 1861 Census of England and Wales Thomas Davies Gregory was recorded as follows;

1861 Census - Bideford, Devon.

Meddon Street

Thomas D. Gregory head of household, married male aged 41, Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, born Ilminster, Somersetshire; his wife Sarah Gregory married female aged 50, born Chard, Somersetshire; John Jeffrey unmarried brother-in-law aged 44, House Proprietor, born Chard, Somersetshire; William Heywood, unmarried boarder aged 23, (Ap) Vet Surgeon, born Winkleigh, Devon; Elizabeth Richard unmarried servant aged 27, House Servant, born Hattersleigh, Devon; and John Blake unmarried servant aged 16, Groom, born Kingsnympton, Devon.

With subsequent census details as follows;

In the 1871 Census of England and Wales the Gregory family were recorded as follows;

1871 Census - Bideford, Devon. RG 10/2201 - 70 - 18 - 115.

57 Higher Meddon Street

Thomas D. Gregory head of household, married male aged 50, Veterinary Surgeon, born Ilminster, Somersetshire; his wife Sarah Gregory married female aged 60, born Chard, Somersetshire; Ann Backway unmarried servant aged 23, Domestic Servant, born Bideford, Devon; and Thomas Newcombe unmarried male servant aged 13, Domestic Servant - Groom, born Wembworthy, Devon.


In the 1881 Census of England and Wales the Gregory family were recorded as follows;

1881 Census - Bideford, Devon. RG 11/2259 - 70 - 17 - (?).

Higher Meddon Street

Thomas D. Gregory head of household, married male aged 57, Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, born Ilminster, Somersetshire; his wife (second wife) Bessie Gregory married female aged 29, born Barnstaple, Devon; Emma Skinner unmarried visitor aged 32, born Barnstaple, Devon; Ellen Cropp unmarried female servant aged 20, General Servant (Domestic), born Torrington, Devon.

I have not traced him beyond this point in time. I hope this information is helpfull to you. Just as a point of interest my cousin lives in Launceston as does my brother, when he is not in the USA.

If you are interested in the LEAVITT family - this is taken from my database;


Name WILLIAM HENRY LEAVITT male
Father WILLIAM LEAVITT
Mother JANE LEAVITT née MELICK
Occupation Ship's Captain
Born at St John, New Brunswick, Canada on 06/06/1829
Record of birth appears in the IGI
Christened at on ../../....
Married to ANN GROST LEAVITT née CRELLIN
Married at Liverpool, Lancashire, England on ../../1852
Information on mariage supplied by Dorothy Elliott - [e-mail address nfp]
Married to ELIZABETH ANN LEAVITT née WANSTALL
Married at England on 10/02/1868
Marriage information supplied by Dorothy Elliott [e-mail address nfp]
Died at Llandudno, Caernarvonshire, Wales on dec.
Cause of Death
Buried at on ../../....
Children Annie Jane (1854-dec.)
Margaret Alice (1856-dec.)
Mary E. (1869-dec.)
Maude Peabody (1876-dec.)
Blanche Eleanor Louise (1877-dec.)
Jessie (1883-dec.)

In the 1881 Census of England & Wales the Leavitt family are recorded as follows;

6 Whitaker Street, Toxteth Park, Lancashire

William H. Leavitt, head of household, male, married, aged 52, a Mariner, born in St Johns New Brunswick, Canada. His wife Elizabeth A. Leavitt aged 36, a Mariner's wife, born in Canterbury Kent. Their children were listed as; Ann J. Leavitt, daughter, unmarried, aged 25, born in Liverpool, Lancashire, Mary E. Leavitt, daughter, aged 12, born at Guanapa (sic) Island Peru, Maude P. Leavitt, daughter, aged 5, born New Orleans, United States of America, Blanche E.J.Leavitt, daughter, aged 12 months, born in Liverpool Lancashire. Also listed is Elizabeth Martin, servant, unmarried, aged 18, born in Stepney Green, London. All of the children were designated Mariner's daughters.

I'm still trying to find living members of the GOVIER family, but without much success. The last time our families where in contact was back in Leicester City, Leicestershire in the 1890s when William Tom Gregory & Elizabeth Watkins GOVIER lived not far from my great grandparents. Around that time William GOVIER was a political agent for the Conservative Party at Melton Mowbray. I think that the family might have returned to Staffordshire.

Here is the census information for the GOVIER family.

In the 1851 Census of England and Wales the Govier family were recorded as follows;

1851 Census - Chard, Somersetshire. HO 107/1928 - (?) - (?) - 149.

Old Town

Thomas Govier head of household, male aged 25, Iron Foundry Clerk, born Stowey, Somersetshire; his wife Mary Govier female aged 26, born Ilminster, Somersetshire; and son William Govier male aged 1, born Chard, Somersetshire.


