So the big question is where did Thomas my 6th GG come from? Another question that I would also love to know is Thomas Townley, baker and yeoman (1739-1807)- why would he be a yeoman and have land as well as be a baker? [/b]
Thomas and Sarah Wright had a son Thomas Townley, baker and yeoman (1739-1807) who married Ellen Moss on the 7 Feb 1768 at St Elphins. Thomas and Ellen also had a son called Thomas Townley (born in 1773)
Thomas Townley was resident in Culceth parish when he married Sarah at Newchurch in Culceth parish church, Feb. 1730/1. I think that just means that he'd been resident there long enough for it to qualify as his abode, possibly as long as a year, possibly as short as a few weeks; I don't know what residency rules were then relating to marriage in a parish.
Sifting through baptisms and burials of Townley children at St. Elphin, Warrington on Lancashire Online Parish Clerks
www.lan-opc.org.uk I see that at least one Thomas was an innkeeper in 1790's. If the inn had land attached and if the property could be passed to heirs (e.g. a lease for 3 lives) then Thomas would have become a yeoman.
My innkeeper ancestors in 18th & early 19th centuries in Lancashire were yeomen. Their inn was the coaching inn in the centre of a small coastal town with stables &c + cottages attached + land behind for horses, (coaching inns had to keep spare horses for the stagecoach), cattle + other farm animals (to feed guests). A document in Lancashire archives is a lease granting a parcel of "waste" land newly enclosed between the inn and the sea to my 5x great-grandfather. My ancestors combined innkeeping with their other family occupation of butcher in 18thC. Both occupations were part-time in a small, quiet town until seaside holidays took off and the inn became very profitable. It wasn't uncommon at the time for an innkeeper to have another occupation. He could do his other work, leaving wife and children to look after the inn and serve customers at quiet times.
Burial 1792 St. Elphin, Warrington, Sarah Townley age 23 daughter of Thomas Townley, innkeeper.
Sarah's age fits with this baptism at the same church: 28th Feb. 1769 Sarah Townley, daughter of Thomas & Ellen, occupation baker.
Other baptisms which may have been children of this couple, William 1770, Thomas 1773, Betty 1776, Margaret 1779 (probably Peggy buried 1781), John 1781. Father's occupation was baker at all the baptisms.
Was this a different Thomas?
Baptism 29th Jan. 1797 St. Elphin, Warrington,
Sarah Townley daughter of Thomas & Mary, occupation publican.
The Thomas Townley who died 1807 aged 67 had baker as his occupation in the burial register. Had his son taken over the inn?