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Hi Caroline, many thanks for your replies and responding so quickly.  I take the point that Hugh BOURNE's line and the Belper/Denby line are perhaps not closely related, if at all, but it does seem exceeding strange that both families had involvement with pottering and with non-conformity.  Then again, for me that question is not top of the target list!  My main focus is on tracking early Prims who went to the USA in the 1810-1830 period, and I'm deeply curious about Hugh's brother William who is noted as over there preaching in 1811.  I wonder if you or any of your contacts have found out anything about that William?  It appears he was bap in Stoke on Trent in 1777 (Familysearch), so about 5 years younger than Hugh.

As for John Rylands Library, first off it's a great experience.  The original library looks like Hogwarts but they've added a whole new extension that is light, and glassy and classy, including the reading room on Level 4.  On the downside, the finding aids leave something to be desired, and I struggled, despite years of experience now with online catalogues!  I think some of the listings and aids are not online yet, so is probably worth asking the staff when there, or in email beforehand.

Best starting point is here: http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/search-resources/guide-to-special-collections/methodist/, from where you can download the pdf guide to collections.  The Assistant Librarian Peter Nockles advised me to search the archive catalogue on ELGAR (link on the above webpage) and the printed materials in the online catalogue: http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/search-resources/.  Peter also confirmed that there is no discreet catalogue or listing of their Primitive Methodist materials.  So I just typed 'Primitive' in both ELGAR and the library search, and got a good set of results.

When I visited I focussed on Hugh Bourne's notebooks, the earliest Conference minutes (1819-35) and Primitive Methodist Magazine for 1828-9 plus a couple of other smaller items.  They urge you to order as much as possible of what you want to see, as much in advance as possible.

Perhaps we can talk again after your visit in a few weeks' time?  I hope at some point to also visit the Englesea Museum and possibly the Oxford Centre, in hope of finding sources referenced in Kendall's history which are exactly what I'm looking for, but who knows where they are now!  I'm happy to talk more by email (I'll send you my address soon via private message on the forum).  Or if you're on the Derbysgen mailing list, you'll find me there.  Regards Celia

For anyone who's interested in the Quaker WILCOCKSONs of the Preston area... they start with Isaac WILCOCKSON born on 26d 4m 1727 in Longhill, Hetton, Burnsall parish, Yorkshire (West Riding), the son of Quakers David WILCOCKSON and Alice ANDERSON - they married on 18d 1m 1724 at Rylstone Meeting House, Burnsall.  1727 Isaac moved across the Pennines around the time of his marriage to Mary GILPIN of Wray, Lancs in 1751.  They were the grandparents of Isaac mentioned in the previous posts, born 1783.

David WILCOCKSON moved to Burnsall before or at the time of his marriage to Alice from Biggin near Wirksworth in Derbyshire (where WILCOCKSONs have lived since medieval times), and he was born while his father John WILCOCKSON was living for a while in Staffordshire, David's birth recorded at Leek MM in Jan 1698/99.  John's family moved back to Biggin from Staffs about 1709-10.  For more information see: www.morgansite.wordpress.com.

Celia Renshaw
in Chesterfield UK

Little Wren, I've seen your message to me at your blogsite, but I can't see a way to contact you privately via Rootschat.  I've just posted an article about WILCOCKSONs to my own blogsite: www.morgansite.wordpress.com and that includes a way to contact me.  Look forward to chatting to you!  Celia Renshaw in Chesterfield UK