My Genealogy 

My Ancestors

My Tree

Methods

This section is supported by three PDF documents to aid downloading and printing. My Family Tree is detailed report of my ancestors produced by the report facility of my Family Tree program. My Fan Chart is a chart showing my direct ancestors with each generation arranged concentric semi-circles.  Warburton Genealogy Notes contains this section, and the essays and charts linked from it.

My Ancestors 

My main focus has been on my Warburton ancestors in conjunction with the Warburton One-Name Project and DNA Project. However I have recently begun to trace other lines. I have now identified 15 of my 16 great great grandparents, though one is still uncertain. Alas the sixteenth may never be found as my great grandmother was illegitimate. I also have 19 of the 32 great great great grandparents, and over time I intend to flesh these lines further. My findings are included in My Family Tree, and illustrated on My Fan Chart. These ancestors are also included in Warburton family Trees and the associated Index.

So far, with the help of 'cousins' discovered since I started my search, I have traced my Warburton tree back to George Warburton who lived in Hale Cheshire, and died in 1639. There is also some evidence to suggest that Thomas Warburton, who died in 1634 was George’s father. Whether I will ever get back further is uncertain as records become more scarce, but there is always a chance of finding something amongst estate or court records of the time. Because my research is oriented towards the Warburton Surname DNA Project I am also interested in mapping George’s descendants, and making contact with other of his descendants living today. I have identified over a dozen so far, including one genetic cousin.

The purpose of this section is to outline my Warburton ancestors and the clan of George Warburton . It also provides links to further information on some of the things that I have investigated in the past, or I am currently investigating.

George Warburton (d 1639), was my 8 x Great Grandfather.  Documents relating to him include his will, which identifies his wife Sybil, five married daughters, and two sons, William and John. There are also two leases for land, one in Hale Barns, the other in Ringway. The first mentions a third son Thomas, as well as one William Barrett. A William Barrett was a famous non-conformist preacher at Ringway Chapel during the Civil War, but I don’t know if this is him.

There is also a possible reference in the accounts of his daughter Sybil Eaton. These accounts relate to Sybil’s first husband John Barrington and make reference to money owed by George, but dependent on the death of Thomas. This probably relates to her marriage portion, but there are at least 2 other Georges in the parish at that time as 2 Georges signed the Grand Remonstrance 3 years after my ancestor's death. So two mysteries exist. Who is Thomas, (see George's father below) and who are the Georges? One George is known to be farming at Pool Bank Farm in Bowdon, but the other is a mystery. Apart from being an appraiser of my ancestor's inventory (and a number of others) there is no record of a marriage, death or any children belonging to him.

George’s son William leased land from the Tattons in Northenden, but also died in 1639. He had no sons, but his will refers to his mother's tenement and house in Hale as Hill Top, the only reference we have to the name. There is also a rent roll from the 1640s showing Sybil paying rent to the Crewe estates.

John Warburton (John I 1608-91) is mentioned with 2 hearths in the Hearth tax return of 1664, and with a wife and seven children in the Poll Tax return of 1667. There are 4 Warburton families and 2 other Johns in Hale in the returns, plus 2 other families elsewhere in the parish, but the land tenures make it pretty certain this is the right John. John’s grave is in the cemetery at Bowdon St. Mary, as are the next 5 generations of my ancestors. I also have a copy of will.

Josiah Warburton (1658-1730) was one of John I’s five sons. He was a leader of the non-conformists at Ringway Chapel, and later a founder of Hale Chapel, a Presbyterian church which still exists as a Unitarian Chapel. He was also bailiff to the Crewe estates in Hale. He is mentioned in that capacity on leases from 1686 to 1722.  Josiah’s will shows him to be worth over £1000.

Two of Josiah’s four brothers  produced numerous descendants. Another, Enoch moved to Mobberley but seems to have only had daughters and died young.  A John of Mobberley is an executor in Enoch’s will dated 1692. See The Mobberley Connection below for why I believe John is also Josiah’s brother.

Thomas, the eldest brother, stayed in Hale and seems to be the originator of a line that has owned Oaklands Farm in Hale barns until today, though the farm has gone, and only the farm house remains (see The Link to Oaklands Farm below).

John Warburton (John II, 1680-1756) was Josiah’s only son. He appears on leases dated 1708, 1719, and 1746, probably all relating to the same land in Hale. He is also buried at Bowdon and he left a will. He married Martha Hanson, daughter of a Mobberley landowner. His sister-in-law married into the Leicester family of Hale Low, one of Hale’s minor gentry. His father-in-law’s will of 1723 is available.

