There's an IGI record for a Joseph Choyce christened 3 Feb 1710, at Sutton Cheney, Leicestershire, son of Elizabeth and Thomas Choice. (Also an Elizabeth Choice, christened 28 Nov 1718, same place, who may have been Joseph's sister).

There were other Choice and Choyce families living in the general area surrounding Mancetter from the early eighteenth century, right through the nineteenth. They all need to be carefully sorted out.

This chapter had its confusing moments. Even now, I cannot say with any certainty that my charts are accurate; that I have the right children with the right parents; or that I have the right bride with the right groom. I urge each family member to use my charts merely as a guide. Unearth your own proof. I've given you a starting place.

SC refers to St. Catherine's House, London, where Indexes of their holdings for birth, marriage and deaths in England and Wales, dating from 1837 are available to the public. After 1912, the full name of the spouse is contained in the Index entry. Each Index contains the volume and page for the original document.

If you are able to supply the volume and page when you request a copy of a document, the expense is cut almost in half because the Staff at SC does not have to conduct a search. For that reason, I have included SC references whenever possible. IGI refers to the International Genealogical Index compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, commonly referred to as Mormons. Originally, they referred to their index as the LDS, but later changed terminology to the IGI, so both abbreviations refer to the same source.

Margaret Choice (Cross) Pickering, of Barwell, Leicester, whose family is in the chapter for JAMES CHOICE, FRAMEWORK KNITTER, OF THORPE ACRE; correspondent, Claudine J. Hopkinson, of Rugby, Warwickshire, who has no Choice/Choyces in her family; and Colin Arthur Choyce, Walsall, Staffordshire, whose family is in the chapter for JOHN CHOICE OF BURTON HASTINGS; supplied and/or verified these statistics.

The source of their information was the Mancetter/Atherstone Parish Registers. At one time, those two geographical entities constituted one Parish, therefore, the Parish Records were combined in one book.

Please remember, just because children were baptized on the same date, it does not mean that they were born on the same date. Often a family had to wait for an itinerant preacher to come to their area, and then he baptized all the children at once.

SARAH (NURTHALL) and JOSEPH CHOICE of MANCETTER

Our first glimpse of Joseph Choice comes when he married Sarah Nurthall, 27 Apr 1747. Joseph's type of employment is not known, but his oldest son became a maltster. Little is known about Sarah. From later records, it would appear she would have been born about 1729.

Sarah (Nurthall) and Joseph Choice had four children, all baptized at Mancetter: Thomas Choice in 1748; Mary, 1750; James 1751; and Lydia in 1754. Lydia Choice did not marry. Colin Arthur Choyce found a burial record for her. Lydia was buried 15 Jul 1832, at Mancetter. She was 78 years old.

According to Parish Registers, Joseph died eight and a half years
after he was married. He was buried 23 Dec 1755, at Mancetter. No probate record has been found for him.

Sarah did not remarry. According to her burial record supplied by Colin, she was buried 19 Feb 1816, at Mancetter, at age 87 years. She was identified as being "of Atherstone."

Sarah's will, dated 5 Apr 1811, referred to her son Thomas and daughters, Mary Palmer and Lydia Choice, also a son-in-law, John Palmer. Co-executors were son Thomas, and James Nurthall of Atherstone, probably her relative. Witnesses were Thomas Orme, Thomas Thompson, and William Craddock. A copy of her probated will can be obtained through the Lichfield PRO.

ELIZABETH (ROBINSON) AND THOMAS CHOICE/CHOYCE, MALTSTER, OF MANCETTER, LONDON, ATHERSTONE, AND HARTSHILL

Thomas Choice, son of (Sarah Nurthall) and Joseph Choice, was baptized 19 Apr 1748, at Mancetter.

According to records discovered by Mrs. Mary Gandy, a professional genealogist of London, England, "Thomas Choyce, bachelor of Atherstone, Warwickshire, married Elizabeth Robinson, spinster, of this Parish, by license, September 27, 1777."

However, a record at the Society of Genealogists, London, England, gives the identical information but attributes the entry to St. Mary's Aldermary, London.

In both cases, Thomas's surname was spelled Choyce. I am speculating that these records both refer to Thomas, son of Sarah (Nurthall) and Joseph Choice. I'm also assuming that Thomas preferred the spelling Choyce which his progeny use today.

