Events
Date of Birth: 28 August 1753.
The date is recorded in Elizabeth's probable baptism record.
Date of Baptism: 23 September 1753.
Place of Baptism: St Thomas, Ashton in Makerfield, Lancashire.
See the Commentary section.
Date of Burial: 14 May 1829.
Place of Burial: St Thomas, Ashton in Makerfield, Lancashire.
The abode given in Betty's burial record makes it clear the the record is of the widow of Thomas Pilling, who was buried at St Thomas two years earlier.
Relationships
Father: David Williamson.
Mother: Ellen Leyland.
See the Commentary section.
Partner: Henry Hasleden.
This relationship is recorded in a 1771 petition and by the order of filiation and maintenance cited below.
Partner, later Husband: Thomas Pilling. Married 6 January 1780 in St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire.
This relationship is recorded in a 1776 petition and in the marriage records.
Children (by Henry):
(Ann is named as the illegitimate child of Elizabeth Williamson and Henry Hasleden of Ashton in Makerfield, hingemaker, in a 1771 petition.)
Ann Williamson (baptized 8 December 1771 in Billinge - died 8 February 1847) married Roger Eccleston 11 October 1795 in Winwick (St Oswald’s).
Children (by Thomas):
(John is named as the illegitimate child of Elizabeth Williamson and Thomas Pilling of Ashton, collier, in a 1776 petition. I am assuming Thomas is also Samuel and William's father.)
John Williamson (born 10 November 1775; baptized 1 December 1774 in Ashton - buried 22 May 1778 in Ashton)
Samuel Williamson, later known as Samuel Pilling (born 18 August 1779; baptized 19 September 1779 in Ashton - died 12 October 1863, buried 15 October 1863 in Wigan) married Catherine Waterworth 1 December 1805 in Wigan.
William Williamson (buried 9 May 1780 in Ashton)
Thomas Pilling (born 1 January 1781; baptized 28 January 1781 in Ashton - buried 10 November 1832 in Ashton) married Betty Fearnley 2 October 1803 in Winwick, Lancashire.
Peggy Pilling (born 6 April 1783; baptized 13 April 1783 in Ashton)
Martha Pilling (born 21 April 1785; baptized 1 May 1785 in Ashton - died 15 November 1852, buried 18 November 1852 in Ashton) married Thomas Sutton 26 October 1806 in Winwick.
John Pilling (buried 19 August 1787 in Ashton)
Joseph Pilling (buried 19 August 1787 in Ashton)
Betty Pilling (born 26 March 1790; baptized 25 April 1790 in Ashton - died 9 November 1855, buried 11 November 1855 in Ashton)
Evidence
from the parish registers of Ashton-in-Makerfield (St Thomas):
1753
Betty Dr of David Williamson Born Aug 28 bap Sep 23
Order of filiation and maintenance from an index to the Lancashire Quarter Sessions (24 December 1771).
Ashton in Makerfield. Order of filiation and maintenance of Ann, bastard child of Henry Hasleden, hingemaker, and Elizabeth Williamson, singlewoman
Petition of 24 December 1771
Elizabeth Williamson of Ashton in Mackerfield appeared before the justices of the peace and swore that Henry Hasleden of Ashton hingemaker was the father of her daughter Ann, born about five weeks previously.Henry was declared and adjudged the reputed father of the child and ordered to pay one pound five shillings two pence, plus ten shillings a week, to the Overseers of the Poor for as long as Ann was chargeable to the township of Ashton.
Petition of 8 May 1776
Elizabeth Williamson of Ashton in Mackerfield appeared before the justices of the peace and swore that Thomas Pilling of Ashton collier was the father of her son John, born about six months previously. Thomas did not appear, but was declared and adjudged the reputed father of the child and ordered to pay one pound sixteen shillings eight pence, plus ten shillings a week, to the Overseers of the Poor for as long as John was chargeable to the township of Ashton.
from the parish registers of Billinge (St Aidan):
1771
Decr 8th Ann D: of Betty Williamson Illigitimate Ashton
from the parish registers of Ashton-in-Makerfield (St Thomas):
1775
John Base son of Betty Williamson born Novr 10 baptiz.d D.1st
1778
John Base son of Betty Williamson buried May 22
1779
Samuel Base son of Betty Williamson born Aug. 18 baptiz.d Sepr 19
1780
Wm Base son of Betty Williamson buried May 9
1781
Tho.s son of Tho.s Pilling born Jan.y 1st baptizd 28
1783
Peggy D.r of Tho.s Pilling born April 6 baptizd 13th
1785
Martha D.r of Tho.s Pilling born April 21 bap.d May 1st
1787
Joseph & John sons of Tho.s Pilling buried Aug.t 19.
1790
Betty D.r of Tho.s Pilling born March 26 bapd April 25
Marriage (from the Bishop's Transcripts)
St Oswald’s, Winwick. January 1780:
6 Thos Pilling & Betty Williamson by Banns
from the parish registers of Winwick:
Banns of Marriage, between Thomas Pilling and Betty Williamson Published December 12.19.26
Thomas Pilling - this Parish and Betty Williamson of this Parish were Married in this Church by Banns this sixth Day of January in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and eighty by me, J. Lowe Curate
This Marriage was solemnized between Us
Thomas X Pilling his Mark
Betty + Williamson her Mark
In the Presence of Us
Rob.t Cross
Peter Smith
from the parish registers of Winwick and the Chapelry of Ashton (Burials):
1827
Thomas Pilling of Arch Lane in Ashton Collier [buried] 28th July. [Died of] Natural decay. [Age] 75. [Ceremony performed by] Edmund Sibson Curate of Ashton
1829
Betty Pilling of Arch Lane in Ashton Widow [buried] 14.th May [Died of] Natural decay. [Age] 77. [Ceremony performed by] Edmund Sibson Minster of Ashton
Commentary
Betty’s parentage
Betty’s 14 May 1829 burial record gives her age at death as 77. The implied birth date is fairly close to a baptism in Ashton in Makerfield in 1753: Betty, daughter of David Williamson, born 28 August and baptized 23 September. An age at death that was one year too high was fairly normal in the period. There was a baptism in Ashton in Makerfield of an Elizabeth Williamson in 1748, but this is a bit more of a stretch, chronologically. Also, David Williamson was a hingemaker as was Betty Williamson’s lover Henry Hasleden.
The baptism records of some of David’s children show that his wife was named Ellen. Betty, born in August 1753, was David’s eldest child. The Ashton in Makerfield parish register records the married 6 March 1753 of David Williamson and Ellen Layland.
References
Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England: Lancashire Archives [digital images on ancestry.com, accessed 26 May 2015]
Lancashire County Quarter Sessions, Wigan: Epiphany 1772; QSP/1981/22 (1771 24 Dec). Lancashire Record Office. Online index (accessed 8 April 2014).
Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks
Lancashire Quarter Sessions Records and Petitions, 17th-19th Century. Microfilm. Lancashire Record Office, Preston, England. [digital images on ancestry.com, accessed 26 May 2015]
Parish registers of Winwick, Lancashire. Digital images on FamilySearch.org.