Dear Maria

...

I can only tell of bits and pieces of information heard and passed on over the years - from memory.

Grandfather Henry Meirs (Harry) was born the eldest of a family of 14. We were told that he married very young to get away from the family which was still increasing. Maybe that is the reason there was very little contact between them. They were a C of Eng family and grandpa and children followed Stoke Dameral Church (Rev Ponsonby) where they took active parts and grandpa was a Lay Reader. In later life when he moved to Peverell he followed the St Pancras Church, Pennycross. I think he died about 1926.

When we moved to Stoke we crossed over Victoria Park and down Cecil St to go shopping. I remember the Butcher Shop and dad would sometimes call in and speak to "my uncle Bill". The pram shop on the corner was run by a Richard Trevan, but I cannot recall the family connection. I well remember the Florist Shop and the corner and around to King Street. I seem to remember it was a rather high class shop and I think it survived the Blitz but was pulled down several years after the War. Although Dad did not seem to know the owner, Mother's sister (Auntie Bessie Gagil) always insisted it was run by a Trevan and a tall lady who wore a straw hat! She was probably right, as after she married she lived and shopped in the area.

As regards Richard I remember Dad seemed to think he lived or had property on the Hoe and he seemed to write letters to the Editor of the Evening Herald!! (no idea on what topic)

I was born in 1919 at 14 Bedford Park, North Hill. I think Dad rented the house from a Julia Trevan (but never heard where she fitted into the family). About 1925 she gave Dad notice to quit as she needed the house for her own family. I think it could be one of her family who married into the Basset family of Methodists. We then moved to Mutley, Lipson & Stoke.

I also remember Dad telling us that his father had told him that many years earlier there had been a big split in the family when some left the C of Eng and joined up with the Methodists.

The was also mention of a John Trevan, a builder who lived in Oxford Place, Plymouth and who was involved with the building of the original Plymouth Coop Society in Frankfort St (about 1800) and whose name was on the Foundation Stone.

Dad also spoke of a Norman and Lorenzo Trevan. I think they may well have worked in HM Dockyard (Civil Service) and I think they lived in the Hartley area. I am sure Norman was a prominent Methodist, a Lay Preacher, and member of the King St Methodist Church.

When Mum and I visited Auntie Daisy she often said she visited (or was visited by) two ladies who I think were Trevan family. Sorry no names - but I believe one lived in Lester Close and the other in Jean Crescent, Higher Compton. She also often referred to a Miss Trevan (?) (a very frugal but rich lady) who lived somewhere near Hender's Corner, Hartley and she was a Quaker and very strict.

Not long before Dad died, about mid 1961, he returned home one evening about 11 pm after a Masonic Meeting, and brought in a stranger who he had met earlier and introduced us to a James Trevan, and they seemed to think they were related in some way. I think he would be 45/50 and he told us he was married and lived with his wife and 2 children in Beacon Park. I think he was the manager of the large Ply Coop new Warehouse and Store and the Barbican. He called again, about August, on a Sunday morning and brought along his father (also James) a man around 60 and after much discussion seemed to think there were cousin and uncle to Dad. After they left both Mum and Dad remarked how much James (senior) resembled Dad's brother (Archie) Archibald (who died 1939).

They intended to keep in touch, but as you know Dad was taken ill in the autumn of 1961 and died Feb 1962. Only a couple of months later we read in the Herald that James (Junior) had also died. This finishes all my knowledge. I did wonder if Joy had any more information as Daisy kept any family history or papers.

Hope all goes well with you

Love, Audrey

4th Nov
CONTD
This is my fourth attempt to add snippets that come to mind!

I remember that around 1932 Dad visited an Edgar Trevan who lived in the Plymstock area and I think might have had a senior position in the Post Office. Sometime after this Barbara took up an appointment with GPO Telephone Dept. Moving on to 1961 Dad went to our local PO to draw his OAP. The assistant who paid out the money looked at the surname and asked Dad if he was related to one of the PO Officials called Cherry Trevan. It seems likely that the two were someway related. It was never resolved, Dad fell ill so I collected the pensions and the PO assistant had moved on.

You will remember that after Monty retired in 1983, we spent holidays with our friend at Polzeath, N Cornwall. Whilst there we drove around the coast about 5 miles and saw a sign post pointing to TREVAN POINT not far from a small village called PORTH QUIN. About 2 miles further on we came across an old fishing village called PORT ISAAC and we drove down very steep hills to investigate. To our surprise as we wandered around the little very old streets we noticed that many of the houses bore the name plates of TREVAN. I remember that Dad once told us that Grandpa Harry once told him there was a Dutch connection somewhere in their past! Could they have arrived by sea, sailing from Holland!! That covers all our history to date. Perhaps Trevan could abstract anything of interest and pass it on to Cousin Mary.