Died Skipton June 1739. Buried 23 June 1739 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
First 2 children (Sarah & John) born to Sarah. Third child (William) born to Mary 4 months after William himself had died.
Note1: 1st wife Sarah buried 8 Jul 1737 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Note2: 2nd wife Mary buried 15 Feb 1791 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Christened 26 Nov 1711 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
In 1729 was apprenticed by the Petyt Charity to Thomas Towson (Barber).
Died Skipton Dec 1744. Buried 20 Dec 1744 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Re: Anne Atkinson - christened 2 May 1715 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton. Died Skipton May 1776. Buried 31 May 1776 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Christened 23 Mar 1715 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
In 1727 was apprenticed by the Petyt Charity to Anthony Lauckland and then in 1729 to Peter Moorby (Butcher).
From approx 1735 onwards developed a Cattle Droving business, driving cattle from Northern Scotland (including the Hebrides) & Ireland, through South-West Scotland (Dundeuch) to the Great Close at Malham near Skipton where he would hold major cattle fairs with up to 5000 cattle on the Close at any one time and 20,000 over a summer. This equated to an estimated 20% of market share. From Skipton some of the cattle would also be driven by John and his sons, particularly William and Alexander, to markets in Lincolnshire and East Anglia (ref Norfolk Chronicle 9 March 1782).
In addition to Skipton (where Birtwhistle Yard still remains), extensive lands in the Craven district around Skipton and Dundeuch, John owned property in Falkirk and was also the patron of rectories and lands in Skirbeck & Fishtoft, Lincolnshire – the latter being being parishes where he installed his sons Thomas and Charles, and son-in-law John Vardill as incumbents. (ref also map of principal droving-related locations).
Using the profits generated through the cattle droving, John in his later years started to diversify his business interests and embrace developments of the Industrial Revolution. In 1774 he invested £4000 (out of a total £29,400) in the Leeds & Liverpool canal under development around Skipton and planned to run close to his pastures around Kirkby Malham and Long Preston.
Died Skipton 1 Dec 1787 - cause of death ‘natural decay’. Buried 3 Dec 1787 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton and remembered along with his wife Janet and sons Thomas, William, Alexander, Richard, Charles & Robert in a substantial memorial erected 50 years later by grandson John Birtwhistle (son of Alexander) high on the south wall inside Holy Trinity Church.
Re: Janet Shearer (also recorded as Jennet, Jane in Skipton records).
The eldest child of Alexander Shearer and Agnes (nee Gillespie) she was baptised on 24 Sept 1721in Falkirk, Scotland, where her father is recorded as a ‘Merchant’. The family remained in Falkirk and Janet presumably met John Birtwhistle as a result of his cattle droving activities in and around Falkirk. Following her marriage to John she moved to Skipton where their children were all subsequently born.
Died Skipton 28 Aug 1761 aged 39 (stated age 38 in Skipton record) shortly after giving birth to her youngest son James, who also failed to survive the birth. Buried 31 Aug 1761 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
· Jean (07 July 1734) – married James Scot in Falkirk on 06 Aug 1772.
Christened 6 Nov 1716 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Died Skipton Feb 1788 - cause of death ‘natural decay’. Buried 10 Feb 1788 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Re: Elizabeth Winterburn - Died Skipton May 1777 aged c.60. Buried 05 May 1777 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Christened 3 Dec 1718 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
8 children – William, John, Jane, Stephen, Mary, Frances, Francis, William.
No record of where /when died.
Re: William Metcalfe - Christened 9 Dec 1719 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton. Died Skipton June 1772 aged 52. Buried 12 June 1772 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Christened 10 Oct 1720 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Died Skipton Oct 1720. Buried 10 Oct 1729 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Bradley, Kildwick; Silsden Moor, Kildwick; Snaygill, Skipton.
Christened 13 Jan 1724 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
9 children – Grace, Mary, Jonas, Anne, Thomas, Emanuel, Elizabeth, James, Martin-Luther.
Re: James Gill – Born 1716 in Bradley, Kildwick. Christened 17 Dec 1716 at St. Andrews Church, Kildwick.
Various occupations including Farmer, Labourer, Husbandman and Limeburner.
Christened 31 July 1727 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Died Skipton Nov 1739 age 12. Buried 08 Nov 1739 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Christened 5 July 1732 at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.
Believed to have died in infancy (age 1) in 1733.