Richard Edwards Gyles

Notes:

Emigrated to Canada 1 May 1908; arrived in Quebec City. [According to notes on his 1921 arrival form, Canada, Ocean Arrivals (Form 30A), 1919-1924, on ancestry.com.]

The birth certificate for his daughter Lottie lists his occupation as "moulder." The 1940 US census describes his occupation as "foundry man." His 1942 draft card shows his employer in Flint, Michigan, as the Buick Motor Company.

Richard married Lottie Couch on 15 Apr 1908 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. Lottie (daughter of Anthony Couch and Elizabeth Jane Penberthy) was born on 12 Jul 1886 in Penzance, Cornwall, England; was christened on 5 Dec 1888 in St. Ives Primitive Methodist Chapel, St. Ives, Cornwall, England; died on 29 Jun 1974 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan; was buried in Sunset Hills Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Gwendolyn Lottie Gyles was born on 12 Nov 1910 in Toronto, Ontario; died on 17 Oct 1997 in Brevard, Transylvania, North Carolina; was buried on 24 Oct 1997 in Summit Cemetery, Williamston, Ingham, Michigan.
2. Edna Geraldine Gyles was born on 3 Oct 1912 in Toronto, Ontario; died on 26 Mar 1913 in Toronto, Ontario.
3. Richard Edwards Gyles, Jr. was born on 2 Feb 1914 in Toronto, Ontario; died on 12 Feb 1998 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan.
4. Edith Jean Gyles was born on 31 Aug 1915 in Toronto, Ontario; died on 4 May 2010 in Osprey, Sarasota, Florida.
5. Elizabeth Penberthy Gyles was born on 28 Dec 1923 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan; died on 7 Nov 2018 in Flushing, Genesee, Michigan; was buried in Sunset Hills Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan.

Notes:

Described on his marriage record as "bachelor" and "fisherman." Could sign his own name.

Many online records for Thomas Gyles give his parents as William Harry Gyles (1814-1877) and Ann "Nancy" Quick Curnow (1821-1909). But I think this is a different Thomas Gyles, not the one who married Mary Edwards. Most significantly, the record of Thomas Gyles's marriage to Mary Edwards, 1 Jun 1873, searchable at the Cornish Online Parish Clerks Database (https://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/home/), gives his father as George Gyles, master mariner. Supporting this, the 25 Jul 1850 record of Thomas Gyles's baptism at the St. Ives Primitive Methodist Chapel, which gives his birth date as 5 Jul 1850, gives his parents as George Gyles, sailor, and his wife Ann Curnow Gyles.

The 1851 census shows Thomas Gyles, age 9 months, living with his mother Ann Gyles, age 35, relationship to head of household "wife". The 1861 census shows Thomas Gyles, age 10, living with his mother Ann C. Gyles, head of household, age 45. It is easy to see how both of these records could be interpreted to refer to Ann "Nancy" Quick Curnow rather than Ann Curnow Gyles. But the 1871 census disambiguates this. The Thomas Gyles who is shown in St. Ives, age 20, living in the household of William H. and Nancy Gyles, is given as a "builder", not a trade our Thomas Gyles is ever recorded as having plied. (This Thomas Gyles's father, William Harry Gyles, was a "builder & architect.") Meanwhile, also in the 1871 census, our Thomas Gyles, age 20, called a "fisherman" (which we know was his trade), is living at The Wharf, St. Ives, with Daniel Veal, age 49, head of household (to whom Thomas Gyles is called "son-in-law"), and Ann Veal, age 56. And St. Ives parish records show that in 1862, following the 1854 death of Thomas's father George Gyles, Ann Curnow (Hodge) Gyles married Daniel Veal. (Her 1895 death record calls her Ann Curnow Veal.)

He and his wife Mary moved to Wales sometime between the 1891 census of England and the 1901 census of Wales. They appear to have lived the rest of their lives in Barry, Glamorganshire. His probate record of 14 Jan 1927 refers to him as "GYLES Thomas of 68 Castleland-street Barry".

Thomas married Mary Edwards on 1 Jun 1873 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Mary (daughter of Anthony Grenfell Edwards and Jane Andrew) was born on 4 May 1851 in Penzance, Cornwall, England; was christened on 14 May 1851 in St. Ives Primitive Methodist Chapel, St. Ives, Cornwall, England; died on 27 Jun 1937 in East Glamorgan, Glamorgan, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Described on her marriage record as "spinster." Could sign her own name.

Notes:

Witnesses: Anthony Grenfell Edwards, Jane Edwards.

Notes:

Described on his marriage record as "bachelor" and "mariner." Could sign his own name.

Described on his son Thomas's 1873 marriage record as "master mariner."

On 19 Aug 1846 he was a witness to the marriage of Matthew Veal, son of Matthew Veal, fisherman, to Catherine Gyles, daughter of John Gyles, mariner. Notable since after his death, his widow also married a Veal.

It's notable that he was baptized in the C of E, but his son Thomas (and Thomas's wife Mary Edwards) were both baptized as Primitive Methodists.

*****

He is shown on some sites as a son of John Gyles and Johanna Harry, presumably the Joanna Harry recorded as baptised 14 Aug 1786 in St. Ives, daughter of John and Joanna.