In the 1861 Census of England and Wales the Govier family were recorded as follows;

1861 Census - Chard, Somersetshire. RG 9/1636 - 43 - 13 - 79.

Fore Street

Mary Gregory head of household, widow aged 74, Kept by her children, born Ilminster, Somersetshire; Mary E. Govier widowed daughter aged 38, Dressmaker, born Ilminster, Somersetshire; and William T.G.Govier grandson aged 11, Scholar, born Chard, Somerset.

In the 1871 Census of England and Wales William Tom Govier was recorded as follows;

1871 Census - Chard, Somerset. RG 10/2405 - 72 - 23 - 121.
Tapstone (?)

Mary Gregory head of household, widowed female aged 84, born Ilminster, Somersetshire; Mary Emily Govier widowed daughter aged 51, born Ilminster, Somersetsehire; William Tom Govier unmarried grandson aged 21, Solicitor's General Clerk, born Chard, Somersetshire; and Ruth Dunster unmarried sister aged 86, born Ilminster, Somersetshire.

LDS - IGI Ruth Dunster daughter of John Dunster and Ann/ Anne Dunster nee Unknown, baptized 18 March 1781 at Ilminster, Somerset, Batch number 7817430, sheet 75, source 1126336.


In the 1881 Census of England & Wales the Govier family were recorded as follows;

2 Ashbourne Road, Leek & Lowe Staffordshire

William J. Govier, head of household, married, aged 31 years, Solicitor's Clerk, born Chard Somerset, his wife Elizth Watkins Govier, aged 31 years, no occupation, born Stapleton, Gloucestershire. Their children were recorded as, William G. Govier, son, aged 6 years, Scholar, born in Handsworth, Staffordshire; Ralph G. Govier, son, aged 5 years, Scholar, born in Handsworth, Staffordshire; Oliver R. Govier, son, aged 2 years, Scholar, born in Leek, Staffordshire. Also listed is Lizzie Hall, servant, aged 10 years, Scholar, Half Time General Servant, born in Kingley, Staffordshire. It is not known if Lizzie Hall is related to the Govier family.

In the 1891 Census of England & Wales the Govier family are still living at 2 Ashbourne Road Leek, Staffordshire. They are recorded in the following manner;

Leek Staffordshire

2 Ashbourne Road

William T. Govier, head of household, married, aged 42 years, Solicitor's Clerk, born Chard Somerset, his wife Elizabeth W. Govier, aged 42 years, no occupation, born Fishponds, Gloucestershire. Their children are recorded as; William G. Govier, son, aged 16, Silk Manufacturer's Apprentice, born Handsworth, Staffordshire; Ralph G. Govier, son, aged 15 years, Scholar, born Handsworth, Staffordshire; Oliver R. Govier, son, aged 12 years, Scholar, born Leek, Staffordshire; and Elsie E. Govier, daughter, aged 8 years, Scholar, born Leek, Staffordshire.

In the 1901 Census of England & Wales the Govier family are still living in Ashbourne Road Leek and are recorded as follows;

Leek Staffordshire

Ashbourne Road

William J. Govier, head of household, married, aged 51 years, Charted Accountant Manager, Employer (?), born in Chard, Somerset. His wife Elizabeth Govier, aged 51 years, no occupation, born Fishponds, Gloucestershire. Their children are recorded as follows, William G. Govier, son, unmarried, aged 26 years, Silk Warehouseman, worker, born Handsworth, Staffordshire; Elsie E. Govier, daughter unmarried, aged 18, no occupation, born Handsworth, Staffordshire.

In the 1901 census of England & Wales Ralph George Govier is recorded as follows;

Turner Lane, Set View ,Hurst, Lancashire.

William Matthews head of household, married aged 51, Sanitary Engineer Drains, Employer, born Stockport Cheshire. His wife Martha Govier, aged 50, no occupation, born Reddish (?) Lancashire. Their daughter Florence Matthews is recorded as being single and aged 20, a Dressmaker working on her own account, and also born in Reddish Lancashire, where ever that may be as no such town or parish of this name is known. Then Ralph G. Govier is recorded as a boarder, single, aged 24 years, a Qualified Drug Chemist, employed and born in Handsworth, Staffordshire. In the 1891 census William Matthews' occupation is listed as a Plumber and place of birth as Heaton Norris, Lancashire, while his wife and daughter are again listed as being born in Reddish Lancashire. There is no known connection between Ralph Govier and the Matthews.

Cheers,

Don Cameron.