Who is Mary ?

Huncamunca said:
The actual will would no doubt clarify things, if you could get hold of a copy.
Click to expand...
If only,have been trying to track that down for a while too. In life notes J.R.O'Neal mentions transcribing it for Henry Anthony Howard who to my knowledge yet has no family connection. Have tried a few sources with no replies
 
Coshocton Tribune 26 January 1971

HEATHERINGTON

Although surnames only came into general, use mound the 12th century AD, many of our modem names have roots that can be traced even farther back into history.

Hethored Bishop of Worcester, England, in the 8th century, owned an estate which became known as Hetherington. Some Hetherington families today may possibly claim connection with this ancient estate.

The surname came into common use several centuries later, when it was used to describe "the town near the' heath!' There is a place in Northumberland by this name, and it was adopted as a surname by some of the residents.

Ancient Worcestershire records dated 1327 mention the name of Hetherington, as do the Surrey Rolls of 1332. By the 1500's the name had spread to achieved prominence as members of the family held estates in both counties..

Richard Hetherington was one of the first to attain prominence. He was made Governor of the locale of Tortola; later he also became Governor of Burton in Lune Vale,
 
Huncamunca said:
There is a corresponding marriage licence bond, transcribed here:
http://
archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/CUMBERLAND/2001-05/0989265363

which says they were both of Crakethorp in the parish of Stapleton; he was a yeoman. Marriage to be at Stapleton.

Still looking to see if I can find any other references to them in Stapleton . . .
Click to expand...

I suspect they are a different couple: FamilySearch has baptisms of a John and/or Thomas, son(s) of Richard & Mary Hetherington, at Stapleton in 1780 (can't tell if this is two different children or a Jno./Tho. confusion by transcriber).

At around the same time there was another Richard Hetherington - presumably Joanne's - having three children baptised at Thornton in Lonsdale:
Hannah 1779
Elizabeth 1781 (of Burton)
Richard 1785

Mother's name not stated, unfortunately; full dates aren't given in the transcript.

from Thornton in Lonsdale parish register transcripts here:
http://www.

ingleborougharchaeology.org.uk/ParishRegister.html

I expect you've already seen the burial register transcripts, Joanne, but in case not the entry for Ann Norton Hodgson in 1797 says 'Wife of Mr Richard Hodgson lately moved fm Lancaster to Burton' and the one for Mary Hetherington says 'wife of Mr Richard Hetherington from Burton. Mr Richard Hetherington has resided for many years at Tortola in the West Indies; his family at Burton'
 
From slave registers on Ancestry there was an Isaac Pickering esq. in the Virgin Islands e.g. in 1818. There's also a PCC will for what must be an earlier Isaac Pickering esquire of Tortola, dated 1802; probate granted in 1803. I have only glanced through so far: he does mention a daughter Mary but she is under 21 and not married. It might be worth investigating Isaac's family further though, in case Richard Hetherington's wife was related somehow.
 
I agree that the Thornton Hetheringtons are unlikely to be the Stapletone ones - doesn't fit somehow.
More likely to be linked to the Yorkshire/ Lancaster area - Lancaster an extremely prosperous port at that time.
By absolute coincidence I had an extremely nice lunch at the Marton Arms at Thornton in Lonsdale yesterday! The church opposite has a lovely old tower.
 
Huncamunca said:
From slave registers on Ancestry there was an Isaac Pickering esq. in the Virgin Islands e.g. in 1818. There's also a PCC will for what must be an earlier Isaac Pickering esquire of Tortola, dated 1802; probate granted in 1803. I have only glanced through so far: he does mention a daughter Mary but she is under 21 and not married. It might be worth investigating Isaac's family further though, in case Richard Hetherington's wife was related somehow.
Click to expand...

I had a quick google round and there do seem to have been Pickering families in Tortola from earlier dates, some poss Quaker.
Given the lack of a marriage record in England for Richard and Mary, it is possible that they met in the Virgin Is. Could be worth looking into.
 
