Tyneside Vareys - Family Tree Issues

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Varey

1. INTRODUCTION

Much of our family history centres on the Newcastle area, and therefore I’m referring to our branch of the family as the "Tyneside Vareys" to distinguish it from the other main group, the Yorkshire Vareys, with whom no connection has (yet) been found. However, there are connections with other areas, notably Cumberland where our Tyneside Vareys actually came from, and the Penrith area in particular where the largest group of Vareys (outside Yorkshire) resided in the early 1600s. We have also believed that the name could have originated in France but, as explained elsewhere, so far no connection has been found.

Included within Tyneside are of course the main Varey groups on the Durham side of the river also.

The main recent (2017-2020) efforts have been to gather the digital records where available to corroborate the parish transcripts gathered earlier by J F Varey-9, Richard Varey-24, George Varey-85 and others in the 1980s, then use them to review the existing tree constructed by them, solve issues and make additional entries to the tree. The purpose here below is to log the uncertainties that have been encountered since the work done in the 1980s and how they have been treated, but of course this is a living document to be added to and subtracted from as knowledge improves.

What we have created here (work up until 2020) is an extensive Varey tree attached hereto as "Varey Tree - August 2019", plus branch tables for those not fitting onto the main tree layout, and a Wikitree profile for everyone on it. In addition here attached also are sub-trees of (currently) unconnected groups from Cumberland, Westmorland, Northumberland and Durham. These are attached as individual pdf files (you may have to click "View All" to get access to all the pdfs attached). However, please note that the unconnected groups are not yet "complete" for the period after about 1800.

Attached also is a pdf spreadsheet of parish record transcription data gathered originally by James Varey-9 for Westmorland, Cumberland, Northumberland and Durham together with digital records gathered by me, and including some entries for London. This list contains also additions made from the computer lists of 1984 left by Varey-9 who died in late 2018. This spreadsheet is not complete and can be built upon, but is a useful reference.

There now follows a series of briefings on the main uncertainties that have been addressed.

Note that the spelling of Varey differs in the documents but here I use Varey for all cases.

2. TOP OF THE TREE

At the end of the 1500s a John Varey had four children in Newcastle by an unknown wife. JFV's (Varey-9) transcriptions from parish records indicate that she and the children died of the Plague in 1602-3.

Then, shortly after, there is a record of a John Varey marrying Ellinor Sanderson, again in Newcastle. There seem to be only a few records for Newcastle in the period and, given that the dates dovetail, it was assumed that the two Johns were the same (Varey-63).

Now this John Varey, being the earliest in the records in Newcastle, was adopted by Varey-9 and the others as the head of the tree. However, there is now much doubt on this, to the point that he has now been written out of the tree. Nevertheless it is worth describing the steps involved in developing the original 1986 tree (see below), and this is then followed by a description of how the tree was reconfigured (2017-2019) based on new analysis.

Where this John may have come from is an interesting question. Westmorland or Cumberland where there were plenty of Vareys? Or Durham? (Ellinor was from Ryton in Durham.) Or even from Yorkshire? At the very top of the tree I inserted another John, a butcher from Durham (Varey-64), and a wife Elizabeth (Unknown-261747), since the parish register trawl by JFV (Varey-9) threw them up. And indeed, JFV had them pencilled in as a good possibility. However, there is no firm basis for making the connection and therefore they were detached.

Or perhaps he even came from London: see note on John Varey-63 profile… and also the paper written by JFV on "The French Connection": Space:Varey_-_The_French_Connection

And then there is a "John Varrye" mentioned in the Calendar of Patents as being pardoned in 1570 by Elizabeth I for his part on the 1569 Earl's Revolt, he being a "yeoman of Durham". So perhaps there's a connection here, as yet unidentified... Meanwhile this John does not figure on our tree.

Now after 1604 there were virtually no Varey records for Northumberland until the late 1600s, but lots for Cumberland and Westmorland… So what happened here? An assumption was made by JFV and the others that John and Ellinor probably moved to Cumberland or Westmorland to escape the Plague, and returned later, and they made some assumptions concerning linkages to form the upper end of the tree.

From the 1602-03 deaths and John's marriage to Ellinor in 1604 transcribed by JFV from parish records, only the following entries for Northumberland for the mid to late 1600s seem relevant:

• 1622 and 1637: deaths of Ellinor and Elizabeth, both with "father: John". Both of these were allocated to our John V-63. Ellinor's death record mentions John as a "mariner" which ties in with what we are assuming is his death record (Newcastle, 1638) which refers to him as a "skipper" (or possibly "shipper"). But that could very conceivably be a different John. As for Elizabeth, no such strong link can be made. But where were they born? No record anywhere for either of them.
• 1653: birth of a John, son of John. This we have put on our tree as V-117, son of V-116. They are well documented and left informative wills (see later). But how do we know that this is his birth record? Well, he married in Newcastle and he was a hostman in Newcastle... as was his father. So this looks right.
• 1658: a birth for Marie, daughter of John, whom we have assumed is the sister of John V-117 (Marie now V-191).
• 1661: Marie's death.

But there are mentions of another earlier Newcastle hostman named John Varey, in 1625 whom we have not yet identified. A pending issue (see later).

After this the number of records for Vareys in Newcastle increases and they have been connected in a plausible fashion.

The analysis is helped significantly by the wills of the two Johns mentioned above (V-116 and V-117), and also Esther V-103. However, of less help is that in the wills the word "cousin" is used loosely (apparently it can mean just "relative"), and even "sister" and "brother" can mean "in-law", so care is needed.

