The following information has been transcribed from
this genealogy website, because it contains crucial information that may assist in determining the
Wivell Family Tree that will be lost if/when the link no longer functions.
The information has been transcribed verbatim as far as is possible but some format changes have been made to assist comprehension. The
information has not been fully checked. Errors and discrepancies, where known, have been highlighted in red.
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"Henry Couch was married to the Bacon family is all I know. (This is incorrect - neither Henry nor his son Henry Mercer Crouch married into the Bacon family.) I have a piece of furntiture he made in the late 1800s and a family tree his father Henry Couch
had done when he went to England in 1853. This is what it says:-
Beginning in the year 1066 they settled in England with William the Conqueror at the close of the Norman conquest.
This was taken from the records in Battle Abbey in London in 1853 by Mr. Couch's father - H.M.Couch
Family memorandom Henry Couch, Legser Cross Roads, Somerset County, New Jersey, US North America 1853
John Couch son of ---- and --- 1750. John Couch married at Launceston, in the County of Cornwall, England to Blanche Wivell daughter of Abraham Wivell of Launceston in or about 1772. Mrs. Blanch Couch diest at ---- in the year ----. She had two sons - John Couch born at Penzance in Cornwall in 1779 and Henry Couch born in 1780. John Couch the elder died ----.
John Couch his son married in 1814 at Thornecombe (?) Devonshire Ann Humphries of ---. Mrs. Ann Couch died 1823 at Camden Town London and was buried at St Martins burial ground at the same place. They had two daughters:-
Mrs. Ann Couch, formerly Humphries, had a brother William Humphries whose address in 1839 was Bicester, Oxfordshire. she had also a sister
resident at Bath.
John Couch the younger, husband of the above named Ann Couch died at Camden Town 1830 aged 51 and was buried in St.Martins ground.
Henry Couch second son of John and Blanche Couch married 1807 at Thornecombe Devonshire his cousin Ann Wivell, daughter of Walter and Mary
Wivell formerly Whitaker
Henry Couch died at st. Pancras 1831 aged 51 and was buried in St.Martins ground.
Ann Couch formerly Wivell died at St. Pancras August 20th 1834 and was buried in St.Martins ground August 20th 1834. They had five sons:-
Henry Couch (junior) went in 1833 to North America and married in November 1849 Martha Nicholas, widow of Joseph Nicholas at the Bower Church Third Avenue New York Rev. D.Haukes.
George Couch married-----
William Couch married Ann Snyed.
William Couch died 10th of October at camden town no loving children. (presumably transcription error for "living")
Abraham married ----.
Abraham died 18 of July 1852 leaving ---children.
with reference to Ann Couch formerly Wivell, wife of Henry Couch her cousin, son of John and Blanche
Couch formerly Wivell, and mother of John, Henry, George, William, and Abraham Couch.
The Wivells were settled in England immediately following the Norman Conquest in 1066. The name is the last on the alphabetical roll of Battle Abbey.
The arms of the family are as under :-
(some kind of bird on top of a shield with three stars and a double stripe)
In former times authors frequently delighted to conseat their names in decrastics??? (can't read that word), in sentences formed by the
initial letters of chapters, or by putting their coats of arms in their title-pages."in the case of wi?vill for instance says an old writer
the arms stand in place of the name. moreover the name wyvell?? was let to be implied by the wyvern which is the crest.
George Wivell - Susanna Wivell married 1640.
George and Susanna Wivell of Maristow in the County of Devon had a daughter named Mary born early in 1690 and baptized at Maristow on the
18th of March in that year.
Copy of certificate from the ????page damaged.
It appears by an old register for the parish of Maristow in the County of Devon that Mary daughter of George Wivell and Susanna his wife
was baptized the 18 day of March 1690 as witnys my hand this 16 day of December 1811 John Teasdale Spay?? veran?? of Maristow
THAT IS ALL I HAVE ON THE COUCH FAMILY FORGIVE THE SPELLING IT IS HARD TO READ THE OLD WRIGHTING AND KNOW IF IT IS AN A OR AN O SOMETIMES. GOOD LUCK
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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
1. John T. Spry was vicar of Maristow in 1811. Very interesting that a copy of the register entry was being requested in 1811
- I wonder why - presumably somebody was trying to prove something - this daughter had an illegitimate son by Samuel Mabyn in 1709.
2. George and Susannah Wivell married in 1681 - could be that the original document says 1680 and this was transcribed incorrectly as 1640.
The fact that they are referenced here implies that they are known in family legend as the Wivell family from whom they are descended. Whilst
this does not prove the ancestry, it does make it somewhat more likely. Interestingly it fits exactly with the tentative family tree drawn up
before this new information came to light.
3. Henry Couch's brother William Couch died on 10th October 1853. It is probable that Henry visited London to help wind up the affairs of his
brother and at the same time decided to record for his family what he could ascertain regarding their UK roots.