Marriages Archives

Christopher Pickersgill & Elizabeth Smithson

30th August 2023 No Comments

I believe Christopher Pickersgill was baptised on 24 May 1773 in Ripon, Yorkshire, the son of Paul Pickersgill. He married Elizabeth Smithson on the 21 December 1799 in Ripon. I believe she was the daughter of Ralph Smithson and Elizabeth Reader baptised 7 September 1776 at St Mary’s, Cundall.

Christopher died on 26 January 1843 at Sharow and was buried on the 29 January at St John’s, Sharow. It is not yet known when or where Elizabeth died other than it was before 1841.

This Christopher and Elizabeth are not the couple buried at St Lamberts, Burneston. Our Christopher is buried at Sharow and bear in mind he’s in Sharow on the 1841 census! There’s no record of Elizabeth being buried at Sharow but she may have died prior to St John’s being consecrated in 1825.

I’ve found four children so far.

Ralph Smithson Pickersgill baptised 24 November 1800 at the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, Ripon. He commenced as a private in the 1st Regiment of Lifeguards on 1 March 1820 and was discharged on 9 November 1836. He died on 26 January 1839 at 10 John Street, Westminster and was buried on 30 January 1839 at St Marylebone.
Elizabeth Pickersgill baptised 4 October 1805 at the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, Ripon. She had two illegitimate children James (who ended up in prison) who married Annie Walls and Jane who married Joseph Thackway and after his death, Mark Beckwith. Elizabeth subesquently married William Lancaster on 23 February 1852 at St Columba’s, Topcliffe. She died on 4 September 1883 at Bishop Monkton and was buried on 7 September at St John the Baptist, Bishop Monkton.
Jane Pickersgill baptised on 13 June 1807 at the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, Ripon. She married George Hardy on 4th December 1826 at the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, Ripon.They had eight children. Jane died on 23 May 1884 at 6 Bishopton Lane, Stockton-on-Tees (Informant: Jane Stillborn of 6 Bishopton Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, daughter, present at death) and was buried at St John’s, Sharow on 26 May 1884.
Ann Pickersgill baptised on 19 November 1808 at the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, Ripon. She married Stephen Smithson on 13 February 1836 at St Columba’s, Topcliffe. They had three children. She died on 29 November 1869 at Copt Hewick and was buried at St John’s, Sharow on 3 December 1869.

Census, Deaths, Marriages, People

George Hardy born 1833

15th July 2019 No Comments

After resolving the Sharow Burial Mystery I further researched the children of George Hardy and Jane Pickersgill but couldn’t determine what happened to George, their eldest son.

I believe we find him in Leeds in 1861 working as a servant. On 28 Aug 1869 he marries Elizabeth Poulter from Marton-le-Moor at St Peter’s in Leeds. He can be found on subsequent censuses working as a hotel porter. He ended up as head porter at the Queens Hotel in Leeds, somewhere I’ve stayed many times!

He died on 18th Jan 1909. Elizabeth died 23 Jul 1906. They had three children, John George, Mary Jane and Catherine Elizabeth.

The evidence as to why I think this is the right George is that his marriage certificate states his father is George, a farmer and a couple of censuses state he was born at Sharow. Others state Ripon. We already know that he was baptised on 12 May 1833 at St John’s church, Sharow where his parents are buried.

Baptisms, Births, Burials, Deaths, Marriages

Update on the Hardys of Sharow

4th November 2018 No Comments

Following the resolution of the Sharow Burial Mystery I further researched the children of George Hardy and Jane Pickersgill as follows:

