Lightfoot and Burne Families - U.K. to Australia

The Gregors of Cornwall by WH Pascoe (70)

The early origins of this family, as with many others, are now lost inthe mists of time. It has been said that the name itself comes fromthe Cornish, either "Gregga" meaning to cackle, or "Grigear", apartridge. The fact that partridges appear in the Gregor coat of armsseems to favour the latter interpretation. On the other hand, Gregoris also a Scottish name and there are descendants today of the clanMacGregor, the prefix "Mac" merely meaning the "son of". There isevidence that in early medieval times there was a great emigrationfrom Scotland: did the Gregor family of Cornwall therefore come fromnorth of the border?

The very earliest mention I can find of a Gregor in Cornwall is in theyear 1266 when a John Gregor was named with others in a statement byHenry III. Then on 10th September 1274 a William Gregor was named in asuit brought before Edward I concerning a trespass by him and others.That same William was fined 6 shillings in Lesnewth Hundred by theEarl of Cornwall "pro assis fracta et contemptu".

During the reign of Edward III Tregew in Feock was the property of theGregors. Other Gregors named in medieval records are:
1359 Henry Gregor - a tinner.
1360 Thomas Gregga of Cornwall was pardoned with John de Wynerk forcausing the death of Stephen Bonda.
1369 Peter Gregor was the parson of the parish of Landewednack.
1401 Cornwall Feet of Fines - John Trethewey of Treverbyn andWilliam Grega and Joan his wife as to 1 messuage 1toft, 23 acres of furse and heath, 4 acres of moor, 2shilling rent in Northwood (in St Neot), Groveshille and Leskerd.
Others from the 15th century were Geoffrey Gregor of Bossiney (1425),Lewis Gregor (1426) and John Gregor of Falmouth (1441-1444).

The keeping of parish registers did not begin until 1538 but not allparishes began immediately; in fact there are very few actuallystarting in that first year. Once they began, however, there is muchmore evidence of the Gregor family in Cornwall. Before 1600 there wereGregors in Ludgvan, Bodmin, Camelford, Fowey, Lezant, Linkinhorne, StErth, Breage, Ruan Minor, Cubert and St Erme. Not all that numerous,but certainly scattered over the whole county. Two Gregor familieswere listed in the Constantine Subsidy Rolls, headed by NicholasGregor and Jacob Gregor.

By far the greatest concentration is in Truro, and in particular, theparish of St. Mary's. A complete family tree would occupy a lot ofspace and one has not, in fact, been completed as yet. Suffice it tosay that in Truro the family were definitely very prosperous merchantsin the 17th century. By 1740 they had become rich enough to purchasethe beautiful house and ground of Trewarthenick in the parish ofCornelly, just a few miles south-east of Truro, and John Gregor tookhis family to reside there. Trewarthenick is mentioned in the DomesdayBook as "Trevocarwinnoc".

Both John and his father Francis (1613-1637) had acquired a number ofproperties and advowsons in Cornwall, including that of Warleggan,made famous in the novel of that name by Winston Graham in his Poldarkseries. There were also advantageous marriages to heiresses by whichfurther property was added to the family possessions and they becamerich and powerful in Cornwall.

The last of the main line was Charlotte Gregor of Trewarthenick,daughter of the Rev William Gregor, Vicar of Creed. She died unmarriedin 1825 and bequeathed her estates to her close friend and relative bymarriage Loveday Sarah, daughter of Francis Glanville of Catchfrench.She married GWF Booker, JP and DL and Sherriff or Cornwall in 1829. ByLetters Patent in 1826 he assumed the name and arms of Gregor whichthereby passed out of the hands of the ordinal Gregor family.

A few of the well-know Gregors are listed now in alphabetical order:

Francis (c1580-1637) son of William, married Honor White 1607. One ofthe earliest Gregors in the direct proven line. A Merchant of Truroand invested in many properties.

Francis (1613-1690) father of the next Francis.

Francis (1640-1762 Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall and Sheriff 16669.Married Joan Prideaux of Gurlyn and acquired one-third of the Prideauxestate by so doing, purchasing another third from his wife's sister.

Francis (1690-1762) Magistrate 1730-1752 and Sheriff of Cornwall in1716.

Francis (1728-1786) Translated Latin works by Sir John Fortescue theChief Justice.

Francis (1760-1815) JP and MP for Cornwall from 1790-1806. Sheriff for1788. Married twice but had no issue. Eldest son of Francis above.Gave the land on which to build the parish Church of Perranzabuloe.

Henry (1631-1704 Mayor of Truro 1677 and 1682. Bough 4000 bricks topave the church of St Mary in Truro. An annual sermon has beenpreached at St Mary's from 1705 for both Henry and his wife Ann.

Hugh (1705-1755) the 6th son of John Gregor and Elizabeth Moyle.Became a Barrister of the Middle Temple, London. Married Prudence,fourth daughter of Sir John Molesworth of Pencarow. Issue an onlydaughter Jane Gregor born Nov 1738. She married 1756 Sir Thomas Reevesof Hendon, Sheriff of Berkshire 1756.

John Gregor (1610-1661) called the "The Giant". Married Ann Nosworthy.Bought Trewarthenick and built the centre of the house. Purchased theManor of Traboe 1657 from the Earl of Salisbury. Became a RestorationCommissioner for Charles II in 1660.

Rev John Gregor - a minister of St John's Church in Brisbane Australiain 1843.

John Ratcliffe Gregor (1718-1755) son of Francis and Mary Kemp. Wentto Peterhouse College, Cambridge in 1736 and admitted to the InnerTemple London in 1734.

Walter (1690-1721) the third son of John, he went to Exeter College,Oxford 1710; BA 1714; Rector St Mabyn, Cornwall in 1716. No issue.

Rev William (1761-1817) Rector of Creed from 1893-1817. The second sonof Francis. Went to Bristol Grammar School then St John's College,Cambridge. BA 1784; MA 1787; Fellow 1783-1787. A chemist andmineralogist. Discovered Manaccanite, sometimes called Gregorite afterhim but now generally known as Titanium. He was also a distinguishedlandscape painter, etch and musician. Married 1790 to Charlotte AnneGwatkin of Killiow and had one issue daughter Charlotte Anne(1801-1825).

The person papers and estate records of the Gregors of Trewarthenickhave been deposited at Cornwall Record Office (reference DDG/1-1995).Some of these were used by Christine Hawridge in her article "SarahGregor of Trewarthenick" in the Journal of the Royal Institution ofCornwall, 1969. They include the interesting and informative memoirsof Loveday Sarah Gregor, and her less reliable family pedigree. My owntree of the family is fairly extensive, but far from complete. Mypersonal interest stems from the fact that my maternal grandmother wasan Eliza Jane Gregor.