James Fava Wood

about 1811 -

Notes

In his daughter Julia's marriage certificate, James is described as 'Surgical Hosier'

Family Notes (1):
"Charles  Drewry m Julia Theresa Favar (Italian for wood). Lived Castleman Barnes." (Note; Julia cremated in Barnes.)
The name is actually 'Fava'. Neither 'fava' nor 'favar' can be found in translation sites to mean anything to do with 'wood'. Fava in Italian means bean. In English there are many recipes that use 'fava beans' - broad beans.

"Julia Theresa Favar was born in Edinburgh. Her mother was Scottish Born Edinburgh(?). Her father: 'Favar wine shipper' with ' Della Fava' written above this."
The name Theresa is known in different branches of the family but does not seem to appear in official documents.

Family Notes (2):
In Annie Isabella's branch of the family they have the name 'Fava' as being associated with an Italian count - the Conte de Fava.
I do not see this as being too fanciful, given what we know of the Drewry family history and connections with Europe. We have Charles' son James, for example, going off to France in his teens and apparently staying with the De Dion family there. Howevever 'della Fava' may just mean 'from Fava'.

Fava in Italy. I have found two Favas:

Fava 1

Fava in the foothills of the Alps, 1.2 km south of Champdepraz.
See Google Map.
If Julia's family actually came from Fava this is possibly it. There is no particular evidence of wine growing here. but it is not necessary for a wine importer to source wine from one's place of birth. However, it is quite possible that 150 years ago vines grew around Fava on south facing slopes even though it appears to be quite high.
Google maps suggests that Fava is little more than a couple of farms with the houses in a small hamlet. The Matterhorn (picture on right)is North of Fava, but whether one can actually see it from there is anyone's guess.

Fava 2

There is an ancient Castello della Fava, in Posada in Sardinia.
One would expect a 'Conte' to have a castle somewhere in his ancestry. Sardinia has plenty of wine for export, but did not become an Italian State until 1861.

In the 1851 Scotland Census, Address: 27 Clyde Street, Edinburgh, St Andrew

James Wood, 40, b. abt 1811 in USA , British Subject (USA ?)
Jane Wood, 27
Isabella Wood, 7
Laurence Wood, 5
Margaret Wood, 3
Julia Wood, 2
James Wood 6 Mo
Ann Aitken 40
Jane Cameron 16
Elizabeth Dobie 40