From: laidlaws@hotkey.net.au   
      
   On 29/09/18 06:57, Ruth Wilson wrote:   
   > Can I start off by saying that I am pretty experienced with family   
   > history, so you don't need to point me to basic sources, although if   
   > there is something glaringly obvious I've missed, shout out!   
   >   
   > I really want to share with you my thoughts on a possible forebear and   
   > have some discussion as to the evidence, such as it is.   
   >   
   > William White was baptised 1820, Thursby, son of Elizabeth White.   
   >   
   > His sister, Isabella, was baptised 1822 in Dalston, where she lived most   
   > of her life, although she gave her birthplace as Westward. Her mother   
   > was given on the baptism as Elizabeth White. Her father was later (marr   
   > cert) named as John Sowerby, stonemason. My 2x gt grandmother.   
   >   
   > John White or Sowerby was baptised in Thursby, 1826, son of Elizabeth   
   > White and John Sowerby (unmarried)   
   >   
   > I am confident that these three are siblings and have quite a bit of   
   > evidence which adds up to show this.   
   >   
   > I do not know what became of John White Sowerby, although a distant   
   > relative has linked him with a John Sowerby living in Millom in the mid   
   > C19. I am looking to either prove or disprove this link. (her tree is a   
   > bit of a curate's egg ...)   
   >   
   > John Sowerby in Millom   
   > John died in 1874, age 46. The probate indexes give seemingly unrelated   
   > businessmen as his executors. I have not got a copy of the will.   
   >   
   > 1871 living in Millom, innkeeper, birthplace given as ‘Westmorland’, age   
   > 43. Birthplace is wrong, age is close. He has a nephew, Joseph White,   
   > age 24, living with him. ‘My’ John had a nephew of this name and age,   
   > but this one has his birthplace given as Millom. GRO does not have a   
   > Joseph White born Millom within 2-3 years. He is also in Millom, with   
   > Millom birthplace, in 1881. He is not in 1851 or 1861, but ‘my’ Joseph   
   > White is in Great Salkeld with his parents. In other words, they could   
   > be the same person, as I can’t prove they are two people.   
   >   
   > 1866 John married Hannah Shacklay. I have the certificate. His age is   
   > given as 38, bachelor. Occupation ‘coachman (gentleman’s)’, and his   
   > father as John Sowerby, headstone cutter, deceased. This seems to link   
   > in with my line’s occupation as stonemason.   
   >   
   > 1861 he is living at Seaton Hall as a coachman, age 32, birthplace,   
   > Holme Cultram, Cumberland. Looking at an online index for this parish,   
   > there do not appear to have been any Sowerbys there, and I cannot find   
   > him with this information on earlier censuses.   
   >   
   > 1851 I am not 100 percent confident that I have the same person, but it   
   > seems probable. There is a John Sowerby, age 23, living in a barrister’s   
   > household, working as a groom. This seems a likely career step to   
   > coachman. Then two bits of information that could link him to my line   
   > (although not definitively). His birthplace here is given as Westward   
   > (neighbouring both Dalston and Thursby, given as his mother and   
   > siblings’ birthplace); and he is living in Great Salkeld where his   
   > possible brother, William White, was also living with mother, Elizabeth.   
   >   
   > There is a lot of tantalising evidence pointing towards this John being   
   > mine, and I am certainly veering towards accepting it, but there is a   
   > lot that does not quite add up (ages, birthplaces) without being enough   
   > to really disprove it.   
   >   
   > It has actually helped to write all this down, but if anyone wants to   
   > join in the conversation, please do!   
   >   
   > Ruth   
      
   A conversation is one thing.  What is the question?   
      
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