George Law was a clothier as indicated on the baptismal record of his youngest child, Thomas, in 1782.
Birth of George Law
George Law, the son of William Law and his wife, Hannah Raynder, of Great Gomersal, was baptized in Birstall parish on February 21, 1736.
For more information on William Law and Hannah Raynder, see below.
Marriage of George Law and Mary Wilby
George Law married Mary Wilby in the Parish Church of Birstall on December 20, 1762. The record reads as follows,
"George Law and Mary Wilby, both of Cleckheaton in this Parish were married in this church by Banns this twentieth day of December in the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty two by me, J Harrison, curate. This marriage was solemnized between us "X" George Law "X' Mary Wilby. In the presence of Wm Sugder, George Margerison."
Marriage record of George Law and Mary Wilby
Notes:
- Wm Sugder and George Margerison were the parish clerks and were not related to either George or Mary.
- At the time of the marriage Gomersall and Cleckheaton were two little villages that abutted one another.
I cannot find any Wilbys in Cleckheaton.
George had been born in Gomersall. After their marriage, George and Mary lived in Gomersall where all their children were born.
Why were George and Mary as listed "both of Cleckheaton" on the marriage record?
There are several possibilities:
- It is possible that George Law was living in Cleckheaton at the time of his marriage.
- The record of the marriage is taken from the Bishop's Transcripts, which is not an original record. Once a year, the parishes send a copy of the baptism, marriages, and death for that year to the bishop in York. Transcription errors were not infrequent. It is possible that the listing of "Cleckheaton" is such an error.
- However, over and over again I have found marriages in a different village, town, or parish than the one to which all the other records for the individuals concerned are connected.
Residence
The records for Birstall parish include listings for George Law at the following "addresses":
- Great Gomersall in 1763-66
- Gomersall in 1768-73
- Great Gomersall 1775
- Gomersall Hill Top in 1778
- Gomersall in 1782
- Popelygate in 1785 (death of Hannah) 1788 (death of George)
Notes:
- I do not know if this meant that they moved around or it depended on the whim of the parish clerk how an address was listed.
- Poperley (no gate listed) is on a current map of the area near the top of Gomersal hill between Oxford Road and Muffit Lane.
Children of George Law and Mary Wilby
George Law and Mary Wilby had at least eight children. Of the first four (born between 1763 and 1770): Hannah died at age 21 and there are no further records for Ann (1763), George (1768 and Ruth (1770).
Of the younger four born between 1773 and 1782: Benjamin (1773) married twice and had a large family, Isaiah (1775) had at least three male offspring who in turn had children, John (1778) died at age 21, and Thomas (1872) married and had one child who died at age 6.
The death records for the name Law are sparse and the only death for George Law that I found was the 1788 listing for George Law of Poperleygate pauper. Unfortunately no age is given. Was this really George born 1736? Was he a pauper at age 52? Did he leave his wife, Mary with four children ages 15 to 6 years? Is this why Benjamin Law (1773) moved to Batley w here he may have fathered a child at the age of 16 and married at the age of 17? See the death record of George Law below for more information.
George Law and Mary Wilby had the following children:
-
Ann, "daughter of George Law of Great Gomersal", was baptized November 6, 1763
(Birstall Parish Record).
- Hannah, "daughter of George Law of Great Gomersal", was baptized on
June 2, 1766 (Birstall Parish Record).
Death: Hannah the daughter of George Law of Popelygate, clothier, was buried July 3, 1785, age 21 (Birstall Parish Record) . - George, "son of George Law of Gomersall", was baptized in August 7, 1768
(Birstall Parish Record).
Further Records: None. No marriage on IGI - Ruth, "daughter of George Law of Gomersall" baptized on April 8, 1770
(Birstall Parish Record).
Further Records: None. No marriage on IGI. - Benjamin Law (1773-1837), Rachael Stubley and Lydia Sheard
Birth: Benjamin, "son of George Law of Gomersall", baptized on November 8, 1773 (Birstall Parish Record).
Further Records: Benjamin Law moved to the town of Batley in
Batley Parish where he married twice, had 16 children and developed shoddy (a process for
woolen weaving that changed the fortunes of the area). For more
information on Benjamin Law go to Benjamin Law now or at the bottom of the page. - Isaiah Law (1775-) and Ann (Hannah) Fearnley
Birth: Isaiah, "son of George Law of Great Gomersall", was baptized on February 28, 1775 (Birstall Parish Record).
Residence: Birstall
Occupation: Clothier
Marriage: Isaiah married Ann (Hannah) Fearnley on October 16, 1796, Birstall Parish (index). Hannah, baptized in Birstall on December 4, 1774, was the daughter of Joshua Fearnley.
Children:
- George Law (1797-) and Mary
Birth: George, October 1, 1797, Birstall (index)
1841 Census: Soyland, bottom Dyson Lane, George Law 40, waist wool cleaner (?), Ann, age 13, Samuel age 5, Sarah age 2, Hannah Cropley age 70 widow, no female appropriate to be his wife. Next to them Ely Cropley age 70, weaver, and William Law age 15, cotton spinner.
