Pillar, Pe(e)loe, Pelow – the origin of Jacob Pillar

 I am descended from Isaac Pillar, son of Jacob and Mary Pillar who was baptised in Great Yarmouth on 25 November 1781.¹ His sister Mary Pillar, daughter and eldest child of Jacob and Mary Pillar, was baptised on 29 December 1775 in Great Yarmouth.² 

St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth, photographed by Susan Law, 2016.

This was the first Pillar/Piller entry in Great Yarmouth registers. Searching the indexes leads to a marriage for Mary’s parents, Jacob Piller and Mary White, who married on 18 June 1775 in St Michael Coslany Norwich.³ This indicates that we should be looking for Jacob’s baptism in Norwich. This is consistent with the surname distribution as until that date the Pillar surname was highly concentrated in Norwich, starting with the baptism of Isaac Pillar in 1695.⁴

St Michael Coslany Church, Norwich. Photographed by Susan Law, 2018.

On the whole the collection of Pillar/Piller entries form logical family groups, but there are gaps. Looking at Jacob’s burial entry in 1836 his age 85 indicates a birth about 1751.⁵ and there is a noticeable absence of Jacob Pillar/Piller baptisms in the appropriate time frame. There are, however, two marriages with no offspring in the records:

• Isaac Pillar and Mary Gregory, both of this parish, married on 19 Novermber 1738 in St Paul.⁶
• Isaac Pillar (widower of St Martin at Palace Plain) married Jane Yestis (of St Michael at Thorn) married on 26 Dec 1748 in St Michael at Thorn.⁷

These are the same Isaac Pillar, Mary née Gregory having been buried on 13 February 1744/5 in St Augustine churchyard.⁸ The next Pillar/Pillar record in St Martin at Palace Plain registers after the Isaac/Jane marriage was Jane Pillar’s burial (Widow, late Yestis) buried 9 July 1786.⁹

To try and cover any really queer spelling, a search was done for baptisms with Isaac and Jane as parents but no surname specified. Five entries in the registers of St Martin at Palace Plain were found:

• 25 February 1749/50, Mary Peeloe.¹⁰
• 10 November 1751, Jacob Peeloe.¹¹
• 20 October 1754, Ann Peloe.¹²
• 22 May 1757, Esther Pelow.¹³
• 3 August 1760, Joseh Peloe.¹⁴

Using the surname variants above to search, a burial for Isaac Pillar was found in the St Martin at Palace Plain records:

• 21 November 1767, Isaac Pelow.¹⁵

St Martin at Palace Plain, Norwich. Photographed by Susan Law, 2018.

This group of records looks like a family with a parish clerk and at least one parent who didn't know how to spell their surname. Not only that, but it has a Jacob born about the right time. The balance of probability is that Jacob Peeloe (baptised 1751) can be equated with Jacob Pillar (married 1775).

Note: This research was primarily done in 2008-2010.

Sources

1. St Nicholas (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England), "Norfolk Record Office PD 28/15, Register of Baptisms/Burials 1777-1783/2," baptism of Isaac Pillar, 25 Nov 1781; FHL microfilm 1,526,328, item 3.
2. St Nicholas (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England), "Norfolk Record Office PD 28/14, Register of Baptisms/Burials 1771-1777," baptism of Mary Pillar, 29 Dec 1775; FHL microfilm 1,526,328, item 2.
3. St Michael Coslany (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 16/7(W), Register of Marriages & Banns 1754-1779,"  page 83, marriage of Jacob Piller & Mary White, 18 Jun 1775; digital images(accessed 16 Jun 2010).
4. Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org); British Isles Vital Records Index (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. British Isles Vital Records Index (16xCD ROM). Second Edition. Salt Lake City, USA: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2001.); Norfolk Transcripts Website (http://www.genealogy.doun.org/transcriptions/index.php, now defunct); FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/).
5. St Nicholas (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 18/140, Register of Burials 1831-1836,"  page 240, burial of Jacob Piller, 31 Jan 1836; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 6 May 2012).
6. St Paul (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Archdeacon's Transcripts (Norwich), "Norfolk Record Office AT Dean and Chapter 2, Archdeacon's Transcripts 1706-1811,"  marriage of Isaac Pillar & Mary Gregory, 19 Nov 1738; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 25 Jan 2010). 
7. St Michael at Thorn (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Archdeacon's Transcripts, "Norfolk Record Office ANW 13, Archdeacon's Transcript for the year 1748-9,"  marriage transcript, Isaac Pillar & Jane Yestis, 16 Dec 1748; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 25 Jan 2011).
8. St Augustine (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 185/3(S), General Register 1663-1748,"  page 144, burial of Mary Piller, 13 Feb 1744/5; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 8 May 2012).
9. St Martin at Palace Plain (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norwich Record Office PD 12/5, General Register 1753-1791,"  burial of Jane Pillar, 9 Jul 1786; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 16 Jun 2010).
10. St Martin at Palace Plain (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 12/4, General Register 1729-1752,"  baptism of Mary Peeloe, 25 Feb 1749/50; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 16 Jun 2010).
11. St Martin at Palace Plain (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 12/4, General Register 1729-1752,"  baptism of Jacob Peloe, 10 Nov 1751; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 1 Mar 2010).
12. St Martin at Palace Plain (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 12/5, General Register 1753-1791,"  baptism of Ann Peloe, 20 Oct 1754; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 16 Jun 2010).
13. St Martin at Palace Plain (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 12/5, General Register 1753-1791,"  baptism of Esther Pelow, 22 May 1757; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 16 Jun 2010).
14. St Martin at Palace Plain (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 12/5, General Register 1753-1791,"  baptism of Joseph Peloe, 3 Aug 1760; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 16 Jun 2010).
15. St Martin at Palace Plain (Norwich, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 12/5, General Register 1753-1791,"  burial of Isaac Pelow, 21 Nov 1767; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 16 Jun 2010).