The will of John Varey-116 who died in Newcastle in 1684 establishes a link between Newcastle and Cumberland (Dacre, and within it the village of Newbiggin), naming five cousins and other relatives, and bequeathing a gift to Dacre parish. And thence the top end of the tree was constructed in the 1980s by a process of deductive logic based on the limited records to hand, and aiming to link John V-116, his cousins, and John V-63, the earliest Varey we had for Newcastle. And so the common grandparents were assumed to be John V-63 and Ellinor, with John Varey-62 (married to Mabell Jameson in Askham) as their son and father to at least four of the five cousins, and as brother to an as yet unidentified father for Varey-116 (perhaps another John) and three sisters.

The result is as depicted in the attached "Varey Top of Tree - Original Structure - 1986", and seems to have been derived as follows:

• The only candidates found in the known records for the period for V-116's cousins (who would fit with the above assumptions) were a John and William with fathers both named John and born in 1633-34 and 1643-44 respectively, one in Askham (24/2/33) and one in Penrith (7/3/43), figuring in the tree as V-72 and V-61 respectively. (There's a John born 1633 in Lowther, son of Leonard, but no William, Thomas or Ann to go with him, so he was rejected).
• The John V-62 who married Mabell Jameson in 1629 in Askham dovetailed well with John V-72 born 1633 in Askham. However, no birth or death record for V-62 has been identified. As for his son John V-72, a death recorded for a John in Dacre in 1693 was adopted as his death (but perhaps this was a different John...)
• A Thomas was found, married in Newcastle in 1679 to a Barbara Reavely and he was adopted as the third cousin, but with no birth or death.
• An Anne was placed on the tree as the fourth cousin but with no supporting records.
• It was not certain that the fifth named cousin, Jane Ingleby, was a sibling, or even a Varey. Nevertheless she was treated as such pro tem with a (presumed) husband John Ingleby (who was in fact a witness to V-116's will), albeit with no supporting records.
• We know John V-62 (m. 1629 to Mabell) had a sister Jane who married his wife Mabell's brother Thomas Jameson on the same day. But, assuming that by "cousins" John V-116 meant first cousins, another sibling for V-62 was still needed who was the father of John Varey-116, the writer of the will from which all this emanates. Who were the candidates? None had presented themselves from the records, so an "Unknown Varey-115" was created as a sibling, while other avenues were explored.
• One other avenue concerned a John Varey, the barber surgeon mentioned in the guild registers of 1625: Records of the Corporation & Guilds of Newcastle: Records of the Corporation relating to freemen, and of the 16 guilds (Microfilm 263) Register of the Freemen of Newcastle 1409-1738 vol viii. Records of the Guilds - lists of admission, membership, apprenticeship, indentures, enrollment books of apprentices, attendance registers. Extracts from the Records of the Company of Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne, Publications of the Surtees Society Vol CV ed. FW Denby 1901. Orders & minutes 121, 142, and Extract from the accounts June 1654. Re John Varay 1625, Arch. Ael., ser 2, 15:237-238 (researched by Simon Varey).

On the one hand, if this John were V-116's father (ie Unknown Varey-115), then he would NOT be a sibling of John V-62 and the others. On the other, if this John is not V-116's father, then he ought to be a close relative, but at the Newcastle end of the family. Could it be V-63? Why not? But as of Oct 2017 he had not been identified.

• And who was the father of John V-62 and Jane and Unknown Varey-115? Well, the whole construct described above was (faute de mieux) built around the assumption that John V-63 traveled west after his previous family died in 1602-3 and after he married Ellinor.
• And V-63's two supposed daughters Elizabeth and Ellinor, mentioned earlier, were also there. There is nothing to link them to John, Jane and Unknown V-115, but both their burials, Ellinor in 1622 and Elizabeth in 1637, are in Newcastle and both records mention John (who is referred to on Ellinor's record as a "mariner") and his own 1638 purported death record in Newcastle describes him as a "skipper". However, the very mention of their father's name implies they died in infancy, which throws everything into the air. Could they really be the daughters of a couple married in 1604?
• Meanwhile, we still don't know where John V-63 came from or where he went to in the years immediately after 1604 before returning to Newcastle (again, assuming he left in the first place).
• The descendants of John Varey-116's cousins William and Thomas gravitate to Newcastle, with those of John going to Dacre. They, and Ann, were the ones assumed to be the offspring of John Varey-62 and Mabell Jameson, with Jane Ingleby less certain although treated as such also.
• Finally, another set of cousins, based on Esther Varey-103's will, had been identified in London but without a connection having been established. And other cousins also.

Given the number of uncertainties in all of the above, in November 2017 I started to take a fresh look at the "Top of the Tree" with the benefit of the JFV hand-written transcripts put on a spreadsheet to enable filtering by name, location and event, and the full Ancestry.com search engine, and taking the V-116 will as the main starting reference point, a solid building block. The result, after some iterative piecing together is the "Varey Whole Tree - Revised" attached hereto. However, as will be seen, this remains a work-in-progress since there are still one or two uncertainties, given the gaps in the records.

