Earliest known Baines

The earliest known of the Baines family is that of Thomas & Agnes Baines of the Lancaster area who had baptised a son,William at St Mary’s Church in Lancaster on 18th January 1784.

On the 22nd February 1808, William Baines, son of Thomas &Agnes now living at Myerscough, married Ann Smith of Ashton, by Bannes by the curate, the Rev Thomas, in the presence of presumably Anns Parents, William & Jane Smith. It appears that both William and Ann were educated because they both signed the register.

Within two years, both William and Ann Baines had moved to Swynnerton in Staffordshire, the home of the Fitzherbert Family, Lords of Stafford. They were definitely living at Swynnerton on the 7th November 1810 for it was here that their second daughter Margaret was born.

Although no records have been found for their first child Ann Baines born around 1809, the records show she died in Swynnerton during 1837. When her birth is found it will give a clue as to how soon after the marriage of William and Ann they moved south to the Midlands.