This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jgibson65 Surnames: Woodcock Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.england.yks.general/707.4548/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi Stephen Just read your post and thought it was worth a shot! My 4xg grandfather was James Woodcock, a master mariner who had lived at Whitby although I don't know if that was his birthplace. I believe he was born around 1783. I have found two baptisms of children to James and a possible first wife Mary (although I haven't found a marriage) - Mary Ann Woodcock, baptised at Whitby on 4 September 1805, and William Hinds Woodcock, baptised at Whitby on 9 August 1807. I believe that James may have married a second time, at Bishopswearmouth, to Mary Pinkney, in 1810, but returned to Whitby where their daughter Jane Woodcock was born, and subsequently baptised on 9 August 1811, followed some years later by a son Robert Woodcock who was baptised at Whitby on 28 September 1821. I don't know of any other children to either his possible first, or his second, wife. I don't even know if all the children were to Mary Pinkney and they just didn't marry until 1810, but thought that this was not so likely as him being married previously. I'm descended from his daughter Jane. I have seen all of these records on the IGI, plus I've seen the baptisms in a book of Whitby St Mary transcripts at Teesside Archives. All four children are said to be of James Woodcock, master mariner or sailor, and Mary. There doesn't seem to be a marriage of James and any Mary's in these transcripts that would fit so I'm assuming that the Bishopwearmouth marriage of 1810 is theirs. To confuse the issue, there is another James and Mary (nee Binner) Woodcock in Whitby who married in 1818 and went on to have several children. This James was a cabinet maker. I spent a long time assuming that this couple were the parents of my Jane Woodcock, until I found information that led me to believe that there were two couples with the same name, and then went on to find other things that substantiated this (don't want to confuse you with that info just yet!) It seems that my James and Mary came from Whitby to Stockton on Tees sometime between son Robert's birth in 1821, and 1828, when I've found entries for James in Stockton Poor Rates book (he's listed as Captain Woodcock). James died in 1843 in Stockton, of catarrh, aged 60, and his wife Mary died ten years later. They're both buried in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church, which is now sadly a hollow shell after a fire some years ago. I can't seem to find any more information on James, such as a birthplace for him (he's not in the Whitby St Mary's baptisms). There are several possibilities on the IGI but I've nothing else to go on. Can you help? Best wishes. Janice Gibson Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.