ANN AND WILLIAM CHOYCE OF PENKRIDGE

The earliest progenitor for this family was William Choyce who married a woman named Ann. The names, and the dates of christening of their seven children follow: William, 1818; John, 1818; Samuel, 1818; Henry, 1819; Thomas, 1822; Christopher, 1827; and Ann Choyce, 1827. Although these appear to be sets of twins and triplets, it is more likely that these children were all born on different dates but were christened at Penkridge, Staffordshire, in groups of twos and threes.

There is some speculation presented concerning John, son of Ann and William, in the chapter for "MISCELLANEOUS CHOICE/CHOYCEFAMILIES". In that chapter he is speculatively identified as JOHN CHOYCE OF DUNSTAN HEATH, a hamlet about four miles from Penkridge. Only the family of Thomas Choyce whose progeny is the subject of this chapter, is known to me.

ANN AND THOMAS CHOYCE OF PENKRIDGE, WOLVERHAMPTON AND BIRKENHEAD

Thomas Choyce, son of Ann and William Choyce, was baptized 28 Apr 1822, at Penkridge, and married a woman named Ann. There is a marriage for a Thomas Choyce for June 1842, at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, some ten miles from Penkridge. That marriage took place within the Wolverhampton recording district, but not necessarily in that town.

I have no information concerning William Choyce, the earliest progenitor for this line nor for his son, Thomas Choyce. Because these lines of progression have not been proved I have named this chapter after Andrew Choyce, Thomas's son. Only Andrew and his brother, William, have been isolated as the children of Ann and Thomas. They were both christened at Penkridge, Andrew Choyce in 1844, and William Choyce in 1846. No information is available to me for William.

ANDREW CHOYCE, CAR PROPRIETOR, of PENKRIDGE, and SEACOMBE

Andrew Choyce, son of Ann and Thomas Choyce, may have been the child christened 6 May 1844, at Penkridge, Staffordshire, according to the International Genealogical Index (IGI) compiled by the Mormons (LDS). His parents were Ann and Thomas Choyce.

There is a marriage record at St. Catherine's House for the March quarter of 1867, in the Birkenhead Registration District which may pertain to Andrew. The spouse's name was not recorded at that time. Later probate records named Andrew's wife as Agnes Choyce. In the opinion of his grandchildren, Andrew had only one wife, although they don't know her name. (Note to family researchers: A March entry could indicate that the marriage was performed in the last quarter of 1866, but not recorded until the next quarter.)

Birkenhead is located on the west coast of England, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. In 1867, the Birkenhead Registration District included the towns of Liscard, Seacombe, and Wallasey, among others.

Constance "Connie" Mary Choyce, granddaughter of Agnes and Andrew Choyce, and daughter of Herbert Andrew Choyce, said that her grandparents had ten children, but she could not name them.

I have tentatively identified these children from indexes at St. Catherine's House, London. They were: Thomas, 1868; William, 1870; "Cissy" (Clara?) 1871; Ann Jane 1871; Edward "Ted", 1874; Fanny Elizabeth, 1877; Agnes, 1879; Charles, 1880; and Herbert Andrew Choyce, born 1882. The children were all born at Birkenhead, except for Thomas who was born at West Derby, Cheshire, and Cissy and Ann Jane who were born at Penkridge.

Only nine children were named above. The identification of the tenth child is somewhat in doubt. I am speculating that the tenth child
was the first child, and that his name was Archibald and that he was employed as an undertaker. More about him later. I feel compelled to emphasize that this speculation is not shared with Connie Choyce who said she has never heard of an Uncle Archibald, nor had she ever heard of an undertaker in the family.

Only sketchy information is available for most of these children, except for Herbert whose family will follow shortly. Charles Choyce was listed in the 1915 and 1925 Birkenhead City Directory as a tram driver. His address was 27 Lancaster Avenue, Liscard, Wallasey.

According to the Birkenhead City Directories, Andrew Choyce was engaged in business as a "Car Proprietor" in which he sold automobiles. This fact has been verified by Connie. According to the city directories, Andrew's business was located on Liscard Road in Liscard, between 1877 and 1886. In her letter of 25 Apr 1980, Connie said:

Old Andrew, I don't know where he was born, or when, started a cab business, no taxies in those days, on the Birkenhead Road, actually in Wallasey, leading into Birkenhead, five minutes away. He married and had a family of ten children of whom my father was the youngest. Grandfather died in the prime of life, killed by falling off his horse....

Agnes and Andrew Choyce were both forty five years old when they died in 1890. Letters of Administration were filed for both Agnes and Andrew by their son, "Thomas Choyce, of Chester City, Car Proprietor".

ARCHIBALD CHOYCE, UNDERTAKER, OF SEACOMBE

Positive identification of Archibald Choyce as son of Agnes and Andrew Choyce has not been proved. He was born in Penkridge in 1867. Penkridge and Birkenhead are about 60 miles apart.

According to the Birkenhead City Directories, Archibald Choyce was working in 1895 and 1896 as an undertaker at 23 Beaconsfield
Road, Seacombe. By 1898, Archibald is described in the directories as a "driver" from Upton Village, which is about four miles west of Seacombe. Archibald died in 1898, at Birkenhead, at the age of 30, ten years before Connie was born, which may account for the reason she never heard of him. No marriage record was found for Archibald.

THOMAS CHOYCE, CAR PROPRIETOR, OF CHESHIRE AND MONTREAL

Thomas Choyce, son of Agnes and Andrew Choyce, was born at West Derby, Cheshire, in 1868. Note that West Derby is not located in Derbyshire as might be expected. West Derby is at the northeast edge of Liverpool. Thomas Choyce was married at Birkenhead in 1891. He was listed as car proprietor in the Birkenhead City Directories for 1895 and 1896, with his business located at 11 St. Paul's Road, Seacombe, Cheshire. By 1898, he and his business were located at 34 St.Paul's Road, Seacombe. In 1898, there was a second entry for Thomas Choyce at 1 James Street, Seacombe, which may have been his residence. Thomas was still listed in business on St.Paul's Road in 1901. However, according to Connie Choyce, her father's brothers, Thomas and Ted, both emigrated to Canada in 1896.

The 1905 Birkenhead City Directory lists a second Thomas Choyce, who was a "Coal Merchant, Wheatland Lane, Seacombe". Who was he? It would appear that there were two Thomas Choyces recorded in the Birkenhead area between 1896 and 1905. One, Connie's uncle in the car business, who later emigrated; and a second Thomas, whose identity is not known, who operated the coal business.

Connie's Uncle Thomas may have expanded his car business before 1890 because when his parents died that year he was some twenty miles south of Birkenhead at Chester, still operating his car business there. (Or have we introduced a third Thomas Choyce?)

In her letter of 28 Feb 1980, Connie wrote:

I remember my father speaking about two of his brothers emigrating to Montreal at a very early age. They both went into the Canadian Pacific Railway, one attaining a very good position, I don't know what, but his son, Leslie, is now the Advertising and Sales Promotion Manager in the CPR, still alive I believe, and he has one son.

I wrote to the Canadian Pacific Railway in an attempt to locate Connie's branch of this Choyce family. My letter of inquiry was eventually directed to Omer Lavallee who was unable to find any entries under that surname, but he did add that his records are incomplete.