Hi Christine Same names - different spellings. I know your pain - and don't envy you. At that time, wills were still more than likely to have been written on people's deathbeds. This Josiah's will was written only two weeks before he died, and if he is the Josiah that was born in 1763 he was about 58 at death - not old but obviously very ill. I was reminded the other day that just because a person 'makes their mark' rather than sign doesn't necessarily mean that they were unable to sign, but are merely doing as they were told to do by the vicar/curate/lawyer/whichever official or witness. Josiah's Xs are reasonably strong ones - I've seen wobblier! So it's difficult to draw solid conclusions from them. It's a fair bet that all the Gawsworth WHITTAKERs (whatever spelling) are connected. This Josiah is a man of some status - mill owner, etc. If he is the member of the WHITTAKER family 'with the money' it's probable that he would be, or be seen to be, the 'protector' of less fortunate members. This argument would lend weight to the WHITTAKER and SNELSON 'nephews and nieces' inclusion in the will. But like you, I think he would have specified the relationships - although a lot depends on his condition at the time of writing and how well the person who is doing the actual writing knows the man and his family. A lot of considerations! Have you checked Google Books, Trade Directories and Newspapers to see if there's any further info available? Again - just thoughts. Ruth