The revised view was developed as follows: rather than locking John V-63 into the piece as a given, the first step was to see if there existed records for four possible siblings to form a basis from which to work, with some Dacre connections (as implied by the will), and it quickly emerged that the records with Penrith and Dacre connections seemed to hold out some possibilities:

• Thomas b 1643 Penrith, s of William, could be Thomas V-73 m 1679 NuT as featured in the original tree
• Anne m 1684 Dacre looked plausible (coinciding with inheriting £30 from V-116?). Could she be the dau of a William? Why not? (There is a possible Langwathby connection.)
• John V-72 d 1693 Dacre who featured in the Original Structure could have been born in Penrith (rather than Askham as ascribed originally since that birth record could have been for a different person). And a record for a John b 1658 Penrith s of John could be this John's son, along with two additional possible daughters Isabell and Mary b Penrith 1655 and 1656.
• William b 1644 Penrith (as per original tree, V-61) would have been the perfect fourth sibling cousin of John V-116 but for the fact that the records say he was the son of a John rather than a William. After close consideration and analysis, we took the view that the V-116 will is unambiguous in the matter of these four cousins being siblings. And so a new William had to be created to complete the set, s of William, but with no supporting records. He was William V-241 (since merged, as will be seen, and so no longer exists).

A candidate father presented himself:

• William b 1614 Penrith s of Thomas with a death record also which could be for him (from JFV transcripts, albeit for a Varah of Newbiggin) for January1658 (1659) in Dacre, supporting the migration implied above (now V-240).

But then I found the only James birth record for the period:

• James b January 1644 (1645) Penrith s of William also.

He is therefore close to perfect for James V-134, the unconnected London cousin mentioned in Esther's will. Assuming this is him, he did not marry until aged 38. What was he doing all that time? Making money? Working in the civil service? But he is NOT mentioned in V-116's 1683 will, perhaps having made enough money and made off to London, and marrying Rebecca Sawcer that year. Even so, at least a token bequest was the norm, so perhaps there was enmity or at any rate they were not close.

Thus the Penrith/Dacre connection looks strong, and gets stronger: the continuing analysis then threw up:

• John Varey b 1625 Penrith son of Christopher

This seemed to offer high potential for V-116 himself, the author of the will which links everyone and for whom the original tree had no obvious candidate birth record, or candidate father. However, here is a record that fits for his father:

• Christopher b 1604 Penrith son of Edward, d 1649 Penrith

Also mentioned in the V-116 will is a brother Thomas whose records seemed to be missing, but then I found a birth record for

• Thomas Farer b 1627 Penrith, son of Christopher.

Whilst Farer appears as a surname in various locations in England, this is the only occurrence in Penrith, which suggests it's a scribing error, and of course it fits in terms of first name, date, location, name of father, and "sounds like"!

Apart from Thomas, John and three other children who died in infancy, Christopher (very obligingly) also had two daughters, Margaret and Agnes, who appear to have survived infancy (no death records) and who could logically be the wives of William Garnett and George Carter, both mentioned in the 1683 will (but the wives not living long enough to be mentioned). However, we do not know who married whom, there being no marriage records found yet.

In April 2018 I solved the problem of Jane Ingleby. I found an Anne Carter marrying in Gainford a John Ingleby and having a daughter Jane. I therefore concluded that Anne was the sister of George Carter (who was "of Gainford" according to the will).

It would therefore be logical that Edward (father of Christopher) and Thomas (father of William) should be somehow linked together, to create "cousin" status for all these people. There are one or two possibilities here, and we have created a logical link, albeit not yet been proved, in the form of Edward and Margaret Leighe.

Thus the resulting configuration had a plausible digital record of some sort attached to virtually all the players.

Let us take stock. The above implies that the Askham connection does not figure, and the original birth and death of John V-72 (Askham and Dacre) were for two different people, and that the original head of the tree, John V-63, does not figure either in any identifiable direct way at this time.

Additionally, our hitherto assumed ancestor, William V-61 b 1644 s of John, is now not the William cousin mentioned in the will... which poses a question: are we descended from this William or the new William just created to fit the "four sibling cousin" scenario? We went with the latter.

The exact wording of the 1683 V-116 will merits study in the bequests and how they are laid out, and as a check-list of people involved. Is there some ambiguity here? Here they are and how they are “itemised”:

• I give to the poor of Dacre parish in the county of Cumberland £3.
• I give to the poor of the parish of All Saints Newcastle £5.
• I give to my brother George Carter of Gainford 40 shillings for a token. And to my cousin Jane Ingleby of Shinckliffe 40 shillings.
• I give to my cousin John Varey of Newbiggin £3 and to his brother Tho. Varey £4.
• I give to my cousin William Varey, brother of the said (sd) John Varey £20.
• I give to his sister Anne £30.
• I give to my brother Tho. Varey 40 shillings a year for his life naturall and the life of his wife and the longer liver of them.
• I give to their daughter Mary Varey £5.
• I give to my brother William Garnett’s children £10.
• I give and devise to my son John Varey all my houses and lands and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten and to be begotten, and for default of such issue I give and devise all my said houses and lands to my said cousin John Varey, William Varey, Tho. Varey and Anne Varey, aforementioned equally to be divided amongst them in four parts and to their heirs for ever. And for the rest of my goods and chattels movable and immovable, and all debts due to me, I give and bequeath the same to my son John Varey….

The little symbol “sd” is a standard abbreviation of the time for “said”. William and Anne are being treated more generously than John and Thomas who are dealt with together under one “item” (the fourth one). The question was whether it is at all possible that William and Anne were a separate set of cousins with a father John, rather than being siblings to the said John mentioned in the fifth item in the will above (and Thomas)? As mentioned earlier, whilst there is a candidate father John born 1613 Penrith son of Richard who could then be a brother to Edward and Thomas at the top of the tree, it was nevertheless concluded that the wording is unambiguous and that all four cousins should be treated as siblings.

It was then (May 2018) that we concluded that we should adopt a re-casting of the top of tree as per the above logic, but with caveats concerning the uncertainties, pending further analysis and research.