Elizabeth Hardy baptised 28 Apr 1828 at St Johns, Sharow. Married Christopher Hammond Q2 1853, Ripon. Died 14 Jan 1898 Stockton on Tees and buried at Oxbridge Lane Cemetery, Stockton.
Mary Anne Hardy baptised 21 Mar 1830 at St Johns, Sharow. Married Thomas Wilton 23 Nov 1853 at Wath. Died 6 Oct 1873 buried 8 Oct 1873 at Wath.
Jane Hardy baptised 20 Dec 1831 at St Johns, Sharow. Married William Wrigglesworth on 11 Apr 1857 at Ripon Cathedral. William died 29 Mar 1875 and is buried at Oxcliffe Lane Cemetery, Stockton on Tees. Jane married Francis Stilborn Q4 1879 Stockton. She died 23 Jul 1901 and is buried at Oxbridge Lane Cemetery, Stockton.
George Hardy baptised 12 May 1833 at St Johns, Sharow. Not sure what happened to him after the 1841 census. View update here.
Dorothy Hardy baptised 5 Apr 1835 at St Johns, Sharow. Died 1858 and buried on 13 Apr at St Johns, Sharow.
Edward Hardy baptised 2 Apr 1837 at St Johns, Sharow. Married Jane Umpleby on 7 May 1859 at Ripon Cathedral. Suspect Edward died Q2 1910 Auckland, Durham.
Thomas Hardy baptised 7 Apr 1839 at St Johns, Sharow. Died 1860 and buried on 18 Jun at St Johns, Sharow.
Ann Hardy born 1840/41 married John Hayton Q2 1864 Ripon. Died 21 Nov 1913 Stockton on Tees and buried at Oxbridge Lane Cemetery, Stockton.

William Wrigglesworth, Jane Stilborn (Hardy), Ann Hayton (Hardy) and John Hayton share the same memorial at Oxbridge Lane Cemetery.

Baptisms, Burials, Marriages, People

So who won the Enos challenge?

3rd August 2017 No Comments

Some 10 years or so ago I set a challenge to readers of this site to find the ancestry of Enos Smithson born 1778 in Langthorpe. At the time I’d had a number of discussions with Bill Smithson of Killinghall who had been most helpful with his own research but we couldn’t find where Enos got his name or who his ancestors were. A number of us had drawn a blank so I set the challenge.

So who won it? Well, I think I did but only recently! The process was as follows. I firstly found the baptism of “Enos son of Willm Smithson” baptised 8th May 1778 at Kirby Hill near Langthorpe. Next step was to find Williams wife – “William Smithson of Skelton in parish of Ripon, yeoman and Margaret Metcalf of Longthorpe, spinster married by licence 28 November 1763. Both signed. Witnesses Dorothy Dale and Richard Tanfield.” – again, this record from Kirby Hill.

What else can we find about William? Again from the Kirby Hill registers “William son of Samuel Smithson of Langthorpe by Mary his wife was born May 22nd, was baptised June 20th 1735” and “William Smithson of Langthorp was buried June 1787”. And what about his wife Margaret? “Margaret, the wife of Wm Smithson of Langthorpe buried at Kirby on the Moor, the 21st of January 1783.”

OK but where did Enos get his name from? Margaret’s father was Enos Metcalf born around 1698 and baptised at Kirby Hill: “Enos son of Leonard Metcalfe of Humburton was baptised Jan 10th 1698” and “Enos Metcalf of Longthorp buried the 25th day of December 1771”.

What do we know about William’s father Samuel? “Samuel Smithson of Skelton in the parish of Ripon late of Langthorpe in this parish. Buried the 28th day of September 1763”, again from the Kirby Hill registers.

So can I claim the prize?

Check out a public tree I’ve put on Ancestry to show the above in more detail.

Baptisms, Burials, Marriages, People

The Enos Challenge

17th December 2007 No Comments

I am aware that a number of people may have drawn a blank in finding the parents of Enos Smithson of Langthorpe (born 1779).

So, here’s the challenge – has anyone successfully connected Enos to his parents?

Here’s what we know of Enos:

Census data shows him to be born about 1779 in Langthorpe. 1841 census shows him as an Agricultural Labourer in Cundall as does the 1851 census. The 1861 census shows him in Ripon workhouse. Death indexes show his death Qtr 1 1864.

He married Susannah Dawson (b1785, Kirkby Hill) on 31 May 1806 at Cundall. Susannah’s parents were Thomas Dawson and Alice Wiseman and Alice’s parents were William Wiseman and Esther Pick.

The children of Enos and Susannah were:

Enos – 1808 to 1874
William – 1810 to 1886
Thomas – 1811 to 1871
John – 1817 to 1890
Samuel – 1818 to 1879
Alice – 1821 to 1888
Mary – 1823 to ?
Mark – 1828 to 1887

Come on, where does Enos fit in?