Hedley Family Search

[Valda]

This looks to be the 1851 census entry mentioned by Billie.

HO107 2413 folio 281
Newburn Village  Northumberland   
William Healey  39  Northd, Newburn Head Married File cutter
Jane Healey 37  Northd, Benwell Wife Married
John Healey 18  Northd, Benwell Son  File cutter 
Richard Healey 14  Sheffield, Yorkshire, Son File cutter
Alice Healey 12  Sheffield, Yorkshire, Daughter
William Healey 9  Northd, Newburn Son
Ann Healey  6  Northd, Newburn Daughter   
Elizabeth Healey  3  Northd, Newburn Daughter

If Ann Atkinson was the sister of  Jane Atkinson it would not have been legal for William Hedley senior to have married his dead wife's sister. Does Newburn parish register have the burials of Jane Hedley and her sister Ann Atkinson?

If William Hedley senior - the father of 'Puffing Billy' died in 1843 he would have been  at least 90 if he was born prior to 1753. 

Since Hedley seems a reasonably common surname in Northumberland and William is a common forename how certain is it that the William who married Jane Atkinson is the same man who had a son William by Ann (if illegitimate it should state it in the baptismal register which would give the child as 'William Atkinson' not 'William Hedley') and then later married Elizabeth Fletcher?

WILLIAM HEDLEY
JANE ATKINSON 
Marriage:  10 APR 1773   Newburn, Northumberland
 
JOSEPH HEDLEY
Christening:  19 SEP 1773   Newburn, Northumberland
Father:  WILLIAM HEDLEY 
Mother:  JANE 

WILLIAM HEDLEY OR ATKINSON
Christening:  25 JUL 1779   Newburn, Northumberland
Father:  WILLIAM HEDLEY   
Mother:  ANN ATKINSON 

An illegitimate child had no claim on his father and could not inherit unless specifically mentioned in his father's will or if an inheritance was settled on him by his father in his life time.

The illegitimate son William seems to have been  better educated and possibly better provided for than the half brothers by his father's second marriage - unless he was in himself a completely self made man? What were the occupations of the sons by Wliiam Hedley and Elizabeth Fletcher - were they similarly provided for?

Did William Hedley senior leave a will?

Regards

Valda

[billie]

William hedley sr was born prior to 1753. He married Jane Atkinson 10 April 1774 and one child, a son Joseph was born in 1773...christened September 1773 and he died in 1843. Jane was buried February 10 1778. William then took a mistress by the name of Ann Atkinson. I do not know if Ann was the sister or sister in law of jane. A son was born 13 July 1779 and he died January 9 1843. That is a different story, however, he would have been a self made man as his father was a grocer. William sr then married Elizabeth Fletcher the 13th September 1784. Their first son was George who was born 1785. The second child was Thomas born 1788. He was my gggg grandfather. The third child was John born 1788. The fourth child was Richard who was born in 1790. He married Alice Hudson 05 August 1811 and they had 3 children....William born 1812, Elizabeth born 1814 and died in 1818 and George born 1818. Richard died September 1824. After Richard came Jeremiah born in 1789 and then   George who was born in 1792 and he died in 1819. Finally, there came 2 daughters,,,Mary born in 1794 and Elizabeth 1801. All of this information came from Newburn church and cemetery records.
Billie

[Valda]

If William senior was a grocer he ran his own business, so there is a reasonable possibility he might left a will.

Regards

Valda

[BoHedley]

Dear Valda,
Thanks for all the info. in the 1851 Census - I have to re-subscribe to Ancestry so couldn't look it up.
I have an email from Pat Barnes which gives William HEDLEY (senior) as 1748 so he was only 70 when he died.

This info came up on Ancestry and does not mention Ann Atkinson - the mystery continues.........

[i]Name:   William Hedley
Birth:    1748 in Newburn Parish, [parish], Northumberland, England
Death:    Jun 1818 in Newburn Parish, [parish], Northumberland, England
Father:    Allen Hedley (-)
Mother:    Mayonet (-)
Spouse:    Jane Atkinson (-)
Spouse:    Elizabeth Fletcher (-)[/i][/b]

However - since coming on RootsChat I have gleaned more from you and Billie than a month on Ancestry!!!
Theres a lot on Google about William'Puffing Billy' Hedley so I'll do a trawl through.
Thanks again to both of you
Bo42

[billie]

So if on the off chance that he did leave a will...where would one be able to look at a copy of the will?
Billie

[BoHedley]

Received this message from Jessie today

Folks,

It is clearly shown in my  database that William (Puffing Billy) b.1779 was
the son of  William Hedley  and Ann Atkinson.  Ann was actually William Snr's
sister-in-law.  His  first wife Jane, Ann' sister having died in 1778.
At that period in time it  was not legal for a man to marry his dead wife's
sister.

