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Last updated 29 July 2007 |
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British Guiana/Guyana |
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| John
Greathead was born in Yorkshire in 1828 and arrived in British
Guiana on 4 Dec 1854, he stayed with the Perkins family for three
years, their son died and John was sent to study theology at Richmond
College. He volunteered to go to British Guiana. He was a Wesleyan
Minister until after his second marriage when he converted to Church of
England and became an Anglican Priest. |
| There is a book by
James Rodway called the Story of Georgetown, here is an extract about John
"The Rev. John Greathead will always be
remembered in connection with Georgetown Methodism. He came to the colony
in 1855, and was in charge of Kingston Chapel for some years, after which,
with the exception of a few years spent in St. Vincent, he was chairman of
the District and lived at Trinity Mission House. He was strong in mind and
body - nothing daunted him when performing his duties. By his efforts
Kingston Chapel was enlarged and made what it is today. A writer in the
Methodist Recorder said:
"It would have been well if he had been exempted
from official work. He was an Evangelist, not an administrator, and it
must be confessed that he was not altogether happy in his Chairmanship.
There were some complications, and to get rid of them, he left the
Wesleyan for the Episcopalian Church. With a character, on which there was
not the slightest blemish, and a heart nobly unselfish, he bade farewell -
a loving farewell - to his old companions. He left the Methodist Church in
1883, and died on the 18th January, 1898."
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| John
married Sarah
Miles and they had ten children. She died in 1881 and a year
later he married Mary
Plater. |
| Their children
were: |
| Susannah
was born in 1861, married Griffith
Hampden Jones in 1881 and died in 1914 |
| Sarah
was born in 1863, married Henry |
| John
Francis
was born in 1866 |
| Unknown child who
appears to have died in 1868 |
| Annie
was born in 1868
married Terrence Rudder in 1895 |
| Thomas
was born in 1870, married Alice
Gainfort in 1896 and died in 1949. They had 13 children
including sadly stillborn twins. Some of their children remained in
British Guiana others travelled to USA, South Africa and England |
| Emma |
| Lillian |
| James
was born in 1873, married Lillian
Gainfort. They had six children and many of these families live
in USA or Canada, after certainly in one case a short spell in England |
| George
was born in 1871, married Charlotte
Sealy. They had three children, one of which made it to England |
| Do please look at
the narratives and photographs of this branch of the Greathead
family. Interestingly the earliest ancestor of this branch is Thomas
and links can be found on the chart
to the lifeboat inventor and the 1820 settlers. Can you add any further information or stories, do you have
any photographs of the people or their houses? I would love to hear
from YOU. |
