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Last updated 13 May 2010 |
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Greathed |
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| The first time I
find the name spelt Greathed is with John
and Thomas
son of John
and Ann
Greathead née Wilberforce They had three children Sarah,
Edward and
Mary.
Sarah
died a spinster. Mary
married Edward
Harris and they had to my knowledge four sons and one daughter. One
son was called Edward
Harris and was possibly the eldest. Edward
married twice but had no children and he left his estates in Lincoln and
Dorset to his nephew Edward
Harris on the understanding he changed his surname to Greathed. |
| I found his will
which is a
fantastic 63 pages long at the National Archives (TNA) when I was
searching for Greathead wills. |
| This is the
military twig of the family, many attended Eton College and their surname
varies between the conventional Greathead and the variant Greathed.
One couple are reported to have attended the Waterloo ball. |
| The family seem
to come from Edward
Greathead born about 1585 and taking holy orders and ending up as
Rector of South Willingham, he had amongst his children a son called Edward
who also took holy orders, his grandson another Edward
fathered the above named John |
| It is believed
that The Greathed's and the Greated's were all part of the one family until
two members quarrelled (usual story) one then went off and removed the H.
Initially they had all removed the second A according to a letter Grace wife
of Neville
Greated wrote to Dr Clive Greated in Edinburgh |
| My theory is that
they dropped the "a" maybe through snobbish reasons, but maybe I
will have to eat my theory when I eventually find out. |
| Do YOU know
anything about them? |
