Lookup at Hull History Centre Please

[BorthwickCongalton]

According to family tradition, our ancestor Moses Wilkinson (born in Sowerby, West Riding) served in the British Army.  I've managed to find the baptism of his daughter, Sarah, in 1806 at Woodbridge, Suffolk and it has occupation as "East Yorkshire Militia".  His son, Charles William Wilkinson (c. 1813-1880), was born at Edinburgh, Scotland when his father was assigned there.

The Hull History Centre has a ledger entitled, "Ledger of East Yorkshire Militia", covering the years 1813-1816.  I would very much appreciate if someone local to Hull were able to review this ledger and provide whatever information they can find on Moses Wilkinson.  The mother of both these children was Ann Bailey of Suffolk but their marriage record has proved elusive.  So has the year of birth of Moses Wilkinson and several were born at Sowerby between 1760 and 1795.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

[Treetotal]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat...why not contact them and explain that you are an out of town researcher and request the info by email:

Email: hullhistorycentre@hcandl.co.uk

Carol

[BorthwickCongalton]

I did write the Centre and was told they receive hundreds of similar requests. But if I was willing to pay their £ 27 hourly fee, they would check the volume for Moses Wilkinson and whatever other information the ledger might contain about him.  They complained that I had given them the incorrect reference information and that it would take at least 1/2 hour to find the correct description in their catalogue whereupon they would have 1/2 hour remaining to search the ledger if I paid their fee.

Needless to say, this was not a very encouraging message.  I am what you would call a pensioner and genealogical research is a luxury, never a necessity.  I cannot afford to spend $35 US on the chance that my ancestor would be in this volume with no other identifying information when what I am seeking is his age.  It is my habit to do "genealogy on the cheap" and if it can't be done with only a small expense, then I simply will not do it.

It has been a pleasure to deal the last 50 years with reference librarians in various parts of North America.  Never in all these years have I received an email quite like the one from the Hull History Centre. 

Genealogy, like golf, is an expensive hobby.  Perhaps it is time for me to give it a rest.  I'd certainly rather do the research myself but a trip to the UK is not in my future.  If I knew I had ancestors from Yorkshire when I was still working, I most certainly would of found a way to visit.

One has to live with the cards life has dealt out.  This is the hand I was dealt and there are many more less fortunate than I in "the land of plenty".

[Treetotal]

Sorry to hear that you have had such a bad experience, I do hope that someone can find the answer for you.
Good Luck!
Carol

[Treetotal]

Could this be Moses's baptism?

Moses Wilkinson
Event Type:   Baptism
Baptism Date:   10 Oct 1773
Baptism Place:   Sowerby, St Peter and Others, Yorkshire, England
Parish as it Appears:   Sowerby, St Peter and Others

Father's Occupation is listed as "Furrier"

If you think this is the right person, I could send you the Baptism record if you want it, I can email it to you if you give me your email address via the Personal Message system.

Carol

[BorthwickCongalton]

Could this be Moses's baptism?

Moses Wilkinson
Event Type:   Baptism
Baptism Date:   10 Oct 1773
Baptism Place:   Sowerby, St Peter and Others, Yorkshire, England
Parish as it Appears:   Sowerby, St Peter and Others

Father's Occupation is listed as "Furrier"

If you think this is the right person, I could send you the Baptism record if you want it, I can email it to you if you give me your email address via the Personal Message system.

Carol

Hi Carol,

I have a list of all the Moses Wilkinsons born in Sowerby between 1760 and 1792.  There are several.

Without an age, I am unable to establish an approximate year of birth for Moses Wilkinson.  We know that he was born in Sowerby from family tradition and verified by the baptism entry of his son, Aaron, in 1810 in Sunderland, Durham.

Aaron's baptism was a remarkable document.  Although it did not provide his father's age, it provided the date of birth and baptism for the child baptized, the fact that Aaron was his father Moses' FIFTH SON.  The entry has Moses place of birth (Sowerby), his wife's name (Ann Bailey) and her place of birth (given as Burdsley, Suffolk).  I think you will agree with me that this breadth of information is quite rare in baptism records.

If Aaron was Moses Wilkinson's 5th son, it suggests he had a previous marriage if only because of Ann Bailey's year of birth (1785).  No one in the family had been able to find the marriage of Moses Wilkinson to Ann Bailey. 

I found an 1805 marriage entry in Wye, Kent for an Ann Bayley and Moses Willson (or Wilson) and I wonder if it is the Moses' name has been poorly transcribed.  Familysearch doesn't have the records for Wye in their "Kent Parish Records" database.  They only have a transcription.  It seems as though East Yorkshire militia were posted far and wide so that regular Army units were available to fight on the continent.

The first child of Moses and Ann occurs in Woodbridge, Suffolk in 1806.  A daughter, Sarah, was born there and Moses occupation is listed as "East Yorkshire Militia".  Our other family tradition is that my ancestor, Charles William Wilkinson (born c. 1813), was born in Edinburgh while his father was serving in the British Army.  I checked with the Edinburgh City Archives and they had no record of his baptism in Episcopal Church of Scotland record (three parishes were present in 1813 but the records for the largest parish, Old St. George's Church, apparently have been lost).

If I am unsuccessful in finding someone who is able to visit Hull, I understand the East Yorkshire Militia archives are in Beverley.  But the problem in searching those archives may prove to be the sheer volume of records available to search including family assistance requests of militia members. I imagine Moses Wilkinson, with wife and children in tow, might be found in those files.

Everyone's suggestions are appreciated.  I only wish I could do this research myself.

[Treetotal]

Hi Cary...You may get some help and advice here:

https://www.eyfhs.org.uk/

or the Treasure House at Beverley:

http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/leisure/archives-family-and-local-history

Good Luck

Carol

[gogogadgetlegs]

Just had a quick look for Wilkinson, Woodbridge, Suffolk.  There is a baptism for a Moses Wilkinson 14 Jan 1780 Parents Benjamin Wilkinson (Carpenter) & Mary, on one record says (Late Weston) [possibly mothers maiden name, seven more baptism also in Woodbridge if you think you need them,
gogogadgetlegs (Phil)

[BorthwickCongalton]

This research request is now completed.  The librarian at the Hull History Centre found the Ledger of the East Yorkshire Militia (1813-1816) and it was indexed.  My ancestor, Moses Wilkinson, was not in the index and therefore not in the militia during that time period.

This suggests an altogether earlier date for the birth of his son, Charles William Wilkinson, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland when his father was serving in the British Army.  The January 1880 obituary for Charles suggests he was 66 years, 6 months old when he died.  In 1810, when his son Aaron was born and baptized in Sunderland, Durham, Moses' occupation was shown as "weaver".  This fact suggests that Moses Wilkinson left the East Yorkshire Militia before Aaron's birth. 

Therefore, I will have to consult the East Yorkshire Militia archives at the Beverley Archives Centre.  Thank you for all the helpful suggestions.