Matilda GREGORY^{[1, 2, 3]}

1827 - 1893  (~ 66 years)

• Name	Matilda GREGORY
  Christened	13 Apr 1827	Faversham, Kent, England
  Gender	Female
  Buried	31 Oct 1893	Ospringe, Kent, England   [4]
  Person ID	I2419	Young Kent Ancestors
  Last Modified	4 Apr 2020

  
  

  Father	Thomas William GREGORY,   c. 26 Jan 1800, Faversham, Kent, England ,   d. 3rd Qtr 1880, Faversham, Kent, England  (Age ~ 79 years)
  Mother	Sarah PAGE,   b. 1803, Challock ,   bur. 10 May 1873, Faversham, Kent, England  (Age ~ 70 years)
  Married	3 Mar 1821	Faversham, Kent, England
  Family ID	F1031	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	William PACKER,   c. 23 Mar 1825, Faversham, Kent, England
  Married	27 Sep 1851	Ospringe, Kent, England   [5]
  Children	1. NO CHILDREN
  Last Modified	20 Mar 2022
  Family ID	F1039	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Over the evolution of several census William and Matilda Packer have shownsome interesting circumstances:1851 Matilda, at age 24, was unmarried and living at home with her mother,Sarah (nee Page) at 12 Ospringe Road, Victoria Place, Faversham. With themwere Matilda's other female siblings - Emma, aged 19, Sarah aged 10 andRebecca aged 8. William Packer and Matilda married on 27 September 1851 at Ospringe parish church. He was described as being of full age, a bachelor and basketmaker living on Ospringe Street. His father was recorded as James Packer, also a basketmaker. Matilda was described as being of full age, a spinster living on Ospringe Street. Her father was recorded as being Thomas William Gregory a mariner. Witnesses were William Cook and John Lott, the latter of whom was a churchwarden at Ospringe.1861 Matilda and William are married, living at 46 Market Place, Faversham.With them are Rebecca Gregory, listed as sister unmarried and 18, a schoolteacher; and Ellen Gregory, also listed as sister unmarried, aged 11.According to the 1851 census, the only Ellen Gregory aged about 1 year oldis the daughter and sole child of Peter Page Gregory and Sarah Ann (neeTwist). Peter Page Gregory was the brother of Matilda and he was buried atFaversham on 6 February 1853. I have not followed up what became of hiswife and it may be that she also had died. In any event, the description ofEllen Gregory in 1861 would have been inaccurate. She should have beenshown as a niece in the household. Rebecca Gregory eventually married a manby the name of C. R. Freeman and moved to Rolvenden (1881 census). EmmaGregory (the one referred to in 1851 above) also moved out to Rolvenden by1891 and was living with the Freemans.In 1871 Ellen Gregory is shown as the daughter of William and MatildaPacker, aged 21 and an assistant in William's basket making business. Thefamily lived at 5 Market Place, Faversham. At that time William alsoemployed 2 men and 1 boy. This description of Ellen being a daughter wouldcertainly throw the unsuspecting ancestor hunter completely off the trail ifthey had failed to look at previous census. Ellen Gregory married FrederickJohn Ralph on 6 June 1876 and went on to have seven children of her own oneof whom was named Kathleen Matilda.In 1881 Mary A. Gregory was living with Matilda and William. In trying to answer the question of which Mary A. this is in 1881 we have to look at Matilda's own siblings: Matilda was chr.13 Apr 1827 at Faversham the third of 10 children (9 surviving). AmongstMatilda's siblings were two brothers who each had a Mary Ann, as follows:1) Thomas William, Jr. married Mary Ann Cowdrey on 9 October 1853 and hadthree children. The first child, Ellen was christened curing 1856 but theremaining two children - Mary Ann and Caroline Olive - were not christeneduntil the same day in 1863. The 1861 census lists Mary, the wife, at 35Bridge Place, Preston with two daughters - Ella (rather than Ellen) aged 4,and Mary A. aged 1, putting her birth year circa 1859. Other than ThomasWilliam (1881 census shipmaster on board the "Collingwood" at Teynham) theremainder of this family seems to vanish during 1881. Thomas William diedduring the 1st quarter of 1889 and no other family is readily evident in theFaversham area during 1891.2) John married Mary Ann Brenchley circa 1855. They had four children oneof which was a Mary Ann born during 1861 but after the day of the 1861census. This Mary Ann is missing from the household in 1881 leaving at herhome only her mother Mary A. (nee Brenchley) and her brother John R.. Herother brother, William George was on board the "Walter" during the time ofthe 1881 census. Her sister, Ella was staying with their aunt, Sarah AnnGutridge (nee Gregory - another of Matilda's sisters) during 1881.Although I suspect that the Mary A. Gregory is the daughter of John (#2above) I have no real substance with which to back up that assumption.A last little tidbit concerning William and Matilda Packer comes from themanorial court rolls: During 1896 an Emma Gregory took over copyholdproperty previously belonging to William Packer. Unfortunately, I did notrecord this in full detail fully expecting to get back to it to copy itbefore the film was returned to Salt Lake. Subsequently, during 1898 SarahAnn Gutridge appeared before the manorial court to request admittance to themanor property on the west side of Court Street, being #5 Market Place,Faversham, and further described as having been "late the estate of WilliamPacker, deceased who devised to his widow, now deceased, who by Will devisedto Sarah Ann Gutridge". Relief paid was 8 pence - 4 being the relief thatshould have been paid upon William's death and 4 being the relief due at thetime Sarah Ann took over the property. Sarah Ann performed her fealty andwas admitted tenant of the property at #5 Market Place. Sarah Ann, you willremember, was one of Matilda's sisters.

