Encouraged by Gloria's mention of John Yates, boilermaker (married Leyland, 1840; father Thomas Yates, boilermaker), I decided to go back into Suarrow's ancestry and see if I could find a link between the different Yates lines. I think I have succeeded - but can't be certain: it is easy to get carried away when tracing locally common names back into the 18th century!
The breakthrough came when I googled 'James Yates blacksmith' and found the following record:
James Yates of Blackburn, blacksmith,
father of the child of
Anne Abbott, single woman,
date 1742 May 3.
This record is mentioned on the National Archives website, which states it is held by Lancashire Archives: Ref PR1558/2/20. I have not been able to find it on FamilySearch, Ancestry, FindmyPast or Lancs OPC at Altham, Blackburn St Mary, Whalley, or Leyland. I think this James (bad lad) is the great grandfather of both Suarrow and Gloria's John Yates.
There are numerous possible baptisms for this James Yates on FamilySearch but the one I favour (from Lancs OPC) is:
Baptism: 18 Feb 1710 St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn, Lancs.
James Yates - Son of Thomas Yates
Abode: Yate Bank
Register: Baptisms 1680 - 1722, Page 96, Entry 4
Source: LDS Film 1278778
I think we are on firmer ground with his marriage:
Marriage: 1 May 1735 St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn, Lancs.
James Yates -
Agnes Aspin - this town
Married by publication
Register: Marriages 1722 - 1754, Page 14L, Entry 15
Source: Film 1278778
(Ancestry: Brishop's Transcripts, Blackburn, 1730-39, p. 92 (original pic)
As mentioned above, I believe James (blacksmith) and Agnes were the great grandparents of both Suarrow and Gloria's John Yates (married 1840). If so, Suarrow (great grandparents James and Agnes, grandfather Thomas, father James) and Gloria's John (great grandparents James and Agnes, grandfather James, father Thomas) would have been second cousins.
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Suarrow's line, coming down from James and Agnes, appears to be:
Thomas Yates, bapt, 26 Jan 1745 at St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn, father James Yates, mother Agnes Yates
(From Family Search, England Parish Registers 1538-1910, GS Film Number 001278778 , Digital Folder Number: 004484134 , Image Number: 00854.
Note that this record did not turn up on Lancs OPC for Blackburn St M, Ancestry or Find my Past!)
Baptism: 18 Jan 1767 St James, Altham, Lancs.
James Yates - Son of Thomas Yates
Abode: Huncoat
Baptised by: Wm. Parry Officiating Minr.
Register: Baptisms 1749 - 1788, Page 37, Entry 1
Source: LDS Film 1278856
(From Lancs OPC for Altham. Note that father Thomas's occupation is not recorded, but son James becomes a blacksmith. Good match for date and place - Thomas Yates is a less common name than James Yates at this period.)
Marriage: 4 Jul 1796 St Andrew, Leyland, Lancs.
James Yates - Blacksmith of Leyland
Isabel Bonner - (X), Spinster of Leyland
Witness: James? Sturzaker; Nicholas Plaskett
Married by Banns by: Thomas Baldwin Vicar
Register: Marriages 1793 - 1812, Page 37, Entry 145
Source: LDS Film 93952
(From Lancs OPC for Leyland. Note that, assuming this is the correct James, he was 29 when he married, which opens up again the possibility that he might have served as a solder before his marriage, perhaps explaining why he chose the name Suarrow for one of his sons!)
Baptism:15 November 1807, at St Leonard's, Padiham
Souharrow, son of James and Elizabeth Yates
father's occupation, Smith
place: Pendleton
born: 10 October
(Ancestry image; Padiham Parish records Lancs OPC; see previous post re error in mother's name)
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Turning now to how Gloria's line appears to tie in. Coming down from James and Agnes:
James Yates, bapt 27 Feb 1763 at Altham, father James, mother Agnes
(From FamilySearch: England "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NBLR-SZZ : accessed 26 January 2015), James Yates, 27 Feb 1763; citing Altham, Lancashire, England, reference item 3; FHL microfilm 1,278,856.
Note: This record, like that of James and Agnes's other son, Thomas, can be found on FamilySearch but apparently nowhere else! Note also that this James is 18 years younger than his brother, Thomas, and is only 4 years older than his cousin James, who was also baptised at Altham.
As posted above by Gloria, the next generations on her line would seem to be:
Thomas, son of James and Margaret, baptised at St Andrew, Leyland, 5 Feb 1786.
John, son of Thomas, married at St Andrew, Leyland, 10 July 1820.
Wow! And this all started for me with the chance discovery of a funny name!
Ruth