Part 557p – Smith Robertson Genealogy – The Parker Project – 1787 – Which William Parker is Which? And From Where?

Well Good Morning,

First of all thank you to those of you who contacted me with some concern that I had not posted something of my thoughts or notes to A Genealogy Hunt. And no, I am fine… but believe it or not there was another power surge and electrical failure to the house… and with that, the brand new refrigerator ice-maker machine and do-dad just stopped working. Brand new!!! At times I have this ominous feeling that I am Pigpen reincarnate.

Anyway I have been working extensively on my Parker Project. I have been trying to determine my genealogy, or should I say the genealogy or ancestry of my gggg-grandfather William Parker of Grassington in Yorkshire.

I have discovered that Grassington is located in the Linton in Craven, an Ancient Parish in West Riding of Yorkshire. From Genuki

“Linton in Craven, a parish-town, in the east-division and liberty of Staincliffe; 7 miles S. of Kettlewell, 9 miles from Skipton, 10 from Pately Bridge, 44 from York…”

From “The Registers of The Parish Church of Linton-in-Craven, Co, York. Two Volumes, 1562-1812” edited by The Rev. F.A.C. Share, M.A., Rector of Linton and privately printed for The Yorkshire Register Society, 1900, I have taken and identified the "William Parker" references and entries to the Linton Parish from 1693 to 1809. I'm trying to determine which William is which, and which is/are our ancestor(s).

The locations included in a number of the William Parker entries that appear in the "The Registers of The Parish Church of Linton-in-Craven", are: Grassington; Granshaw; Hebden; Gris; Griston; Grisington. From my vantage point and initial "uneducated" comprehension, it seems to me that "Gris" could be an abbreviated entry for either "Griston" and/or "Grisington". There also seems to be a construction semblance between "Grisington" and "Grassington".

Inserted above is my William Parker Worksheet. According to the 1851 England Census, (see Part 533p), and the Linton-in-Craven Parish Register, gggg-grandfather William Parker, the son of William Parker of Grassington, was baptized 24 June 1787.

My current question is which William Parker is my ggggg-grandfather William? On my worksheet and from the extracted data and information I could tend to say that it is the William Parker who is the husband of Ellen who died in 1801. I am logically leaning toward that association, but I cannot swear to it as of yet. Just as a point, I have NOT included gggg-grandfather William Parker on the Worksheet.

If there is a relationship between the Williams, or at least some of the Williams, as entered on my Worksheet, there is a possibility that either gggg-grandfather William Parker, who was baptized 24 June 1787, that one of the earlier Williams could be his father or even maybe his grandfather. This relationship may be to the William Parker from Gris/Griston/Grisington. Confused yet? I am!

I noticed that, and the only Griston that I can find is in Norfolk. The reference to "of" Griston, Grisington, and Gris in the Linton-in-Craven Registers spans from about 1693 to 1722. There are 12 entries with such location entry.

If there was never ever, any Griston in the Parish of Linton-in-Craven in Yorkshire, it could lead that the 1st William, the one at the upper portion of the Worksheet, could have been either my 6-times or 7-times great-grandfather William Parker and he may have come there, that is, from Griston, Norfolk. I would have to check those records prior to 1693.

The Date of the earliest entry according to the Norfolk Office Online Catalogue for the Parish of Griston in Norfolk is 1652.
And the search continues.

If you have any comment or thoughts and ideas, I certainly would welcome them to this mystery.
Enjoy,

Jim