Nat Gould

Charles Grace 1772-1837

Charles Grace was born in about 1772 and baptised on 13 February 1772 at Eccleston in Cheshire, the son of Charles and Elizabeth Grace.

On 8 December 1815 he married Rebecca Thomas of Eccleston at St John's church in Liverpool (1). Their children were:

Rebecca Grace. She was born on 16 January 1816, and was baptised on 21 January 1816 at St John's Old Church, Haymarket in Liverpool. She was married to John Bostock (born 1814) on 30 October 1838 at Bunbury in Cheshire. She died on 1 June 1848 in Saighton in Cheshire aged 31 years. Adminstration of her estate was granted on 26 March 1850 at Chester to her husband John Bostock, then recorded as being a farmer of Lower Whitley in Cheshire (2).

Ann Grace. She was born in 1817, and baptised on 12 July 1817 at Halton in Cheshire. In 1840 she was married to William Burgess at Bruera. She died on 25 December 1841 at Witton-cum-Twambrooks (Northwich) in Cheshire, and was buried there on 29 December 1841.

Charles Grace 1820-1823. He was born in about 1820 and baptised on 6 January 1820 at Thornton-le-Moors in Cheshire. He died in 1823 and was buried on 21 January 1823 at Stoke in Cheshire.

Harriett Grace 1821-1888. She was born in 1821 and baptised on 4 April 1821 at Thornton-le-Moors. On 3 October 1850 she was married at Bruera in Cheshire to William Gould 1819-1876 of Pilsbury Grange in Derbyshire (3). They emigrated to Australia in 1850. She died on 11 February 1888 at Yanipy in Victoria.

John Grace 1823-1875. He was born at Trafford in Cheshire, and baptised on 27 April 1823 at Thornton-Le-Moors. He married Ann Davies, daughter of Richard and Hannah Davies on 28 May 1850 in St Oswald's church, Chester. She was born in about 1823 at Saighton in Cheshire, and was buried on 16 July 1892 at Bruera. In 1881 John Grace had a grocer's shop. He died in 1875, and was buried on 2 December 1875 at Bruera. His Will is dated 1875.

Elizabeth Grace. She was born in 1824, and baptised on 21 November 1824 at Thornton-le-Moors.

Mary Grace. She was born in 1826, and baptised on 6 November 1826 at Thornton-le-Moors.

Charles Wilkinson Grace. He was born in 1829, and baptised on 9 April 1829 at Christleton in Cheshire. He emigrated to Australia in 1850 with his sister Harriett Grace 1821-1888 and her husband William Gould 1819-1876. He married Frances Peacock, daughter of John Peacock and Frances Jones Cooper on 24 April 1865 in The Brooks, Macclesfield in South Australia. She was born on 26 February 1842 in Adelaide, South Australia, and died on 7 July 1873 in Wallaroo, South Australia. Charles Wilkinson Grace died on 16 August 1903 in Conmurra, South Australia, and was buried on 18 August 1903 in Lucindale, South Australia.

Joseph Grace. He was born in 1831, and baptised on 29 May 1831 at Plemonstall in Cheshire.

Their father Charles Grace died on 15 September 1837 in Chester, and was buried on 20 September 1837 at Stoke near Chester.

(1) Liverpool Mercury 8 December 1815; The Monthly Magazine vol 40.
(2) John Bostock is severally described in official records (census returns and birth certificates) as being a farmer of Calveley, Bunbury in 1838-39, a labourer of Tranmere in Cheshire 1844, a commercial clerk of Saighton, Tattenhall in Cheshire 1848, a gentleman of Lower Tranmere in Cheshire 1849, a porter of Toxteth in Lancashire 1849, a farmer of Lower Whitley 1850, and a warehouseman of Manchester 1855. A proper identification is very difficult. It does look remarkable that he had so many different occupations in such different places, but other evidence that this is all one man is strong.
The two main points still to be established are (1) that John who married Mary Cook in 1849 is the same man who married Rebecca Grace in 1838; and (2) that James the father of this John is the same James who was brother to John (1800), and to Alice (1795), which leads to John Bostock and Mary Cook being first cousins.
(1) From the two marriage certificates, they each declare John to be the son of James. The 1838 certificate says James is a farmer, the 1849 certificate says James is deceased. The John Bostock who married Mary Cook on 7 May 1849 in Nantwich was age 31, and already a widower. He is entered on the marriage certificate as a gentleman of Lower Tranmere. However, by the time of their first daughter Harriet, born 11 October 1849, father John is entered as a porter in Toxteth. The link of Tranmere is important, for the birth certificate of James Bostock, born 29 September 1844 records his father John as a labourer of Tranmere, so there is a strong suggestion for the link. James's mother was Rebecca Bostock, formerly Grace. Now Rebecca Bostock died on 1 June 1848 aged 31 at Saighton, thus making John the young widower, who fits to marry Mary Cook shortly after. That death certificate records that Rebecca's husband John as a commercial clerk.
(2) The link that James, this John's father, is the same James who was baptised 1793 at Church Minshull, is considered most likely true from a definite link between the Cook family and these Bostocks. The marriage certificate of Mary Cook gives her as a spinster age 25, and daughter of Thomas Cook, a farmer of Nantwich. It certainly appears that this Mary Cook is the same Mary Cook who, in the 1841 census, is in the household of John Bostock (1800) as a female servant, age 15. The link with the Cooks is strong for in the 1851 census, this John has in his house Hannah Cook, a house servant, who is also his niece, aged 13. Furthermore this John, who dies a bachelor, then leaves a significant part of his estate to this Hannah Cook. The niece relation fits as Alice (1795), sister to James and John, is known to have married Thomas Cook in 1817 in Nantwich. Hence the links do all tie in that James, who we know is father to this John, is also James the brother of John and Alice.
Most of this information was kindly provided by Paul Bostock (1953) who collected the certificates and worked out the connection between John Bostock and Mary Cook.
(3) "Married - At Churton Heath, near Chester on Thursday Oct 3rd, by the Rev. J. Harrison, William, second son of the late Mr. Edmund Gould, of Pilsbury Grange, Derbyshire, to Harriett only surviving daughter of the late Mr. Charles Grace of Stamford Heath, near the above city." Derby Mercury 9 October 1850.