Early Quaker Dilworths

Some weeks ago I visited John and Margaret. I had a really good day, from the bus ride along Hyde Road (passing Ardwick Green where some early Quakers lived, and Ardwick cemetery (now playing fields) where John Dalton the Quaker scientist was buried) to meeting really nice people, very welcoming and kind. I immediately felt right at home amongst fellow book lovers. However, as usual too exciting I don't think I was very coherent. They showed me three documents all connected to the Dilworth family - perhaps they didn't realise how special I thought they all were. I didn't look at the book of writing by Alice - not because I wasn't interested but I was overwhelmed, and also by an immense feeling of sadness for Alice. I would like to find out more about her. A letter concerning William Dilworth's resignation from the Quakers - has got me thinking. I had assumed (my usual failing) that William's marriage to a nonquaker had been the reason, but it might have been because of his own religious beliefs. And the marriage document for John Jackson Dilworth - oh heaven of course I have seen the record of this marriage in the registers but this answered a question I long asked myself - if for later marriages they still had the witnessing of the marriage by the people present. Yes. And the couple kept that document. So here was the very piece handled by them, kept and treasured by them. Here were the actual signatures. I am working on identifying the relations named - still struggling with two of them Robt Hall and Richard Tounley. And I will post later on the marriage witnesses.

One of the relations is James Dillworth. I returned to a site all about Quakers by Mr Charles E G Pease. I have often visited it over the years - it is one of my favorite places and I call it the pennyghael site. He has researched many lines including the Dillworths of Lancaster. For some unknown reason I could no longer access this file so I plucked up courage and made contact by email. Thank you, so much, he sent me the Dillworth file attached to an email so I could check it. I am afraid I am quite lazy - and often use his information to remind myself of links between the families as well as immersing myself in so much interesting information. Anyway to get on, this has led me to look again at the early Dilworth family, and before I misplace it all again I'm going to be good and type it up here.

The marriage of John Jackson Dilworth was in 1821, I believe the James Dillworth was his uncle born 1747 and died 1826.

The Quaker records for Over Wyresdale and the Lancaster area generally, I find quite difficult to read, and in particular there is a Quarterly Meeting book where the dates are not easy to distinguish. Not all the records have survived and some are only found in the Quarterly records. There are many loose ends still to be followed up. So please regard this as a work in progress. Dilworth is found spelt with one or two Ls, even when referring to the same person.

Our Dilworth tree is in "A Victorian Quaker Courtship" by John D Abbatt. I am definitely NOT questioning his work. I am just trying to understand the tree more for myself, in finding the original information. There are many trees online about Dilworths which have interpreted the early parish records in different ways - we have no way of knowing for definite. There is possibly more information to be discovered in old records in say the records office but I know from the little I have looked at that it won't be me that's finding it - I cannot read the very old writing nor understand legalities, for example with property or the court. But it is important to recognise that in future some other information might come to light which could change he way we interpret the records today.

Firstly our line back from John Jackson Dilworth.
RG6/1623 QM Lancashire
First Day, First Month called January 1786, born in Wyersdale
unto William Dillworth and Mary a son named John Jackson
Witnesses Betty Martin, Ellin Kelsall

marriage of his parents
RG6/0518 MM Lancaster
William Dillworth son of James Dillworth of Wyersdale, Husbandman and Elizabeth
and Mary Jackson daughter of John Jackson of Wyersdale, Husbandman and Ann
Eighth day, Third month called March 1785 at MH Lancaster
witnesses
Elizabeth Barrow
Hannah Jackson
William Jepson
Thos Albright
Henry Kendal
Thos Frankland
Henry Jepson
Ann Jepson
Dorothy Drape
Jane Shelton?
Ann Mckand
Bridget Whalley
Richard Birket
William Wade
George Barrow
Betty  Marton (her mark)
Spencer Abbat
Sarah Routh
Mary Knowles
Hannah Jepson Jun
Mary Beakbane Jun
Mary Jepson Jun
Relations
Thos Dillworth
Eliza Dillworth
James Dillworth
Margt  Dillworth (her mark)
Thos Kelsall
Jane Brewer
William Kelsall
William Bannister
Salley Bannister
William Dillworth

birth of William
RG6/1616A QM Lancashire
William & Sarah Dillworth son & dau of James & Eliza Dillworth of Wyersdale 10th of 1st mo 1761

marriage of James Dillworth and Elizabeth not found.
first child registered in Quaker records Thomas born 1740.
This is a weak link.
From RG6/821 MM Lancaster burials
buried at Wyersdale, grave maker Joseph Kelsall
James Dillworth of Quarmore aged about sixty nine
died second day fifth month called May 1786
This would give him a birth year of 1717.

birth of James
RG6/1210 MM Lancaster
(James) Dilworth, son of Thomas & Ann his wife was Born the 5th day of 2 month 1717

marriage of Thomas and Ann
RG6/1210 MM
Tho...worth of Wiersdale & Ann Driver
att John Bonds of Dunishaw
15 March 1704
witnesses
William Berket or Becket Junior
Thomas Wright
Elizabeth Winder
Sarah Knowls
Isabell (Neals or Wales or Berket?)

(This was Ann's second marriage - she had been married to James Driver, and her maiden name was Corles. This was Thomas's third marriage).

There is no Quaker record of the birth of Thomas Dilworth.
However, no parish record for Thomas Dilworth has been found either.

To recap -
John Jackson Dilworth born 1786 son of
William Dilworth born 1761 son of
James Dilworth born 1717 son of
Thomas Dilworth.