The Burley Family

My great grandfather was Arthur Burley born in York on 3 April 1869. His younger brother Albert was also born in the city c1871. Their father was Robert John Burley (or John Robert), a railway porter who had been baptised on 10 December 1843 at St Mary Bishophill Junior in the City of York. Robert's mother was Mary Burley.

Robert John is believed to have married Mary Ann Watson from Blackmoor. This is according to the 1881 census and their son's birth certificate. I am unsure where Blackmoor is. I have identified several Yorks possibilities but would be pleased to receive suggestions.

By 1881 the family was residing at Gilling East and Robert was described as a railway signalman. He is also now the father of two daughters - Emma Burley and Amelia. I believe the girls later moved to Sheffield and possibly one of them and their brother Albert emigrated to either New Zealand or Australia.

Robert's mother, Mary , was baptised on 3 Sept 1825 at St Mary Bishophill Junior, York, the daughter of John and Mary Burley. John was described as an attorney's clerk. Mary appears to have been the third child born to the couple; the others being Jane baptised in 1819 and Mary bapt 1823, buried 1824.

After 'my' Mary had given birth to Robert she married John Longthorn, (1845)a bricklayer, and they produced a son, John Robert Longthorn. Mary's sister, Jane also produced an illegitimate child - Theresia Bell - before she married Thomas Place. On the 1851 census he is recorded as visiting his sister in law in York.

In 1828 a John Robert Burley was christened at Fulford as the son of John and Mary Burley and the following year a daughter was christened there - Eliza Brown Burley. This suggests the Mary Brown who married John Burley on 4 August 1819 at St Olave's York was my 4 x great grandmother.
If any of this rings bells with you I would love to hear from you.