Railways and Genealogy

When researching my 3xgreat-grandparents, Walter Thomas Piller and Susanna Davies, I hit a problem. Walter and Susanna married in Great Yarmouth and had two short-lived children there, the second of whom was buried in August 1851.^1-5 In August 1852 they had a child, Betsey and in August 1853 a son, Walter, both born in Shoreditch.^6,7 Walter grew up to become my 2xgreat-grandfather, but Betsey seemed to just vanish. The solution lay in the railways.

Railways had a major impact on the development of modern Britain.⁸ Towns which missed out on a route slowly degenerated into villages and formerly remote villages grew into towns. In other locations (such as Amersham) development steadily migrated to a nearby station, leaving the ancient village hanging loose.

With their capacity for both bulk freight and mass human transport, railways significantly reduced both travel times and travel costs while increasing availability. Before the railways, most travel for lower income families was by foot, cart or canal, all at pretty much walking pace (5-7 kph).⁹ Only the wealthy could afford coaches (private, stage or mail) which travelled at about twice the speed (8-14 kph). The frequency with which these services were publicly offered would only be, at most, a few times per week. The early trains frequently travelled at 30-50 kph and often provided several services per day.^{8 (p118),10} After 1844 all new railway companies were required to provide low cost travel at 1d per mile. The existing companies rapidly followed suit as these low cost services provided access to a new, mass market and were extremely profitable.^{8 (p89)} Offering affordability and speed, railways were a key facilitator of migration within the UK.

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Coventry was a town which needed transport. Surrounded by a major coalfield and with industries developing, Coventry welcomed developments in transport systems.¹¹ Major road improvements began in the early eighteenth century, with turnpike trusts steadily being set up to convert bridle ways to carriage ways. Canal development begain in 1768 connecting the Bedworth coalfield to Coventry and by 1790 the Coventry Canal provided connections to canals reaching Liverpool and the Thames. Coventry station was built in 1838 as a stop on the London (Euston) to Birmingham railway.^11,12 By 1843 trains were taking 4-5 hrs for the 150 kilometre trip from London to Coventry, with ~8 services per day.¹⁰ This was quicker, more convenient and much cheaper than a stage coach (~10 hours), and also much quicker than by canal (~36 hours over several days).⁹

My 4xgreat-grandparents, Catherine Randal and Edward Butler, married in 1822 at Foleshill, north-east of Coventry.¹³ Edward died in 1826 leaving one child (James born 1823) and Catherine remarried to Henry Fletcher in 1827, again at Foleshill.^14,15,16 Their first three children - Henry (1828), Hannah (1831) and Jonas Henry (1832) - were all born near Foleshill but the last two children - George Henry (1834) and Charles Henry (1837) - were born at Tower Hamlets, east of the City of London.^17-21,24 The move from Foleshill to Tower Hamlets in about 1833 would most conveniently have been made by canal.

In 1840 Henry Fletcher died in Tower Hamlets.²² In the 1841 census Catherine was still living in Tower Hamlets, but by 1851 she was back in the Coventry area with Jonas Henry and George Henry where she remarried in 1856.^23-25 By this time the trip could have made by railway.

Her eldest son (my ancestor), James Butler lived in Tower Hamlets until his death in 1867 but his eldest daughter, Louisa, was staying with her half-uncle, Jonas Henry Fletcher, in the Coventry area in 1861 returning to London by 1871.^26,27,28

Catherine’s second son, Henry Fletcher, also stayed in Tower Hamlets for the rest of his life, but her two youngest surviving sons (Jonas Henry and George Henry) having moved back to the Coventry area with their mother in 1851 married in the area and had families there.^29,24,30 During this time Louisa, daughter of James Butler, visited Jonas Henry. However, Jonas Henry and George Henry, with their families, were back in Tower Hamlets by 1871.^31,32

It is doubtful whether this hopping back and forth, especially of entire families, could have happened were it not for the existence of the railway.

