Thomas Townsley - How Many Were There?

By some strange coincidence many of my attempts at tracing Townsley ancestors in Yorkshire, England - both mine and others - seem to come back to one common name - Thomas. This was not one person - just the same name - even though some records could well turn out to refer to one person; rather than two or three different individuals. Since the ancestry of quite a few families is linked to resolving "How Many Were There", this is quite an important question.

So here are some Thomas Townsley records that seem to overlap in the period 1730-1799. All were probably from Yorkshire; except where stated.

Ref. Thomas - Born Married Possible Children
1 Jun1730, Brotherton not known - but could be Margret; see ref 4. Jane (Aug1756), Thomas (Jan1759), Elizabeth (Jun1760), Martha (Dec1761), Thomas (Nov1764 - link to 10?)
2 Apr1733, South Kirkby Elizabeth Burley - Jun1755, Doncaster Henry (Mar1757), William (Aug1760), Elizabeth (Jul1764), Ann (Mar1769), Mary (Jul1773), Sarah (Apr1778)
- January 1733/34, Castleford ??? ?
3 Oct1738, Castleford Martha Scott - Aug1760, Castleford (she died 1772) Thomas (Oct1761), John (Mar1763), John (Mar1764), Sarah (Mar1766), Margaret (Aug1767), Elizabeth (1768?)
- September 1740, York ??? ?
4 about 1740, Brotherton? Margret x Robert (May1767)
5 about 1740, Brotherton? Martha x Richard (Apr1769), Francis (Jul1774), Ann (Aug1780 - also mistakenly? recorded as Aug1787)
6 about 1745, Brotherton? Jane x Elizabeth (Nov1771), William (Nov1776)
7 about 1750, Beverley Mary Colam - Dec1774, Beverley Thomas (Jul 1780)
8 about 1760, Eastrington? Mary Beaves - Mar1784, Eastrington Benjamin (Apr1795), William (1798?), James (Jun1802), John (Jan1805)
- October 1761, Castleford ??? ?
- May 1763, Rothwell ??? ?
- November 1763, Skipwith ??? ? - link to 9 or 10 below?
- November 1764, Brotherton ??? ? - link to 9 or 10 below?
9 about 1765, Wistow, Selby? Elizabeth Midgley - Nov1788, Drax William (Oct1789), Mary (Mar1791), Jonathan (Jan1794), William (Jan1797), Francis (Feb1798), Martha (Apr1801), Elizabeth (Dec1805), Ann (Jul1809), David (Jul1809)
10 about 1766, Brotherton? Margaret x Robert (Apr1796) - doubtful; not found in IGI
11 about 1767, Weybridge, Surrey? Christiana x Henry Russell (Apr1795), William (May1797)
- October 1768, Cockermouth, Cumberland ??? ? - link to 14 below?
12 Jul1773, Castleford Hannah x Mary (Jun1802), John (Feb1803), John (Feb(1804), Joseph (May1808), Hannah (Jul1810), Mary (May1812), Elizabeth (Apr1814), Jane (Apr1814)
13 about 1774, Selby? Elizabeth Colbord - Jan1799, Aughton, Selby Ann (Dec1799)
14 about 1774, Carlisle, Cumberland? Mary Slee - Nov1799, Carlisle ?
15 about 1777, Leeds? Mary Metcalf - Apr1802, Leeds ?
16 about 1778, Hooton Pagnell? Hannah Auty - date? Thomas (Jul1808)
- April 1781, Castleford ??? ? - link to 1788, Castleford below?
17 about 1784, Fetcham, Surrey Ann x Harriot (Jun1812), William (Aug1814), James (Dec1815)
18 about 1788, Castleford? Elizabeth x George (Jul1814)
19 about 1788, Retford, Notts. Edith Swift ?
- January 1788, Eyam, Derbyshire ??? ?
- August 1788, York ??? ?
- October 1790, Brotherton ??? ?
20 about 1790, Rawcliffe, Goole Christiana Potter - Jul1812, Snaith David (Jul1813), Thomas (Feb1815), Thomas (Feb1817), Elizabeth (May1819), Ann (May1821), John (Jan1823), Mary (Dec1824), Sarah (May1826), George (Sep1828)
21 about 1790, Rothwell Rachel Wood - Jan1814, Rothwell John (Apr1815), Joseph (Oct1816)
22 about 1795, Rothwell Mary Pearson - Dec1819, Rothwell ?
23 about 1795 ? unknown Thomas (Aug1821 in Wisbeach - on a boat?)
- March 1795, Hunslet, Leeds ??? ?
- October 1799, Castleford ??? ?

Notes:

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