| The story,handed down,through the generations is the name did not start out as Andrews. Andrew MacGregor,of Rannock Moor,,just south east of Glencoe in the highlands of Scotland was accused of being a sheep thief and was wanted by irate farmers for stealing their sheep. Had they caught him,he would have most certainly been hanged,or perhaps deported. He was apparently pursued throughout England,possibly on horseback,but managed to evade his pursuers,finally disappearing somewhere near Salisbury Plain Wiltshire. Later a stranger calling himself Mr. Andrews appeared in one of the villages and this is believed to be the beginning of the Andrews family. It is not exactly known when this happened,but presumably many years later,when he felt it safe to do so,and after marrying and having children,he told them of his true identity. He was born in about 1740-41 and it is believed he many have been a descendant of Rob Roy MacGregor,but confirmation of this has not been established.
Jonathan Andrews on the 30 March 1771,married Jane Rook of the Parish of Downton,Wiltshire his place of residence being shown as Broad Chalke. Both made their mark in the marriage register,the witnesses being William Dove and James Goodfellow. Jonathan and Jane had a son,Peter,who was baptised at Downton on the 31 January,1772. Peter married Susanna Munday/ Mundy,born 1769, in the same church as his father on the 4 March 1793 and the witnesses were W. Dove and Hannah Munday. Jonathan and Jane had two other known children,Betty,baptised at Landford,Wiltshire,on the 2 January 1774 and a son William baptised at Bishopstone,Wiltshire on the 14 January 1790. Peter and Susanna had ten known children,George b.1793,Hannah b.1795,Stephen b.1798,John b.1801,Elizabeth b.1804,Jane b.1806,Abraham b.1808,William b.1811,Peter b.1814, and James b.1818. Abraham married Sarah Gibbs on the 20 October 1829 at St. John the Baptist Church,Bishopstone,Wiltshire. Little is known at this stage of Betty,Jonathanís daughter and his son William married Mary Ann Abraham at Britford,Wiltshire on the 8 October 1812 and they had nine children. It is through Williamís line that information on the identity of Andrew MacGregor/Jonathan Andrews was handed down.
I am deeply grateful to Mrs. Olive Kynes,a great,great,great grand-daughter of William Andrews for the early history of the Andrews family.
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