More Research at the Chester Record Office

We have read about 20 wills, including one of John Pemberton, blacksmith, where he puts his mark and it is a miner's pick axe! But the names in the will seem not to lead anywhere - at least not yet. In the afternoon, we visit find some Pemberton farms located outside Chester and visit with these good people. One of them, another John, and his mother Phyllis spend almost an hour chatting excitedly about their family history. They had spent many days in London, years ago, tracking down everything they could on the Pemberton's in general and their particular ("the John, Thomas, Henry branch") line in detail. We show them the first page of the old George M Pemberton scrapbook and read it together. John begins immediately to talk about the "George branch of the family, the one that went to America. They were the youngsters, you know, didn't inherit any land, so - " We suggest that the part about the King having a tiff with George was probably a fable and John interrupts and seems to demand that we understand that the Pembertons and Charles II were engaged in several transactions, some of which were not friendly. He is adamant that the old scrapbook is probably correct on this point.

Found Pembertons on their farms in Cheshire

At the suggestion of a information booth attendant, we drove out to see the Pemberton farms, just for fun. I pulled in a driveway to turn around and decided to knock on a door. The dog alarmed the residents and Kent Pemberton came out to see what we wanted. He was excited to tell us about his Pemberton line and then directed us down the road a bit to John Pemberton's house. John's wife said we should be coming in from the fields and would be at his mother's house a couple hundred yards further down the lane. There we spent a wonderful hour with John and his mother.

Research Done at Chester, Cheshire Record Office

Read 6 Pemberton wills: Myles or Great Meols (Wirral), mariner 1631; Thomas, Nantwich, yoeman, 1673; Henry, Denwall (Wirral), mariner, 1677; Robert, Norbury (Nantwich), 1683; Robert, Wrenbury (Nantwich), yeoman, 1697 (this had some interesting name so I bought a copy); and William, Norbury (Nantwich), yeoman, 1711. Could not open a fragile, tightly wound will of William, Coole Pilate, 1689; Record office may have it ready Monday.

Also checked Quaker records microfilm for Pemberton and Middleton.

Chester is an ancient port! The river Dee(?) has silted in greatly so only small vessels can navigate it now but in the 17th century, large ships came into the docks at Chester.

Found nothing exciting today. Still have to read a book on the ancient parish of Bidstone, check some more wills, look for deeds in Stapley, and

Touring Nantwich Hundred

On our way to Chester we drove through Stapley, 3 mile SSE of Nantwich, Wybunbury, Nantwich city, Wrenbury and Marbury. Took photos in each place, particularly the old churches. Nantwich is a spectacular ancient building and Marbury church sits on a hill overlooking the mere, a beautiful setting.

Wirral Notes and Quotes: Being Local Gleanings...

Wirral Notes and Quotes: Being Local Gleanings, Historical and Antiquarian Relating to the Hundred of Wirral, Wilmer Bros. and Co., Ltd., 1893, New York Public Library. Interesting old book with much historical interest. The above link is to the OCR text extracted from the images which are here. These images are pretty good. There are well over a hundred references to Pembertons in the 1600's. Difficult to use, OCR text is often unintelligible. I would like to read the whole thing!

Tasks for our Visit to Cheshire

1. Since we have found only one Sarah Middleton, and she is from Nantwich, and the Georgius son of Georgii of Marbury has the most likely birth date for our immigrant: -
2. Since there are two cases of George son of George in Chester, and the scrapbook mentions both Chester and Cheshire: -

The Geography of the Georges

Here is a list of the places where the Cheshire Parish Registers and the Bishop's Transcripts and the Non-conformist records show George Pemberton events along with the numbers and types of such.
Aspull, Lancaster 1 Quaker Burial

On the Wirral (5 births) -----
Bidstone, Cheshire 1 Burial
St Oswald, Chester 1 Burial, 1 Baptism, 2 Marriages

West Kirby, Wirral 2 Baptisms, 1 Marriage
Great Budworth 1 Burial

Woodchurch 1 Baptism

St Hillary, Wallasey 1 Burial, 2 Baptisms, 2 Marriages

Chester (6 births) ------
Tarvin 1 Baptism
Leach, Chester 1 Burial
St Bridget, Chester 1 Baptism
St Marys, Chester 2 Burials, 3 Baptisms

Nantwich (5 births) ------
Wrenbury 1 Burial, 3 Baptisms
Marbury 1 Burial, 2 Baptisms
The George son of George combination occurs only at St Mary's and St Oswalds in Chester, and in Marbury, Nantwich. In Marbury, the Georges may go back farther - there is a Georgius christening in 1596 - father is Hugonis and the mother is Maria Lloyd.

Pembertons in Virginia Monthly Meetings

Spent the evening reading all the William Wade Hinshaw historical backgrounds of the Monthly Meetings in Virginia, wondering if they would show a Pemberton as more than just a member of the Society of Friends. They didn't.

Wrenbury Parish, Nantwich Hundred

WRENBURY (St. Margaret), a parish, in the union and hundred of Nantwich, S. division of the county of Chester; containing, with the townships of Broomhall, Chorley, Woodcott, and parts of Dodcottcum-Wilkesley, Newhall, and Soond or Sound, 2300 inhabitants, of whom 527 are in the township of Wrenbury with Frith, 5½ miles (S. W. by W.) from Nantwich. In Wrenbury township are 2073 acres, the soil of which is partly clay and partly sand. A branch of the Chester canal passes through the parish. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £150; patron, the Vicar of Acton. The church has a fine carved-oak ceiling, and an elegant tower. A school is endowed with the interest of £230; and a second school with the interest of about £500, to which additions are likely to be made, and a house built for the master.

A Topographical Dictionary of England, Samuel Lewis, 1848, pg 695

Marbury, Cheshire on the Northern Border of Shropshire

MARBURY, a parish, in the union and hundred of Nantwich, S. division of the county of Chester; containing, with the township of Norbury, 784 inhabitants, of whom 383 are in the township of Marbury cum Quoisley, 3 miles (N. N. E.) from Whitchurch. This parish, which takes its name from two meres, called respectively the greater and the less, is situated at the extremity of the county, bordering upon Shropshire. It comprises 3152 acres, of which 1754 are in Marbury cum Quoisley; the soil is a light sand, with some peat. The parish is intersected by a branch of the Chester and Ellesmere canal. Courts leet are held for the manors of Marbury and Norbury. The living is united to the rectory of Whitchurch: the tithes have been commuted for £327, and the glebe comprises 9 acres. The church, an ancient structure, has an elegant chancel, rebuilt by the late Earl of Bridgewater. There are several charitable bequests in money, amounting to about £300, with two small crofts of land and some rent-charges.

MARBURY, a township, in the parish of Great Budworth, union of Northwich, hundred of Bucklow, N. division of the county of Chester, 2 miles (N. by W.) from Northwich; containing 37 inhabitants. It comprises 360 acres, of a sandy soil. The Grand Trunk canal passes through the township. Marbury Hall is a seat of the Smith Barry family; the mansion was rebuilt in 1846, in the style of the age of Louis XIV.

Both of the above are from: A Topographical Dictionary of England, Samuel Lewis, 1848, pg 258

Extracting all Pemberton Events from FamilySearch

Today I am in the Cheshire Parish Registers on FamilySearch. Did a search using no Christian name and Pemberton, all events, 1300 - 1700. I am extracting all Christenings and marriages up to 1690, and burials up to 1700.