Re: Elizabeth Lavinia Churchill (gc-gateway@rootsweb.com) Over the years Lavinia has been a name used by families in both England and the US. I am in the US and know of 10 or so Lavinias. As you may know, the original Lavinia was a Roman Goddess. Interesting problem. I take it you have looked at both Dorset and Devon families? Your account of she being in a Bristol Orphanage suggests that the parents may have both suffered some fatal accident with no extended family nearby. That being the case the parents died with time passing before the word of their death reached the family - which then came and removed Lavinia. Does that seem a possibility? Unfortunately I don't know of a Devon Lavinia. Present day Devon Churchills are a bit close with their family information. If you find a Devon Lavinia please let me know. The West Country was first settled by Churchills who removed from Somersetshire to Devon after the start of the 100 years war. The progenitor was an Elias de Churchulle who ran afoul of his French sounding name toward the start of the war. A Son of Elias, toward the middle of the war, removed to Devon and it is said took the name Churchill from a Court in Somersetshire. The better known but later in time Dorset Churchills were more prominent in the time frame of Lavinia. I have a database of the Devon family but no Lavinia. Regards, W. G. Churchill ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:15:15 -0000 From: "gc-gateway@rootsweb.com" <gc-gateway@rootsweb.com> Subject: [DOR] Elizabeth Lavinia Churchill To: <DORSET-L@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <1295719445.332198@rootsweb.com> Content-Type: text/plain; This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: elizabeth12718 Surnames: Churchill Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.england.dor.general/6272/mb. ashx Message Board Post: Hi I.ve hit a brick wall with Elizabeth Lavinia Churchill born 1866 in Wyke Regis Dorset, England. On the 1881 census she is in an Orphanage in Bristol, but seems to have disappeared after that. i have looked in BMD but have not found any information Parents were William George Churchill and Sarah Ann Thompkins. Any ideas? Regards Elizabeth

Hi Bill, That's some fascinating information about the early Churchills in the west country. I recently found I have some Churchill ancestors in Dorset, but much earlier than Elizabeth's. What I have is Mary Churchill was baptised at West Compton Abbas 25th August 1683, daughter of Richard and Joan. She married Thomas Brown at Cattistock in 1716. Do you have any link to that family? Regards, Jim Fisher On 24 Jan 2011 at 2:43, Bill Churchill wrote: > The West Country was first settled by Churchills who removed from > Somersetshire to Devon after the start of the 100 years war. The > progenitor was an Elias de Churchulle who ran afoul of his French > sounding name toward the start of the war. A Son of Elias, toward the > middle of the war, removed to Devon and it is said took the name > Churchill from a Court in Somersetshire. The better known but later > in time Dorset Churchills were more prominent in the time frame of > Lavinia. > > I have a database of the Devon family but no Lavinia. > > Regards, W. G. Churchill