Gilroy,Gildroy,gilleroy of cowbit/crowland plus Henson family

[stuart_rippon]

My thanks to the work done on the lincolnshire marriage index - it's unblocked my research.

I've found Michael Gilleroy father of Mary Gildroy my great grandmother - he's been very hard to trace as he died just before 1851 in 1849 and the surname has been mis spelt most times it's recorded.

On a hunch I used the marriage index to move from Crowland where Mary said in the census' she was born to Cowbit - just up the road.

Then in the '51 census and I found Rebacca Gilroy nee Henson aged 30 a widow with 3 children and a visitor surname Henson in the same property ( birthplace Glapthorn about 10 miles from the Giddings - he is the same age as Rebecca)- . The Hensons look to come from the giddings area in huntingdonshire. She was very had to find as the writing on this page is very poor and the indexing gives a totally different name - Still made looking at about 500 pages of census worth while.

On the marriage register Michael's father is Christopher Gilleroy who I guess must have been born around 1800 ish. I can't find any Christopher in the area in the '51 census or in the BMD but given the spelling of the surname I may have missed it, if anyone has the cowbit registers that would be a great help.

I have a possible Birth for Rebecca Henson in 1821 in Glatton huntingdonshire ( about a mile from the Giddings) from the IGI and that would put her parents as Thomas and Catherine and her sister as Elenor b:1817.

I'd appreciate any help in tracing the Gildroys ( and all variations ) particularly Michael's parents as well as any help with the Hensons.

I've just started looking at this element of the tree so any help appreciated

[Hazel Burt]

Hi there,
Would you have any connections to the HENSON family from Easton on the Hill in Northants?

Yours Hazel B

[stuart_rippon]

Hazel - Thanks for the reply - this branch of my tree is very new to me - a few hours research only and I'm trying to get my head around how the Hensons's fit in. I'm very lucky that when I did find Rebecca in the 1851 census that she had a visitor at home Thos ( Thomas I assume) Henson. Now the 1851 page is very difficult to read but from what I can see this is the informatiom on Rebecca and Thomas.

Rebecca Gilroy Head, Widow age 30 a Pauper born:Huntington ?? Gidding ( the ?? is one or two characters I cannot fully read might be a sh on the end of huntingdon or two characters preceeding Gidding)
Thos Henson Visitor age 30 Labourer born:Huntingtonsh Glapthorn.

Rebecca's three Children were all born in Cowbit.

The transcription of the Marriage register for Cowbit has:-

Year 1844
Mth_Day 18-Aug
Groom Surname Gilleroy
Groom Forename Michael
Groom's father Christopher
Bride Surname Henson
Bride Forename Rebecca
Bride's father Thomas
Parish Cowbit

Which would put Rebecca's Father as Thomas Henson born I guess around the turn of the century.

Of course I'm now outside the BMD and census databases - although it might be useful to see the 1841 census which I do not have access to - and as I live in Hampshire it makes research a little more difficult.

However I did find a Rebecca Henson Born to a Thomas Henson wife Catharine in the IGI - Christened on 11 Jun 1823 in Glatton, Huntindon - ( 2 miles from the (Giddings), If this is the correct Rebecca then she most likely has a sister Eleanor ch:16 Sep 1817 again in Glatton.

I have extracted all the hensons I can see in the IGI and in the 1851 census into a spreadsheed covering Northants, Cambs, Huntingdon and lincolnshire - I plan to do a who lived where. I even now have a possible hit for Thomas Hensons Father and I'm looking forward to try and discover the Ramsey/warboys link

[Wirral]

Good news :) & bad news :( on the Gilroys. 1841 census HO107/606/13 folio 27 page 5, Postland, Crowland, Lincolnshire
Michael Gilroy 20 Ag lab
James Gilroy 20 Ag lab

Ages 15+ rounded down to nearest 5 years. Both born in Ireland! :( No other Gilroys about.

[Wirral]

I've found Rebecca & family in 1841, but Great Gidding is a fair distance from Crowland - about 15-20 miles. They are either side of Peterborough.

1841 census HO107/450/14 folio 13 page 3, Chapel End, Great Gidding, Huntingdonshire
John Austin 45 Ag lab Y
Thomas Wells 70 Ag lab N
Mary Wells 75 N
Thomas Henson 60 Ag lab Y
Catharine Henson 55 I
Thomas Henson 20 Ag lab Y
John Henson 20 Ag lab Y
Rebekah Henson 15 Y

Y = born in the county, N = not born in the county, I = born in Ireland.

[stuart_rippon]

That sounds as if it could be them - from the marriage to Rebecca we have his father as Thomas so looks like we probably have 2 brothers Michael and James
over from Ireland.

The surname is mispelt a lot and as you can see in the marriage register he is known ( or at least it was recorded as Gilleroy) I have his marriage in 44 and Death in 49 so I guess those two certificates might help a little more. I'm having real difficulty tracing Mary his daughter and my ggrandmother - seems to be missing from the '61 - wonder if she is in ireland?

Researching in Ireland is going to be something new for me - not quite sure where to start.

Michael's son was called James b:1844 so that might be another link.

[stuart_rippon]

silly me his father was christopher not Thomas

[stuart_rippon]

Thanks again...

Are all these people in the same property? I assume so. From the IGI I have the marriage of Thomas Junior to Ann Wells (Thomas henson spouse ann wells 20 sept 1843 great gidding) - A Thomas henson was visiting the recently widowed Rebecca in Cowbit in 1851. He was from Glapthorn - that is even further away - Rebecca puts her birthplace in the 1851 as Giddings and I have a birth in the IGI Rebecca ch: 11 jun 1823 father Thomas Henson mother Catharine in Glatton - 2 miles up the road.

From the 1851 I also have a Thomas and Mary Henson with visitor Johanah in Crowland but birthplace is down as Crowland so that is not such a good fit and a John and Mary henson again in Crowland with Crowland and Deeping as birthplaces both of these couples were born around 1790

The final bit of the puzzle for me was a memory from my father when I discussed this - he remembers a Farm in Ramsey or Warboys that Aunt Maud and Uncle Jack owned that they went to for food in the War. My Uncle jack apparently lived with them for some years as there was not room for him at home. Ramsey and Wayboys are just over the A1 from Giddings and Glatton. But hay you can never be sure in this game.

I can't find rebecca or any of the family still in the 1861 which is very strange - the next time I pick Mary up is her marriage to James Kirk - her first marriage and I can then track her though her second marriage to my great grandfather Thomas.
Thanks so much for your help let me know if you can see any flaws in my logic

1841 census HO107/450/14 folio 13 page 3, Chapel End, Great Gidding, Huntingdonshire
John Austin 45 Ag lab Y
Thomas Wells 70 Ag lab N
Mary Wells 75 N
Thomas Henson 60 Ag lab Y
Catharine Henson 55 I
Thomas Henson 20 Ag lab Y
John Henson 20 Ag lab Y
Rebekah Henson 15 Y

Y = born in the county, N = not born in the county, I = born in Ireland.