...that I think I have correctly identified is my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, John Walton, wheelwright, of Marsden, in the Parish of Whalley, in the County of Lancaster.
John would probably have been born somewhere about 1790-95. He married Mary Berry, possibly on 16 November, 1818, in Colne. I think Mary may have been born on 1 Sep 1796, the daughter of John and Mary Berry (formerly Burrows). I have found a possible birth date of around 1775 for Mary Burrows, but no other information for John Berry. All of the information for John Berry, Mary Burrows, and Mary Berry has still to be checked.
The first of John and Mary Walton’s children that I have found was James, born 18 December 1818, followed by:
Betty (born 6 February 1821)
Gabriel (born 7 April 1822)
Mark (born 11 July 1830)
Ingham (born 14 April 1832)
Joshua (born 3 January 1834)
Sophia (born 11 September 1835)
Olive (born 14 June 1837)
Lucy (born 1842).
All the children, apart from Lucy, were baptised at Colne Wesleyan Chapel on 3 July 1837. Each of them has a similar entry in the register of baptisms, which is on microfiche at Manchester Central Library (ref: Colne Wesleyan Chapel Baptisms 1788-1837, MFPR291). Here is the entry for Mark Walton, my Great-Great-Great Grandfather.
‘Mark, son of John Walton, of Marsden Wheelwright, Parish of Whalley, County of Lancaster, of Mary his wife, who was the daughter of John and Mary Berry, was born on the 11 day of July 1830, and was baptised on the 3rd of July 1837, by me, John Ruby, Minister’.
When I first started to look into the family history, one of the things I wanted to know was “Where did the Walton family come from originally?” So possibly Marsden, near Colne, Lancashire is the answer. Finding John’s father may help to confirm this – another one for the ‘To Do’ list!
The earliest Walton so far...