Joanne said:
If only,have been trying to track that down for a while too. In life notes J.R.O'Neal mentions transcribing it for Henry Anthony Howard who to my knowledge yet has no family connection. Have tried a few sources with no replies
Click to expand...

How frustrating, knowing that the will and a transcript existed but not being able to get copies. :(

Have you been able to establish whether the 'volume of wills dating from the 1820s to the 1950s' is still in the Government archives, as it was when J.R. O'Neal saw it? I have been trying to, but going round in circles and getting nowhere fast.

The Virgin Islands' National Archives and Record Management Unit website has a useful sounding section called 'Resources Available' but none of the promised things are there. I got hopeful when I saw a button labelled 'Conduct Research', which leads to quite an impressive form. Unfortunately in the small print it says 'Please note: This Unit cannot at this time undertake research for individuals except very quick reference type answers to queries. We can provide referrals and a list of local researchers upon request.'

So I guess you are back to waiting for your researcher to be back on the island. You'd think the National Archives could manage to check whether they still have that volume of wills and whether it is fit for consultation. But maybe that doesn't count as a 'very quick reference type answer'. :(
 
Just musing...
Various websites have Richard Hetherington born near Kendal in Westmorland.

Then looking at the Pickerings in Virgin Islands the earliest seems to be Abednego Pickering (- poss the Abednego Pickering who died in Liverpool in 1768, s/o William Pickering?)
Then FS have an earlier death of an Abednego Pickering in Kendal 1740.

So just wondering if there is a Hetherington/Pickering/Kendal/ Tortola link somewhere.... Kendal isn't too far from Thornton in Lonsdale either
 
Could this help or hinder?
Anitique Portraits: Portrait of Col Richard Hetherington ...quamava.com/antique-art/antique-portraits.
Description and history of the portrait says...'his wife was a sister-in-law of the Marquess of Exeter.....'
It also says that his wife never travelled to British Virgin Islands because of the humidity.
 
Last edited:
More help or hinder. The Cecil's (Marquess's of Exexter) and the Pickering's seem to be entwined through a great many years.
 
www.
vifamilies.org/plistings.html
Interesting read of family trees on British Virgin Islands.
Full family info for the Pickerings but not much at all for Hetherington
 
The following in no way finds your Mary, but gives a bit of history on Abednego who could possibly be connected.
"In the early 1730's Abednego Pickering, a Quaker immigrant with an English background arrived from Anguilla and established himself at Fat Hog Bay. He was the only planter professing religious convictions.
In 1738 James Burkett, another Quaker sailed to Tortola to organise religious meetings. Abednego had died in 1736 and his son John became the leader of the small group of Quakers. John Pickering became the first Lieutenant Governor and resigned over the problem of militia to protect his people. John Pickering died in 1768 at about 60 years of age and was one of the largest slave owners on Tortola, but very popular with his slaves. By Louis Barton, March 2007
(westbynorthwest.org)
Is this the connection? There is a Mary born to Isaac Pickering, another son of Abednego, but too late. Isaac's wife was Elizabeth? Post #34
 
Correction.......
Isaac Pickering father of Mary Pickering was the son of John Pickering not his brother. This Mary was born sometime around 1781.
 
First
I would like to say thankyou to Chimp, Huncamunca ,Grizel, Archie's Mum and Ann. B.
Thornton in Lonsdale,Yorkshire,Lancashire Hetherington's yes mine. Ann Norton H marrying a Norton I believe she would have had to be very young. Evidently the will is supposedly in " cold storage" on Tortola.but can't be checked on until after the wet season so my contact was told. It took them six weeks to send that answer. Richards portrait I tried to find the one mentioned #32 but could'nt bring site up. I have seen the copy which Lancs museum has now bought while it was up for sale. Still waiting on a photo of that,Lancs museum promised inlieu of information supplied. I think hell will freeze before i get that!
I did'nt know about Governor of Burton in Lune Vale. I believe Thornton in Lonsdale is supposed to be a very pretty village
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top