Week 9 - Where there's a will

What is week 9 about?  Amy states "I've been asked if this theme means a will (as in the probate document) or will (as in being determined or strong minded). My answer is: Yes. :-) Use this prompt however you are inspired to. Maybe you've come across an interesting will. Explain it like you would to a non-genealogist. What story does it reveal? You could write about an ancestor who was determined to do something. (Or maybe you have an ancestor named Will!)"

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Our Blacks, Robsons, Tinnings & Grahams of Cumberland

I thought I would use this opportunity to write about something that one of the FB genealogy groups I am involved with might find an interesting read. The group is "Family History around the Solway Coast, Cumberland", initiated by my cousin Julie, also the person who located and purchased a copy of the will I am going to talk about and how it helped us to confirm a longstanding assumption.  Hopefully it will also enable me, to yet again, re-acquaint myself  with those Cumbrian ancestors who have caused us a few brickwalls! … Enjoy!

The maternal Great Grandfather of myself and Julie Brough (nee Jones) is William PERCIVAL, born 1857, Rockcliffe Cross, Cumberland, England.  His parents were John PERCIVAL and Jane (nee BLACK).

John & Jane married 12 Nov 1853 at Rockcliffe.  We have always been reasonably confident in tracing Johns ancestry, however Jane is another story.

Jane's marriage certificate shows her father to be James BLACK, a labourer. One of the witnesses was a David TINNING.  Whilst married to John Percival, Jane gave birth to 10 children, the first male child being named David Tinning Percival and the first born female child being named Mary Jane Tinning Percival this obviously led us to believe there was a Tinning surname connection.

Censuses after Jane's marriage show she was born either at Rockcliffe or Saint Meries in Cumberland. (we believe St Meries refers to St Mary's parish district in Carlisle)

We have not confidently located the correct census records for Jane from 1841 & 51, but did come across these:

   1851: Jane Black age 20 (born in Arthuret), a factory girl living with her 2m old daughter Mary in Stanwix

   1841: Jane Black, age 10 living with John Robson (67 weaver), Mary Robson (69), James Robson (31 weaver),  Pattenstown, Low Longtown.

We believed it was highly likely that Jane was living with her grandparents in 1841, which would make her parents James BLACK & **** ROBSON. We are not convinced the above 1851 Jane is ours.

in the 1861 census, Jane married to John Percival has a Mary ROBSON residing with her as a boarder (age 91), again adding to the assumption that Mary is Jane's grandmother and probably had much to do with her upbringing and was now being cared for in her old age by her granddaughter.

 

There is a marriage for James BLACK and Mary ROBSON 9 Jun 1832 at Gretna Green, and then a repeat marriage 6 Jan 1833 at Arthuret. Could this couple be "our" Janes parents?, was Jane born out of wedlock and brought up by her grandparents?

There is a record of a James and Mary BLACK, both born in Arthuret, living in Lancashire in 1851.  Either  way...this is how we have come to assume that our Great Great Great Great Grandmother is Mary Robson.. But we were not really ever sure.

We located a birth for Mary ROBSON to John ROBSON and Mary (nee TINNING) (hoorah - the Tinning connection)

**Correction** 17/3/18  Julie has pointed out that we actually have not found the birth/baptism for Mary. There are baptisms forJames 1804 and Betty 1802 to John Robson and Mary (late Tinning). 

And now to how the will fits in to this story.….. Julie had ordered a couple of TINNING wills from the Arthuret / Longtown districts, that she believed were somehow linked to out ancestors…  and how right she was!

The second sentence of the will of Jane Tinning of Chapeltown reads;

 I give and bequeath unto my sister Mary Robson all my body clothes, together with the sum of sixty pounds but should my said sister die previous to I, I give and bequeath the said body clothes, and the said sixty pounds unto Jane Percival of Cleughfoot.

Jane PERCIVAL (nee BLACK) our Great Great grandmother of Cleughfoot.  You recall the 1861 census (image above)?Jane was living in Cleughfoot! with Mary Robson...

Jane is not named as "Niece", we therefore conclude that she was Jane Tinnings Great Niece.   (It is always possible that Jane was adopted or the child of a close friend, and raised by Mary Robson (nee Tinning).....but for now we are sticking to our story!)

So, to the rest of the will and more ancestors…….

Jane TINNING, was a spinster farmer of Chapeltown farm, which she inherited from her bachelor brother David, originally believed to be their fathers farm). Her will, dated 1863, names the following:

I also give and bequeath unto my niece Mary Tinning, Brampton, my cousins Jane Graham, Parkrigg, (Jane Graham’s maiden name was Park. She married John Graham. Her parents were Reginald Park and Mary Graham (I believe that Mary was the sister of Jane Graham – who married James Tinning. This would make Jane Tinning and Jane Graham (nee Park) cousins!) Elizabeth Blaylock, Hallees, (Elizabeth Blaylock’s maiden name was Graham. She married George Blaylock. Her mother was Margaret; married to Reginald Graham (identified via a headstone transcription) I believe that Reginald Graham was the brother of Jane Graham – who married James Tinning. This would make Jane Tinning and Elizabeth Blaylock (nee Graham) cousins!) 

Mary Davidson, Langholm, (Scotland) (Mary Davidson’s maiden name was Graham. Mary was the sister of the above Elizabeth Blaylock (nee Graham). Therefore with the same parents and relation to Jane Tinning) Mary Wright, Longtown, (Still to figure this out) John Graham, Longtown, (Still to figure this out)  

Reginald Park, Shawhead (Reginald Park is the brother of the above Jane Graham (nee Park), therefore with the same parents and relation to Jane Tinning) and Joseph Park, Souternmoor, (Joseph Park is the brother of the above Jane Graham (nee Park) and Reginald Park, therefore with the same parents and relation to Jane Tinning) ….the sum of forty pounds.

Whilst we still may not conclusively be able to say that Jane Black is the Granddaughter of Mary Robson (nee Tinning) or the Great Niece of Jane Tinning, we enjoyed the journey looking for our Black's, Robson's, Tinning's & Graham's

The photos in this story were taken by myself in 2016 after travelling around to locate the places mentioned in Janes will.  Special Thanks to Julie, who without her ordering this will we would never had the journey in the first place.

Below is a map (courtesy of  Google Earth) showing the location of the places named in the will.