John Raper's parents

[brassbounder]

I am trying the find the parents of my great great grandfather, John Raper.

I know from various censuses that he was born in Armley in about 1797, and that he was a woollen mule spinner.

He married Sarah Turner (born Bramley) at Leeds Parish Church in 1829 (from the IGI but I'm 99 per cent. certain it's the right marriage).

They had four children that I know of, William (1831), Sarah Ann Turner (1833), John (1837) and Christopher (1840). Again, from the censuses, I know that the children were born in Rothwell but that they were living in Farnley (Leeds) by 1851.

A search of the IGI for his baptism brings up nothing obvious. If it's in there, my guess would be a John Raper who was christened at St. Patrick's RC Church, York Road, since the parents are given as Christopher and Ann Raper.

But to further muddy the waters, family legend has it that he was a Quaker, not a Catholic, although I personally wouldn't put too much reliance on this.

Can anyone suggest where I might look next?

Jon

[JillJ]

You could try here - if only in an endeavour to eliminate the Quaker theory! 

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/quaker/quakint1.htm

Jill

[Jchaddy]

Slighty off your topic, but I wonder if your William Raper is related to my family
My Great Grandfathers brother, Fredy Guy, married Emily Raper, daughter of William Raper in Bramley

[brassbounder]

Hi Jchaddy,

This is possible. William Raper married Mary Hannah Best at Leeds Parish Church in 1855.

According to the 1891 Census, their youngest daughter, Emily, was born in Huddersfield (?) in about 1868, and was still single, living at home, which was in Wortley, Leeds.

The same family are still living in Wortley in 1901. I don't have access to the 1911 census, but I think that William Raper probably died in 1909.

Do you have any more details of the marriage---date, church, witnesses etc? I can't see it in any of my normal sources.

Jon

[weenie]

Hi Brassfounder and Jchaddy,

but i also have Rapers in Leeds, quite a few to be precise, a huge bunch of mine were family bakers from Holbeck area, and parts that are now classed as Wortley.

Weenie

[brassbounder]

Hi Weenie,

William's father John Raper was probably born in Armley, although he also lived in Rothwell and Farnley, near Leeds.

John Raper appears to have been baptised at St. Patrick's RC Church on York Road, Leeds (quite a way from Armley but possibly the nearest Catholic church) and his parents were Christopher and Hannah.

The only likely marriage I can find for them is in Otley, but they did have three other children, Christopher (1795), Mary (1799) and Robert Walker (1802). I haven't followed up on these lines, but of course all these places (apart from Otley) were villages next to each other in the south-west Leeds area, so we may also have a connection.

Jon