Jack Priestley’s Family History
This site is a work-in-progress. There is a massive amount to cover. I have included both male and female lines. Keep coming back for more.
I have numbered the generations working backwards from Jack’s as (1)
JAMES PARKINSON and ELIZABETH SWALLOW (9)
JAMES PARKINSON was the son of an older James Parkinson and Susanah Stothard. He appears to be the youngest of five children.
Baptisms. Broughton by Brigg.
1704 James the son of James and Susanah Parkinson was borne Aprill the 16th
His father was a labourer when he died in his 80s. James junior probably grew up in the family of an agricultural worker. But he moved up the economic scale to become a farmer.
Most of the inhabitants of the large parish of Broughton worked on the land. Broughton stands on a spur of the Lincolnshire Wolds, to the west of the River Ancholme. The clay and sandy soils are not particularly fertile. Most of the farms were leasehold, in the ownership of a few landlords. James’s landlord was Charles Pelham, the future Lord Yarborough, who owned nearly 50% of the taxable land.
The River Ancholme near Broughton.
Its course has been straightened. [1]
ELIZABETH SWALLOW. There is what appears to be a promising baptism for Elizabeth in Scawby, a village just over a mile south of Broughton.
Baptism. Scawby.
1703 Sep 24 Elizabeth daughter of Thos Swallowe
But this child was buried a week later. No other convincing baptism has been found for her.
James and Elizabeth married in 1731.
Marriage. Broughton.
1731 James Parkinson and Elizabeth Swallow 23 June.
They had two daughters, but the younger one died soon after birth.
Baptisms. Broughton by Brigg.
1734 Mar 26 Mary
1739 Oct 20 Ann. She was buried on 1739/40 Jan 3.
Elizabeth died six years later.
Burial. Broughton.
1746 Oct 7 Elizabeth the wife of James Parkinson
Early the following year, James married again. The marriage took place in the village of Redbourne, about 6 miles south of Broughton, though both the bride and groom were said to be from Broughton. It is likely that Elizabeth Smith was living there, though her parish of settlement was Broughton.
Marriage. Redbourne.
1746/7 Feb 10 James Parkinson and Elizabeth Smith of Broughton
The marriage allegation says that James Parkinson was widowed and Elizabeth Smith was single. Both were from another parish. The marriage register identifies this as Broughton.
There was one child of this marriage: another daughter.
Baptism. Broughton by Brigg
1747 Oct 11 Elizabeth
Either the baby was a month premature, or Elizabeth was pregnant when they married.
James’s second wife also died young, in the same year that James’s father died.
Burial. Broughton.
1750 Oct 27 Elizabeth the wife of James Parkinson
The Lincolnshire Archives have a detailed account of the year’s receipts and expenditure of Charles Alexander Pelham Esq.for 1774-5. It includes “house building at Broughton for James Parkinson to live in”. [2]
James was then 70. It may be that the farmhouse he rented had become dilapidated, or the farm was becoming too big for him to manage without sons to help him and Pelham built the house so that he could let the farm to a younger tenant.
James outlived his second wife by 31 years,
Burial. Broughton.
1781 Nov 29 James Parkinson Farmer
[1] You Tube, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2ZKyLRMjCrI/hqdefault.jpg
[2] Lincolnshire Archives: YARB 5/2/1/5. Abstract available on the National Archives website. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
NEXT GENERATION: 8. HOYROY-PARKINSON
PREVIOUS GENERATIONS: 10. PARKINSON-STOTHARD
10. SWALLOW-ROBINSON