LITTLE Family of Blackpool Gate Bewcastle

[Anaka]

Andrew Little, born around 1875 Kirkandrews, was living at Blackpool gate Bewcastle working as a blacksmith. He had two daughters that I know of Margaret b 1791 and Elizabeth b 1793 both christened at Arthuret.

Kirkandrews MI states that daughter Margaret died in 1821 and wife Jane in 1849

Included in his household in 1851 are Jane Little, his grandson's wife and great granddaughters Margaret and  Isabella.

I believe the above grandson's wife Jane Little to be the wife of Andrew Little born around 1822 Bewcastle but I have been unable to find his birth or parents. I suspect he could be the son of  either Margaret or Elizabeth, father unknown.

I have a marriage cert for Jane Little born 1852, who married Thomas Richardson in the Parish church of Brampton in 1873. Father's name on the cert is Andrew Little, a husbandman.

If anyone is researching this family or indeed the family of Thomas Richardson please make contact.

Anaka

[mgscott]

my Little tree is incomplete but i too have a Little in Bewcastle in 1830's and he too was a blacksmith.  Robert Little m: Mary Stockdale  and were living in Bewcastle before moving to Priorhill in Canonbie. 

i've got quite a bit on them but not your Andrew.  Do you have more names for me to compare to?

[Anaka]

Interesting. I have an Ann Stockdale b 1807 who married Joseph Lancaster.

A small selection of names from my Little research include:

Archibald m Jannet Graham 1742 Bewcastle
Archibald m Mary Armstrong 1839 Hexham
Elizabeth m  Thomas Tweddle 1858 Stapleton
Jane m John Maxwell 1835 Gretna
Matthew m Isabella Bell 1826 Arthuret
Mary m Thomas Richardson 1880 Carlisle
Richard m Jane Richardson 1865 Lanercost
Robert m Mary Routledge 1775 Bewcastle
Walter m Mary Gillespie 1861 Bewcastle
William m Elizabeth Elliott 1865 Bewcastle

Curiously I only have the above mentioned Robert and one other born 1865 Longtown.

[mgscott]

my apologies for not getting back to you.  I should have handled as soon as you posted your reply....otherwise I tend to get distracted and forget. is that a sign of getting old?

I'm surprised to only recognize your reference to Tweedle in your message.  I have found a whole generation of Littles from there so would have thought I'd see more.  For starters I'll list the family of James Little and Margaret Wright, who lived mostly at Kingbridgeford and were buried at Lanercost Abbey.  First children born in scotland and later around Lanercost: Catherine b1858; Mary Ann (b1860) married Jacob Moses; Robert (b1862) married Jane Dobson; Andrew (b1863); Walter (b1865) married Catherine F. Wilson; Jane (b1868) married John James; John (b1869); Janet (b1871) married Frank Forster; William (b1872) married Hannah Jackson; Margaret (b1875) married Thomas Warwick; Barbara (b1878) married Archibald Rae;

do you recognize any names?

[Anaka]

No need to apologise - I empathise!

Sorry but I have no information or connection to James Little, Margaret Wright and family but I do have links to a Moses family and also to a James family.

[mgscott]

Darn.  Maybe i'll have better luck with Jame's parents.  Robert Little was born in Scotland (1804) but married a Bew Castle girl, Mary Stockdale.  She was born in 1812.

thier first born was James was also born in Bewcastle, but by 1841 they went back to Canonbie, Sco.

a son of James and Margaret  (mentioned lin ast email) was Walter, born 1865 in Thirlwall.  He was raised there and married a Newcastle girl, Catherine Wilson.  Their first 3 or 4 children were born in your Cumberland (Northumblerand) area before they moved to Cleator Moor where the rest were born.

the children of Walter and Catherine were: Isabella b1892 Denton Upper; Margaret b1894 Gilsland; William b1896 Brampton; Robert b1900 Cleator Moor; Ida b1902; Anne b1905; Fred b1908; Lillian b1910; Wyn or Winnifred b1913;

any connections with this lot?

[Anaka]

Could this be the Little family of Priorhill? I believe they were blacksmiths.

I have never been able to find a marriage for Robert Little (to Mary Stockdale).

Ann Stockdale in my tree came from Little Blencow, near Penrith, a long way from Bewcastle.

Give me a little time to look around and I'll get back to you.

[mgscott]

Yes, these Littles were generation upon generation of Blacksmiths in Canonbie at Priorhill.  I have a fair amount of information on them back into the 1700's at Priorhill.

I'm surprised and excited you knew about Littles from Priorhill.  I have Robert's birth registration from Canonbie but I haven't yet found the marriage record either. 

Any and all help in learning more about these Littles, regardless of setting, would be very much appreciated.

[Anaka]

Hello again

I have been researching the Little name for many years and have therefore collected much data so a process of elimination is important. 

In my search for Andrew Little, blacksmith of Blackpool Gate I came across your James and Margaret Little and their son Andrew.

Regrettably, our fellow researchers who submit records to the IGI have in some cases caused confusion and it’s best to use this information with caution.

It’s interesting to note that Bewcastle records began around 1665 and there are christenings for a family of Little, patriarch Archibald, dating from 17th June 1666.

I also have a Moses family connection so your Little family came into the picture once again when Jacob Moses married Mary Ann Little 1880 Brampton, 3rd quarter, volume 10b, page 643.

Ann Moses had her son Jacob before she married Thomas Hetherington and Jacob was brought up by his grandparents William and Ann Moses (nee Tweddle).

As an aside, I have a will and inventory dated 1726 where a cow called Moses was bequeathed to a wife!

To sum up there is a strong possibility that our two Little families are linked somewhere up or down the line and now that we have made contact I will bear this in mind in future research.

Best wishes
Anaka