The Gwillim Simcoe Story

The Grandfather
of John Graves Simcoe.

Rev. William Simcoe, born 1676 – died 1766, at Woodhorn, Northumberland
1709 Curate of St. Hilda’s, South Shields (major seaport of Co. Durham).

First wife – 1709 - married Mary Hutchinson, farmer’s daughter, of Leeside House, Staindrop, Co. Durham, who died in childbirth, 1713.
Children: John, born 1710,( John Graves father). Mary, born 1713, who was fostered by relatives.
1722 Curate of St. Andrew’s, Newcastle.
1724 Vicar of Woodhorn, near Newbiggin, Northumberland.

Second wife - 1724 - married Anne Ellison, aged 24, daughter of the Rev. Nathaniel Ellison, prebendary of Durham Cathedral.
1726 – Anne died giving birth to Elizabeth, who lived to adulthood.

Third wife – 1735 – married Jane Watson, born 1688, widow of Dr. Ralph Watson. She died in 1772 and was executrix of his will.

Other Simcoe relatives were clergymen. They had been poor (financially) students at Cambridge, ‘sizars’, who did menial work in college to earn their tutelage, and then became ordained.

In Canada, Lieut. Governor Simcoe is mistakenly thought by some to be of aristocratic birth, and is even referred to as ‘Lord Simcoe’. He never received a knighthood.

Places connected with the families:



	This page is dedicated to tracing the family lines of the Gwillim and Simcoe families. The links cover a wide area of England and go back to the 16th Century. The Genealogy Table is in two parts, and these are downloadable as PDFs. Smaller versions of them are displayed below
		Parts 1 and 2 of the Genealogy Table. Please click on the image to download that part as a PDF. You will need to rotate the PDF to look at it.
	The Grandfather of John Graves Simcoe. Rev. William Simcoe, born 1676 – died 1766, at Woodhorn, Northumberland 1709 Curate of St. Hilda’s, South Shields (major seaport of Co. Durham). First wife – 1709 - married Mary Hutchinson, farmer’s daughter, of Leeside House, Staindrop, Co. Durham, who died in childbirth, 1713. Children: John, born 1710,( John Graves father). Mary, born 1713, who was fostered by relatives. 1722 Curate of St. Andrew’s, Newcastle. 1724 Vicar of Woodhorn, near Newbiggin, Northumberland. Second wife - 1724 - married Anne Ellison, aged 24, daughter of the Rev. Nathaniel Ellison, prebendary of Durham Cathedral. 1726 – Anne died giving birth to Elizabeth, who lived to adulthood. Third wife – 1735 – married Jane Watson, born 1688, widow of Dr. Ralph Watson. She died in 1772 and was executrix of his will. Other Simcoe relatives were clergymen. They had been poor (financially) students at Cambridge, ‘sizars’, who did menial work in college to earn their tutelage, and then became ordained. In Canada, Lieut. Governor Simcoe is mistakenly thought by some to be of aristocratic birth, and is even referred to as ‘Lord Simcoe’. He never received a knighthood. Places connected with the families: