Penny, It is a problem to know where to start as I have quite a lot of information on this branch of my family tree!! I am sure William WILLOUGHBY's wife is Elizabeth GREGORY and they were married in Middlesex but my evidence so far would not stand up in a court of law. I believe Elizabeth's brother is James GREGORY and he married his wife at the same church in Middlesex. The strongest link I have is that William and Elizabeth looked after James's two children when his first wife died. There is also a link with Emma WILLOUGHBY working for her uncle James GREGORY when he was in the Greenwich. I have yet to find baptism records for Elizabeth and James GREGORY but I do have a clue as to their parents and siblings. I am sure the father is William GREGORY and he was a gardener. The Harriet WILLOUGHBY (baptised March 1831) you mention is probably my great great great aunt, but unfortunately I do not have a record of a William ALLINSON. I will study my notes and make some enquiries and contact you again shortly. I would be happy to communicate with the couple you are doing this research for. Kind regards, Brian ----- Original Message ----- From: <PennyEves@aol.com> To: <ENG-BANBURY-AREA@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 1:01 PM Subject: [BAN] New Member Seeking Help with WILLOUGHBY Baptisms/Marriage inBanbury Area > Hi Brian ... > > Very many thanks for your reply and the information. > > I had come across that WILLOUGHBY/GREGORY marriage in Middlesex (courtesy > of Ancestry's new London Marriages database) and while the date looked > good > I had no reason to believe that they could be the couple I was looking > for. > Do you have any "proof" that this is the correct couple? Is there any > record of an Elizabeth GREGORY baptised around Neithrop/Banbury in 1793/4? > Having had a quick "Google", the only instance I can find of a GREGORY > connection to Neithrop is in the Gardner's 1852 Oxfordshire Directory > (Banbury > section) where there is a Carter listed - "GREGORY Nathaniel, Neithrop" - > possibly a relation of Elizabeth??? > > I should say that these are not my ancestors - I'm doing this research on > behalf of a couple who contacted me through the Preston Capes website > after > they saw information on the WILLOUGHBY family in the genealogy database. > Initially, they are trying to find out about their ancestor William > ALLINSON, a well-travelled soldier, who is recorded on the 1851 census at > the > Weedon Barracks (along with an 8 year old son). In the Autumn of the > same year, > William and Harriet WILLOUGHBY (d. William and Elizabeth) are registering > the birth of their first child in Portsmouth. On the 1851 census, > Harriet > is recorded as "unmarried" and living with her family in Preston Capes! > William and Harriet's marriage does not seem to appear on the GRO indexes, > and in a few days time I will be having a look at the actual marriage > register to see if they married at Preston Capes (but did not register > the > marriage). Do you have any information on Harriet which may clarify > this? > > I shall be contacting this couple again after I've checked the register, > and would be happy to put you in touch with them (if they are agreeable). > > Regards, > Penny

Hello Penny & Brian, Coming in to this discussion rather late in the day, I have the Oxfordshire FHS PR Transcripts of Banbury plus a lot of other Oxfordshire CDs (one of my direct ancestors was also a GREGORY) and there are baptisms at Banbury for a William & Elizabeth GREGORY, William being a Gardener, as follows: 17 March 1802 at Banbury St Mary Thomas GREGORY son of William & Elizabeth, Gardener 25 April 1804 at Banbury St Mary Sarah GREGORY daur of the late [blank] & Elizabeth 11 March 1804 at Banbury William GREGORY, Labr, buried No baptism for either Elizabeth or James at Banbury but it could well be that William & Elizabeth GREGORY only came to Banbury c1802. Elizabeth GREGORY snr looks to have remarried on 21 January 1813 at Banbury to a Richard BRAIN who was also a widower, the witness being an Elizabeth JACQUES. I also have the Northamptonshire Marriage Index CD 1700-1837 and there is no marriage for a William WILLOUGHBY (or variants) to an Elizabeth on that, although there are WILLOUGHBY marriages with a Preston Capes connection on there. I also cannot find a marriage between Harriet WILLOUGHBY & William ALLINSON on the Northamptonshire Marriage Index 1837-1860 CD - another piece of negative information I'm afraid. Janet > I am sure William WILLOUGHBY's wife is Elizabeth GREGORY and they were > married in Middlesex but my evidence so far would not stand up in a court > of > law. I believe Elizabeth's brother is James GREGORY and he married his > wife > at the same church in Middlesex. The strongest link I have is that William > and Elizabeth looked after James's two children when his first wife died.