Help needed - marriage and/or baptisms James Womersley and Martha Kilner

[Hilary F]

Hi
I'm in another of those "everyone online says one thing, what I've found says another" situations where I have no idea which answer is correct!  I have an ancestor called Ephraim Womersley, born in kirkburton in 1821 to James Womersley and Martha (nee Kilner).  Actually, now that I look back, I think I picked up the name Kilner from someone else.  But even if that is right, then the marriage I have found for these two is in Kirkheaton in 1799, October 3.  Whereas the date everyone else has is 1819, in "the county of York"

There are christening records for children of James and Martha Womersley from 1801 in Kirkheaton to 1829 in Kirkburton - not sure if they are the same family or not, but it is entirely feasible that they could be.

While I appreciate that there could well be more than one James and Martha Womersley, I am more sceptical about there being two James Womersley's who happened to both marry someone called Martha Kilner.

Can anyone cast any light on this, or at least give a bit of advice to help me past what otherwise will be a brick wall?

Thanks in advance :-)

[dave the tyke]

Hi Hilary,
follow the first rule of genealogy - check the source. If the one you found is from a primary source ignore what others are saying.

Dave   

[Hilary F]

Well that certainly helps!  I always feel as if, by ignoring other people's stuff in favour of my findings, I am being somewhat arrogant    But better to make my own mistakes than perpetuate someone else's, I guess! 

[dave the tyke]

Right, now for one of my rules - don't dismiss until you have proof. Some questions you might want to answer. 
You seemed a little unsure of Martha's maiden name could there be more than one Martha involved?
There is under normal circumstances 2 or 3 years between births. Do yours fall into this pattern?
Is there a longer gap just before 1819?
Is there a place of birth change from Kirkheaton to Kirkburton around or just after 1819?
Did James's occupation change?
Have you found any patterns in the naming of subsequent children?
Ephraim Womersley is a bit unusual, can you trace where the name came from? Father's side or mother's, Kirkheaton or Kirkburton?

That should take you well into the new year, have a happy one 

Dave

[Hilary F]

Thanks Dave :-)  Having run a search with a 40 year error margin each way for a James Womersley marrying a Martha, I am now confident that it is Martha Kilner and that my marriage date is correct :-) 
There is a change of birth place from Kirkheaton to Kirkburton, either around or a bit before that date, and the children do seem to follow a fairly regular pattern.  The Womersley's were a fecund lot!  James and Martha seemed to favour biblical names, including some of the more unusual ones - Jeremiah is another that springs to mind.
I'll see if I can answer your other questions too, just to be thorough.  I think your rule is quite similar to the set I try to follow - never assume,never blindly follow, but always follow up leads until you have either proved or disproved them :-)  And use a bit of common sense and logic ;-)

[dobfarm]

Kirkburton Parish covers Kirkburton village and some of Holmfirth Village

-James & Martha lived at Linfit lane Kirkburton village


John (Below) born 1809 was before 1819 so the  1799 marriage is correct - there could be baptisms of other sibling in Kirkheaton or Almondbury as the actual churches are in a 3 miles triangle of each other (See a map)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Ephriam Womersley Birth 9 weeks old at Baptism 30 Sept 1821 son of James and Martha Womersley of Linfit lane in Kirkburton Village of Kirkburton Parish

John Womersley birth 30 Oct 1809 Baptism 26 Nov 1809 son of James and Martha Womersley of Linfit lane in Kirkburton Village of Kirkburton Parish

[Hilary F]

You're a star, thank you  I hadn't realised those three churches were so close to each other, that will help loads with my other research as well as I have lots of ancestors in that neck of the woods.  Can I ask how you managed to get so much info on the baptisms?  Esp the dob and address?

[James__mz]

Hi Hilary F

I am also a descendant of Ephraim Womersley.  My great great grandmother was Martha Womersley, who married William Wright Pownall, and their daughter Nellie was my great grandmother.  She came to Warrnambool Australia around 1910, and married Andrew (Addie) Smith and lived their lives in Melbourne Australia.  We appreciate all the family history you have created on the internet. Thank You,  James  .  Melbourne Australia

[dobfarm]

Hi James_mz,

Hilary F  has not been active on this website since Oct 2019 (3 years) so you may not get an answer to your request from the member.

As you are a new member, you need to take part in every day stuff by answering a couple posts on other threads to activate the personal message system so you can send Hilary F a personal message.


Easiest way to activate your Personal message system is to answer a view and comment on a thread on this forum

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/handwriting-deciphering-recognition/