Hunting For Hepzibah - The Harvey Shreeve Shepard Spoonemore descent

HUNTING FOR HEPZIBAH  - HEPZIBAH HARVEY SHREEVE 1813? – 1855?

When I began “Hunting for Hepzibah”  the only family history I had was that my great grandmother Emily Shreeve Shepard’s first child was named “Happy” for her grandmother. 

Happy was apparently an only child of wealthy parents who ‘ran away with the coachman’, John Shreeve.  We didn’t have a surname for Happy but my Aunt Hazel thought it might be Harvey.  The family story, limited as it was, stated Happy was:  "Lady Happy Harvey of Thornton Hall".

John and Happy emigrated to Canada from England in the early 1800s and settled ‘somewhere’ because obviously we ended up in BC. 

The female line of descent being: Happy Harvey Shreeve - 1813-1855 (?), Emilia Shreeve Shepard (1851-1887), Mary Ellen Shepard Spoonemore (1887- 1965), Mildred Anna Spoonemore Johnston (1919 - 2002).

 My mother, Mildred Anna Spoonemore, great granddaughter to Happy, knew only of one other child of John and Happy besides her grandmother, Emilia (Shreeve) Shepard. This was Uncle Jim whom Mary Ellen had fond memories of and always credited him with 'saving' her from an unpleasant adoption: Emilia having died when Mary Ellen was born.

James Shreeve (Uncle Jim) was born in New York, USA, or York, England; who knew?  No one apparently.  But another scrap of story  said he remembered his grandparents riding past in a coach and four and not acknowledging his mother.  So, where to look?  York?  Jim's death certificate was unclear.

Add the death cert !!! for Uncle Jim.

I presumed from this that John and Happy must have married in England so the first place I looked was at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) on Kincaid Street in Burnaby.  There, I found the marriage in Norfolk.  Not anywhere near York.  Note that Elizabeth has been crossed out and Hepzibath written clearly and Harvey is her surname.  Also she signs her name as “Happy”.  The witness is William Shreeve – relationship to John not stated and the other witness is Rebecca Harvey.  

Add scan of marriage certificate:

1831 February 1st. Marriage Certificate No 83.  This is the first official record of Hepzibath/Happy Harvey. Her name is definitely Hepzibath as Elizabeth was originally written and then crossed out and Hepzibath written in. Both Hepzibath Harvey, Spinster and John Shreeve, Bachelor, are of the parish of Rollesby, Norfolk.  No ages are given.  Witnesses are William Shreeve and Rebecca Harvey.

1812-1814 Birthdates for Happy are from the 1841 Census for Norfolk in England and 1851 Census of Haldimand County in Canada West (Ontario).


THE OTHER HEPIZABAH  HARVEY(S)

    

Hepzibah/Happy/Keren Happock's parentage is still unknown.  A parish record of birth or baptism is required to determine who her parents were.  It is possible she is the only child of William Hervey Esq. and Dorothea Arabella Primrose, daughter of the Earl of Roseberry.  There is no record to date of William and Dorothea having any children.  However, Hepzibah supposedly married beneath her - six years after Dorothea died and was therefore cut off from the family.  Her father likely married again but that, also has not been proven.

Note 1:  The Hephzebah Harvey born to John and Rebecca Harvey, 25 March 1811 in Stoke Green, Ipswich, Suffolk cannot be our Happy as she is found on the 1861 Ipswich Census living with her widowed father, John Harvey, age 89, formerly Corn Chandler, born Essex, Great Bentley.  Hepzibah Harvey is Daughter, Unmarried, age 60, Dress Maker, born Ipswich, Suffolk.  This information, found in 2009, eliminates this family from our family tree.

Note 2: FHL File #2262644.  Births and Baptisms:   Hepzibah Harvey born to Richard Harvey and Elizabeth Neech, born 13 June 1808, baptized 19 June 1808 in Seethng, Norfolk, England was the youngest of 9 children.  Deaths in Seething:  Hepzibah Harvey, daughter of Richard & Elizabeth, late Neech, died December 1, 1824, Buried December 4 - age 17.  This young woman cannot be our Hepzibah.