Person:Mary Grear (2)

Mary Grear's origins have yet to be established. She claimed in both the 1851 and 1871 censuses to have been born around the late 1790s at Bickleigh in Devon, although in 1861 she gave her birthplace as the neighbouring parish of Thorverton. Her first confirmed sighting is at Thorverton, where she was married on 2nd April 1826 to a dairyman named Thomas May. One of the witnesses to Mary's marriage was a James Grear, who was presumably a relative.

Mary and Thomas lived for the first few years of their marriage in Tiverton, where they appear to have had at least four children. The 1841 census finds them living at Rowlands in Tiverton. By 1851 they had moved to the neighbouring parish of Cruwys Morchard, living at Groubear, a farm close to the parish boundary with Tiverton. The 1861 census finds them back the Tiverton side of the parish boundary at the hamlet of Palmers.

Thomas died in 1868. Mary outlived him, appearing with her daughter Mary in the 1871 census at Little Silver in Cadeleigh parish. Mary has yet to be traced after 1871; there are several plausible Mary May deaths in this area after 1871.

1. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 255; Book 4; Folio 5; Page 4, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Rowlands, Tiverton, Devon
   Tho[ma]s May, male, 45 [1791-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Mary May, female, 30 [1806-11], born in county
   Anne May, female, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Tho[ma]s May, male, 2 [1839/40], born in county
   Edward May, male, 4 months [1841], born in county

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1889; Folio 417; Page 36, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Groobear No.2, Cruwys Morchard, Devon
   Thomas May, head, married, male, 60 [1791/2], Dairyman, b. C. Morchard
   Mary May, wife, married, female, 53 [1797/8], b. Bickleigh
   Thomas May, son, male, 10 [1840/1], b. Tiverton
   Mary May, daughter, female, 7 [1843/4], b. Tiverton

3. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 1480; Folio 67; Page 8, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Palmers Village, Tiverton, Devon
   Thomas May, head, married, male, 63 [1797/8], Ag Lab, b. Cruwys Morchard, Devon
   Mary May, wife, married, female, 56 [1804/5], b. Thorverton, Devon
   Ann May, daughter, unmarried, female, 28 [1832/3], Servant, b. Tiverton, Devon
   Thomas May, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1840/1], Ag Lab, b. Tiverton, Devon
   Mary May, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1843/4], b. Tiverton, Devon

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 2166; Folio 57; Page 11, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Little Silver, Cadeleigh, Devon
   James Cligg, head, married, male, 23 [1847/8], Smith, b. Cadeleigh, Devon
   Mary Cligg, wife, married, female, 26 [1844/5], b. Tiverton, Devon
   Annie M. Cligg, daughter, female, 3 [1867/8], b. Coveleigh, Devon
   Maria A. Cligg, daughter, female, 7 months [1870], b. Coveleigh, Devon
   William B. Cligg, father, married, male, 56 [1814/5], Farmer, b. Crediton, Devon
   Mary May, mother in law, widow, female, 75 [1795/6], b. Bickleigh, Devon
   John Reed, servant, unmarried, male, 20 [1850/1], Farm Servant Indoors, b. Cadeleigh, Devon
   William Tucker, servant, male, 15 [1855/6], Farm Servant Indoors, b. Cadeleigh, Devon