STEPHENSON OF GILDERSOME

 

Grace Stephenson married Randall Atkinson in 1827 in Leeds. From the 1851 and 1861 census returns, it can be seen that she was born at Gildersome about 1805.[1] Gildersome was in the parish of Batley and the detailed Batley registers include the baptism on 22 August 1805 of Grace, daughter of Matthew Stephenson, clothier, son of John, by Sarah his wife daughter of James Newsome, “born June 14th Gil[dersome].”[2] The identification of Randall’s wife Grace as the daughter of Matthew is supported by the marriage entry for John Stephenson and Hannah Thrippleton in 1839 in the St. Peter, Leeds, parish registers, where John’s father is given as Matthew Stephenson and one of the witnesses was Randall (“Randle”) Atkinson.

 

The naming in Grace’s baptism entry of her father Matthew Stephenson as the son of John allows Matthew to be identified as the one of that name born on 8 February 1769 and baptised on 26 March 1769 at Batley, son of John Stephenson of Gildersome, clothier. Based on the pattern of the baptisms entries in the parish registers, there seems to have been only one John Stephenson of Gildersome having children in that period, that is the John Stephenson who married Mary Gilpin in 1759. Some of the later baptisms of their children confirm that John and Mary were children of Matthew Stephenson and George Gilpin respectively.

 

There were two couples named Matthew and Sarah Stephenson in the Gildersome area in the 1840s. A monumental inscription records Matthew Stephenson dying on 20 August 1845 aged seventy and his wife Sarah on 6 June 1851 aged sixty-eight.[3] From the ages it can be seen that these were not Matthew and Sarah (Newsome) Stephenson although Sarah Newsome’s husband Matthew Stephenson also evidently died in 1845.

 

There are a few entries in the Batley parish registers which may be clues to the earlier generations of the family. John, son of John Stephenson, was baptised at Batley in 1706/07, and Ann, wife of John Stephenson, was buried in 1708/09. Katherine Stephenson and Mr William Stephenson were buried there in 1696 and 1699 and an Elizabeth Stephenson married a Jonathan Taylor there in 1725. A John Stephenson who was married at Batley in 1740/41 was said to be of Thornhill.

 

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STEPHENSON

 

1          MATTHEW STEPHENSON of Gildersome, tailor, died on 15/16 February 1769 and was buried on 18 February 1769 at Batley.[4] He married on 29 March 1725 at Batley, HANNAH HUTCHINSON.[5]

 

                Children of Matthew and Hannah (Hutchinson) Stephenson:

                                i               JOHN STEPHENSON, bap 30 Oct 1725, Batley, bur 9 Feb 1726/27, Batley.[6]

                                ii              ANN STEPHENSON, bap 25 Dec 1727, Batley.[7]

                                iii             MATTHEW STEPHENSON of Gildersome, tailor, bap 25 Dec 1730, Batley, bur 26 Jul 1778, Batley; m 19 Jun 1751, Batley, MARY CLARK.[8]

                                iv             THOMAS STEPHENSON of Gildersome, clothier, bap 1 Jul 1733, Batley,[9] bur 21 Jul 1811, Gildersome.[10]

                                v              HANNAH STEPHENSON, bap 16 May 1736, Batley.[11]

                2              vi             JOHN STEPHENSON (bap 1739); m MARY GILPIN.

                                vii            JOSEPH STEPHENSON of Gildersome, clothier, bap 7 Feb 1741/42, Batley;[12] m 22 Feb 1762, Batley, MARTHA CAWTHREY.[13]

                                viii           ABRAHAM STEPHENSON of Drighlington, bap 18 Mar 1743/44, Batley,[14] d 3 Jan 1818,[15] bur 6 Jan 1818, Gildersome;[16] m 24 Mar 1766, Birstall, SARAH PIGHELLS.[17]

                                ix             MERCY STEPHENSON, bap 21 Apr 1745, Batley, bur 29 Oct 1820, Batley; m 14 Jun 1764, Batley, ARTHUR LOBLEY.[18]

                                x              ROGER STEPHENSON, bap 6 Apr 1746, Batley, bur 21 Jun 1746, Batley.[19]

                                xi             MARY STEPHENSON, bap 18 Sep 1748, Batley, bur 7 Jun 1749, Batley.[20]

 

2          JOHN STEPHENSON of Gildersome, clothier, was baptised on 18 February 1738/39 at Batley.[21] He married on 7 January 1759 at Batley, MARY GILPIN,[22] daughter of George and Mary (Brogden) Gilpin (see here).

 

                Children of John and Mary (Gilpin) Stephenson:

                                i               JOHN STEPHENSON, b 12 Jan 1761, bap 13 Feb 1761, Batley.[23]

                                ii              WILLIAM STEPHENSON, b 18 Oct 1762, bap 14 Nov 1762, Batley.[24]

                                iii             HANNAH STEPHENSON, b 4 Oct 1764, bap 11 Nov 1764, Batley.[25]

                                iv             MALLY STEPHENSON, b 6 Nov 1766, bap 25 Dec 1766, Batley.[26]

                3              v              MATTHEW STEPHENSON (1769-1845); m SARAH NEWSOME.

