If James were baptized as an infant, there is no record which we recognize as his. James was baptized 22 Jun 1840, in the Church of England when he gave his age as 44 years, making his year of birth 1796.

James spent most of his adult life at Thorpe Acre. It was there where he married Mary Goodacre, 14 Nov 1820. Mary, daughter of Elizabeth (Garton) and William Goodacre, was born about 1801, at Thorpe Acre.

Mary (Goodacre) and James Choice had eight children. Records of baptism were found for the following children in the Thorpe Acre/Dishley Parish Register: William in 1823; Elizabeth, 1825; Ann, 1827; Martha, 1829; Frances, 1831; Edwin, 1834; and Hezekiah Choice, baptized in 1836. No baptismal record has yet been found for their daughter, Ann Choice, born in 1821, and died in 1823, nor has any information been found concerning son William.

According to census records, James Choice was employed as a framework knitter. Mary (Goodacre) Choice died 3 Mar 1841, at Thorp Acre, leaving James with seven young children in his care. At the time of their mother's death,the youngest of these Choice children was only five years old. Who cared for them? No record has been found to indicate that James ever remarried, although he was only about 45 years old when Mary died. By 1871, James was living with his married daughter, Martha (Choice) Baxter, at Leicester.

James Choice was buried 30 Apr 1871, at Thorpe Acre.

ELIZABETH (CHOICE), WILLIAM CROFTS, AND JOHN ROBERTS, OF THORPE ACRE, SHEPSHED, AND MANCHESTER

Elizabeth Choice, daughter of Mary (Goodacre) and James Choice, was baptized 6 Nov 1825, at Thorpe Acre.

Elizabeth Choice married William Crofts Flinders, 10 Oct 1848, at Shepshed, Leicestershire, about five miles southwest of Thorpe Acre. In their marriage record, William Crofts Flinders was described as being age 21, "the son of William Crofts, gardener."

Evidently Elizabeth (Choice) Flinders was widowed because she married John Roberts, 10 Jun 1860, in Manchester Cathedral, Manchester, Lancashire. This marriage reinforces a relationship between Leicestershire/Lancashire which is reflected in other Choice/Choyce families.

ANN (CHOICE) AND JOSEPH WILSON, STONE MASON, OF THORPE ACRE AND MANCHESTER

Ann Choice, daughter of Mary and James, was baptized 18 Nov 1827, at Thorpe Acre. Ann married Joseph Wilson, a stone mason, 12 May 1845, at Manchester. Ann and Joseph had three daughters but their names are not known.

MARTHA (CHOICE) AND GEORGE BAXTER, OF THORPE ACRE AND LEICESTER

Martha Choice, daughter of Mary and James, was baptized 11 Oct 1829, at Thorpe Acre. Martha married George Baxter in 1859, at Leicester. George was the son of Ann (Cooper) and Richard Baxter. He was born in 1832. Martha and George had two children, both born about 1801, wife of James Choice, Thorpe Acre, Leicestershire, England.

Jas Choice his book 1830 Thorpe Acre near Loughborough.

Jas Choice, Mary Goodacre were married 1820 Nov 14 at Leicester, Martha Ann Baxter, born in 1864, and George Edwin Baxter, born in 1870. Martha (Choice) Baxter died 16 May 1904.

Ann Choice, Wm Choice, Elizth Choice, Ann Choice, Martha Choice, Fanny Choice, Edwin Choice, Hezekiah Choice.

MARTHA ANN (BAXTER) AND HARRY GAMBLE, OF LEICESTER

Martha Ann Baxter, daughter of Martha and George, was born in 1864, at Leicester. Martha Ann married Harry Gamble and had five
children, four daughters and one son but no details concerning them are available.

HANNAH (CLARKE) AND GEORGE EDWIN BAXTER, DENTIST, OF BURROUGH-ON-THE-HILL, AND LEICESTER

George Edwin Baxter, son of Martha and George, was born in 1870. George was a practicing dentist at Leicester. He married Hannah Clarke in 1910, at Burrough-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire. Hannah, daughter of Harriet (Buttress) and William Clarke, was born in 1874, at Burrough-on-the-Hill.

Hannah (Clarke) and George Edwin Baxter had three children, all born at Leicester; Edna Lillian Baxter, born in 1911, died in 1982 at Leicester; Winifred Kathleen Choice Baxter, born 1913; and Cecelia Mabel Baxter who was born in 1916, and married Jack Geary.

WINIFRED KATHLEEN CHOICE (BAXTER) AND WILLIAM ARTHUR CROSS, ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, OF LEICESTER

Winifred Kathleen Choice Baxter, daughter of Hannah (Clarke) and George Edwin Baxter, was born in 1913, at Leicester. Winifred married William Arthur Cross, an electrical engineer. William is the son of Rosa Emily (Moore) and William Cross.

Winifred and William had four children, all born at Leicester; Jacqueline Anne Cross, in 1932; Margaret Choice Cross, in 1935; Molly Cecelia Cross, in 1945; and Susan Elizabeth Cross in 1947.

MARGARET CHOICE (CROSS), SCHOOLTEACHER, AND ROGER PICKERING, CONTRACTOR, OF LEICESTER AND BARWELL

Margaret Choice Cross, daughter of Winifred Kathleen Choice (Baxter) and William Arthur Cross, was born in 1935, at Leicester. Margaret married Roger Pickering, an independent contractor. Roger is the son of Doris and Ralph Pickering.

Margaret and Roger had two children, Simon Paul Christopher Pickering, born in 1957, and Sally Helen Claire Pickering, born in 1960. Neither Simon nor Sally is married at this time.

Margaret has supplied the photographs of the sampler, the Bible pages, and her family, which appear in this chapter. In her letter, dated 9 Aug 1979, Margaret explained her introduction to her Choice genealogy:

I was talking to a friend about local history and families, and she said I really ought to join the Leicestershire Family History Circle. She was telling me all about it, how interesting it was, and how they had letters from over the world, and that they had a letter from a lady in America
researching into the Choice name. Well, that started me off. I had previously done some researching into my father's family, but never into Mother's, which, thinking about it now, seems rather strange as I have Choice as one of my names.

So, I asked my mother why she and I both had the Choice name and she said she wasn't sure but it came from her father's family somewhere and there was a sampler with the name, Mary Choice, on it that probably one of her sisters had.

Anyway, I went to see my Aunts and sent for my grandfather's birth certificate. Then did some research at the Record Office. I haven't managed to get very far back as yet but I thought I'd let you know what information about the Choices I've managed to acquire.

James Choice married Mary Goodacre at Thorpe Acre, which is a little village near Loughborough. They had seven children, all born at Thorpe Acre. The
names of the children are in a Bible which my Aunt Cecelia has, and the dates I got from records.

In 1841, Mary Choice (nee Goodacre) died. In 1851, the family are still living at Thorpe Acre. James is there with his two unmarried daughters, Martha and Frances. Ann is also living with them, but she is married to Joseph Wilson (a stone mason) and they have three little girls. There is no mention of any more of the family at this date. It is from this census that I find James was born at Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

In 1871, Martha has married George Baxter and is living in Leicester. She has two children, Martha Ann and George Edwin and her father, James, is living with them.

After receiving Margaret's letter, I searched all of my records on hand and could not find any reference to this James Choice. Actually, this is not terribly surprising because my records for counties other than Leicestershire (which are far from complete) are quite scanty.

Roger took the photograph of the Choice sampler, shown earlier, It reads: Sacred to the Memory of Mary Choice of Thorpe Acre Who died March 3rd 1841 Aged 39 Years - Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours.