My yeomen were grandma's ancestors. My 4xGGF&M came from 2 lines of same family, one farmers, other innkeepers. 3 children in 1 family had Lady Jane of the Manor, an Earl's daughter, as godmother. Some children had gentry as godparents.
4xGGM's relative, Capt. William Latham, was gentry. He inherited a Hall. He was Militia Captain in Napoleonic Wars. His interests were sketching & history. He wrote a short history of my ancestors' village and recommended staying at 4xGGF's hotel! Collections of his sketches are in archives, including National Library of Wales & Isle of Man. Lancashire & Cheshire historical society journal published an article about him 100 years ago when a library bought a collection of his sketches. My 4xGGM was mentioned in article.
A grandson of 4xGGF&M became no.2 to bishop in 2 dioceses. He commissioned new churches. Pugin designed some of them. Pugin was in a libel case. My clergy relative was a witness. Cleric was a fine singer & composed church music. He was director of music at funeral of exiled son of Napoleon 111. He composed music for Cardinal Wiseman's funeral. I found music for sale on a website. He got a name check in a thesis.
Clergyman's aunt, who left him a bequest, was " a proprietor of houses" in a fast- growing Lancashire industrial town. I hope she wasn't a slum landlady. She lived in a respectable street next to the Square where Quality resided. A stone's throw in another direction were my 4xGGF&M belonging to my granddad. Their eldest daughter was "a poor Singlewoman, big with child", according to her Resettlement Order.
Younger sister of poor, pregnant lass was my 3xGGM. She married a shoemaker. Shoemakers' Union was very militant. Many were Chartists. Cue frequent demos, strikes, the odd riot. I know what my shoemaker was doing & saying on a certain evening in 1849 because it was recorded in a court case. 2 of his fellow strikers were convicted under the anti-union Combination Act & imprisoned.
Business failures led to decline in fortunes of yeoman family offspring. My GGM worked in cotton mill from early teens. Signed her marriage certificate X. Her maternal granddad died in workhouse. Her son-in-law, my granddad, was blacklisted after striking against a wage cut.
I'm proud of my granddad & his G granddad for their union work. I'm also proud of the yeomen for hanging on & making a success of their lives in spite of nearly 300 years of religious discrimination.