• The Penrith-Dacre-NuT connections look good.
• The "Left Hand Side" (John, son of Christopher) looks good.
• We have four offspring for William b 1614, namely William, John, Thomas and Anne all with some sort of source record attached.
• The "Right Hand Side" (London James, son of William b 1614) looks good.
• William (V-75) and Thomas (V-56 and the main line down) looks right.

Then at the next level up, there should be an Edward and a Thomas as brothers to bolt everything together. Things get a little tenuous at this level. Whilst we found a plausible Edward (V-242) as father to Christopher, we had to invent Thomas V-250 as father of William. And then we joined them together, tentatively, via Edward (V-243) and Margaret Leighe as the new heads of the tree.

Loose ends:

• Which John Varey was pardoned in 1570 for his part in the Earls' Revolt?
• Which John Varey was referred to in the Hostmen papers with dates 1625?
• Where does our original head of tree John Varey V-63 now figure, if at all ?
• What about the Askham connection, if any?
• What about our fourth sibling cousin William (V-241, as was) to whom we actually had no solid record attached?

By March 2019, after having done all the trawling possible in JFV ’s (Varey-9's) papers after his death in November 2018, and via the search engine, we had failed to find a candidate for our V-241, created as the fourth sibling/cousin in V-116’s will, children of William V-240… For a time (2019) we actually adopted V-241’s son V-75 as our missing William and son of V-240, eliminating V-241 completely.

However, in 2020 we reverted to the 2018 scenario after finding some additional information: Agnes born 1652 to a William JUNIOR of Newbiggin caused us to re-think. We therefore restored William V-241, now resurrected as V-444, as father of William V-75 and Thomas V-56 plus now also Agnes and Maryine...

It is still not ideal. We cannot find a record of a William dying late enough to be around when the V-116 will was drawn up (1683) and born early enough to be the father of Agnes (who was born 1652). And it is still just conceivable that Thomas V-56 and (why not?) also William V-75 were the sons of William V-61 born 1644 son of John, and not V-444 at all.

3. THOMAS, AGNES AND ELIZABETH... AND THOMAS AND SARAH

Currently we have Thomas Varey-56 (1671-1731) married firstly to Agnes Lister and then to Elizabeth Purvis, but is that right or were there two Thomases?

Agnes died very soon after their marriage, and the next marriage is sequential, and logical.

The only other candidate Thomases on the tree are V-113 and V-110 both sons of Thomas V-73 and Barbara Reaveley. But we have them both as dying young.

But there were two other Thomases, not currently on the tree but sitting in the "Other - Northumberland" pdf tree file. After much thought we decided that these were different Thomases from V-56 above.

Firstly, there were two baptisms at St Nicholas, for Ann and Margaret (now V-500 and 501, bapt. 1719 and 1720), daughters of Thomas and Sarah, and a burial for a Sarah, also at St Nicholas. Therefore we created Thomas V-499 - for whom we have no direct records as such - to link these people.

Second, we found an unconnected Sarah (now V-497) baptised 1720 at All Saints, daughter of Thomas. Why should she not be on the main tree as daughter of V-56? So we moved her. At the same time, however, we took away from V-56 daughter Elizabeth V-60 because she was baptised at St John and therefore did not fit neatly with all the other events connected to V-56. And so Elizabeth now sits unconnected but with a new father Thomas V-497 - for whom, very conveniently, there is a Saint John burial record we can allocate to him for 15 Sept 1732... all making for consistency.

Also we had an unconnected Elizabeth marrying a Matthew Robinson in 1731 at All Saints. Who was she? Answer: we adopted this marriage as a second marriage for for Elizabeth Purvis, made possible by switching the deaths (both at All Saints) of V-56 (3 Jan 1732/33) and V-73 (19 April 1730).

So now we have fully consistent All Saints records connected to V-56, plus the unconnected Thomas V-499 with his St Nicholas wife and daughters... and an unconnected Thomas (V-497) buried at St John with daughter Elizabeth baptised at St John.

But is it possible that one of these unconnected Thomases (either of them) was the one that married Agnes first?... but switched parishes with the second wife? Why not? We do not have a death date for Agnes... In which case, where does he connect to? More work needed.

4. THE SOUTH SHIELDS CONNECTION

At the next level down from the above, we have had on our tree a move from Newcastle to South Shields through Thomas V-51 marrying Unknown Harper in 1734 but with his son Thomas V-48 moving back to Newcastle marrying Philis Hadrick there in 1761.

There was always a bit of uncertainty about this, and it looks untidy, so it merits scrutiny.

Recent (2019) work threw up additional death records for the children of V-56, referring to him as "Thomas Varey, waterman", including two for Thomases dying in 1710 and 1711, suggesting that the son Thomas we have given him, V-51 born in 1707 and marrying Unknown Harper in South Shields may in fact have died in infancy...

... and that the Thomas who married and died in South Shields may have been someone else, perhaps a native of South Shields.

In which case, at the next level down, where and when was the Thomas (V-48) who married Phillis Hadrick born, and who was his father? We have him as marrying in 1761 and dying in 1822, both in Newcastle.

Is it possible that he was the son of his (currently assumed) grandfather Thomas V-56, indeed a third Thomas son for him? There do not seem to be any other candidates in the records. If yes, then it would mean he would have to have been born post 1711 and before or even after his siblings Elizabeth and Ann, eg up to say 1720). But there is no record of such a birth.

