william gower abt 1765 Surrey

[karenbrown669]

Can anybody shed some light on a problem I've had for a longtime.  I have tried to find where my ancestor William Gower abt 1765 family originated from. I cannot find any records of his parents .
He married Sarah Ridley in Crowhurst, Surrey in 1783 although his children are with Mary. He had 10 in all.

[solidrock]

Hi, Think you may be looking in the wrong county, Crowhurst is in Sussex but I can't find a marriage to Sarah Ridley in 1783. There is one to Sarah Morley in 1821 in Brighton, Sussex. William may have been born 1763, Westham, Sussex. or 1764, Cuckfield, Sussex.
What details have you for Mary?  There is a William Gower m Mary White. 1820 Brighton, Sussex. and William Gower m Mary Shoosmith. 1815 Hellingly, Sussex.

[karenbrown669]

Thanks for replying. I feel William Gower was born around 1765 as I have a marriage  at Crowhurst Surrey to Sarah (Mary) Ridley  and his death again in Crowhurst Surrey in 1823 age 63. I feel Sarah maybe a spelling error as only text and no transcript for the entry. I have had other matches with trees on Genes Reunited and they all say Mary Ridley.- I have the family ,children of Henry Ridley and Alice and there is no Sarah among the siblings just Mary.  All the children are at Crowhurst Surrey parents William and Mary. Further more I have a 1841 entry for Mary Gower  living with a Ridley which again would be correct. By the way you are correct there is another Crowhurst in Sussex but ours is definately the Surrey one.  Im desperately trying to find his birth- feel the family moved from another county. I have seen all the William's you mention but can't prove if its a particular one
 There are lots of Gower's at the same time  living in Crowhurst Surrey and Lingfield which is close by. I'm also looking at Benjamin and Jeremiah who I feel must be connected. Hope this is of help

[solidrock]

Hi again,
I lived in Surrey for 25 years and never knew that there was a Crowhurst there, some of my ancestors came from the Crowhurst area but that was the Sussex one.
On the marriage banns for William and Sarah it says William was "Of this parish" and Sarah "Kent - Edenbridge". Not sure about the Mary theory, on FamilySearch it show William and Mary with their 10 children which I assume was the one you mentioned. The first child Mary was born in 1787 which seems a long time after the said marriage of William and Sarah in 1783. I can't find the 1841 with a Gower-Ridley connection, what area was it?

[karenbrown669]

Hi there
 They were living at Lewisham in the 1841  census. William had already died in 1823 so presumably now living with her sister.  All the surrounding areas of Crowhurst ie Oxted, Tandridge, Godstone, Lingfield,Horne have Gowers from my tree.

[solidrock]

I've looked at all the surrounding area's for Williams birth but can't find any thing. Got a suspicion that the PR's for that period have gone missing. If he was born in Crowhurst then I think he would have been baptised at St. George, now trying to locate the records.

[karenbrown669]

I hope you have more luck than I have. Ive looked at every options but cannot link him. I dont think he was born in Crowhurst because surely it would be easy to find him but he definately ended up there and had his family

[tig]

Wonder if William Gower, 1760 Edenbridge Kent is our man? Father John Goward m Sarah Welfare  1758 Edenbridge.   William Goward (Gower) married Mary Ridley 21 Sept 1783 Edenbridge Kent.  Probably then moved to Crowhurst Surrey where they brought up their 10 children.  William Gower was buried at Crowhurst Surrey 1823 aged 63

[solidrock]

Looks like you will have to find the originals of the banns and marriage to see if there is a transcribing error as both online transcripts say Sarah.