John Warburton (John III, 1716-1791) was also an only son. John’s first wife, Sarah, produced four children. His son John leased land in Northen Etchells, called Haveley Hey. His family continued here until the last male Warburton, another Josiah, died a bachelor in 1869. I am however in contact with a descendent of one of Josiah’s sisters.

John married his second wife, Mary in 1769, when 53 years old, and had eight more children, including 6 boys who reached adulthood. Another, called Josiah, died aged 10 months and is buried in Bowdon cemetery . He left a complex will to cater for his daughter Jane, youngest of the family and only 7 when he died. This might be the reason why a number of his sons spent time away, one marrying in Newcastle and another in Bury. They mostly returned to Hale subsequently, but two, Nathaniel and Thomas cannot be traced.

William Warburton (1775-1862) was married at Manchester Cathedral to Ann Wright. His occupation is described as cordwainer, but he returned to farm in Hale at Ross Mill farm. His nine children included six sons, including one called Wright, another family name that is repeated subsequently.

When I started my genealogy I had little family knowledge to work with. The 19^th century censuses make the 19^th century the easiest to research so I began by focusing on identifying all male descendants of John III who are present in the 1901 census. I assume that any potential relative will be able to trace their ancestors back at least that far, and so connect with my tree.

I began with William’s descendants. Of 48 Warburton great grandsons of William, 40 are present in the 1901 census, and only 4 are confirmed dead. There were only 28 Warburton granddaughters due to a tendency for some largely male families.  I have traced a number of William’s descendents.

I then started on William’s brothers. According to FamilySearch’s International Genealogical Index (IGI) they were all baptized at the Hale and Shaws Lane Presbyterian Church.  Josiah and Joseph both survived tuntil the 1851 census, and I have also followed their lines through the 19th century.  I have traced a couple of descendents of Joseph. James, the eldest seems to have married a Jane and died in 1832. He is an interesting subject in his own right and will be documented separately. The other two brothers are Thomas and Nathaniel, of whom I know nothing.

Thomas Warburton (1810-88)  spent much of his life in Flixton as a farmer and Innkeeper, but he moved back to Atlrincham and is buried at Bowdon. He was latterly a carter. He also had nine children including 4 boys.

George Warburton (1852-1929) was a joiner who spent his life in Altrincham. He had six sons and one daughter.

Charles Edward Warburton (1877-1927) was my Grandfather, who died before I was born. He was an upholsterer in 1901, but left my Grandmother with property in Altrincham which encompassed 3 shops and the Police Lockups.

Alfred Edward Warburton (1916-72), my father was an only son with one sister.

Raymond George Warburton (1945-) is me. I am also an only son with two sisters and no children, so the line ends with me.

George’s Father

There is an argument that George's father is Thomas the Elder of Hale Barnes (not proof, but an interesting argument). Thomas the elder is known from the following:

·        Thomas of Hale Barns is overseer and witness on the will of Robert Barlow in 1604. Robert died in 1611. He is Thomas of Hale Barns.

·        He, together with Thomas the younger, is witness to the will of Richard Grantham in 1624.  This is the only reference to Thomas the younger

·        His own inventory is dated January 20th 1634/5, and his burial is recorded in the Parish record on January 14^th 1634/5.

Norman Warburton in Warburton: The Village and the Family says this Thomas was the father of William of Northenden. It is clear from the references in both George and William’s wills to John Eaton that William is George’s son. However, maybe Norman was on the right lines but just missed a generation. Norman mentions a widow, Alice but there is no mention of her on my copy of the Inventory. Maybe it is on the original but not copied.  

Both Thomas and George are linked specifically with Hale Barns. However the mention in Sibil Eaton's accounts of 1628 is most telling. These accounts include references to a payment due by George Warburton to George Burgess and George Birch dependant upon the death of Thomas Warburton. I cannot believe that George could have agreed to pay this money after the death of Thomas unless he was due to receive money or land on his death. That could only mean Thomas is his father.  The death of a simple life on a lease usually cost money in the form of a herriot to the landlord. Also George Burgess took a 3-life lease in 1617 in which John son of George was one of the lives, at the age of about 8. This could be the source of the arrangement.

All this raises the question did Thomas lease or even own land in Hale Barns. I have found no reference to Thomas in either the Crewe records at Chester, or the Stamford records at Rylands Library.

It would also mean that Thomas the younger was probably George's brother, but there is no further evidence of him, or his possible mother Alice. Thomas would be quite old when he died. George must have been at least sixty, making Thomas probably eighty when he died. A widow would probably be a second wife.

The Link to Oaklands Farm

I recently saw a newspaper article about a family of Warburtons who owned, and still live at,  Oaklands Farm in Hale Barns from 1680 onwards. I believe that Josiah’s brother Thomas was the founder of this family. The evidence is set out below.