  
  

• Sources

  [S58] 1861 Census, England, Office of National Statistics, General Register Office, Kew, Surrey, England, (U.S.A., Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah), LDS Film #0542655, Faversham, 7 Apr 1861. 46, Market Place, Faversham: William Packer, head, married, 35, basketmaker, born at Faversham Matilda Packer, wife, married, 28, born at Faversham Rebecca Gregory, sister, unmarried, 18, school teacher, born at Faversham Ellen Gregory, sister, unmarried, 11, born at Faversham [S53] 1871 Census, England and Wales, Office of National Statistics, Register General Office, (U.S.A., Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah), LDS Film #0838717-0838718, Faversham, 2 Apr 1871. 5 Market Place, Faversham: William Packer, head, married, 46, basket maker employing 2 men and 1 boy, born at Faversham Matilda Packer, wife, married, 44, born at Faversham Ellen Gregory, daughter [sic], unmarried, 21, assistant, born at Faversham [S54] 1881 Census, England, Office of National Statistics, General Register Office, Kew, Surrey, England, (U.S.A., Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah), LDS Film #1341231, Faversham, 3 Apr 1881. 26 Newton Road, Faversham: William Packer, head, married, 54, basket maker, born at Faversham Matilda Packer, wife, married, 53, born at Faversham Mary A. Gregory, niece, unmarried, 21, servant, born at Faversham [S34] Parish Register, England, Kent: Church of England, Canterbury Cathedral Archives, (U.S.A., Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah), LDS Film #1836273, 1893, 31 Oct 1893. Age recorded on burial was 66 years, residence at Faversham. [S34] Parish Register, England, Kent: Church of England, Canterbury Cathedral Archives, (U.S.A., Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah), LDS Film #1836273, 1851, 27 Sep 1851. Married September 27, 1851, William Packer, bachelor, full age, basket maker, residence at Ospringe Street, father John Packer, basket maker, to Matilda Gregory, spinster, full age, no occupation, residence at Ospringe Street, father Thomas William Gregory, mariner. Witnesses: William Cook, John Lott.