Greaves of Horsford

[sandymae]

Hi, my paternal family name is Greaves. They originated from Horsford in Norfolk. There is a story in the family that there were two Greaves brothers born in Horsford - they fell out, and one brother moved 'over the border', the other changed the spelling of his surname and presumably stayed in Norfolk!

I was given a copy of the family tree which was kept in a family bible, it follows:

? Greeves born c 1720 had issue
including son named
1. James b 1760 d 1835 born and died in Horsford.

1.James married Anne (? Mountain), she died in 1838 aged 67,at Horsford
2.James b 1811 Horsford
1.John b 1813 Horsford
3.Harriet b 1815 Horsford

I haven't been able to follow 2.James

1. John married three times and all called Elizabeth!
first - Elizabeth Ellis b 1802 St Clements, Cambs died 1851 Cambridge
she had a daughter Susan (b 1845 St Clements)
John and Elizabeth had no issue.

second - Elizabeth Ready b 1832 Watton, Norfolk died 1874
they had three children:
Elizabeth Martha b 1853 Cambridge
John b August 1854 Cambridge (emigrated to Australia)
William b 1855 d 1856 Cambridge

thirdly he married Elizabeth Sarah Howlett b 1843 St Clements, Cambridge
they had 4 children:
Harriet b Aug 1868 St Giles, Cambridge (emigrated to USA)
Ellen Jane b 1873 Cambridge
George b 1875 Watton, Norfolk
Letitia Elizabeth b 1877 Waton, Norfolk

1 John was a gardener the 1851/61/71 census all in Cambridge.
In 1881 he lived at Whittlesford, and 1891 in Great Shelford where
he died in 1892. As did Elizabeth (3) in 1912

I have followed 1 John through his lifespan, and his 3 wives and the issue thereof. He is my direct line back to the Horsford Greaves.

Is there anyone on this forum who is following Greaves (Horsford) and in particular James (John's brother).

I would love to hear from anyone following the Greaves line, particularly the James (brother of John) link.

My line followed through George going to London, Oxfordshire and finally Eastbourne in Sussex.

Thanks.

[Geoffers]

No relation, but I had a look at the 1841 and 1861 census returns in case they throw any light on the missing James. The 1841 census has a James aged 20 in Horsford, who may be a bit young for your chap. No trace in 1861 of a possible match. Have you checked the PRs to see if he died young?

Geoffers
PS MOUNTAIN is probably correct as an interpretation of Anne's maiden name, the surname Mountain does occur locally.

[Kotchka]

I have started to research my family history. I get back to James Greaves & Anne Mountain of Horsford Norfolk where I have come to a halt. The are many other Greaves and Greeves in the area prior to them but I cannot make the conection.
About 30 years ago I visited the Churchyard at Watton and found a lot of Greaves headstones that I remember were very old but I never got around to going back there.
Regarding the story of the 2 brothers I think one simply died as an infant and as was the practice in those days the name was simply handed on to the next born. But of course, I could be wrong. My line also ended up in Eastourne from where is has now spread to all corners of the globe. I have a copy of a fantastic photograph of the Eastbourne Greaves that was taken in 1910!



Hi, my paternal family name is Greaves. They originated from Horsford in Norfolk. There is a story in the family that there were two Greaves brothers born in Horsford - they fell out, and one brother moved 'over the border', the other changed the spelling of his surname and presumably stayed in Norfolk!

I was given a copy of the family tree which was kept in a family bible, it follows:

? Greeves born c 1720 had issue
including son named
1. James b 1760 d 1835 born and died in Horsford.

1.James married Anne (? Mountain), she died in 1838 aged 67,at Horsford
2.James b 1811 Horsford
1.John b 1813 Horsford
3.Harriet b 1815 Horsford

I haven't been able to follow 2.James

1. John married three times and all called Elizabeth!
first - Elizabeth Ellis b 1802 St Clements, Cambs died 1851 Cambridge
she had a daughter Susan (b 1845 St Clements)
John and Elizabeth had no issue.

second - Elizabeth Ready b 1832 Watton, Norfolk died 1874
they had three children:
Elizabeth Martha b 1853 Cambridge
John b August 1854 Cambridge (emigrated to Australia)
William b 1855 d 1856 Cambridge

thirdly he married Elizabeth Sarah Howlett b 1843 St Clements, Cambridge
they had 4 children:
Harriet b Aug 1868 St Giles, Cambridge (emigrated to USA)
Ellen Jane b 1873 Cambridge
George b 1875 Watton, Norfolk
Letitia Elizabeth b 1877 Waton, Norfolk

1 John was a gardener the 1851/61/71 census all in Cambridge.
In 1881 he lived at Whittlesford, and 1891 in Great Shelford where
he died in 1892. As did Elizabeth (3) in 1912

I have followed 1 John through his lifespan, and his 3 wives and the issue thereof. He is my direct line back to the Horsford Greaves.

Is there anyone on this forum who is following Greaves (Horsford) and in particular James (John's brother).

I would love to hear from anyone following the Greaves line, particularly the James (brother of John) link.

My line followed through George going to London, Oxfordshire and finally Eastbourne in Sussex.

Thanks.