barker

RECUSANCY IN THE BARKER FAMILY

There was at least one recusant family in Egton throughout the penal years. (illegible) major presentment found indicted. Between the commencement of these sanctions and 1700 there were twelve entries of recusancy against twenty-six entries in the parish registers, whereas during the next eighty years there were thirteen and eleven respectively. When one considers all these eleven parish entries were deaths it indicates that none of the family made use of the parish facilities for baptism or marriage in that time. The (illegible) twenty-six for the earlier period were made up of twelve baptisms, six marriages and eight burials the change of attitude in the faamily towards the parish. It further shows how in the earlier period, there may have been some conformity but in the latter there was none, and thee number of recorded recusants bore no relation to the actual indictable members of the family.

1632 sees the first mention when George, a cooper and his wife Elizabeth are listed and they are both still there in 1641. By the time of the next big check up in 1674 Nicholas and Mary his wife and Margaret probably his daughter are there. A Margaret is buried in 1680 so 1691 finds Richard and Maria his wife and George, Jane and Martha perhaps his children. George stubbonly retains his beliefs for he is listed alone in 1716 and again in 1735 along with Elizabeth a widow. The second George could well be the son of the other of course, an observation borne out by the entry of George again in 1745, The family were overlooked by the Egton vicar in 1753 but appear in strength again in 1780 when another George and Mary are down with six children! The family name is easily seen and an unusual one is at Lythe where Francis is reported.

An examination of the parish burials, since there is nothing else relevant, fill in a few gaps with considerable interest. The confirmatory endorsement 'Papist' occurs once only when Ann so styled was buried in 1703. One of the early six marriages above where John weds Jane Robinson seems to have a tragic sequel becaue both were buried on the same day in 1710 after only twenty years of marriage; surely a hint of epidemic or disaster. The observation about George above is proved by the burial George tailor from Egton Bridge on March 3rd 1724. Leaserigg is the home of a biblical branch of the family for Isaac died there in 1724 too. It was this family which provided four of the twelve baptisms and could have been thereby, a conforming one. Who was no doubt his brother and perhaps his twin Jacob, died the following year in the same home. EIlin a widow was buried from what appears to be Suntry Carr in 1740. She could be George's wife, for Jane a widow from Leaserigg was buried the same year being Isaac or Jacob's wife. A more likely candidate for the wife of George was Elizabeth, widow of Egton Bridge who died in 1746. The only two burials between Elizabeth's and the year 1800 both refer to George a tailor. The former in 1750, due no doubt to the haste of the transcribing churchwarden, does not give the home, but the latter in 1783 give Egton Bridge.

One of the reasons for the paucity of entries in the parish register transcript has already been mentioned, namely what appears to be a case of deliberate ommision. Three that previously refer to the son of the last George are entered "George son of George Barker tailor papist, March 26th 1770" That of a daughter Mary follows in like style in 17?? and a third for Ann adds the information, shopkeeper, in 1774. These entries were in the vicar Richard Robinson's 'draft' copy of his register, a transcript of a fragment of which forms part of the annendix to this work.

It was the wedding of this pair which long eluded discovery. It was sought because it was referred to in the will of John (9) Harrison of that story who cites Mary Barker as his daughter. It was stumbled across quite by accident in the parish register of Skelton in Cleveland in the manner given:-

George Barker & Mary Harrison, banns May 11th 1767.

This indeed breaks the five mile limit of movement imposed upon recusants, yet it may have revealed a practice evolved by then to evade the greater penalty for a secret marriage. For instance the baptism of one of Israel Roe's children is there, together with two Poatgate occurences, three Lyth marriages and a nunbor of Harrison events which seem to be ' extra parochial'

MARRIAGES IN THE BARKER FAMILY 1600 TO 1873

The Easter Communion list for 1826 shows George senior and junior together with Hilda, Ann, Joseph and Timothy all from Egton Bridge.

The census for 1841 gives George and Ann a tailor of Egton Bridge both aged 7?, Joseph and Ann a tailor are there too. Both are aged 55. Timothy a tailor aged 34 and Jane 33 are obviously m.23 and living with his father and mother m.12. George aged {missing} is the son of Joseph, but it must be of his first marriage m.15.

The census for 1851 reveal that John and Sarah are at Egton Bridge apparently living with his father and mother, again m.15. John also carries on the family tradition of tailoring.

The census for 1861 shows that George b. 1820/1 above is living with his wife Anna describing himself as a tailor and draper and having five children. Joseph and Anna are still there and this time Timothy and his wife are entered as living under Joseph's roof. By this time John m. 28 must have died because his widow is entered as the old -man's daughter in law. Three of Timothy's children are also included.

By 1871 in a cottage near the mill George and Anna have prospered insofar as he enters himself as " Draper, Tailer and Grocer " employing one man. Timothy however, not to be outdone matches cousin's descrition with "Master Tailor". He includes on his return his son John then aged 31 and no others.

The Egton Estate schedule of sale however says that George and Joseph are the ?ants of "Two cottages and Gardens" comprising thirty-nine perches of land at a combined rental of £3 per annum. These cottages were situated diagonally opposite Ambrose Harrison's cottage, till very recently the village post office, and had the stepping stones immediately behind and below them. In fact the stepping stones lead to the mill crossing two branches of the River Esk below the dam. It is not known for how long after 1871 the healthy rivalry continued but the Master Tailor died aged 73 at Egton Bridge on June 3rd 1883, three years before Ambrose the postman and nineteen before George who died on February 3rd 1902 aged 82.

Perhaps, if George m.1 is not considered, George m.6, apparently the son of Richard and Maria m.5 sets of a sequence of George son of George continuing for at least four generations but since the families of this one and that of his son d.1750 who should appear between m.6 and m.7 are not identified, it is with George and Marythis analysis will commence.

George Barker (d. May 29th 1783) m.7 Mary Harrison at Skelton 11/5/1767

2. George Barker (d. Jan 13th 1857) m.12 Ann Lythat Egton 12/1/1794

These two Georges were tailors of Egton Bridge. An unnamed Barker infant was entered in the Ugthorpe burials for May 1st 1810.

6. John Barker m.16 Bridget Shaw at Egton 2/6/1819

Further issue untraced. Bridget died at Whitby aged 66 in February 1854 and the family lost sight of.

7. Joseph Barker (d. May 17th 1866) m.15 Elizabeth Oxley at Eg. 3/3/1810

Joseph apparently married again m.20 Ann Wedgewood at Eg. 7/2/1828

29. Timothy Barker (d. Jun.3rd 1883) m.23 Joan Underwood Eg. 27/10/1837

75. George Barker (d. Feb. 3rd 1902) m.27 Anna ? Eg.

73. John Barker m.28 Sarah Slater at Wby 29/7/1848

74. William Barker m.26 Mary White probably at Whitby

63. David Barker m.29 Helen Hoggarth probably at Whitby

Mary Ann and Mary Helen are not the only children of their parents.