Whiteoak family links

[crendle]

I am descended from Ann Whiteoak (1817) who married John Leigh in 1840. Ann was born in Dalton, North Yorkshire. I think Ann's parents were Joseph Whiteoak (b 1789) and Anne Holmes (b. 1783). Joseph was a blacksmith. But I cannot go any further back than that - do I link in with your Whiteoaks and if so where?
I hope you can help
Caroline

[Irene]

Hi Caroline - and welcome to the Forum!

Your Joseph Whiteoak almost certainly does link to the main family, but unfortunately at the moment he is one of those whose ancestry is not known for certain. We know when and where he married, and what happened after that - but without accurate details on his marriage record, it's hard to be dogmatic.

Before the time of civil registration, there was often no date of birth or age given on a marriage certificate. If a couple were listed as being "of full age", we know they were over twenty-one - but they could as easily be fifty-one, so that isn't a lot of help! In Joseph's case his Death cert gives his age as 55 in 1844, which would put his birth as 1788/89 - but that could be an approximation, based on his age at marriage being "at least 21".

The nearest birth of a Joseph Whiteoak I can find on a quick look through is that of Joseph, son of William Whiteoak and Betty Walton, who lived in Lothersdale. I have their son Joseph's christening as being 24th March 1776, but no more details about him, so I don't know whether he died young, or married and brought up a family.

However since your Joseph was a blacksmith, it's quite possible that he left the family home to learn a trade, and then married and set up home in the new area. This in itself would make it harder to be accurate about his age, since most ordinary people at the time didn't read and write.

I'll have a hunt through the census for the family, and see if I can come up with anything hopeful - sorry I can't be much help for now!

[brian]

Hi I am trying to find information about my Grandfather, John William Whiteoak who was born in Keighly in about 1883. He is shown on the 1891 census, eight years old, living in Gillingham, Medway in Kent with his parents Brook and Sarah (Brown) Whiteoak

He was a merchant seaman and disappeared sometime after 1911. It was thought he went to Canada.

I never met him but would be intrigued to know if anyone has any knowledge of him.

Brian

[Irene]

Hi Brian, I couldn't find find John William on the 1911 census, but I don't have the images to check yet. However I spotted him on the 1901:

As you say, he is in Gillingham with his parents on this one too, working as a Torpedo Fitter.

I'll have a look at some other records and see if I can find out when and where he went, but I can't promise anything. Whiteoak men can be good at disappearing - my great-grandfather was said to have gone off to be a Merchant Seaman and died at sea, aged 23. It took me more years than I'm going to admit to discover that he actually died in a fever hospital in Bradford!

But you never know - some of our Canadian members may have heard something.

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