William later  married Elizabeth Fletcher and they produced 8 children,
Richard being born in  1790.

Billie Hedley received her information from me.

Can you let  me have Richard's descendants, please
Jessie

So it looks even more definite that William'Puffing Billy' was illegitimate.  Perhaps the Atkins family had money and means.

cheers to all from Bo

[Valda]

Pre 1858 wills were probated by the church. There were different church courts covering different areas. The highest church court with jurisdiction of the whole of England was the Prerogative Court of Canterbury which despite its name was actually in London. The wills and administrations of the PCC are held at The National Archives. The wills but not the admins have been indexed and the index is electronically online (William senior did not leave a PCC will). William junior - Puffing Billy left a PCC will and you can easily obtain a copy of it electronically from TNA. The next court in order of importance was the Prerogative Court of York which had jurisdiction over the north of England. PCY wills are held at the Borthwick Institute in York. There is as yet no online indexes for PCY wills apart from one on a subscription website but that only covers part of the period of the 1850s. The remaining courts were more local and at diocesan level only. Those locally proved wills are usually held in county record offices. Most of Northumberland came under the Consistory Court of Durham so those wills are held by Durham University library.

http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/asc/

There is a projest to index the wills

http://familyrecords.dur.ac.uk/nei/

but it won't get online until 2009 but as you know the date of death of William senior you could email them to check whether they hold a will for him. If that draws a blank as he certainly didn't leave a PCC will the only other place where a will could be would be the Borthwick.

http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/bihr/

Again you can email Borthwick for a search but this would only be worth doing if Durham drew a blank. The majority of people did not leave wills but since William was a grocer there is a fair chance he may have left a will.

Ann Atkinson may have subsequently married so William might have been brought up by his mother and possibly by a stepfather. Though you can and could call yourself by any name you like if William was illegitimate his automatic right was only to his mother's surname.

Regards

Valda
 

[lesleyta]

Hi

Sorry to jump in on this search, but I think my relatives may be related to this puffy fella too (never heard of him until I read this!)

I can get back to a Catharine Hedley (1889) whos Father is Joseph Hedley c1799.  In the 1851 and 1861 Census it names his wife as Barbara, but in the 1841 it's Mary.   Looking on family search I can only find a marriage with a Mary Potts.  But they had a son Robert, who doesn't appear on the 1841 Census ( he would have been 12).

Anyway - my Joseph Hedley c1799 was born in Newburn.

Can anyone help on where he links into this story?

Thanks  (and sorry if this is a confusing mail, I'm just very excited to find this post!)

[BoHedley]

The main Hedley family research members are Pat and Billie, whom I am sure you will hear from when they access the site.
They have both supplied me with loads of information on the Hedley ancestry from Newburn.
However,in case they do not reply the following info. is what I have from that time.
1)Thomas Hedley born 1722 in Newburn married to Ruth Unlock(1743)
Their children were William Hedley- 1748, John Hedley - 1749, Thomas Hedley 1750 and Joseph Hedley -1753.

William Hedley 1748 married Jane Atkinson and had a child called Joseph in 1773.
Then he had a child by her sister Ann Atkinson (wasn't allowed to marry wife's sister.  This child was William Hedley, inventor of Puffing Billy 1779-1843.
William (1748) then married Elizabeth Fletcher and had the following children: George -1785, Thomas -1786, John -1788, Jeremiah 1789, Richard 1790, George 1792 and Mary 1794.
The Joseph above (1753) married Elizabeth Charlton in 1786 and among other children had a Joseph born 1797 - could this be your Joseph??  Can find no mention of his wife.

However, perhaps Billie and Pat have more on this so hope they will elaborate.  If you don't hear anything - post again and I will email them.

Our family is growing by the month!!!

Regards from Bo Hedley.