Welcome to my Pilkington Tree website.     

 My original research was based on Thomas Pilkington b.c.1751 d. 1824 Wheelton who is my 5 x times great-grandfather and his immediate  descendants who lived in the Horwich, Chorley and Bolton areas of Lancashire. He is buried at the Unitarian Church at Rivington where a number of the family are also buried. I have  now researched his forebears, using records which I have collected over the years  from various publications and sources. One clue is that Thomas's son Samuel was born at  Sharples [source 1851 census]. My instincts told me that Thomas could be the son of John and Mary 'of Sharples' who had a very large family.

I discovered another possible connection by chance when researching a  certain John Pilkington bc 1793 whose children were baptised at Rivington and where he is also  buried.  David Owen, a local historian considered that John was Thomas Pilkington's eldest son,  however he is not mentioned in his father's Will.  I believe he was the John Pilkington who was baptised  in 1793 at Horwich, the son of Robert Pilkington and Mary Lord.  John's eldest son was also named Robert.  A search for a baptism for the father Robert reveals only one at that time - in 1752 - the  son of John and Mary of Sharples.  If as I believe, Thomas is also the son of John and Mary  Pilkington of Sharples, then this would then make John baptised in 1793 his nephew, not his  son. In my eyes, this is totally feasible.  Too add to this thesis, this is what I have since discovered -

1. Thomas had children born at Sharples and baptised at Walmsley the nearest church. One baptism gives a residence of Pasture Barn, Belmont. Most were baptised in Bolton.
2. I have researched the large family of John and Mary Pilkington 'of Sharples' and found that one of their grandsons lived at Pasture Barn, Belmont - the same place that Thomas lived 30 years or so later.
3. Thomas Pilkington's Executor of his Will was John Whittle of Longworth. I found him on the census at Whittle's Farm just a short distance from Pasture Barn.
4. On the Pilkington Pedigree by Sir Anthony Pilkington, the Sharples branch of the pedigree [Sheet 4 and 5] shows James Pilkington and Elizabeth Stones.   The 'glassworks' line descends from their eldest son Richard who later moved to Horwich, and his younger brother James continued the Sharples line.  The Rivington Manor branch is parallel to these lines.
5. In 'The Pilkington Story' by Elizabeth Williams Ellis,  she shows the Sharples branch living at Belmont, Sharples from the 1500s onwards. John and Mary Pilkington descend from the younger son of James and Elizabeth, whose son was another James who married Eleanor Stones, and their son Richard who married Ann Wheat.  John b 1709 was Richard and Ann's son.
6. A recent discovery - I have a DNA match with someone also descended from John and Mary.

I hope you enjoy exploring the tree. I have included spouses and parents of all those on the tree where possible.  There are several family connections, but it is too complicated to show them all.

If you are interested, I keep in touch with other Pilkington researchers on my Facebook group Pilkington Ancestry. We have many publications and pedigrees for the family.

I am aware that some of these records may not always be accurate, but I have attempted to  compile the tree using what information is available.  I will only allow those to view the tree who can prove a genuine reason for doing so.

I would like to thank anyone who may have contributed in any way towards this research,  especially local historian David Owen(RIP), and my distant cousins Paul Lacey and Audrey  Foster, not forgetting my long-suffering husband Malcolm, whom I often bore with mountains of  family tree information!

IF YOU WISH TO VIEW THE TREE, PLEASE CONTACT ME [VIA THE LINK ABOVE] TO OBTAIN THE  ACCESS PASSWORD.

Julie Hill, April 2023 

All corresponding pages are copyright of Julie Hill, Paul Lacey and Audrey  Foster - 2006. All rights reserved.

'PILKINGTON ANCESTRY' - a Facebook group for sharing and discussing our ancestry - and also a website about Anglezarke a very interesting site including details about the  farms of Anglezarke and their occupants. SEE LINKS ON THE LEFT OF THIS SCREEN**