I am tracing cousins of mine, the Kyrkes/Kirkes/Kirks, who were in Chapel-en-Le-Frith, Derbyshire in the 16/17/18th century.
Richard KIRK was born at Chapel-en-le-Frith in about 1747, married Ellen VENABLES at Prestbury, Cheshire in 1771 and at some time moved to the Wrexham area. They had a family of twelve children, born between 1775 and 1792, five boys: Henry (1775, no issue), Thomas (1777, no issue), James (1778), George (1780) and Richard (1792). Incidentally, daughter Elizabeth married a Panton, Margaret married a John DICKENSON, Ellen married a Palin, Sarah married a Griffiths and Frances married Thomas PENSON the bridge builder.
Following the Kirk line, I then have a gap, picking up with Richard Venables KYRKE who must be a descendant of the above Richard and Ellen, probably a grandson; from census returns born at Gwersyllt about 1821. He married Fanny WARBRICK at Woodchurch, Wirral in 1849. They had at least four children. He died at Hawarden 1 April 1899 and was buried at (Old) Hope Cemetery.
The Kyrke family were prospering (landowners based at Martinside) at the time they moved from Derbyshire to the Wrexham area and by the early 19th century were in the coalmining business there. I have no evidence that they were in this business before they moved although I cannot completely exclude the possibility because coal was mined in the upper Goyt Valley about five miles from their Derbyshire home. They didn't appear to be short of capital because they rented out their properties in Chapel-en-le-Frith for a generation after they moved before selling up.
So please, any ideas why the family would move and how to test your idea?
Also, if anybody happens to know the fate of any of the twelve children of Richard and Fanny, in particular, which one was the father of Richard Venables KYRKE, you would save me the long trip from the Cambridge area for the task of checking the several possible christening registers.