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Norfolk had been a relatively isolated area of England for centuries, cut off from the rest of the country by the fens. In addition there was only one (short) canal built in the North-east of the county, so that travel was limited to the rivers and the roads.^33,34,35 The Norwich Thorpe to Great Yarmouth railway line opened in 1844, greatly reducing travel time between the two towns.³⁶ In 1845 Norwich Thorpe was connected to the Shoreditch (Bishopsgate) terminus in London.³⁶ This would have greatly simplified travel from the Norfolk coast to London with a single change of train at Norwich. A faster route from Norwich to Shoreditch (Liverpool Street) via Ipswich was opened in 1851.³⁶ By 1859 London could be reached from Great Yarmouth in eight hours.³⁷

It turns out that Betsey, third child of Walter and Susanna, while born and baptised at Shoreditch, was buried at Great Yarmouth in March 1853 (no death registration found).³⁸ Then in August 1853 their fourth (and first surviving) child was born at Shoreditch.⁷ The family seems to have settled down in Tower Hamlets after this. I have very little doubt that most of the family’s travelling between Yarmouth and the East End of London was done by rail and undoubtedly they made many more trips for which we have no evidence.

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It is difficult to see the amount of travelling to and fro between place of origin and London shown above occurring without the railways and the existence of the railways needs to be taken into account when searching for sources. When people vanish in the mid nineteenth century, check when nearby stations were built and where the rail lines could take people. It took me a long time to find Betsey Piller’s death simply because it didn’t occur to me to look for a death outside London once the family had initially moved there!

The wrong Sarah Ayers

When I discovered that Sarah Ayres or Ayers, wife of John Jackman was included in a number of Ancestral Files on FamilySearch (e.g. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:M7RD-MH2) I was delighted.¹ In this file Sarah is Sarah Ayers, daughter of John Ayers and Jedidah nee Chamberlain, baptised 28th October 1764 in St Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. Since the first baptism for a child of John Jackman and Sarah nee Ayres was in 1784 and there is no marriage in the Lowestoft records this seemed reasonable.²

St Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. Photographed by the author 6th July 2018

Following up, the first thing I did was “kill off the relatives” using the Suffolk Burial Index to find all the Ayers/Ayres burials in Lowestoft.³ There aren’t many that early, but among them is the burial of Sarah Ayres, 7th February 1769, age 4. There is only one person this could be. I was sad to lose Jedidah as an ancestress, but accuracy before wishful thinking.

There is another Sarah Ayers in the Lowestoft area, Sarah daughter of Jonathan Ayers and Alice nee Pashly, baptised at All Saints, Pakefield 8th December 1754.⁴ Jonathan was the brother of John Ayers, so the two Sarahs were cousins. What supporting evidence could there be for the Pakefield Sarah being the wife of John Jackman. I decided to hunt for her burial. She was not buried in Lowestoft, despite she and John baptising all their children there. From research I had found that all of the Jackman offspring had moved to Great Yarmouth.

The thatched church of All Saints & St Margaret, Pakefield. Photographed by the author, 6th July 2018

The Great Yarmouth registers had not been indexed, but Norfolk Record Office allowed the LDS to digitise all the films, so I was able to search through all the burial registers page by page. I found a burial for John Jackman M.M. age 55 on 12th February 1805.⁵ Sarah Jackman died 14 years after her husband age 64 and was buried on 7th November 1819. This gives a birth date around 1755, close to the age of the Pakefield Sarah.⁶

Minster Church of St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth. Photographed by the author, 5th July 2018

Final confirmation comes from the entry for the 1769 burial on the Find A Grave website (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142656017).⁷ Sarah is buried in her father’s grave. The headstone reads:

“Here resteth the body of John Ayers, the husband of Jedidah Ayers, who departed this life Sept the 23rd 1767 aged 43

also 1 child, an infant

and also Sarah, their daughter, who died Feb 1st 1769 aged 4 years

also Jedidah, his beloved wife who died Nov the 7th 1775 aged 49 years”

Unfortunately there is no way to correct the record in Ancestral Files, and every relative I have come into contact with has the wrong Sarah in their tree. How do you start the conversation - “Hello, sorry to mention it but your tree is wrong...”?

Sources

1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Ancestral File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:M7RD-MH2 : accessed 8 March 2020), entry for Sarah AYERS (2T2Z-PL); submitted by cpchamberlain618958.
2. St Margaret (Lowestoft, Suffolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD589/2, General Register 1650-1786,"  baptism of William Jackman, 1 Feb 1784; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 6 Mar 2010).
3. Suffolk Family History Society, Suffolk Burial Index, CD-ROM (Ipswich, England: Suffolk Family History Society, 2005).
4. All Saints & St Margaret (Pakefield, Suffolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 551/2, General Register 1748-1812,"  baptism of Sarah Ayres, 8 Dec 1754; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 6 Mar 2010).
5. St Nicholas (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office D 28/136, Register of Burials 1801-1806,"  burial of John Jackman, 12 Feb 1805; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 3 Mar 2010).
6. St Nicholas (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers, "Norfolk Record Office PD 28/138, Register of Burials 18 June 1819 - 1 November 1825,"  page 19, burial of Sarah Jackman, 7 Nov 1819; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 3 Mar 2010)
7. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 08 March 2020), memorial page for Sarah Ayers (unknown–1 Feb 1769), Find A Grave Memorial no. 142656017, citing St Margaret Churchyard, Lowestoft, Waveney District, Suffolk, England ; Maintained by Our Family History (contributor 47719401)