The tithe map of 1838 shows the fields of Oaklands Farm owned and occupied by William Warburton. Five years later William died aged 90 leaving a will which clearly identifies his land. William was born in 1752, son of Thomas.

The Crewe records include a number of Rent Books which identify an estate at Hale Barns Green on which chief rent was paid, by John (1734-7), William (1764, 1792, 1807) and Thomas’s widow Mary (1770-3). Mary will have paid on behalf of her son William in 1770-3. The strange thing is that as late as 1807 William is paying for the late Thomas’s estate, although Thomas died in 1755.

The following Parish Records and Monumental Inscriptions from Bowdon St Mary suggest that John and his son Thomas of Oaklands farm are descended from Thomas, the brother of my 6 x great grandfather Josiah. The starting point is their father John who died in 1691.

·         A Thomas was baptised November 23^rd 1638, father John. This is a bit speculative. It is the only entry that fits, but the true record could be missing.

·         Thomas married Alice Worsely on April 9^th 1668.

·         George son of Thomas of Hale Barns was baptised on April 18^th 1669.

·         Aron (sic) son of Thomas of Hale Barns was baptised on February 6^th 1670/1.

·         Deborah daughter of Thomas of Hale was baptised April 24^th 1674.

·         Deborah Robinson, sister of Josiah and Thomas died on 21^st September 1677 and was buried in grave P431B.

·         John son of George of Hale baptised  “by whom I do not know, Aron (sic) Warburton told me of it” on December 23^rd 1696. Only one Aaron is identifiable in the records at this time and he is the son of Thomas of Hale Barns. The quote suggests Aaron and George are related, and therefore George is also Thomas’s son.

·         George son of Thomas of Hale died on March 13^th 1696/7 and was  buried in grave P431A.

·         Alice wife of Thomas of Hale died on September 9^th 1709  and was buried in linen..

·         Thomas senior died on January 1^st 1710/11. The “senior” implies a Thomas junior, his son was alive at the time. There is no known grave for Thomas and Alice but the inscription for grave 160 on the Owen Manuscripts is very faded but seems to include ‘Warbur’. However it is not present in the modern Monumental Inscriptions record.

·         Deborah of Timperley, spinster, daughter of Thomas of Hale was buried in grave P424 on April 21^st 1711. No age is given but this would appear to be the Deborah born in 1674.

·         John married Hannah Gleave on December 26^th 1716.

·         Mary daughter of John was baptised “in the house” on Dec 26^th 1717.

·         Thomas son of John of Hale was baptised on July 16^th 1719.

·         Hannah wife of John of Hale Barns Green died on 30^th July 1722, and Mary her daughter died on July 26^th 1722 and both were buried in grave P431B with Deborah Robinson. If John was the son of George and grandson of Thomas, then Deborah would be his great aunt.

·         John of Hale died on 9^th April 1734 and was buried in grave P431A with George son of Thomas. This would seem to confirm that George was his father.

·         Thomas of Hale died on 6^th March 1755 aged 35 and was buried in grave P424 with Deborah. This Thomas is the right age for John’s son Thomas, which would mean he was buried with his great aunt.

There is, however an issue in that there is a will for John from 1734 and it doesn’t mention Thomas. It is possible that this is because the inheritance was assured and the will is to safeguard a second wife and her 2 young children.

The Mobberley Connection

John is equated with John of Mobberley on the following circumstantial evidence:

·         John is with his father for the 1667 Poll Tax. At that time there is no Warburton family in Mobberley. By 1671 John of Mobberley has appeared in Mobberley and started a family. After the death of his first wife he remarried to Elizabeth Trefis and had a second family. His two families are linked by his son John's will.

·         His brother Enoch's will of 1692 lists Thomas of Hale,  John of Mobberley, and Josiah of Hale as executors. These are the names of his brothers in the correct birth sequence with John in the middle, implying John is his brother.  

·         John of Mobberley's date of death is unknown but he would appear to be alive in 1722 when his son John is called John junior on his wife’s burial record.

His brother Josiah mentions  John and his wife Elizabeth in his will, written in 1729, indicating they were alive at that time. This ties in with Elizabeth Trefis, John of Mobberley's second wife. Also despite a long life, Josiah's brother left no trace in the Bowdon parish record.

Hale Chapel Baptisms

When I searched for my GGG Grandfather’s baptism on FamilySearch I discovered his parents were John and Mary. A search for the children of John and Mary Warburton produced 15 baptisms at the Hale and Shaws Lane Presbyterian Church to John and Mary Warburton between 1763 and 1785. Some names were repeated, and some baptisms were within a few months of each other. On one occasion they were on consecutive days. Obviously I had more than one family.

