Firstly, Colin I think you are more likely to be right about the family from Haslingden even though this would make James 13 years older than Ann. I have the baptism of Ann Lord as 16 May 1773
The age of the James Whitaker you first found would be a better fit (23 Oct 1774) to the John and Mary of Edgeside, but the 6 April 1760 James from Haslingden does have merit as John and Mary married at the end of 1759 and the children start arriving. There are definitely family names there and the fact there is a Henry Whitaker also fits with one being a witness at James and Ann's wedding in 1794.
I'm of the opinion that the children baptised at St. Mary, Haslingden were more likely to have belonged to another man /other men named John Whitaker who lived in Haslingden parish and who had wives named Mary.
2 possible candidates were:
Marriage 2nd April 1759 St. James, Haslingden
John Whitaker & Mary Heap, "both of this chapelry"
Marriage 14th September 1759 St. Mary the Virgin, Bury
John Whitaker, clothier, Haslingden Chapelry
Mary Holden, Bury
A witness was Henry Whitaker. Married by licence.
There may be a marriage bond in Lancashire Archives. Online catalogue has index to marriage bonds.
The only baptisms at St. Mary, Haslingden I found which may have been children of either or both above couples are the ones already posted by Colin and me.
There was also another John & Mary in Haslingden who lived at Henheads before and after marriage (1740) and had children in 1740s.
I have found a Mary Whitaker in baptised 28 Nov 1772 in Constable. This is more than 5 years after John is born in Rakefoot. Would they have been far from one another? Also, it seems strange that Henry is born in Heald yet everyone else is born in Rakefoot? I'm not sure he is one of theirs.
John & Mary Whitaker and their children baptised at St. Mary, Haslingden, Elizabeth (bapt. July 1761), Alice (2nd Dec. 1764) and John (22 Feb. 1767) lived at Rake Foot in Musbury. It was a different Rake Foot to the one near Rawtenstall on the map in Footo's reply #17. The nearest town to Rake Foot in Musbury is Haslingden. The nearest church was St. Mary, Haslingden until Musbury and Haslingden Grane got their own churches (St. Thomas, St. Stephen) in 19th century. Musbury township was on the border of Bury and Haslingden parishes and has switched parishes during its' existence.
Info & map on GENUKI
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Musbury/Rake Foot in Musbury on the 1844 map looks like a farm. It's west of Helmshore village and south of a reservoir. Holden Wood is to the east. Holden Hall and Holden Mill are north of Holden Wood. A John & Mary lived at Holden when Henry, their son was baptised at St. Mary, Haslingden, 1770. 2 Priestentax farms are north of the Holden settlement. Priestentax was abode of a John & Mary when James, their son was baptised at Haslingden, April 1760. There may have been 1 John & Mary Whitaker who moved between Priestentax, Rake Foot and Holden 1760-1770 or there may have been 2 or 3 couples in that area. Spacings of baptisms suggest 1 couple.
Map Lancashire Sheet LXXI surveyed 1844-5
https://maps.nls.uk/view/102343976Enlarge map to find Rake Foot. There's also a track named Stony Rake.
I agree that Henry of Heald, baptised at Newchurch, August 1765 doesn't fit with with the family who lived at Rake Foot, Musbury and who had their children baptised at Haslingden. Also, the gap between baptisms of Alice and Henry was too short if those families were accustomed to getting their children baptised as young babies.
A better fit for Henry of Heald was the family who had John 1760, and Betty 1767 baptised at Newchurch; abode for all was Heald. Bacup didn't have a parish church until 1788 although it had Non-conformist chapels.
Baptisms and marriages transcriptions from Lancashire Online Parish Clerks website
www.lan-opc.org.ukAdded. Rake Foot in Musbury and Priestontax were a bit over 1 mile (or 2km.) apart. The Holden area is between them.