Phillis's birth of 1730 is off her death record. Marriage in 1761 would mean he was at least 41 and she 31. And their children born when he was at least 42 and 46 (And she 32 and 36, as we have it already).

Is this plausible? It would cut out the deviation to South Shields, and also fit well with Susannah Hazlehurst in South Shields, giving a plausible South Shields birth for her husband Thomas (1736), the son of a South Shields Thomas - and Unknown Harper? - and there's a plausible South Shields death for him in 1779. And all we would then need would be a birth record for Unknown Harper's husband Thomas.

But did our Newcastle Thomas die at more than 100 years old (in 1822) ?? There are no other suitable earlier death record for him, nor another Thomas to ascribe this 1822 Newcastle death to... BUT BESIDES, the 1822 death specifies a death age of 85, which is entirely consistent with the 1736 death for V-48 in South Shields !

So for the moment (August 2019) we are leaving things as they are. But it is concerning that there are TWO plausible/likely death records for Thomas V-48 born 1707, which leaves the matter hanging.

The above are the main uncertainties concerning the upper end of the tree.

What follows are a collection of explanatory notes dealing with a number of other characters. However, there are plenty more digital records in existence for people we cannot connect to the main tree and these are included in the "Unconnected" files attached hereto.

In addition, it should be noted that there are some groupings which , whilst unattached to the main tree, have nevertheless been added to Wikitree. These include branches from South Shields, Auckland St Andrew and Kirk Merrington (Durham), Morland, Lowther and Crosby Ravensworth (Westmorland) and possibly more in due course from Cumberland and Northumberland...

5. GILBERT

Dealt with. We have assumed he is the son of V-112 and created profiles for him and family.

Two daughters and a marriage, but the birth record showed some ambiguity and JFV either missed it or for reasons of uncertainty deliberately did not place him on his tree. The birth was St. John NuT but all siblings are All Saints. Also the digital records confuse Newcastle with Manchester (which they seem to do regularly when the church is St. John…).

The timing is good for him to be the son of William Varey-75 and Elizabeth (Unknown) (Stark). And his marriage and birth of daughters all take place at All Saints. This would look pretty solid were it not for the fact that (to quote Richard Varey-24) "he is alive at the time of death of his supposed father William V-75 in 1724, but does not inherit the lands at the Riding and Lee, which pass to his supposed sister Esther (per Varey pedigree and related notes), presumably by default in the absence of any male heir. And Esther recognized quite distant relatives in her will, so it is unlikely she would have ignored her own siblings (had they been living in 1762) or their issue."

Are there any other parent candidates for Gilbert named William? Yes. William Varey-112 born 1687 Saint Johns (same as Gilbert) and with a potential wife Ann who died in 1714 (see below).

Gilbert Vary in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Gilbert Vary Gender: Male Baptism Date: 30 Dec 1707 Baptism Place: Saint John,Newcastle Upon Tyne,Northumberland,England Father: Wm. Vary FHL Film Number: 0095014, 0095015

This looks like a transcription error… !! Or the computer auto-completing the line but wrongly!

Gilbrt Vary in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Gilbrt Vary Gender: Male Baptism Date: 30 Dec 1707 Baptism Place: Saint John Deansgate,Manchester,Lancashire,England Father: Wm Vary FHL Film Number: 942.72 M1 V26MJ V1-6, 942.72 M1V26MJ V. 1-6

Gilbert Varey in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Gilbert Varey Gender: Male Marriage Date: 16 Nov 1729 Marriage Place: All Saints, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Spouse: Elinor Johnson FHL Film Number: 1068938

Ann Varey in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Ann Varey Gender: Female Baptism Date: 27 Sep 1730 Baptism Place: All Saints,Newcastle Upon Tyne,Northumberland,England Father: Gilbert Varey FHL Film Number: 0095007-0095009

Eleanor Varey in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Eleanor Varey Gender: Female Baptism Date: 10 Jan 1736 Baptism Place: All Saints, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Father: Gilbert Varey FHL Film Number: 1068938

Eleanor Varey in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Eleanor Varey Gender: Female Baptism Date: 10 Jan 1737 Baptism Place: All Saints,Newcastle Upon Tyne,Northumberland,England Death Date: 6 Feb 1743 Father: Gilbert Varey FHL Film Number: 0095007-0095009

6. ANN

Dealt with.

A possible wife for William V-61 or V-112 (see above) But I can’t find a marriage record.

Ann Varey in the England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 Name: Ann Varey Gender: Female Marital Status: Married Burial Date: 29 Nov 1714 Burial Place: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Spouse: Wm. Varey FHL Film Number: 2193541 Reference ID: page 1071

But there is little to suggest that V-61 ever went anywhere near NuT, so let us adopt her as wife of William V-112 and mother of Gilbert. She is now Unknown-419570.

7. JANE (1)

Married 1721 AS NuT to George Turpin Whose daughter is she, and/or whose widow? A potential daughter for William V-75 and Elizabeth Stark? (No evidence.)

Jane Varey in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Jane Varey Gender: Female Marriage Date: 18 May 1721 Marriage Place: All Saints, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Spouse: George Kispin FHL Film Number: 1068938

Jane Varey in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Jane Varey Gender: Female Marriage Date: 18 May 1721 Marriage Place: All Saints,Newcastle Upon Tyne,Northumberland,England Spouse: George Turpin FHL Film Number: 95005, 95006, 95007, 95009

8. JANE (2)

Unmarried? Or a widow? Or visiting from... Kirk Merrington? (b. 1684?) d. 1738 She could be any age… No candidates on our tree?