Hale and Shaws Lane Presbyterian Church were in fact two churches. Shaws Lane was a daughter Church of Hale Chapel and was replaced in 1872 by Dunham Road Unitarian Church. Hale Presbyterian Church, is now known as Hale Unitarian Chapel (or Hale Chapel), and was founded in 1723. Between 1752 and 1837 records were kept of all baptisms. Up to about 1765 these were kept in the minister’s diary and later transcribed onto the register by his successor. They record only the father. From 1787 the date of birth was recorded as well as the baptism date.  This was not always captured on FamilySearch. In all 75 Warburton baptisms were recorded between 1752 and 1834.

I arranged to view the microfilm of the actual records at my local Family History Centre with two objectives:

·         To try and identify which of the 15 children of John and Mary were William’s siblings

·         To review all 75 baptisms to identify other possible relations.

Not only did the records include the place of abode of the parents (this was not captured in the records on FamilySearch), but also two families of John and Mary were further distinguished by reference to the elder and the younger. I have since discovered that this was more than a devise to distinguish them. They were father and son, John the younger being the product of John the elder's first marriage. I was able to separate William and 7 siblings, the children of John the elder of Hale, from seven children of John the younger of Oavly Hey and Sharson (the nearest modern place name to this is Sharston).

 I had also hoped to see children baptised at he church returning as parents. Just one example stands out in that John the younger's son Josiah has four children baptised in the 1790s.  William used Ringway Chapel for most of his children. However there are some quite large families captured. A full list, grouped into supposed families, can be seen here.

Other Information

The following add further information:

·         My Genetic Links discusses my DNA  matches and the possible links they uncover. It is here.

·         Ann’s Ancestors describes my search for the ancestors of a lady I met in Australia and who would appear to be a relative. It is described here.

·         James Warburton describes my solution to the mystery of who is James, the father of Thomas who died aged 9 weeks in 1828, the son of James and Mary, and who lies in Bowdon cemetery. My thoughts on this can be  found here.

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My Tree 

I have published my family tree on Ancestry (I think you need to be a subscriber, and receive an invite from me to be able to see it). It is called “George Warburton's descendents”. It has been uploaded into the 'My Trees' facility and made public. A search on William Warburton born 1775 should find it. I would appreciated feedback on whether you can find it OK.

It is also published on Genes Reunited but you need to contact me via the message system on that site to ask to get access to it.  

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Methods  

I only started researching my own family tree in early 2006. This was after having my DNA tested for deep ancestry and learning how Y-chromosome results could benefit genealogy. Also most public databases where DNA results can be logged ask for your earliest known ancestor and I didn’t know much. I even had to check the name of my paternal Grandfather with my sisters. He died long before I was born.

A lot of my research is  Internet based. I have subscriptions to Ancestry, and FindMyPast which I use for the censuses for 1841, through to 1911. Ancestry also gives access to the BMD indexes, which are recently updated, though I prefer FreeBMD. In the past I used Family Relatives for BMD but that requires the purchase of credits. It has, however, extended its coverage into other areas I have yet to explore. I have also found Cheshire BMD, Lancashire BMD, and Lancashire Parishes Online useful.

I also use FamilySearch to search the International Genealogical Index (IGI) for marriages and baptisms in parish registers, Family History Online (now replaced by FindMyPast) for the National Burial Index, and  GENUKI  for information on towns, parishes and churches.  

I also make use of primary sources, including wills, parish records, monumental inscriptions and estate records such as leases and rentals. These are mainly held at the Chester Records Office , though I can get microfilms of Parish Records through my local Family History Centre in Cardiff.  Much of Bowdon Parish was part of the Stamford estates and these records are held at the John Rylands Library in Manchester so I have visited there. The Chester Records Office site also has excellent online databases for wills and tithes.

I have studied a series of publications from the Northern Writers Advisory Service's Between the Mersey and the Bollin series, together with a Warburton Biographical Index obtained from the author. These include transcripts of wills from the Hale and Bowdon areas of Cheshire between 1600 and 1760. This has not pushed my tree back beyond George (d.1639), but it has increased my confidence in the last couple of links where the evidence is a little circumstantial. It has also demonstrated the complexity of the Warburton family in the area at the time. Probably only DNA can prove that the various strands are, or are not part of the same family. I am now trying to develop an index of Warburtons in Bowdon parish based on parish records, monumental inscriptions, and a variety of other sources so that I can understand the strands better.

I also delight in making contact with distant relatives around the world. My biggest recent breakthrough was through distant relatives who took my tree back four generations beyond where I had reached.

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