Monday, October 24, 2011

Kennedy family of Bewcastle, Cumberland - and interesting email - and continuing with North Molton Parish Registers

An interesting email today from a Kennedy family researcher asking about Grace Routledge and her husband George Arthur Kennedy. Grace was an older sister to my 2x great grandmother Elizabeth Mary Ann Routledge. Grace and George lived at Nookhouse Farm in Bewcastle, Cumberland, England. They emigrated to Canada probably with Thomas Routledge and Elizabeth Routledge, Grace's parents in 1818. George and Grace baptized Robert 28 Jan 1818 at the Scotch Church Bewcastle and Thomas and Elizabeth were still on their property at Pikefoot in the spring of 1818 but they are known to be in London Township in the late Fall of 1818 and on their property as Talbot settlers.

I have not yet been able to locate the parents of George Arthur Kennedy. His baptism does not appear in the Bewcastle Parish Registers. There is a Kennedy family at Bewcastle. Alexander Kennedy owns the farm Cleughside at Bewcastle and he and his sons are running that farm into the latter part of the 1700s although Alexander was buried 9 Apr 1782 at Bewcastle at the age of 72 years. I suspect this Kennedy family is related to my Routledge family as they are all mentioned in a will (will abstract follows):

Carlisle Record Office
Will of Archibald FORRESTER of Cleughside, Bewcastle [Bc] 1767, pg 63. [buried 8 May 1767]
Grace Forrester, deceased
John Forrester, Wit
Adam Routledge s o Mary, Wid
George Routledge, of Oakshaw, Bc, father of 2 children
Grace Routledge, daughter of [d o ] Mary Routledge, Wid
Henry Routledge, s o Mary R*
Henry Routledge of Borderrigg, dec., father of 3 children
John Routledge s o Mary R*, Wid
John Routledge, my “sister’s son, possibly s o Grace
Leondard Routledge of Oakshaw
Mary Routledge of Crossgreens or Strandsheads, Wid, mother of Grace, Mary, Adam, John & Henry
Mary Routledge, d o Mary, Wid
William Routledge of Oakshaw, deceased, father of William R*
William Routledge of Oakshaw s o late William Routledge
Francis Armstrong, Wit
Catherine Dowglass of Ash w o Thomas Douglas
Thomas Dowglass [sic Douglas] of Ash husband of Catherine
Catherine Henderson d o Robert & Helenor Henderson
Helenor Henderson wife of Robert and mother of Catherine
Robert Henderson husband of Helenor & father of Catherine
Alexander Kennedie of Cleughside, Friend husband of Sibella
Catherine Kennedie of Cleughside, d o Alexander
Elizabeth Kennedie of Cleughside
John Kennedie of Cleughside s o Alexander
Sibella Kennedie of Cleughside w o Alexander
William Kennedie of Cleughside s o Alexander
One of these days I must order the original will as it would make very interesting reading. Now the testator names Alexander Kennedie of cleughside as a friend and husband of Sibella. Alexander Kennedy married Ann Story 23 Jan 1750. Although I do not find Ann Kennedy in the Burial Register their son John was buried 21 Apr 1751(baptized 24 Feb 1750). Alexander then married Sybil Routledge 29 Feb 1752.

The George Routledge of Oakshaw is one of my 4x great grandfathers and the children mentioned (2 include Elizabeth my 3x great grandmother who married Thomas Routledge and they are the emigrant ancestors who came to London township). Elizabeth's mother Grace is also mentioned as is her mother Mary listed as widow of Crossgreens or Strandsheads. Also mentioned is Henry Routledge of Broderigg now deceased but father of three children and Henry is also one of my 4x great grandfathers and father to Thomas Routledge who married Elizabeth above. Needless to say the will is a tremendous addition to my genealogy for the Routledge family.

The Sybil Routledge mentioned may be the daughter of John Routledge of Redgatehead
baptized 10 Oct 1726 at Bewcastle. The first mention of Redgatehead and the Routledge family is the baptism of John Routledge son Michaell Routledge 1 Feb 1691. We find the Forester family there baptizing John Forester 8 Jul 1714 son of John Forester. All very interesting and if I had the time I would try to put all this together into some sort of sensible timeline but I have learned my lesson in straying too far from my goal which is my one name studies - Blake and Pincombe. So I mention all these interesting details in case some one else wants to run with that :) Just one hint more, Michaell Routledge baptized children in Ashkam not far from Bampton.

All of these Routledge males lived in the Bewcastle area in 1641-42 from the Protestation Returns (go back in my blog and I do separate some of these into fathers and sons):

Routledge Adam
Routledge Bartholomew
Routledge Christopher
Routledge Edward
Routledge Edward
Routledge Edward
Routledge Francis
Routledge George
Routledge George
Routledge Gilbert
Routledge James
Routledge Michael
Routledge Nicholas
Routledge Quinton
Routledge Richard
Routledge Rowland
Routledge Thomas
Routledge Thomas
Routledge Thomas
Routledge Thomas
Routledge William
Routledge William
Routledge William
I already have eight lines of Routledge but I actually think that I am not descended from this one :) although it is likely a collateral line to one of one of my lines.

I have continued with the North Molton Parish Registers. I am determined to finish them quickly and I have now completed 1644. There are 2749 baptisms, 440 marriages, 1200 burials and 103 banns. There may still be time to do 1645 this evening as I am fighting the desire to look at Routledge some more :)

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