Hi Mike,
Many thanks for your reply & the info, very much appreciated.
In the almost 3 and a half years since I started this thread I have made a little progress, particularly when the scanned/digitized Yorkshire parish records (including Whitby!) became available on FindMyPast. I of course made use of them!
However, it seems I may have missed one or two entries!
My excuse is that the writing isn't always easy to read & is at times somewhat faded.
What I have is as follows:
Updated from my original post.
William & Jane (my 5x gt grandparents) had 8 children that I have found, all born/baptised in Whitby they being:
William Graham born 8th Nov 1778 chr 13th Dec 1778 died by 1794
James Graham born 25th May 1781 chr 25th May 1781 buried 28th May 1781
Jane Graham/Grayham born 21st Aug 1784 chr 12 Sept 1784
James Graham/Grayham born 28th Oct 1786 chr 19th Nov 1786
John Graham born 19th July 1789 chr 24th July 1796
Margaret Graham born 11th Sept 1791 chr 24th July 1796
William Graham born 19th April 1794 chr 24th July 1796
Martha Graham born 30th June 1796 chr 24th July 1796 died 1873
There appears to have been
four James Graham's about in Whitby around the right time!
James Graham (Sailor) had these children:
William Graham bapt 14/01/1750 Married Jane Rowel in 1775 & a Flaxdresser by trade.
Thomas Graham bapt 22/01/1755/56 (aged 16 weeks old)
Alice Graham bapt 22/10/1768 (born 17th Aug 1768) To James & Eleanor. (Missed this one until today!
That leads to this marriage:
James Graham to Eleanor Hill on 31st Oct 1743 at St Mary the Virgin in Whitby. Both of Whitby.
The above is my line.
There is also as follows:
Frances Grayham, baptized 05/10/1744 & James Graham baptized 31/03/1751 & buried 23/01/1753. Both children of James Graham, a Taylor.
James Graham, baptised 15/12/1765 (born 28/09/1765) Son of James Graham & John Graham baptised 18/10/1768 (born 14/10/1768) son of James & Elizabeth Graham. James a Carpenter on both.
John Graham baptised 15/10/1766 (born 14/07/1766) to James Graham a Weaver.
No wonder I've had trouble with this lot!
As regards Jane Rowel, I did find a George & Ann Rowel in Whitby around the right time, but could only find a daughter Ann baptised to them on 24/06/1759, George a Roper. George was given as a Flaxdresser on his death in 1784 (buried 23/02/1784, aged 56 years.) His wife Ann died in 1774 (Buried 13/08/1774, aged 58 years.) I will however keep on file the Jane Rowel baptism in Alnwick that you found. If Martha can end up in Bedlington from Whitby then there is no reason why Jane couldn't have come from Alnwick to Whitby!.
My thanks again.
Kind regards
David