Bleasby Marriage Hunslet Leeds

[Truia]

Can anyone help me find a marriage for William Bleasby (born Whitkirk, 1785) in Hunslet or Whitkirk, some time around December 1808 when his daughter, Martha, was born in Hunslet, please? I have searched the microfiche at the West Yorks. Archive Office but couldn't find any sign of a marriage around this time. The family appears on the 1841 and '51 census living near Waterloo Road, Hunslet. There were at least three children: Martha b 1808, Ann b 1821 and Grace b 1826. In 1841 William had a wife named Ann (nee Spurr I think) but she died in the 1840s. I am not sure she was the mother of Martha, however. He might have married someone else first, given the gap between his children. Can anyone help me find a marriage for him, any time up to 1821 please? So far this search has been very frustrating! - Truia.

[patrish]

Hi Truia,

Welcome to Rootschat. 

Are you quite sure that Martha b 1808 Ann b 1820 and Grace b 1826 are in fact sisters.  You mentioned the big age gap between Martha and the other two.   

Usually if a man was widowed with young children he normally remarried quite quickly after the death of his first wife. unless perhaps  he had an occupation that took him away from home for long periods, ie a mariner etc or in the military.

[Truia]

No not sure they were sisters but they were all living under the same roof in 1841 with William and his wife Ann Bleasby. By 1851, Ann Snr was gone (it appears she died in 1847) but in her place was William's mother-in-law a very old woman named Mary Spurr. This is why I have concluded that Ann Snr's maiden name was Spurr. She was in her fifties in 1841 so it's likely she was born around 1790. Mary Spurr on the other hand was born in Leeds in the 1760s! Anyone got a record for her or Ann?

The Hunslet records appear to be very patchy. Martha's Bleasby's birth is listed in 1808 but there are no records of the other girls' births (Ann or Grace) and no record of William and Ann's marriage either as far as I can see. Until I get a date for it, I don't know if Ann was the mother of all of them or none. Are some of the Hunslet records missing?

[patrish]

There is an extracted IGI record for Grace Bleasby ch. 18.4.1824 Hunslet, father William.......mother Ann, cannot see a Ann or Hannah in the same area though.

It may turn out that Wm might not have been legally married to either wife, this was very commonplace, but purely speculation at this point.

[patrish]

Mary Spurr born c 1760 would be her maiden name so we cannot find that unless there is a marriage, on the 1841 there are 2 possibles both born around the same time.

HO107; Piece 1309; Book: 14; Civil Parish: Campsall; County: Yorkshire;  District: 1; Folio: 9; Page: 9


William Spurr    35 Butcher
Mary Spurr    80
Martha Spurr    9

 HO107; Piece 1267; Book: 4; Civil Parish: Batley; County: Yorkshire;  District: 6; Folio: 46; Page: 21

William Spurr    80
Mary Spurr    80
   

[Truia]

Thanks for this...  Mary Spurr stated in 1851 (when she was about 89) that she was from Leeds but this could have been wrong (maybe her relatives spoke for her!). Ann Spurr (if Spurr WAS her maiden name) said she was born in Hunslet.

What a shame there were two Mary Spurrs aged 80 living so close together in 1841!!! Go figure...

I take it you cannot find a record for the birth of Ann Spurr (abt 1790) or a marriage? 

Thanks for your help.

[patrish]

The biggest problem with the name Ann is it has many derivations, ie. Anna, Hannah, Annie, Nancy etc.

There are some 6 records around the right time frame in Yorkshire on the IGI but not an actual Ann, all but one give different mothers names to Mary, 1 just gives father as John  , Hannah ch. 8.4.1792 Birstall.   I am not from the area so have no idea of the distances between places.

With Mary Spurr being such a great age its also possible that she was a second wife of Ann's father 

[patrish]

Another thing that has just occurred to me is, that if Ann  (Spurr) was born circa 1790 its is fairly safe to assume  that her daughter is Grace b 1826 as it gives Wm and Ann as parents and an extracted record,  she would have been about 36 when she was born.

So I am wondering if she was  a widow when she married Wm  as we cant seem to find a suitable birth for her. 

[Fiona67]

The IGI lists 6 children born to William & Ann between 1808 & 1833 in Hunslet .... Elizabeth Christened 1814, Emma 1833, Mary 1816, Daniel 1826, Grace 1824 & Martha 1808. I think they are all extracted records...... the new online version of the IGI does not indicate if the records are extracted or not but they do cite England Births and Christenings 1538-1975 as a source so I think they are accurate....... interestingly Martha's christening record does not have a mother listed, all others list Ann

Fiona