Help needed tracing forebears of Robert Balfour

[bacoms]

Can anyone help me please in tracing my family beyond Robert Balfour who married Betty Bimson on 25th August 1793 in St. Aidan's church in Billinge near Wigan?

Curiously, although he is listed on the marriage record as being an 'agent to a coal mine', he signed his name with an 'X'. I would have though someone in this position would be literate. (His wife did sign with her name).

The couple appear to have spent their married life in the nearby village of Haigh where they had 11 children (Ann, Betty, David, Elizabeth, James, John, Margaret, Matilda, Robert, Ruth and William).

Following up the coal connection, I did wonder if he may have moved down from Fife, another coal-mining centre, and from where the name Balfour originated, but am unable to bridge this gap with any certainty.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[emeltom]

Have you had a look at the lancs opc site? It has the baptisms of several of the children and gives his occupation as either Labourer, Husbandman or Farmer. It also has what looks like his burial in 1833 aged 67 which gives a birth year of c1766

Emeltom

[bacoms]

Have you had a look at the lancs opc site? It has the baptisms of several of the children and gives his occupation as either Labourer, Husbandman or Farmer. It also has what looks like his burial in 1833 aged 67 which gives a birth year of c1766

Most of the information on Robert Balfour I have comes from lancs.opc site, including his age from his death record. It's his forebears I'm trying to trace.

A search for a birth between 1765 and 1767 in England on familysearch.org drew a blank and in Scotland only produced one hit for a Robert Balfour born 19th May 1765 and christened 26th May 1765 in the church of Kinglassie, Fife. Father also a Robert Balfour. This looks promising but I'd like to be able to corroborate it before moving on.