In the family way (II)

As you know, if you've read my similarly entitled previous entry, I'm doing a bit of research into my family tree.

When I married, for reasons as they where, I decided to use my future wife's surname, rather than keep my own.

Now, you can choose to go by any name you wish here in the UK, except under certain special circumstances where you must use your legal name.

For we males, that is likely to be the name on your birth certificate, complete with any mistakes that may have been made at the time. For our oppos... the rule is the same, but on marriage, the husband's surname becomes the wife's legal surname.

Again, it don't really matter, unless you have to use your legal name, and the three examples I was given were:

1. Applying for a passport
2. Criminal proceedings (it is your legal name, after all)
3. Marriage (which you've guessed by now. I'm sure!)

So, in light of this, the reality was I had to change my name by deed poll, so that my legal surname would be the same as my intended's and she would still take "my" name, but of course there would be no change.

As a complete aside, me and my sister and my daughter quite enjoy playing the "all three of us have different surnames but none of us are married - work that one out" game with new people. Well, it amuses us.

Anyhew, all of which (above) is a bit of a long-winded way of saying that my birth family name is "Batty".

Batty is a fine northern name, and those of you familiar with the very north western part of Yorkshire may have come across it in the geographical name Batty Green. I think Batty Green these days is little more than a small open area close to Ribblehead, although I understand there used to be a temporary township of the same name there, and the name itself was considered for Ribblehead Station (on the Settle-Carlisle line) before the latter was finally decided upon.

Certainly, (at least one of) the regional birthplace(s) of the name is that area of Yorkshire, and perhaps previously, Cumberland.

I have managed to trace my paternal lineage to the 1790s and my great-great-great-great-great grandfather, one Thomas Batty of Burton-in-Lonsdale, but everything I know about Thomas, with one exception, I have told you in this sentence.

It's interesting, and a bit scary, to note that I am related to Thomas in the same (although not patrilineal) way as my daughter's granddaughter's granddaughter's son will be to me, should he care to look back from his vantage point in the early 2200s!

The only other thing I know about Thomas is he had a son called James Altham Batty.

(I guess... and it is only a guess that James Altham's mother's maiden name was Altham, but as I said... 'tis nobbut a guess.)

Now, James is a very common name, Altham is not rare, and Batty, at least in the Lonsdale region is as common as... well... muck.

But "James Altham Batty"? There can't be that many of those, can there?

I don't know exactly when James was born, but I do know he was baptised on 22nd April 1798 in Thornton-in-Lonsdale.

I know he married Mary, and together they had 6 (as far as I can find) children, William, Margaret, Mary, Robert, Thomas and my direct ancestor Christopher.

From decennial censuses I know he lived throughout his life in Burton-in-Lonsdale, found employment in one of the (many) Burton Potteries and whilst I am not 100% certain (you'd be surprised just how many James Batty's were born in 1797-8!!!) in 1870 in Settle a James Batty was registered as having died, and is therefore very likely to be my great-great-great-great grandfather.

I know he had at least many as 29 grandsons and granddaughters (I'm still finding them), that some of those branches of the tree, instead of spreading towards my home-town, instead spread in the direction of Whitehaven, Oswaldtwistle and perhaps Bolton, whilst others remained in and around Burton and Thornton.

(I even know there was a strong possibility that Altham was pronounced Alt-ham rather than Al-tham.)

So with the advent of the good ol' tinterweb, you'd think I'd have a great chance of finding out some more about him, and perhaps even getting to grips with Thomas and his ancestors.

So, I google James Altham Batty, and what do I get?

Nothing, natch, nada!

Nor even for Baty, Batey, Batie, Battey, Battey, Battye or even Battie.

Well, of course I get loads, but nothing on J.A.

However, one name crops ups with startling regularity - Aegidy Batty, born about 1688 in Clapham, Yorkshire - barely 7 miles from Burton.

What a COOL name!!!

Do YOU know ANYONE called Aegidy?!?!?!?

What's more, Aegidy can be traced patrilineally at least 110 years further back to John Battie in the 1570s, and (tantalisingly) another path goes back to a Agnes Altham!

Yet others reach to the 1530s... stating the obvious, I know, but that's almost 500 years!

And the related family lines? There's the Irwin family, the Aland family, the Henrie family, the Smith family, the Stubbs family... it seems just about everyone in the WORLD is related to Aegidy, but can I find a connection?

Can I eckers like... and it's my blinking name!!!

I'm beginning to wonder if I exist.