You really must obtain a copy of the marriage record to determine the name of Thomas's parents before you can continue to accept my expanding speculation.

No information is available concerning the origins of Elizabeth (Robinson) Choyce. The fact that she was "of this Parish" at the time of her marriage, indicates that she had been living in London for some time. If that was the case, it is strange that she was not married by banns, rather than by license. Perhaps Thomas had to return to his work.

The surname Robinson is relatively common so it would be difficult to separate a birth for this Elizabeth Robinson from what may be numerous others in London. However, the following extract of a will with a Robinson/Choice connection may have some interest. I obtained it from the Lancashire Record Office. It could not pertain to this Elizabeth, because the Elizabeth in the will died two years before Elizabeth (Robinson) and Thomas Choyce married, but it may pertain to this family. Extracts follow:

Elizabeth (nee Robinson) Choice, of Manchester, Lancaster, England. Will written 5 Nov 1772. Elizabeth died 9 Apr 1775. Will probated 25 Apr 1775. Brother, Thomas Robinson; niece, Ann Loxham; Robert, Richard and Elizabeth Loxham "children of my nephew, Thomas Loxham, of Manchester, Innkeeper"; Catherine Robinson, "daughter of the late Richard Robinson"; Nancy Looch of Rockdale; Adam Woodward of Atherstone, nephew; Benjamin Richardson, nephew, and Emma his wife.

It would appear that Elizabeth in the will was a widow with no children. Her relatives all appear to have been Robinsons except perhaps for "Adam Woodward of Atherstone, nephew". Perhaps Adam could establish a tenuous relationship between the Choice families of Mancetter and Atherstone, and the Choice/Choyce families of
Manchester.

Elizabeth (Robinson) and Thomas Choyce had six children, all baptized at Mancetter: Matilda Ann in 1778; Robinson Thomas, 1780, Mary Ann Choyce baptized in August, 1780, Sarah 1781; Joseph, 1782; and Frederick Choyce baptized 14 Sep 1783. There is no additional information for Mary Ann or Frederick.

There is a marriage record at St. Mary's, Leicester for a Mary Ann Choyce who married James Howlett, 19 Aug 1813. This Mary Ann would have been 33 years old by that time. A check of the records might prove fruitful.

We learn from the will of Thomas Choyce, that he was a maltster. That occupation generally describes a person who makes malt, which requires grinding of grain, usually barley or corn. After a distillation process, beer is produced. This may tie in with an item found in an old history book for the small town of Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire (near both Mancetter and Atherstone). An article mentions an allotment which was granted to a Mr.Thomas Choyce when the Hartshill common was first enclosed sometime between 1803 and 1808. This item was spotted by Mrs. Marilyn Newbold, of Sileby, Leicester, who has no Choice or Choyces in her family but who has been sending me items and statistics for years. The text reads:

About 1815, Mr. Choyce built his windmill for a corn grinding mill at 18 Church Road. The original mill-house and storage loft, with Victorian extension, is still standing.

It would appear that Mr. Choyce kept that allotment for some years. If this is the son of Elizabeth (Robinson) and Joseph Choyce, he operated his own grinding mill.

No date of death is available for Elizabeth (Robinson) Choyce. She is not mentioned in her husband's will probated at Coventry, Warwickshire, 9 Oct 1835. That will states that Thomas Choyce died 27 Aug 1835, at Atherstone. In his will, Thomas mentions his son Joseph and Joseph's children, but does not name them. Thomas also mentions his "daughter Matilda Ann, wife of Thomas Deamon, Gentleman, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire." In addition, Thomas gives a bequest to his "grandson Robinson Thomas Choyce, son of Joseph Choyce...and...grandson Joseph Frederick Choyce, son of Joseph Choyce."

Thomas Choyce appears to have owned a good deal of land. A property is mentioned at Ratcliff Culey, which is about three miles north of Hartshill, across the county line into Leicestershire. Also mentioned are a group of "Tenants" including:Thomas Bates, Mary Smith, Robert Byard, Thomas Smith, James Oxford, Ann Thomason, John Matter (Masser?), William Day, James Taylor, Robert Archer, William Smith, and Joseph Hamer.