This photograph of Betty Lou Choyce arrived too late to be included in the Family Chapter for RICHARD CHOYCE, WEAVER, OF SIBSON. Betty Lou is the daughter of Louis William John Choyce and his second wife, Ida May (Beck) Choyce. Although Betty Lou and I have corresponded over the years, and are first cousins, we have not met in person.

The following entry was included in the 1881 Census for Leicestershire, England, forwarded to me by Mr. Ron Kent (not a C/C), of the Bristol and Avon Family History Society:

William Choice, age 58, Head of House, Sheepy Magna, Carpenter, born Sibson, wife, Mary Ann, age 35, born Clent, Worcestershire.

If this is the second wife of William Choyce, baptized 28 Jul 1822, at Sibson, then the entry I have for his third wife, Elizabeth Smith, must be wrong. I have them married in 1854. As we can see from the above, William was still married to Mary Ann in 1881. Back to the drawing board for the researchers in that family. Sorry I led you astray.

The entry listed below for William's son, Arthur, also offers a bit of a conundrum. It would appear that Arthur was married and widowed, before he married his known wife, Catherine Garlick. Elizabeth Choyce, if she were Arthur's first wife, listed below, would have been born about 1856. SC lists a death for an Elizabeth Choyce in the Gloucester Registration District (D-1900, 6a, 203). She died at the age of 45 years, which would place her birth about 1856.

1881 Census for Gloucester

Arthur Choyce, 14 Sebert St., Kingshol*, age 27, Head of House, Carpenter and J*, born Sheepy, wife, Elizabeth, age 25, born Plymouth, Dev.

Family of: MATTHEW CHOYCE, of Fenny Drayton

The following entry establishes that the wife of Matthew Choyce was indeed a Mary, born the same year as Matthew. Mary was born at Newton, Warwickshire, England. It should be easy to track her down with this information.

1881 Census for Leicestershire Matthew Choyce, Head of House, born 1818, Upton, Sibson, age 63, Ag Lab, wife, Mary, age 63, born Newton, War.

Family of: JOHN CHOYCE, of Harris Bridge

The references below apply to the children of John Choyce of Harris Bridge. However, the birthdates are off by two years from my earlier calculations.

1881 Census for Leicestershire: John Choyce, Merevale, Head of House, age 47, unm. Farmer, born Wootton Wawen, War., sister, Alice, age 45, unm. B. Wootton Wawen, War.