Genealogram 0015
Married: 13 Sept 1784
Place: Newburn, NBL
HEDLEY, William
Born: Abt 17nn
Place: Unknown
Notes, Evidence and Issues
  • Based upon Genealogram 014, a search was made in the IGI online (v5.0) for Richard Hedley born in England in 1791 +/- 5 years (on the assumption that Richard's father was somewhere between 18 and 26 when Richard was born). This produced 9 hits but only one with Hedley as he surname (ie excluding Hadley, Hately, Headley, Hatley) and this recorded the christening of Richard by William Hedley and Elizabeth in Newburn on 14th November 1790.
  • In 1801 the population on Newburn Parish (consisting of 15 different townships including the village of Newburn itself) was 4,142 (History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland, Whellan, 1855) and, although the surname Hedley was not unusual, the likelihood of two William and Elizabeth Hedleys living there is considered unlikely. A list of births, deaths and marriages in the Newburn area kindly provided by another researcher showed William Hedley (widower) marrying Elizabeth Fletcher at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Newburn on 13 September 1784, in time to ensure George was born in wedlock. It seems reasonable to assume this couple were also Richard's parents.
  • Interestingly, a search of IGI online (v5.0) for a William Hedley marrying an Elizabeth in 1790 +/- 5 years did not locate the above marriage - just a William Hedley to Elizabeth Proctor in Newcastle, All Saints church on 12 May, 1792.
  • The siblings of Richard were identified by using IGI online (v5.0), guessing forenames and looking for children of William and Elizabeth Hedley christened in Newburn in 1791 +/- 10 years. This list of children is consistent (apart from the inclusion of Thomas) with a list provided by another researcher and direct descendant of the William Hedley.
  • A couple of notes of interest: (i) in the parish record of William and Elizabeth's marriage, one witness is identified as John Hedley; his relationship (if any) to William is unknown, and (ii) in the same extract of the parish records there is reference to the burial of Elizabeth Hedley, aged 64 on 28 March 1827 at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Newburn. There is no evidence to link the two other than her age would have seen her first child born when she was 22 and her last at the age of 38; not an unreasonable range.
Fletcher, Elizabeth
Born: Abt 17nn
Unknown, UNK
HEDLEY, George
Christened: 13 Mar 1785
Newburn, NBL
HEDLEY, Thomas
Christened: 23 Jul 1786
Newburn, NBL
HEDLEY, John
Christened: 26 Oct 1788
Newburn, NBL
HEDLEY, Richard
Born: Abt 1790
Newburn, NBL
HEDLEY, Mary
Christened: 6 Jul 1794
Newburn, NBL
HEDLEY, George
Christened: 8 Apr 1792
Newburn, NBL
HEDLEY, Elizabeth
Christened: 12 Jul 1801
Newburn, NBL