Thomas GERRY - St Agnes/Crantock/St Columb

[krisesjoint]

Hi,

I had Mary Ann in 1851 before her marriage also. It is just 1841 which sadly they seem to have missed the census.

Now this thing re Henry certainly sounds interesting. Henry certainly was a shipwright in Newquay. In 1871 he and his wife are not living together. She is using TREGERRY. In 1881 she is married - Henry is missing. 

Cheers Kris 

[Goldberry]

Hmmmm.............the Henry mystery deepens!

In the 1881 Census of Scotland, Henry Gerry (Shipwright) and his 'wife' Mary are shown the have a 'foster son' - Robert Thomson.  I cannot find a marriage for Henry and another Mary (and we know that Mary J was in Cornwall).

I've now found a 'Henry Gerry' in the 1901 Census. He was living with his 'wife' Alice - I cannot find a marriage for this couple.  This Henry Gerry was a 'Shipwright'(!), and shows his place of birth as New Quay.  However, his age is shown as 53. 

I have a copy of the original document and somebody has pencilled in Card against New Quay.

I wonder whether this is our Henry Gerry (as there weren't many Henry Gerrys in the UK).  Could it be that he shed a few years because his 'wife' was a lot younger? 

The original document also shows a Beth??? Legg, Grandmother at the same address, but this has not been transcribed into the household, probably because the schedule number is against Henry's name.  However, his occupation has been put in the same line as Alice and then arrows added to show that it should be in the line above, which makes it obvious that there are errors in the input.  So I'm wondering whether Alice could be Alice Legg (although it could be a maternal grandmother, of course).

I can't seem to find Henry anywhere in the 1891 Census either in Scotland or England/Wales.  I wonder if he went abroad for a period.  It seems there was a big boom in shipbuilding at the end of the 19th century.

[trewinlea]

Hi Goldberry,

I'm a direct descendant of Thomas Gerry and Elizabeth Pollard, so I was very interested to read what you had found out about the family.
I also got stuck with Thomas's birth in St Agnes and haven't been able to go back any further. I do know, though, that there were Pollards living in Crantock in the early 18th century, who were presumably Elizabeth's ancestors, but I haven't actually got round to tracing them back yet.
I'm afraid I don't have all that much information about the Gerry family, and most of what I know is related to my great grandfather William (Thomas and Elizabeth's grandson) and his family, but I would be happy to share what I do have with you if you're interested.

As regards the Henry Gerry you found in the 1901 census - there is a place in Wales called New Quay (as opposed to Newquay in Cornwall) in what used to be known as Cardiganshire, so this would explain the note "Card". But it probably also makes it less likely that he is actually "our" Henry.

Hope to hear from you.

[Goldberry]

It looks as though the word "Card" has been written more recently, as it's written in a more modern style of handwriting and in pencil.  Most likely because the word Newquay had been transcribed as two words New Quay, as you say.  It's not as though Henry Gerry is a popular name.

I haven't been able to find any Henry Gerry born around 1847.  In fact I've only found one other born in 1850 in Tavistock, so wrong birthplace and even if he was also a shipwright, it would make him slightly too young to have been aged 53 in 1901.

[Goldberry]

Henry Gerry

Birth 1836  Crantock
(Baptism 23 Jun 1836) St Columb
1841 (no census record)
1851 St Columb Minor, Cornwall - Lead Ore Dresser
1856 Married Mary Pascoe, St Columb Cornwall
1861 Newquay Cornwall (with parents) - Shipwright
1871 Newquay Cornwall (boarder at home of John Thomas) - Shipwright (wife living at separate address with sons under the surname Tregerry)
1881 (Scottish Census) age 44 with "wife" Mary (possibly Mary Ann Bunt nee Thomas) in Edinburgh - Shipwright
1901 age 53 (!) Living in Southampton with "wife" Alice - Shipwright born New Quay (somebody has pencilled in Carn on the census but there are no records of a Henry Gerry born in New Quay, Wales)  Looking at the age of Alice, it is highly possible that Henry lied about his age, especially as in:
1911 age 75 Henry can be found as an inmate in the Southampton Workhouse
1913 Died at the age of 78 in Southampton

I haven't been able to locate him in 1891 - still in Scotland maybe?

[Goldberry]

I recently found an interesting newspaper article, so I thought I would add it as an update:

Royal Cornwall Gazette, Friday April 29, 1864

Henry Gerry was brought up in custody charged by Robert Bunt, as seaman, with stealing a chest or a sea box, his property.  This was a very peculiar case.  It appeared that while the complainant was away at sea the prisoner, who lived at Newquay and is a shipwright, went off with the complainant's wife; leaving his own behind, she soon became chargeable to the parish.  A warrant was issued for his apprehension, and he was apprehended at Portsmouth and brought back; he brought back with him this box and claimed it as his.  The matter was then settled between him and the parish on his paying all the expenses; and then it became known to the injured husband that the prisoner had his box.  When called on for his defence, he said that box was given him by complainant's wife.  He was committed for one month's hard labour.

[wktempleton]

Hello,

My gg grandmother was Mary Ann Gerry who was born about 1844 in Bridestowe.  She moved to Calstock with her family before 1861.  Her father was Jacob Gerry.  Mary Ann married John Webster and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1873.

Any information on this family would be be appreciated.

Bill