RootsChat.Com

I am trying to find the family of my great great grandfather, Augustus Henry Guy.  He is shown in the 1881 census living in Whitchurch and as having been born in Pimlico, Middlesex.  He married Elizabeth Poole Graham in Dublin, Ireland in about 1840.  He was a member of the Irish Constabulary.  He had two sons, Gustavus Frederick Guy (b. 1851) and Frank Graham Guy (b. 1854).  I am interested as to why a man who had spent a considerable amount of time in Dublin should have retired to Whitchurch.  My assumption all along has been that he had family in the area but may be wrong.

The archivist for Buskingshire very kindly sent me the following e-mail message.  This information may help anyone else researching the family (apologies for its length):

"I checked the Victoria County History for Buckinghamshire which states that the manor of Whitchurch was purchased in 1857 by John Guy of Chearsley and sold in 1867 by his son J.H. Guy.  J.H. Guy also purchased Bolbec Farm (formerly Castle) in Whitchurch in 1876 and sold it in 1896.

I checked Kellys Directories, which were produced every few years and list the principal residents and tradesmen in each parish:
In Chearsley:
1847-1871 Thomas Guy, landowner and farmer
1869-1895 Mrs Guy, Chearsley House
1876- 1891 John Guy, landowner and farmer
1895 James Guy, landowner
In Whitchurch:
1876-1883 Augustus Guy, esquire (my 2x great grandfather)
1869-1899 John Henry Guy, farmer and landowner, Manor Farm
John Henry Guy is not listed at Whitchurch in the next directory for 1903, but is still said to be a principal landowner in the parish. He does not appear in the index to the directory so may have moved out of Buckinghamshire. In Chronicles of Whitchurch by G.W. Wilson (1909) J.H. Guy is said to have been a parish councillor from 1894 to 1901 and was the first chairman of the parish council. He was also a guardian of the poor in 1871-1873 and a churchwarden 1876-1884. Augustus H. Guy was a churchwarden in 1870-1871.
In Chearsley by Ted Hooton (1994) the Guy family are said to be farmers at Middle Farm, later renamed Upper Farm. The farmer was at first Thomas Guy, senior, and between 1850 and 1860 Thomas Guy, junior, seed merchant, and Cyprian Guy, surveyor, also lived there. There was at least one daughter, Mary Guy, she married Richard Roadnight who lived at Manor Farm and was later lord of the manor. They had eleven children the last, May, being born in 1880. By 1880 Upper Farm had been inherited by Thomas Guy’s son John Guy. Thomas Guy, junior, and his family, including a daughter called Helen, had left for Canada to seek their fortunes. In 1858 Lower Green Farm, later renamed Chearsley Green or Chearsley House, was purchased by John Guy, brother of Thomas Guy, senior. The Mrs Guy listed in Kellys appears to have been Ann Guy who lived until she was at least 88 (18 August 1897). By the end of the 1890s all the Guys appear to have died or left the parish and their property passed into other hands."

Thanks very much in advance for any help that anyone can provide.  Surely, there is a link or am I being too hopeful?

Peter in Victoria, Canada
 

Hi Elizabeth:

I have found a marriage between an Elizabeth Chapman and Henry Carnell in 1844 - I suspect that she is in "our" Chapman family and this is where the Carnell in Robert's name came from.  She was born c. 1819 so not part of Benjamin's family and Henry was born at about the same time.  They appear in censuses right up to 1891 but I can't find them in the 1901 census.

Peter

Tara:

Thanks for the reply.  As noted, my information came from my cousin.  I quoted what he had given me so you now have all the information I have.  I don't have any more to give but will be happy to share some of the Fraser family information if you would like it but am not sure this is the appropriate place and suspect that we should be communicating directly with each other.  If you send me you e-mail, I will send you some information.

Kind regards,
Peter

Tara:
The information I have recently received from a cousin indicate:
Agnes married Pomeroy, a general in the 13th Bengal Lancers, in 1891 in Calcutta, India. Their son (only one child noted) was Redvers Michael Courtney Holland-Pryor who later changed his name to simple Prior. He was an MP, RN Commander and ?diamond broker?.  He divorced Sybil Nairn in 1946 (no marriage date). Their children were Muriel, Ian and Avril. I have a blank for the name of Pomeroy’s second wife with no children noted.
Best wishes,
Peter