Well, there are one or two people who do not have wives identified, for example William Varey-104 b 1698, and his last child was born 1636... Looks promising.

Jane Varey in the England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 Name: Jane Varey Gender: Female Burial Date: 26 Nov 1738 Burial Place: St Andrew's, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England FHL Film Number: 1564928 Reference ID: item 3 p 56

9. ELIZABETH (VAREY) ROBINSON No candidates…

Elisa Varey in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Elisa Varey Gender: Female Marriage Date: 22 Aug 1731 Marriage Place: All Saints,Newcastle Upon Tyne,Northumberland,England Spouse: Matthew Robinson FHL Film Number: 95005, 95006, 95007, 95009

Elisabeth Varey in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Elisabeth Varey Gender: Female Marriage Date: 22 Aug 1731 Marriage Place: All Saints, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Spouse: Matthew Robinson FHL Film Number: 1068938

But there is a birth in 1695-6 to John and Mabel of Penrith...

Elizabeth Varey in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Elizabeth Varey Gender: Female Birth Date: 9 Jan 1696 Baptism Date: 23 Jan 1696 Baptism Place: Saint Andrews,Penrith,Cumberland,England Father: John Varey Mother: Mabel FHL Film Number: 0962149, 0962150

Could this John be V-74 on a second marriage? It would fit, but doubtful since all the other children were born in Dacre.

10. MARIE

Dealt with. We have treated her as a sister of Varey-117. (1658-1661). Now V-191

Marie Varey in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Marie Varey Gender: Female Birth Date: 25 Mar 1658 Birth Place: All Saints,Newcastle Upon Tyne,Northumberland,England Death Date: 22 Feb 1661 Father: John Varey FHL Film Number: 0095005-0095007

11. WILLIAM

Dealt with.

Another son for Thomas Varey-56 and Elizabeth Purvis? Yes, we have adopted him as such.

William Varey in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: William Varey Gender: Male Baptism Date: 10 Sep 1704 Baptism Place: All Saints, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England Father: Thomas Varey FHL Film Number: 1068938

12. ESTHER (VAREY-103) ALLGOOD'S WILL

The will of Esther Allgood of the Riding, widow, dated 2 April 1761(c) and proved Nov 1763, has references to various relations, properties and places, but who were these people?

"My cousins Elizabeth Varey, Joseph Varey of Newbiggin near Penrith, Rev. John Varey of Gillam Co. Ebor., Sarah Waterstrum, William Varey of Albemarle St Westminster, Teasdale Mowbray of Bishopwearmouth, the seven unmarried daughters of my late niece Margaret Hunter of Fenwick. I give £8 per annum out of my messuage at White Cross, Newcastle to the school built by me at the Riding. I give £5 each to the parishes of Corbridge, Bywell St Andrew, All Saints Newcastle for the poor. My estate at Hawhup Hill, Riding and the Lee and my lease of a quarter of the tithe corn of Newburn to my two daughters, Esther and Mary. Other properties were farms at Kirkheaton (purchased by Lancelot in 1732) and Peel Dykes.

a. Cousin Elizabeth

Dealt with. She is now Varey-201

Esther's only “first cousin” Elizabeth we have as b. and d. May 1716. The only other living Elizabeth currently on the tree is the daughter of Elizabeth Boutflower (V-187), but she is very distant. Plus also possibly Elizabeth Boutflower herself m. William 1715 and d. “after 1752” Then from JFV transcriptions: There’s an Elizabeth dau of John and Mary (Penrith) b. 10/8 1711 (looks like a possible mistake (…and 10/4 1712..confirmed with digital record) There’s an Elizabeth dau of William (Newbiggen) b. 15/4 1711

From a digital trawl: Elizabeth dau of Thomas( Dacre) 13/5/1722 Elizabeth dau of Joseph (Dacre) 10/11 1745 That looks better!

• Elizabeth Varey

in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Elizabeth Varey Gender: Female Baptism Date: 10 Nov 1745 Baptism Place: Dacre,Cumberland,England Father: Joseph Varey FHL Film Number: 90608

See below.

b. Cousin Joseph Varey of Newbiggen

Dealt with. He is now Varey-199.

Here’s a perfectly timed marriage:

• Joseph Varey

in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Joseph Varey Gender: Male Marriage Date: 12 Nov 1744 Marriage Place: Barton,Westmorland,England Spouse: Margaret Lowther FHL Film Number: 0924746 IT 2, 97350

• Joseph Varey Margaret Lowther

in the Westmorland, England, Extracted Church of England Parish Records Text: Joseph Varey Margaret Lowther 12 Nov 1744 Book: Marriages. (Marriage) Collection: Westmorland: Barton - Registers of Baptisms and Marriages 1666-1812, Register of Burials 1666-1830

And a near perfect birth appearing in the JFV transcripts and indeed digitally for Joseph (and a twin brother William):

• Joseph Varey

in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Joseph Varey Gender: Male Baptism Date: 20 Jan 1714 Baptism Place: Dacre,Cumberland,England Father: William Varey FHL Film Number: 0924744 IT 1

Esther had a first cousin once removed William V-112 born NuT who could be the father... IF he had moved to Newbiggen/Dacre. However, we do not think this is Joseph's father. First, he was in Newcastle. Second, he may have married Anne who died in 1714, same year as Joseph and twin brother William were being born in Newbiggen. Third we have allocated Gilbert as son of V-112 (rightly or wrongly).

And fourth, we have an alternative which seems very logical. Currently we have no descendants for John V-72 b 1633 Askham except for John V-74 d 1697. However, a trawl through the spreadsheet shows a William b 1686 with father John. This William could be the father of Joseph b Jan 1714.

