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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: whiteKat on Friday 25 February 11 22:11 GMT (UK)
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My Great Grandfather Alfred Greatbatch Gover was born in 1838 at Chatham and baptised at St Mary’s Church Chatham on 1st June 1838. His father was Thomas Gover born 1802 and mother Ann Greatbatch born 1804.
Alfred Greatbatch became a Barrister at Law and travelled to Madras India where in 1874 he married Anna Jane Illingworth born 1853. My Grandfather Alfred Adrian was born in Tillicherry Madras in 1875.
Can anyone help me with finding out when Alfred Greatbatch Gover became a Barrister? When he went to India? On what ship did he travel? And how long he stayed in India?
I do know that Alfred went to New Zealand at some stage as he had properties there and I believe worked there as well. His cousin Frederick Gover and family lived in New Zealand. I would love to know how long he stayed there as well but that needs to be a question for new Zealand.
Alfred Greatbatch died in Kent in 1918.
A second quest if not too much all at once - Alfred Greatbatch’s Grandfather was Edward Gover born in 1764 baptised at St Mary as well. He married an Ann. Can anyone tell me what year he married and the family name of Ann? I have searched and searched the on-line Parish Records of St Mary’s Chatham but with no success.
The Parish Records of St Mary’s Chatham are amazing. I was so excited at finding them – they have helped significantly in tracing the Govers.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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From the Gale 19th century newspapers collection, Alfred Greatbatch Gover was called to the Bar (Grays Inn) on 18 November 1867. His address was given as John Street, Poplar New Town.
Purp72
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He was in NZ in 1885 as he bought some shares in a gold mining company
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0c0v/
If this is your Frederick, he was a school teacher by the look of it
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0c0w/
Ian C
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An Alfred Gover, barrister, age 75, left from New York on the Majestic arriving 7 Sep 1913 in Southampton.
Might have been just a trip to the US
Ian C
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Hello purp72 and Eysee,
Thank you both so much for the information given.
I am delighted at finding when Alfred Greatbatch became a Barrister at law. I believe that now narrows the field to a period of six years as to his arrival in India. The Gale 19th Century newspaper collection seems a great source for research.
And yes that is my Frederick Gover - he was a school master all his years in New Zealand.
whiteKat
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Hello, I am very interested in the Kent Greatbatch families, and as you seem to have done some work on them you may be able to help me out a bit. My great great great grandfather was William Greatbatch born in Chatham in 1810 (maybe the William who was a witness at Anne's wedding?). His parents were William and Elizabeth Greatbatch and he had a brother Isaac. I thought the Anne Greatbatch who married Thomas Gover might be his sister but it seems you have information that she was born in Stoke - though maybe her parents moved from there to Chatham before William and Isaac were born. There is some connection, though, because I have a letter written in 1874 from William to his daughter Ettie which refers to Anna Gover, evidently Anne and Thomas's daughter, going on a day out "with two other neices".
There must also be a connection with John and Elizabeth Greatbatch who had several children at Chatham between 1799 and 1813, including another Isaac and a Mary Ann who might well be the other witness at the wedding. John (1770-1814) was a Sergeant-Major in the Marines at Chatham.
There are a few other tantalizing clues to relationships in William's letters which I am trying to make sense of.
If you can throw any light on these families I would be very grateful.
Thanks,
Andrew
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Hello Andrew,
I am really excited. I do believe that we share William Greatbatch 1779 - 1838 as one of our ancestors. This William is my 3rd Great Grandfather. Your William 1810 is my 2nd Great Grand Uncle. And I do believe that your William is my Ann's brother and that William and Elizabeth are their parents. My research tells me that William 1779 married Elizabeth Heath on 2 August 1801 at Saint Giles, Newcastle Under Lyme, Stafford, England. Source Citation: Place: Newcastle-under-Lyne, Staffordshire, England; Collection: St Giles; Date Range: 1754 - 1837; Film Number: 1040775. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any other facts about Elizabeth Heath however.
I have done quite a bit of research on my Ann who married Thomas Gover in 1829 at St Mary's in Chatham and yes I agree that it would be most likely your William was the witness at Ann and Thomas's wedding.
It would appear that after William and Elizabeth married they ventured down to Chatham sometime between when Ann was born in 1803 and William in 1810. I cannot find any siblings between 1803 and 1810. I have found at least three other children Izaac, Harriet - who were Baptised on the same day in 1813 - then Elizabeth who was baptised in 1816. Does that compare with your findings?
I have wondered about the John and Elizabeth Greatbatch having a connection with William and Elizabeth but have found nothing concrete - maybe John and William 1779 were brothers. It seems there could well have been a close family connection between John and William. Ann and Mary Ann could have been cousins since Mary Ann was witness to Thomas and Ann's wedding! In Ann Gover's Index of Will Administration William her brother is mentioned as living in Fortress Terrace Kentish Town. Is he your William? I am pleased to learn of John's occupation as Seargent Major in the Marines - it puts more of a face to the people. In Pigot's 1824 Directory it has William Greatbatch in Military Road Chatham under Earthenware, China and Glass Dealers. That fits well with him coming from Staffordshire.
I am very interested in the letters you mention. Yes Ann and Thomas had a daughter Anna Maria but I can't find a daughter to William called Effie! Was that her full name? I would love to hear more of the letters if you wished. I find this all so fascinating. If I can help in any other way I am more than happy to do so.
