Hello James,

I was quite excited to read your message on the rootsweb list. We are cousins. William Lever was the father of my great grandfather David Lever born Dec. 3 1855 who became a mariner. I understand the problem of identifying William's parents but I am guessing at this point that they are John and Mary, the only Levers in Boxford in the 1841 Census. The trouble is that I found another William Lever born in Boxford in 1831 in the 1901 census so there may have been more than one Lever family at some point.
If John and Mary are our William's parents then I have been able to tentatively trace them back to about 1750 in Groton, Elmsett and Edwardstone. I think there may also be the possibility that John and Mary emigtrated to the U. S.
Also I have found reference to William Lever, via the index of British Newpaper Archive in an article in the Essex Standard dated April 1859. I have not ordered the article yet but it seems to be an account of a very unfortunate incident.
Have you been able to locate William in the 1851 census? I note from your message that you place him there in 1851. As his children were born there between 1846 and 1854 he must be there somewhere.
Besides all this I would be interested to hear in what way you are descended from William.
My grand-father was David's second son Reuben born in 1885. In 1913 he emigrated to Canada with plans to log on Vancouver Island. However the war began in 1914 and he joined up and returned to England with the Canadian army. He was captured at 2nd Ypres in April 1914 and spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp. In 1914 before going over to France he had married my grandmother. When the war was over they went to Canada but came back to live in Colchester with Reuben's parents. That did not last so they once again went to Canada and settled in Toronto. They had three children. Robert (1920)did not survive. Pauline was born in 1922 and my dad Cyril was born in 1924.
So are you descended from George? I note in the 1901 census that he had a very large family with several sons.
Please write back and let me know your story and whether have made any progress in research.

regards,
Stephanie Lever
Toronto, Canada