CHRISTOPHER MIDGLEY 1758-1825

The first person in our line to carry the ‘Midgley’ name was raised at Huttons Ambo, near Malton.  In the marriage allegation document of 1798 Christopher was described as a ‘husbandman of 30 years and upwards,' and a ‘widower.'  If the change in surname is correct, Christopher may well have been the son of John Mitchelson and his spouse Margaret, nee Frear.  This would have made him  40 years old when he married for the second time.

 Christopher’s second wife was born at Acklam in January 1774, the daughter of  Thomas Layton, a farmer, and his spouse, Elizabeth.  Mary’s mother had died of 'jaundice' when she was only 8 years old. Mary was about eight months pregnant when the couple married at Huttons Ambro Parish Church on the 8th.October 1798. The desire to avoid the stigma of illegitimacy may explain why they married by licence (thereby avoiding the three week delay for the calling of banns).

Christopher and Mary Midgley had at least nine children: John (born 1798), Elizabeth (born 1800), Thomas (born 1802), Henry (born 1805), Thomas (born 1807), Robert (born 1810), Elizabeth (born 1813), Jonathan (born 1815), and John (born 1818). The first three children died in childhood --hence the names were used again --a common practice at the time.

The parish registers and land tax forms lend credence to the idea that Christopher and his family were victims of the enclosure movement. At first the family lived at Huttons Ambo but by March 1806 the family had moved  to Mary’s home village of Acklam, 6 miles south of Malton. It appears that Thomas Layton helped his son-in-law by offering him the chance to take over the tenancy of a small plot of land owned by Robert Berry.  Christopher rented this land for the next 12 years.

Christopher died at Acklam in 1825 (aged 67 ?) and was buried on 3rd. March.  Mary outlived him by 18 years. She died at nearby Leavening. Note the coroner was called in and reported her death.