Peter LeChevalier (abt 1783-1809)

Today I will write about Peter LeChevalier the son.

We have not been able to find a birth or christening record for Peter. Old family sources give his birth as 1783, but I think it was earlier. He was named after his father and so I believe he was the oldest son. We have the christening (infant baptism in the Church of England) record of Thomas who was born in 1771, so I think Peter may have been born in 1770 or earlier.

Peter grew up in Avening, Gloucestershire where his father Peter owned a corn mill.

Peter married Martha Saunders of Stratton-St. Margaret, Wiltshire 28 Aug 1803 in Crudwell, Wilsthire, a small village just a few miles away from Avening. But before they were married, Martha gave birth to a daughter named Martha in Stratton-St. Margaret.

After they were married, they remained in Crudwell and two more daughters were born and christened there—Anne in 1805 and Jane in Sept 1806.

The family then moved to Tetbury, a village close to Avening where Peter grew up. (Note: Peter’s father had died in Avening in June 1806. He had sold his mill in 1800 for an unknown amount of money. Maybe Peter inherited at least some of that money sometime after 1806.)
In Tetbury, Peter and Martha had twin girls—Catharine and Hannah Maria. They were christened in the parish church in June 1808.

Then in Sept 1809, Peter left his wife and five daughters and rented a dwelling house, malthouse, bakehouse, stable, orchard and garden in Little Washbourne. (I believe this is the house that he rented.)



Then just 3 months later, on 26 Dec 1809, he died. We have not been able to find his death or burial record. Note: When I was in England last April I wandered around the church in Little Washbourne in the rain, looking for graves. I found none. The owner of the manor house close to the church came out and talked to us. He said noone was buried there because of the high water table.)

So Peter died, leaving his pregnant wife Martha and 5 daughters back in Tetbury. Martha gave birth to a boy, the only son, on May 10, 1810.

The laws of the time required that Martha be “removed” from Tetbury and taken to Little Washbourne, since that is where Peter was living. In other words, Tetbury didn’t want to take care of the widow and her children.

Martha, the oldest daughter, now 8 years old, was sent back to Stratton-St. Margaret, Wiltshire. Martha, the mother, and her remaining 5 children were sent up to Little Washbourne about 20 miles north of Tetbury.

So Peter Lechevalier the son is dead.
But the story of his wife Martha and his children continues on…in another blog.