Barker Family - Where to begin?

[jfhester]

First, I can't believe how helpful everyone is on this message board! I really appreciate it.

Yes, looking at the signatures, I agree that there is a strong similarity, especially with Sybill. The John/Jonathan signatures also look similar, particularly the 'J'. Puzzling to say the least. If they are the same people, why would they have gotten married twice? Was it annulled the first time as someone had suggested?

I have looked at some family trees on ancestry.co.uk relating to the Jonathan who was married to Sybill. It appears that family did come from Kildwick, then settled in Otley. This Jonathan ("first" husband of Sybill) was apparently the brother of Robert Barker, who was father to the other Otley Jonathan, who was born in 1817 (who is accounted for in England after my ancestor was already in the US).

So, if Jonathan/John and Sybill got married twice, why? If the first one died, and she married another Barker, was he related? It would seem more likely to me, considering the similarities in the signatures, my first thought would be Jonathan and John were the same.

[Blue70]

There doesn't appear to be any children from the first marriage so I would think there was a separation. Maybe they got back together years later and got married again to renew their marriage vows.


Blue

[dickiesam]

There doesn't appear to be any children from the first marriage so I would think there was a separation. Maybe they got back together years later and got married again to renew their marriage vows.
Blue

And if a second marriage to renew their vows was quite some time later her second signature could well be somewhat 'shaky' compared to the first. I know has changed for the worse over the years.

[Blue70]

Some of the trees with the Jonathan Barker and Sybill Lofthouse marriage of 1806 have a death date for Jonathan of 1814 but I can't find a burial record to support this information. So far I haven't seen any tree with both marriages on it. The Jonathan Barker who died in 1809 aged 53 at Otley and was buried at Baildon was a tanner so he could be a brother of the Thomas Barker (occupation: tanner) that some of these trees have on them.

I would really study these trees and go through the parish records on Ancestry and then contact one of the better ones and ask them if they are aware there are two marriages for Sybill Lofthouse apparently to the same man or possibly a second one to a brother. Tell them that your John Barker (born about 1782) who is definitely on the second marriage record and his son Jonathan (born in 1816) appear on the Castle Garden Immigration records entering the USA in 1827.


Blue