1851 Census: Croppers Row, Skircoat, George Law, head, 53, woolen cloth picker, born Birstall, Mary Law, wife, 54, head knitter for weaver, born Soyland, Samuel Law son, 14, clogger apprentice, Sarah Hannah Law, daughter, 12, servant in home - Mary, April 14, 1799, Birstall (index)
- John, March 29, 1801, Birstall (index)
-
Joshua Law (1803-) and Sarah
Birth: Joshua, March 29, 1803, Birstall (index)
Marriage: Sarah. Nothing on IGI
1851 Census: Lockwood, Milnbridge Crossland Moor, Joshua Law, head, age 49, hand loom weaver woolen born Birstall, Sarah, age 44, handloom weaver woolern, born Honley, Emma, daughter age 16, factory worker, born Huddersfield, Benjamin, son age 14, blacksmith born Huddersfield, Ellen, saughter age 12, factory worker, born Huddersfield, Elizabeth Hadiman, lodger, age 17, factory worker born Huddersfield. - Nancy,
March 23, 1806, Birstall (index)
Marriage: Nancy Law married William Stapleton, March 25, 1832. - Benjamin Law and Mary
Birth: Benjamin, June 5, 1808, of Isaiah Law and Hannah, Birstall clothier (BT)
1841 Census: Huddersfield, Benjamin age 30, hand weaver, Mary age 25, Abigail age 5
1851 Census: Huddersfield, Paddock Brow, Benjamin age 42, tuner of power looms, born "Birstol", Mary age 38, born Huddersfield, Abigail age 14 Schofield scholar born Huddersfield
1861 Census: Huddersfield Paddock Upper Brow, Benjamin Law, head age 53, woolen clothier, born Birstall, Mary Law wife age 48, born Golcar,
1871 census: Brow Road Huddersfield, Benjamin Law, head age 62, woolen tuner (looms), born Birstal Mary wife age 58, born Golcar, Thomas Shaw, boarder, teazle setter, born Dalton Ann Shaw, wife of boarder, age 51, born Huddersfield - Samuel Law (1810-) and Mary
Birth: Samuel, August 22, 1810 of Isaiah Law and Hannah Birstall colthier (BT)
1841 Census: Huddersfield Crossland cotages Samuel Law, age 30 J cloth dresser, Mary age 28, Hannah age 7, Elizabeth age 3, Allen age 6 mo. Ann Law age 67 ind, Hannah Shaw widow independent age ? Note: Ann was Samuel's mother.
Death of Saumel Law:
Remarriage of Mary Law:
1851 Census: Paddock Brow Huddersfield, John Foster head age 28, watchman woolen mill born Hilsby Northhampton, Mary, wife, age 37, born Huddersfield, Hanna daughter age 16, weaver, Elizabeth daughter age 13, Allen age 10, Joshua Webb, visitor age 24, married coal miner. Children all born Huddersfield.,
Death of Isaiah Law:
Death of Hannah Law: - George Law (1797-) and Mary
- John, "Son of George and Mary Law of Gomersall Hill Top, clothier" was baptized
on July 5, 1778 (Birstall Parish Record).
Death: John Law of Batley, clothier, age 21, died of decline and was buried September 17, 1800 in Birstall parish (Birstall Parish BT) - Thomas Law (1782-?) and Sarah
Birth: Thomas, "son of George Law of Gomersall, clothier", was baptized on September 22, 1782 (Birstall Parish Record).
Marriage: Unknown, Sarah
Children:- John of Thomas and Sarah Law, Batley, clothier November 20, 1825 Batley Parish (PR) Death: John Law of Batley, age 6, buried November 24, 1831
Death: Appears to have died before the cival records started in the fall of 1837
Censuses: No listing for either Thomas or Sarah
Witness: Thomas was a witness at the marriage of his neice Hannah Law to Benjamin Parr in 1825.
There were no Laws listed in the Land Tax records for the village of Gomersall from 1781 to 1832 on LDS microfilm 1657962.
Death of George Law
George Law of "Poperleygate", pauper, was buried March 9, 1788 (Birstall Parish).
The death records for the Laws are limited. This is the only death for George Law. How is it possible that he died at such a relatively young age in such poor financial state?
One possible explanation could be TB. His son John died in 1800 at age 21 of "decline". Decline was often used as a euphemism for TB. TB was a major killer of young adults. It was highly contagious and usually when one family member had it they infected other family members. There was a higher than usual number of young adult deaths in this family: Hannah (who died at age 21), John (who died of decline at age 21) and Thomas (who also appears to have died young) plus George who died at the relatively young age of 52 (apparently in poor health for some time if he had arrived at a state to be listed as "pauper" at the time of his death).
Deaths from TB had increase dramatically in the 1700s in England.
In humans, symptoms of active TB often include coughing, fever, nightly sweats and wasting of the body. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect the brain, the kidneys or the skeleton. The symptoms of TB of the lungs include persistent coughing, chest pain and coughing up blood.
It can be a very slow and debilitating wasting away which is why it was called Decline or Consumption.
About one third of the people infected with tuberculosis carry the disease without developing symptoms. This is known as latent TB. The bacteria are not active and the person does not feel sick. However, the disease can become active at any time.
This would explain why some members of the family got TB while others were spared.
Death of Mary Wilby Law
The widow Lawes of Batley was buried November 5, 1801 (Batley Parish).
Death of Other Laws
I checked the Birstall parish death records from the birth of Thomas in 1782 until 1813 (when the records on LDS microfilm 0990526 end). Some of the records are completely illegible.
I did not find the death of any of the other children of George Law and Mary Wilby Law.
Benjamin Law (1773), son of George Law
