James Baines - One mystery solved

It has always been said that we never knew how old James Baines was when he died in 1717 as his birth was never recorded.  We also did not know where he was born.  Pagett believed that he was born in Goosnargh as his brother died there, but he could not prove this as the parish records were not available when he was writing his History of Baines’s Grammar School. 

Following a great deal of research, I think I can give you the history of James Baines, when and where he was born and when and where he died (both times). 

The family had lived at Berkenhead Farm since the 1560s when old William had the farm. This was James’s great grandfather.  His uncle William and Aunt Elizabeth both lived at the farm.   

James’s grandfather, John was born and died at Berkenhead Farm, Nether Wyresdale and is recorded as all members of the family at St Helen’s Church, Churchtown (the church for Wyresdale).   Prior to registration at Churchtown all records were made at Cockerham, the older of the churches.  We have no record of his birth but there is a record of his death in Sept 1661. 

 

 

James’s father was called Francis, he also was born and died at Berkenhead Farm in Nether Wyresdale.  Francis was born in 1612 and died in 1665.  However he left a will in 1661, the year his father died.  Wills at this time were written on the death bed of the person concerned.  Was Francis gravely ill in 1661?  Did he have the same disease that killed his father?  It seems like it.  He does, however, set some facts.  It was written at Berkenhead Farm and he leaves the farm to John (James’s brother) and a substantial amount of money to James, over a million in today’s terms.  John leaves the farm after 1683 to go and live at Goosnargh.  This makes Pagett believe that he came from Goosnargh.  But Francis dies at Berkenhead Farm.  So where did the money come from that James inherited?  It is believed that Berkenhead Farm was used to house soldiers in the War of Preston, part of the Civil War.

It was believed that Francis, who had married Ellin Carter in 1637 had remarried Elizabeth Beckett but having searched the records for the whole of Lancashire, Cheshire, Westmorland, Cumberland and Yorkshire the only record of a Francis marrying an Elizabeth Beckett was in Cockerham in 1715.  James would have been 1 when his father died and Francis 103 when he married.  Therefore we can assume James’s mother was Ellin Carter.  This narrows the search. 

When Francis died 20 June 1665 John was not a minor but James was, meaning that James was younger than John.  Other evidence states that John and James were very close.   This could mean that they were close in age.   John was born in 1645 in Nether Wyresdale; this sets the lower boundary of James’s birth.  Ellin his mother died on 22 Feb 1649 this sets the upper boundary. This would mean that James was born between 1646 and 1649.  I searched the archive again and found that in 1648 there is an unnamed child of Francis Baines who died.   

 

Was this a mistake and the birth was recorded as a death or was it thought to be a still birth.  I believe that this was James Baines and as his mother died 22 Feb 1649 then it is not biologically possible to have another child. 

 

This means that James was born at Berkenhead Farm on 6 Aug 1648.  That made him 3 years younger than his brother John.  His mother died 6 months later.  That would have had a profound effect on the family and on James.  She would have been 35.  The two brother John and James would therefore have to support each other.

James was 69 when he died at Marton (his death is recorded in the parish register)

But also in St Chads

These are from two different parish records – to me they look alike.  I believe that he died in Marton and that these records were wrongly labelled at St Chads.  Therefore it is more likely he was buried in St Paul’s Marton. Looking at the original register the front page of the St Chad’s register states Marton.

 

So we have proof of both his birth and death.