William Varey in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: William Varey Gender: Male Baptism Date: 14 Mar 1686 Baptism Place: Dacre,Cumberland,England Father: John Varey FHL Film Number: 0924744 IT 1

And this William seems to have siblings John 1682, Agnes 1684 and Jane 1688 on whose birth record is mentioned a mother Jane (therefore wife of V-74 for whom we have no marriage but there is a possible death 1690, dovetailing with no more siblings for Jane et al.).

Then Joseph had a twin brother William who presumably did not survive since he is not mentioned in Esther’s will (and indeed there is a death in Feb 1713 – could this mean 1714?).

Another (significantly less?) plausible birth the machine is picking up seems to be:

• Joseph Vary

in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Joseph Vary Gender: Male Baptism Date: 21 Dec 1719 Baptism Place: Long Marston,York,England Father: Tho Vary Mother: Eliz FHL Film Number: 561429

The above is in the JFV transcripts, but Long Marston is 10 km west of York - miles from our lot - which puts a question mark against it. But is it too far away?

On the off-chance that this is the same , here is a marriage in the same year some 23 miles away (east of York):

• Thomas Vary

in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Thomas Vary Gender: Male Marriage Date: 1719 Marriage Place: Bugthrope, York, England Spouse: Elizabeth Abbey FHL Film Number: 1068318 Reference ID: 2:3CGZQCC

But this is almost certainly the wrong Joseph.

c. Rev John Varey

Dealt with. He is now assumed to be Varey-59

Gentlemen's Magazine, April 1794, under Obituaries of Considerable Persons, records the death "in an advanced age, Rev. Mr Varey, vicar of Skillington in the North Riding of Yorkshire." Esther's will also refers to "Rev. John Varey of Gillam Co. Ebor.", and there is a first cousin John (bapt. 26 June 1709) on the Varey tree (Varey-59).

This the only digital reference to a Rev John Varey that comes up:

• Rev John Varey

in the UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current Name: Rev John Varey Birth Date: 1719 Death Date: 6 Apr 1794 Death Place: England Cemetery: St Nicholas Churchyard Burial or Cremation Place: Stillington, Stockton-on-Tees Unitary Authority, County Durham, England Has Bio?: N Created by: Dana Record added: Jan 24, 2013 Find A Grave Memorial# 104097580

This has got to be him, but we need to unravel some mix-ups here. First, as per the photo of his gravestone, he was the Vicar of Stillington, not Skillington. Second, Find-a-Grave has got it wrong: he was buried in Stillington in YORKSHIRE (20 km north of York), not Stockton -on-Tees (where there is one). Even the photo of the cemetery makes it clear it's St Nicholas, Stillington, Yorkshire!

And “Co. Ebor” referred to in the will is of course Yorkshire.

Now Gillam does not exist as a place (it’s a surname) but there are two villages of Gilling West and Gilling East, the latter lying 8 miles from Stillington. And given the standard of the scribes of the time, it’s very conceivable that GillingE (or Gillingw). became Gillam.

Looks pretty solid to me.

However, no plausible births came up on the digital search, which leads one to think that perhaps the Reverend who died "in an advanced age" was actually 10 years older than he admitted to, and was Varey-59, a first cousin of Esther.

And on the basis of the above, we are now representing Varey-59 as this Rev John Varey.

d. Sarah Waterstrum

Nothing comes up. Looks like a bad transcription. Waterson, Weatherstone, Waterstone… but no Sarahs

except… (a married name?)

• Sarah Waterston

in the London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 Name: Sarah Waterston Gender: Female Record Type: Burial Death Date: abt 1780 Burial Date: 12 Aug 1780 Burial Place: St Mary, Islington, Islington, Middlesex, England Register Type: Parish Register

The script stated her age at death as 35.

There is a Newcastle family called Waterston(e) with children all being born around 1745, but no Sarah is coming up! Actually the Waterstrum does seem to exist, since some USA records pop up. However, this one remains a mystery.

e. William of Albermarle Street

Dealt with. We have now proven that V-138 is he and we have a connection in the "Revised" version of the tree.

f. Teasdale Mowbray

Dealt with (see V-103 profile).

• Teasdale Mowbray

in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Teasdale Mowbray Gender: Male Baptism Date: 24 Nov 1706 Baptism Place: Allendale,Northumberland,England Father: George Mowbray FHL Film Number: 0252518, 0252519

• Teasdale Mowbray

in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Teasdale Mowbray Gender: Male Marriage Date: 25 May 1738 Marriage Place: Bishopwearmouth,Durham,England Spouse: Ann Reed FHL Film Number: 91083, 91084

• George Mowbray

in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: George Mowbray Gender: Male Baptism Date: 25 Sep 1739 Baptism Place: Bishop-Wearmouth, Durham, England Father: Teasdale Esqr. Mowbray FHL Film Number: 1514543

• Teasdale Mowbray

in the England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 Name: Teasdale Mowbray Gender: Male Burial Date: 12 Feb 1785 Burial Place: Bishop-Wearmouth, Durham, England FHL Film Number: 1514543 Reference ID: item 3 p 42

There are a number of Electoral register entries, for example:

• Teasdale Mowbray

in the UK, Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893 Name: Teasdale Mowbray Poll Year: 1774 Parish or Rectory: Newcastle Upon Tyne

and (for the same year):

• Teasdale Mowbray Esquire

in the UK, Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893 Name: Teasdale Mowbray Esquire Poll Year: 1774 Parish or Rectory: Tindale County: Northumberland

His name is in a column heade “Freeholders’ Names” The Bishopwearmouth column is headed “residence” The Darkdale column is headed “Freeholds”

In the 1741 book (unknown location) he is listed under “Barber Surgeons”

• Teasdale Mowbray

in the UK, Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893 Name: Teasdale Mowbray Poll Year: 1741

Here he is in a 1761 book for Durham:

• Teasdale Mowbray Esquire

in the UK, Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893 Name: Teasdale Mowbray Esquire Poll Year: 1761 Parish or Rectory: Stockton County: Durham

g. The seven unmarried daughters of my late niece Margaret Hunter of Fenwick.