                                vi             JAMES STEPHENSON, b 9 Mar 1771, bap 7 Apr 1771, Batley,[27] bur 24 Sep 1844, Gildersome.[28]

                                vii            ROGER STEPHENSON, b 14 Jun 1773, bap 13 Aug 1773, Batley.[29]

                                viii           THOMAS STEPHENSON, b 28 Aug 1775, bap 15 Oct 1775, Batley.[30]

                                ix             JOSEPH STEPHENSON, b 12 Dec 1777, bap 18 Jan 1778, Batley.[31]

                                x              ELIJAH STEPHENSON, b 23 Dec 1780, bap 4 Mar 1781, Batley, bur 25 Aug 1782, Batley.[32]

           

3          MATTHEW STEPHENSON of Gildersome, clothier, was born on 8 February 1769, baptised on 26 March 1769 at Batley[33] and died on 19 March 1845 at Gildersome.[34] He married on 18 August 1791 at Batley, SARAH NEWSOME,[35] daughter of James and Susanna (Benn) Newsome (see here). Sarah was born on 12 September 1770 at Gildersome and died on 9 December 1864 at Gildersome.

 

                Children of Matthew and Sarah (Newsome) Stephenson:

                                i               SARAH STEPHENSON, b 4 Jun 1792, bap 16 Aug 1792, Batley.[36]

                                ii              THOMAS STEPHENSON, b 2 Mar 1794, bap 27 Apr 1794, Batley.[37]

                                iii             HANNAH STEPHENSON, b 5 Mar 1796, bap 4 May 1796, Batley.[38]

                                iv             WILLIAM STEPHENSON of Gildersome, b 16 Jul 1798, Gildersome,[39] bur 24 Oct 1857, Gildersome.[40]

                                v              BENJAMIN STEPHENSON, b 2 Apr 1801, bap 28 Jun 1801, Batley, bur 17 May 1802, Batley.[41]

                                vi             SUSANNA STEPHENSON, b 27 Mar 1803, Gildersome;[42] m 27 Aug 1820, Batley, WILLIAM BRADSHAW.[43]

                                vii            GRACE STEPHENSON, b 14 Jun 1805, Gildersome,[44] d 6 Nov 1862, New Wortley;[45] m 25 Feb 1827, St. Peter, Leeds, RANDALL ATKINSON[46] (see here).

                                viii           JOHN STEPHENSON of Morley, grocer, b 1 Mar 1808, Gildersome;[47] m 22 Apr 1839, St. Peter, Leeds, HANNAH THRIPPLETON.[48]

                                ix             JOSEPH STEPHENSON of Gildersome, cloth dresser, b 11 Aug 1810, Gildersome.[49]

                                x              JAMES STEPHENSON of Gildersome, farm labourer, b Gildersome, bap 4 Jul 1813, Batley.[50]



[1] 1851 census returns, Beeston (National Archives, HO 107/2317, fol. 106); 1861 census returns, Wortley (National Archives, RG 9/3350, fol. 49).

[2] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[3] Philip Henry Booth, History of Gildersome and the Booth Family (Bradford, 1920), 97 (https://archive.org/details/historyofgilders00boot/page/96/mode/2up).

[4] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); G. Denison Lumb, ed., Extracts from the “Leeds Intelligencer” and the “Leeds Mercury”, 1769-1776 (Leeds, 1938), 11. The latter reports that “Wednesday night Matthew Stevenson senior, of Gildersome, went to Bed seemingly in good Health, but in the Morning, to the great Surprize of his Wife was found quite dead”.

[5] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com). A possible baptism of Hannah took place at Tong, where Hannah, daughter of John Hutchinson, was baptised on 10 Sep 1704 (Tong parish registers, online at www.ancestry.com).

[6] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[7] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[8] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[9] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[10] Gildersome parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[11] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[12] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[13] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[14] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[15] The Carlisle Patriot, 31 Jan 1818.

[16] Gildersome parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[17] Birstall parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com). One of the witnesses was Matthew Stephenson.

[18] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[19] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[20] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[21] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[22] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[23] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[24] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[25] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[26] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[27] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[28] Gildersome parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[29] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[30] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[31] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[32] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[33] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[34] Death certificate.

[35] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[36] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[37] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[38] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[39] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1851 census returns, Gildersome (National Archives, HO 107/2314, fol. 15).

[40] Gildersome parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[41] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[42] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1851 census returns, Gildersome (National Archives, HO 107/2314, fol. 15).

[43] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com). The death of Sarah (Newsome) Stephenson in 1864 was registered by Susannah Bradshaw.

[44] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1851 census returns, Beeston (National Archives, HO 107/2317, fol. 106).

[45] Death certificate.

[46] St. Peter, Leeds, parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[47] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1851 census returns, Beeston (National Archives, HO 107/2317, fol. 106).

[48] St. Peter, Leeds, parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[49] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1861 census returns, Gildersome (National Archives, RG 9/3352, fol. 94).

[50] Batley parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1861 census returns, Gildersome (National Archives, RG 9/3352, fol. 94).