William Pawson (abt. 1803 - 1891)

Born about 3 Apr 1803 in Whixley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Wray) Pawson — married 28 Jun 1828 in Hunsingore, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 7 Dec 1891 at about age 88 in Brussels, Huron, Canada West

Biography

William was born in Yorkshire, and the birth record identifies both parents. He was born very soon after the death of his namesake brother, a common practice of the time. At the birth of his son Isaac in 1829 he was a labourer living in Ribston, Yorkshire. He became a farmer and a carpenter. He'd emigrated to Upper Canada by 1836 when Elizabeth was born. He passed away in 1891. His death record documents a stroke as cause of death. His obituary states that he was born in Ripon but the source of that information was from a living relative. There was a laudatory obituary published in the local newspaper.

Research Notes

No record of his first marriage record has yet been located. He remarried in Canada.

One candidate for William's father is James (Pawson-314) who lived in Clifford, where a related person, Pawson-242 was later born. No baptismal evidence exists that this James had a son William.

A more likely candidate William was born in Whixley in 1803 to James and Isabella. Whixley is close to Spofforth, where William later lived. The strongest circumstantial evidence is the name of William's daughter: Isabella. There is no evidence yet discovered for a birth record from Ripon for William in this period. Nor is there any evidence for a suitably aged William alive in any nearby UK census record, nor is there a death record; this favours emigration.

A remote possibility is that a James and Tabitha had a single son William in Ripon, who emigrated to Canada. No record of marriage or this William's birth has been found so this is unlikely.

William has been linked to Pawson-242 (James Pawson) through commercial site that identifies 5th generation DNA linking 3 individuals now in Canada. The relationship between these two Yorkshiremen remains obscure; if a common ancestor, sib or cousin could be found, the obscurity would resolve.

Sources

Baptism, Jun 1 1803, Whixley, "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", transcribed database, FamilySearch <https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JWVP-KM9> or Archive reference N-PR-WHX1-1, Page 131, Yorkshire Baptisms, https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript? id=GBPRS%2FYORKSHIRE%2FBAP%2F303625842

Marriage, "England, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1538- 2016", , https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:66GR-FJC2> : Entry for William Pawson and Elizabeth Wray, 14 June 1828 Page 15, Reference N-PR-HSG-1-7, North Yorkshire County Record Office

Baptism of son Isaac, Spofforth, Yorkshire, March 12 1829, names Elizabeth as wife: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch <https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3XX-NBX> : 18 September 2020), Isaac Pawson, 1829

Marriage to Ann Armstrong, quotes names of parents, Huron, Ontario, 29 Sept 1874, Ontario Marriages 1826-1938, Archives of Ontario, from:<https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/discoveryui-content/view/2772436:7921?tid=&pid=&queryId=d0cc4d85a7ed8d1c2d02495ac4e79515&_phsrc=Una1&_phstart=successSource>

Death record, 7 Dec 1891 Huron, Ontario, Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947, entry # 006893 <https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/LZDD-VYL>

Transcription of obituary, citing birth date, held by Seaforth, Ontario Public Library, copy of Brussels Post Dec 11 1891, page 5, <https://pubdocs.huroncounty.ca/WebLink/DocView.aspxid=399562&dbid=0&repo=CoH> Brussels Post Dec 11 1891, page 5

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Linda James for starting this profile, Feb 1, 2013