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Kerbent
16-09-2012, 9:44 AM
The grave stone of Catherine Ebbott and my search for husband Gregory Ebbott

Recently I visited the Tresmeer cemetery in search of graves and came across a Catherine Ebbott.
The headstone read
“In Loving Memory of
Catherine Ebbott
of this Parish
who died 24th May 1902
Aged 85 years. Thy will be done”

I was very excited when we located the grave, however I had to wait until I got home (to Australia) before I could figure out who Catherine Ebbott was – she was the wife of my third great granduncle! It was the only grave in this parish church that I could find that had any connect to my family, there may have been others but after a while it becomes overwhelming trying to remember all the possible connections.
The mystgery of Catherine Ebbott nee Mathew
Further Research revealed that Catherine was born in 1817 as Catherine Mathew and christened in 6 Apr 1817 in Tressmeer and lived there until she married Gregory Ebbot. Soon after the couple married they went to the US. The following year after marriage they had their first child Caroline Ebbott, both mother and child returned possibly sometime in 1849 to England. Caroline may have been pregnant with her second child, Elizabeth Ann Ebbott (although I am unable to verify this) when she returned. It would appear that Gregory never returned to England.

In the 1851 Census Catherine is living with her parents and eldest daughter, Carolene who was 5 years old. Carolene was listed in the census as being born in America. Although Catherine is listed as married her husband is not present. Between 1861 and 1881 Cartherine is always listed as married but there is never a husband mentioned.
In 1861 Census Catherine appears to be living by herself in the house next to her parents.
In 1871 Census Catherine is still listed as married but is living by herself and listed as an annuitant
In 1881 Census - Catherine is living by herself next to the Bluett family still married but still no husband list and she is listed as retired.
In 1891 Census Catherine is 73 Living On Her Own Means
In 1901 Census Visiting John & Elizabeth Fryan and listed as single.
Unfortunatley I have not been able to locate Gregory her husband until 1870 when there are two posibile candidates one living with the Ottawa, Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States working as a farm labourer and living with the Bluett family. There is also a second Gregory Ebbott living in Sullivan, Jefferson, Wisconsin, United States who has become a citizen of the US and farms a large property and has children with a woman Mary who is 30 years his junior.
Then question is who/where is Catherine’s husband, I am presuming he was still alive as she is never listed as a widow? Does anyone recongnise this family or have any suggestions on how to approach the problem?

janbooth
16-09-2012, 10:24 AM
There is a Family Tree on Ancestry which shows Gregory EBBOTT as having been born c1820 in Tremaine, Cornwall, parents Philip Upton EBBOTT and Mary FERRETT, his marriage in 1845 at Tresmeer to Catherine MATTHEW, a second marriage to a Mary ? c1873 in Wisconsin and his death as 23 April 1891 in Wisconsin. The Tree shows the birth of Caroline c1846 to Gregory and Catherine and then the births of 2 further children to Gregory & Mary, namely a Gregory Upton EBBOTT c1874 and a Sarah A EBBOTT c1876.

Whilst some Ancestry Trees can be notoriously unreliable, this one might be worth further investigation on your part (especially the birth of the Gregory Upton EBBOTT which could link to the parents shown for Gregory snr) and does fit in with the second Gregory EBBOTT you found farming in Wisconsin.

Perhaps further corroboration for the Ancestry family tree is the 1841 census of Tresmeer (HO107/134/14, folio 3, page 7):

Philip EBBOTT 65 Farmer
Mary do 55
Wilmit do 85 Ind (female)
Henry do 20 Tailor
Gregory do 20
William do 11

All born in the county. However, on the census sheet Philip & Mary are bracketed together and Wilmit, Henry, Gregory & William are bracketed together separately although they are all shown as living in the same household.

Hope this helps.

Janet

janbooth
16-09-2012, 10:31 AM
Further to the above, there is a baptism (source Cornwall Baptisms) of a Gregory EBBOTT on 7 January 1821 at Tremaine, parents Philip & Mary EBBOTT and from Cornwall Marriages a marriage at Treneglos of a Philip Upton EBBOTT & a Mary FERRETT plus a marriage at Tremaine on 26 June 1775 of a John EBBOTT & a Wilmot BAKER.

Janet

Coromandel
16-09-2012, 10:50 AM
The Wisconsin connection seems very promising, as there is a record of divorce proceedings of Gregory Ebbot and Catherine Ebbot in Jefferson County, Wisconsin (the plaintiff, Gregory Ebbot, filed for divorce on 19 January 1854):

http://www.
dodgejeffgen.com/archive/Divorce_Records/Divorces_File2.htm

Kerbent
16-09-2012, 8:44 PM
The Wisconsin connection seems very promising, as there is a record of divorce proceedings of Gregory Ebbot and Catherine Ebbot in Jefferson County, Wisconsin (the plaintiff, Gregory Ebbot, filed for divorce on 19 January 1854):

http://www.
dodgejeffgen.com/archive/Divorce_Records/Divorces_File2.htm

This indeed maybe them I have contacted society and will let you know how it goes, it may help solve the mystery!

Mutley
16-09-2012, 9:09 PM
There is also a web tree on line which agrees with the information found by Janet.

One item is interesting regarding the sons of Philip Upton and Mary Ferrett.

Brothers,John, Philip and Henry were Bible Christian Missionaries to Australia, Wisconsin and Canada respectively. The family were Bible Christians in Cornwall.

Gregory is also listed as going to Wisconsin.

www.
tlane.com/wilsonwood/search.php