My Warwickshire Roots Uncovered

My family research has taken me down some very unexpected roads.

Warwickshire origins

I have been researching for over twenty years and from my research I learned of the strong ties of my father’s family to Warwickshire and Oxfordshire, the story of my well-off ancestors from Leamington is for another time, but for now I would like to talk of the more recent Warwickshire links I have found. I was born in Glasgow, and both of my parents were Scottish. However my paternal grandmother was born in Stretton-on-Dunsmore. her mother Lucy and her father Frederick were both living in Leamington Spa at the time she was conceived. I imagine it was a scandal at the time as they were not married. Lucy was a domestic servant to Thomas J. Hurst and family, living at 19 Newbold Street. He was an estate share broker. Frederick was living at 118 Parade and would have been helping with his father’s Wine and Spirit business.

Lucy’s parents, John Beards and Matilda Gregory lived at Church Hill, Southam, near the “Black Horse” in 1861. In 1881 Lucy’s sister lived and worked as a servant at a Black Horse Inn with Helen and William Glenn. William’s occupation was Beer Keeper, and the address is given as Bilton, Rugby.

Lucy and Frederick’s daughter, my grandmother, was given the name Amy Fredealeah Spinlove Brown, which shows a very strong naming pattern reflecting Frederick’s family names. Amy herself would use some of her Brown ancestor names for her children. I have yet to find a marriage record for Frederick and Lucy although their daughter Amy’s birth record gives her parents as Frederick and Lucy Brown. I imagine if there was in fact a marriage that it would have been annulled given their young ages and their difference in social status. I personally don’t believe they were ever married as on her marriage record to John Joseph Bygroves she is described as a spinster.

Warwickshire to Scotland to Canada

At any rate both of my grandmother’s parents would go on to marry other people. Lucy married John Joseph Bygroves, a sergeant and fireman with the 3rd Battalion Royal Warwick Regiment based at Barracks, Budbrooke, Warwick. He spent over 20 years in service, at one time being an army schoolmaster. They later moved to Glasgow, Scotland which is where their daughter Amy met her husband. After being widowed Lucy later married Hugh McLindon in Glasgow.

Amy’s father Frederick Spinlove Brown immigrated to Winnipeg, Canada and farmed land on property obtained through the Homestead Land Grant Program. He would meet his wife Mary Frances Watson there. My parents would follow the same path to Canada, and I speak of this in my next article.