MySource:Arthur Owen/Les Bowser, E-mail from Les Bowser, 7 Nov 1997,

Short version of source: Les Bowser, E-mail from Les Bowser, 7 Nov 1997,

Bibliography version of source: Les Bowser. E-mail from Les Bowser, 7 Nov 1997,.

Subject:

       More from Marske Parish Records
  Date:
       Fri, 7 Nov 1997 18:23:43 +0000
  From:
      (Les Bowser)
    To:

Hello everyone,

I have delved deeper into the Marske Parish Records and there's good news and bad. First the bad news: There is a serious gap in the records from about 1625 to about 1643. There are no burials from 1623 to 1642; no marriages from 1629 to 1643; and no baptisms for 1637, 1638, 1641, with very little between 1632 and 1642 As the editor of the modern record has written: "From 1632 to 1642 the Registers are very deficient." This is unforturnate for us, since John Watson, father of Margaret, is listed in the Mormon records as born in 1641, but nothing appears of his baptism. I think I can see how they placed him where they did, but it is not confirmed unless they were privy to other records. His most likely burial date is July 21, 1709. Also there is no marriage date for his parents.

The good news is that there are so few Watsons from 1570 when the register begins, down through the first 100 years, that it is fairly clear just who is who. Here is my suggested lineage starting with John Watson the father of Margaret:

John Watson, b ca 1641 was the son of George Watson b. December 10, 1609 (Mormon records show Dec 10 1612) George was a son of Robert Watson possibly b. January 9, 1574/5 (Again there is some speculation here on incomplete records.) and Jane Blackburn(e) b. July 19, 1579. They were married on June 9, 1599, He is the only Robert Watson in the record married before 1800). Jane was a daughter of Thom(e)as Blackburn(e) who d. either May 5, 1585 or Sept 4, 1587, and Anna Hudson. They were married on Oct 26, 1578.

Robert and Jane (Blackburn) Watson had at least seven children. The second child, b. 1603, was John and he is described as 'filius Robertus Watson Jr', implying that Robert was a son of Robert Sr. There is a Robert Watson who died Apr 11, 1607 who does not seem to otherwise fit into the family, so perhaps this is Robert Watson Sr. our oldest Watson ancestor. All of which does not not explain whythe 'Junior' was dropped for the rest of the children. It should be obvious that more work is needed here.

The early records are latinized as well as sometimes abreviated, thus Thomas becomes Thome, etc. Latin was used in the baptism records up to 1636, and from 1642 to 1684 (records between 1636 and 1642 are missing); baptism, marriage and burial records were consistently Anglicized after 1685.

I hope I have everybody in the right place at the right time; There are serious gaps and missing information in the available records, so that the originals, plus some wills, are really needed to authenticate our early Dobson/Watson familty tree.

On Thursday I plan to travel up country to Acklam, Thirsk, Hawnby, and Marske. I feel like I have come to a nice ending point with my searching here in York, and there may be an interlude before I get to look at more records, but I'll try to write whenever I can.

Bye for now,

Les