And it's true that the John Gyles who married Johanna Harry in St. Ives on 23 Jul 1810 is identified as a "mariner," just as George Gyles is on his own marriage record, which makes it reasonable to suppose that this John and Johanna were the parents of George.

But our George Gyles was recorded as "of full age" when he married Ann Curnow Hodge in 1841. Therefore he has to have been born no later than 1820. The only two George Gyleses recorded baptised in St. Ives between 1800 and 1820, one on 20 Jan 1811 and one on 24 Nov 1815, are both given on their baptismal records as sons of a John and a Mary. (On the baptismal record of the latter George Gyles, the father John is identified as a cooper.)

And a search for marriages in St. Ives between 1790 and 1814 involving a groom named John Gyles or Giles yields two marriages, both in 1810. One is the marriage of a John Gyles to Johanna Harry mentioned above. The other, 6 Feb 1810, is John Gyles, "bachelor", married by banns to Mary Thomas, "spinster". Witnesses John Shugg Trevorrow, Edward Richards.

Moreover, the only John Gyles or Giles recorded as baptised in St. Ives between 1780 and 1795 is John Gyles, son of Richard and Elisabeth, baptised 19 Oct 1791. Aged 18 on 6 Feb 1810, he would have been eligible to marry by banns provided that neither his nor the bride's parents objected.

The only way the George Gyles who married Ann Curnow Hodge could have been a son of Johanna or Joanna Harry is if he was neither the George Gyles baptised in St. Ives on 24 Nov 1815, nor the individual of the same name baptised there on 20 Jan 1811. And while absence is not proof, there are, again, no other Georges Gyles recorded baptised in St. Ives between 1800 and 1820.

George married Ann Curnow Hodge on 29 Jul 1841 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Ann (daughter of Lewis Hodge and Jane Michell) was born before 31 May 1816; was christened on 31 May 1816 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; died between Jul 1895 and Sep 1895 in Penzance, Cornwall, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Described on her marriage record as "spinster" and "of full age." Could sign her own name.

Notes:

Witnesses: Lewis Hodge, Thomas Williams.

Notes:

Described as "bachelor" and "fisherman" on his marriage record. Signed by mark.

Described as "master mariner" on his daughter Mary's 1873 marriage record.

His children Mary and Anthony were baptized at the Primitive Methodist chapel. His son Henry was baptized at the St. Ives C of E church.

John Slee has a Richard Edwards b. 1799 as the father of Anthony Grenfell Edwards, but I believe this is incorrect. The 1841 census has Anthony Edwards, aged 15, living with Richard Edwards, 60 (he was actually 63), Mary Edwards, 55, and Elizabeth Edwards, 20.

Anthony married Jane Andrew on 20 Jun 1846 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Jane (daughter of John Andrew and Nancy Binney) was born before 25 May 1827 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; was christened on 25 May 1827 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; died after 3 Apr 1881. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Called "Jane Andrews" and "spinster" on her marriage record. Signed by mark.

Notes:

Witnesses: Jacob R. Jacobs, Thomas Williams.

Notes:

Cooper. Described on his marriage record as "bachelor." Could sign his own name.

The transcriber of his baptismal record at the Cornwall Online Parish Clerks site notes that the birth date is blurred and difficult to read.

John married Mary Thomas on 6 Feb 1810 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Mary (daughter of Lewis Thomas and Grace James) was born before 6 Jun 1791 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; was christened on 6 Jun 1791 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; died between 1 Jul 1874 and 30 Sep 1874. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Described on her marriage record as "spinster." Signed the record by mark.

Notes:

Witnesses: Edward Richards, John Shugg Trevorrow.

Notes:

Described on has marriage record as "mariner." He could sign his own name.

Lewis married Jane Michell on 15 Feb 1797 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Jane (daughter of Matthew Michell and Catherine Stevens) was born before 6 May 1770 in Zennor, Cornwall, England; was christened on 6 May 1770 in Zennor, Cornwall, England; died before 14 Apr 1843; was buried on 14 Apr 1843 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Abt May 1843, Penzance, Cornwall, England

Notes:

Sometimes spelled Mitchell. Described on her marriage record as "spinster." Signed the record by mark.

Notes:

Witnesses: Hannibal Thomas, Christopher Hodge.

Notes:

Fisherman. Described as "mariner" on the record of his marriage. Could sign his own name.

Richard married Mary Grenfell on 24 Jul 1803 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Mary (daughter of John Grenfell and Mary Daniell) was born on 17 Jul 1786 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; was christened on 6 Feb 1787 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; died before 19 Mar 1848 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England; was buried on 19 Mar 1848 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Described as "spinster" on the record of her marriage. Signed her marriage certificate by mark.

Notes:

Witness: Anthoney Grenfell.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1805, Cornwall, England

Notes:

Shipmaster. Described as "bachelor" on his marriage record. Could sign his own name.

John married Nancy Binney on 22 Dec 1824 in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Nancy (daughter of John Binney and Sibella Launder) was born about 1805 in Cornwall, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Described as "spinster" on her marriage record. Signed by mark.

Possibly the Nancy Andrews who died in the first quarter of 1844 in Penzance.

Notes:

Witnesses: Mathew Jennings, Thomas Williams.