Regards
Kate
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Hello Cousin!
Thank you, that is very interesting and tells me a lot that I didn't know. It will be a few days before I have time to sit down and gather all the informatin I have and send you a proper reply but I will certainly do that and send you the two letters I have from William to Ettie (Esther Lilwall Greatbatch born 1853) who was my great great grandmother.
Best wishes,
Andrew
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Yes I suppose we are cousins!
Ah and Effie was Esther - that makes sense now! Do you know much about William 1779? I have found what I believe is his Death Record! I can pass that on too if you wish. I look forward to seeing the letters as well, but when you have time.
You are probably aware that after three posts you can message by Personal Mail on this site. Through that if you wish I could give you my email address - it may be easier in posting the letters.
Regards
Kate
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Hello Kate,
I am afraid all I knew before I heard from you was William's name, that his wife was Elizabeth, and when some of his children were born. I am very pleased to have so much more and would be very interested in the records you have found.
What I did know came from transcripts on genealogy sites, some of which are clearly inaccurate - I thought that Harriet who was baptised on the same day as Isaac was the daughter of John and Elizabeth but I am sure you are right and Isaac and Harriet were brother and sister. I have only just found the images of the Chatham registers on line and will have a good look for the Greatbatches on them - but it looks like you've already done that.
I notice that there is a Levi Greatbatch born about 1815 who turns up in Kent and Oxford. There is a mention of Oxford in one of the letters so I'm thinking I'll look a bit more closely at Levi and his family. Maybe you already know something about him?
I am new to this forum and did not know how private messaging worked so thanks for mentioning it. This will be my third post so I'll send a message with some links to pictures of the letters. They are a bit scrawly in places and I have transcribed one as best I can. I might try to get the other one done first as I also want to post a copy off to a cousin of my father's who I recently visited - Getting the letters ready for her is what set me off looking further into this part of the family.
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Hello Andrew,
It is good to hear again, thank you. I have just checked my records and it does appear that Harriet was born to William and Elizabeth. What I have found is that sometimes family members were baptised at the same time so this could be what happened here - unless they were twins! It is a shame that birth dates were rarely recorded.
I have not come across a Levi at any time during my searches but he could well belong to one or other of our Greatbatch families. I look forward to viewing the letters when you are ready- I am very grateful.
I am away till the weekend and it is after midnight here in Australia so when I return I will seek out records and information to give to you.
Hope it goes well with the personal messaging. If it would be easier I could send you my email address through which to send the letters.
Thank you again
Regards
Kate
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Hi Andrew,
I believe I have found an error with Findmypast! With you saying you thought Harriet was born to John and Elizabeth - you are actually right!
In my previous post to you, in checking my records, I looked up and found the Index from Findmypast for Harriet's Baptism - and yes it did say William and Elizabeth! However you put a query in my mind so I quickly looked up the St Mary's Baptism Register on Cityark Medway Ancestors and sure enough her parents are John and Elizabeth. Harriet's name is directly beneath Izaac's in the Register so there has been an error in transcription. I do apologise, and thank you for putting the query into my mind. She is the daughter of John and Elizabeth. I will correct my records now.
Thank you
Kate
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Thanks for that. William and John both having children baptised in the same church on the same day does make it look likely that they were related, I think.
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I had a look at Levi Greatbatch and I don't think there's any strong reason to connect him with us any more than any other Greatbatches. He was born in Staffordshire to a William and Mary, married a Kentish woman at Ramsgate, quite a long way from Chatham, then went back to Staffordshire and later was a glass and china dealer in Oxford.
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New Zealand newspapers on line paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
Using "more search options" and the search key "gover", check out -
The Auckland Star 6 Dec 1884 (advert appears 6th, 12th and 17th)
The Auckland Star 1 Apr 1884
Press 1 Apr 1884
Star 1 Apr 1884
Re the arrival of the Rotomahana and the "Misses/Masters Gover", the children I have found born to Alfred and Anna in India were
Alfred Adrian (18.3.1875), Annie Edith Mary (7.12.76), William Arthur (10.4.80) and Charles Rhodes (5 Mar 1881) - so doesn't fit the profile of the 1884 arrivals.
Did Alfred Adrian die in India 31 Oct 1914?
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Check the Auckland Star, 30 Dec 1885, for the setting up of a firm of Barristers/Solicitors.
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Re Anna Edith Mary, there's a mention in the Auckland Star 19 Dec 1889 of an "A E M Gover", prizewinner in Auckland Grammar School
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The Auckland Star, 19 Mar 1890 and The New Zealand Herald, 20 (2 items) and 24 March 1890 have items about a Gover family sailing for Sydney and eventually India.
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Re the Gover family sailing from Auckland for India, via Sydney, in 1890 -
An Annie Ethel (!) Mary Gover, age 24, spinster, abode Cochin, father Alfred Greatbatch Gover married Alexander McIntosh, 30, Civil Engineer at St Francis Church, Cochin on 28 September 1901. Witnesses John Grieve and Alfred G Gover.
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Hi cousins, Alfred Greatbatch Gover was my great great Grandfather. My Grandfather was Alfred Adrian Gover, Grandfather was Adrian Geoffrey Gover, father was Adrian Donald Gover. I have some information and records that i will look up in the next few days. Im a bit late to the party.