Her daughter Esther Allgood married William Hunter St Pauls Covent Garden in 1764. Could there be a Margaret connected here? There are quite a few Margarets marrying Hunters in the area and in the period before 1763.

April 2018: Here's a probable breakthrough:

Esther Varey (V-103) married Thomas Teasdale (T-166). His sister Elizabeth (T-310) married George White (W-36515) in 1709 in Hexham:

• Elizabeth Teasdale

in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Elizabeth Teasdale Gender: Female Marriage Date: 29 Dec 1709 Marriage Place: Hexham, Northumberland, England Father: Samuel Teasdale Spouse: George White FHL Film Number: 991801

They had a daughter Margaret White (now created W-42201) ie a niece by marriage for Esther:

• Margaret White

in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Margaret White Gender: Female Baptism Date: 8 Jul 1714 Baptism Place: Hexham, Northumberland, England Father: George White FHL Film Number: 991801

Did she marry a Hunter? Looks like it:

Margt . White in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Name: Margt . White Gender: Female Marriage Date: 1 Aug 1735 Marriage Place: Gateshead,Durham,England Spouse: Wm. Hunter FHL Film Number: 252779

Is this possible (Gateshead rather than Hexham)? The Vareys, Teasdales and Allgoods all had estates in the North Tyne Valley and townhouses in Newcastle, or Gateshead (V-116's line)

Then, as for the seven daughters, I have not been able to find them…

There’s one candidate from Gateshead:

Mary Hunter in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Mary Hunter Gender: Female Baptism Date: 19 Aug 1739 Baptism Place: Gateshead,Durham,England Father: William Hunter FHL Film Number: 0252779-0252785

… a couple from Bishop Wearmouth:

Mary Hunter in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Mary Hunter Gender: Female Baptism Date: 8 May 1736 Baptism Place: Bishop-Wearmouth, Durham, England Father: William Hunter FHL Film Number: 1514543

Elizabeth Hunter in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Elizabeth Hunter Gender: Female Birth Date: 24 Oct 1737 Baptism Date: 3 Nov 1737 Baptism Place: Bishopwearmouth,Durham,England Father: William Hunter FHL Film Number: 0091083, 0091084

… and also some from Tynemouth…

Isable Hunter in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Isable Hunter Gender: Female Baptism Date: 17 Nov 1740 Baptism Place: Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland, England Father: William Hunter FHL Film Number: 1068652

Jane Hunter in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Jane Hunter Gender: Female Baptism Date: 18 Sep 1743 Baptism Place: Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland, England Father: William Hunter FHL Film Number: 1068652

Elizabeth Hunter in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Elizabeth Hunter Gender: Female Baptism Date: 7 Nov 1743 Baptism Place: Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland, England Father: William Hunter FHL Film Number: 1068652

There are a couple more Tynemouth Elizabeths for 1745 and 1747, and an Isabella for 1749... But all this is a bit inconclusive…

Possible death:

Margaret Hunter in the England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 Name: Margaret Hunter Gender: Female Death Place: Northumberland, England Burial Date: 11 Feb 1745 FHL Film Number: 1068899

Yes, Esther's will was 1762 and Margaret Hunter is stated as "late". But again, inconclusive…

13. UNCONNECTED RECORDS

Much time has been spent gathering together all the available Varey records (excluding London, Yorkshire and overseas) and trying to slot them into the jigsaw. However, there are a goodly number that it has not bee possible to connect. Most of these have not been given a Wikitree profile yet but appear in the "Transcription and Digital" list and also on the graphical trees in the "Unconnected" files attached for Cumberland, Westmorland, Durham and Northumberland... for the period up to about 1800. There is more work yet to do.

Cumberland

In the 1600s a random Varey family or two can be found in various locations in Cumberland but the main grouping is in Penrith and to a lesser extent Dacre. It should theoretically be possible to connect some of these unconnected characters to the main tree but of course the records in the early period seem to be very patchy.

Included here is John, alias Plowdin, whom we have unable to connect (died Penrith 1630). He was one of the characters whom we thought might just possibly be able to lead us to a French Connection (see elsewhere).

Westmorland

Likewise, there are small groupings in Morland, Lowther and Crosby Ravensworth with smaller pockets elsewhere. However, we have failed to connect them.

Northumberland

As mentioned, the records for Newcastle in the early 1600s are few and rather random but the unconnected records for the early 1700s need to be closely analysed to see if they can be connected to the main tree.

Durham

There are a couple of groups in South Shields and we have VERY TENTATIVELY connected one of them Stephen Varey-111 born 1684 in Newcastle...

There is one possible connection here to a group in Canada.

Lancashire and Yorkshire

Then finally there are large numbers of Vareys in Lancashire and Yorkshire. I made a start on creating profiles for these, but there are hundreds of them... and in spite of my efforts I still have not found a connection, EXCEPT, amusingly one marriage to someone on my MOTHER'S side !!