DEVON-L Archives

From: "Ralph T. Williams" <>
Subject: GREGORYs in Exeter, Devon
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 04:58:28 -1000

<fontfamily><param>Courier</param><bigger><bigger>Aloha,

My first attempt at sorting out my Gregory ancestors on this list. My
message begins in Middlesex, but does eventually reach Devon, and
Exeter.

My grandfather was Louis Gordon Rolfe Gregory, born 4 July 1880, in
Hackney District, Middlesex County, England. His father, a druggist,
was John James Gregory, and his mother was Emma Butterworth. When he
came to the U.S. around 1896, Louis Gordon Rolfe Gregory changed his
name to Ralph Gordon, and for the rest of his life was known by the
latter name. Louis Gordon Rolfe Gregory aka Ralph Gordon was quite a
scoundrel, womanizer, and rake about town. He has caused me no end of
difficulty in my efforts to track him to ground as a Gregory.

If my research is sound, John James Gregory and Emma Butterworth are my
great-grandparents. They were married 29 SEP 1879, in the Parish of St.
Augustine Haggerston, Middlesex County, England. The marriage is
registered in the Registration District of Shoreditch, and at the time
of my grandfather's birth they lived at 159 Queens Road, Dalston.

On the marriage entry, John James Gregory's father is given as John
Emmanuel Gregory, also a druggist, living at 3 Wellington Road,
Dalston. Emma Butterworth's father is given as Jacob Benjamin
Butterworth, artificial florist, living at 23 Middleton Road, Dalston.

With that information, I found in the 1881 British Census Surname
Index, Family History Library fiche 6086257, no. 0010, John E. Gregory,
age 48; census place, Exeter, St. Sidwell; occupation, druggist
assistant; born Devon, Exeter; PRO piece RG11/2151, folio no. 25, p.
43; FHL film 1341518 (which I need to see). His wife is Jane (-?-), age
45, also born in Devon, Exeter. I think these are my
great-great-grandparents.

Pressing on, I found, in the Main IGI, Gregory, John Emanuel (one "m");
father Charles Gregory; mother Mary Anne (-?-); christened 2 SEP 1832,
St. Sidwell, Exeter, Devon. I am presuming (for now) that this John E.
Gregory and this Mary Anne (-?-) are my
great-great-great-grandparents.

Re Butterworth. Also found, in the 1881 British Census Surname Index,
Butterworth, Jacob, age 64; census place, London Hackney; occupation,
artificial florist; born Middlesex, Shoreditch; PRO piece RG11/0294,
folio no. 47, p. 49; FHL film 1341063 (which I also need to see). His
wife is Olivia (-?-), age 65, born ENG, St. Budes (Csn). This latter
entry makes no sense at all to me, there being no county abbreviated
ENG. I presume, however, that these are my great-great-grandparents.

This is where I stand now in my Gregory/Butterworth research. I need to
branch out to pick up siblings and peripherals to get a better picture
of those tribes.

With Gregorys and Butterworths I am having my first real experience in
researching ancestors in England. I am now floundering around, however,
in sorting out Municipal Wards, Parliamentary Boroughs, Ecclesiastical
Parishes, and Districts here and there. Or am I unduly complicating
matters? In any case, does someone reading this list hold any
information on my Gregorys?

Thanks for your interest and any help you can give me.

Ralph Tabor Williams

Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA

</bigger></bigger></fontfamily>


http://www.lava.net/~tabor/

If you can't get rid of the family skeleton,

you may as well make it dance.

--George Bernard Shaw

This thread:

• GREGORYs in Exeter, Devon by "Ralph T. Williams" <>