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Was Robert Tevis (the Boatman) the son of Robert Tevis and Honour Smith?

Was Robert Tevis (the Boatman) the son of Robert Tevis and Honour Smith?

Posted: 23 Feb 2015 4:53PM GMT
Classification: Query
I live in Essex England and have searched the Essex online parish registers for the surname Tevis and its derivatives in the hope of finding more information on Robert Tevis. Some of the entries are listed here, of interest is the birth of a daughter Elizabeth to Robert and Honour in 1686, the first year after their marriage for which records have survived. Although there is no proof that the first Robert Tevis in America came from England I think the following does increase the probability.
I have used spellings from the original parish entries.

Earliest record in America; Robert Tevis married Susanna Davies 15/4/1707 at All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel County.

There has been speculation that the Robert Tevis in America may have been the son of Robert Tevis and Honour Smith, married at Halstead, Essex, England on the 19/10/1682.
If the couple had a son soon after marriage, in 1683 or 84, then he would have been about 23 years of age in 1707.
Robert and Honour had at least one child, a daughter named Elizabeth. Halstead Parish Registers (http://seax.essex.gov.uk) has the following entry;
24/10/1686 Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Honour Tivis baptised. (Image 26). (Robert Tevis of Maryland named his first daughter born 12/12/1715 Elizabeth)

The parish baptism registers between the years 1669 and 1686 are missing, so the birth of a child before Elizabeth cannot be substantiated, but it is more than idle speculation that a son may have been born during the first few years of marriage, named Robert for his father.


A search of St Andrews Halstead Parish registers on SEAX for possible Tevis births and baptisms from 1645 to 1666. These dates were chosen as the most likely for births of Robert Tevis and/or Honor Smith married on the 19/10/1682:

Image 13: Robert Tevice son of George Tevice and Rosa his wife was born 16th day of December 1646. (image 13) If this is the same Robert, he would have been nearing age 36 when he married Honour Smith.

Image 16: Mary the daughter of Georg Tivice and Rosa his wife was born 25th day of March 1653
A possible marriage for Mary took place at St Andrews Halstead
31/3/1687 Mary Tivis married John Reynolds, a Carpenter

18/6/1673 George Teviss Junior married Joan Hoal at Halstead, Essex
The burial records between 1678 and 1714 are missing, however the will of George Tives, dated 23/10/1698 has survived. From his will it would appear that this is George married to Joan, occupation ‘Sayweaver’ (Say was a fine woollen cloth)

Burial records which have survived:
1564 – 1631
1638 – 1647
1653 – 1673
1674 - 1678
1713 – 1812
If Robert and Honour Tevis had a child/children baptised before 1686, who died before 1713; no record has survived.

The following burials took place at St Andrews Halstead (SEAX online)
Burials
1653 – 1673
Georg Tiffise child was buried the last of December 1652/53?
1670 – Thomas the son of William Tives was buried the 1st of June. (Image 30)

1674 - 1678
1674 – The Widow Tivis was buried the 11th of June (Image 41)

1713 – 1812 ( searched to end of 1770, image 57)
1/2/1717 Ann Tevise’s child
27/5/1722 Widow Teviss
30/12/1724 Robert Tivis
20/5/1726 Widow Tivis buried
16/8/1738 Henry Tevis? buried

According to : http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Tivers#ixzz2A1eFgA13 the Tevis surname has various forms ranging from Teaver(s), Tiver(s) and Tivis, to Tivie(s), Tivey, Tever(s) and Tyver(s) ‘This rare and interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a metonymic occupational surname, with the possible interpretations, derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century word "teafor", minium, red lead, a red colouring matter used especially for marking sheep; the Middle English development was "tiver", tyver". The surname may first have been occupational for one who produced and supplied the red lead, and secondly for one who was employed to mark sheep with that material. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Tevis, which was dated February 7th 1543, marriage to Johane Tyrlynge, Colyton, Devonshire, during the reign of King Henry V111.’


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