As there’s a lot more on the ‘net now than a few years ago I decided to go in search of some of my missing persons.
One of these was Catherine Stoker born c 1724. As an adult she lived in South Blyth, was married in Earsdon church and all her children were baptised there. But I’d never found her baptism.
I found a suitable candidate living in North Blyth and baptised in Bedlington in 1725. Her parents were Robert and Margaret Stoker and parish records showed that she had a twin brother, Robert. There was no marriage for her parents and no sign of other siblings.
I made a mental note not to confuse her parents with a Robert and Margaret Stokoe from South Blyth who appear on the same branch of my tree at about the same time. Then I looked more closely.
The S. Blyth Stokoes were married in Earsdon in 1721. Their children baptised in Earsdon were – Ann 1722, John 1728, Aaron and Moses (twins) 1730, Benjamin 1732 and Margaret 1734.
There is a gap between 1722 and 1728 where the twins, Catherine and Robert, would sit nicely. Also three of Catherine’s sons were named Aaron, Benjamin and John. This makes me think that the Stokoes and the Stokers could possibly be the same.
BUT if that was the case why is she shown in Earsdon marriage records as Stoker when the rest of the family are shown in the same church records as Stokoe.
Any thoughts?
Christine