Pooley Family Page
Ann POOLEY married James PETCH at Northwold, Norfolk on 10th November 1774. Ann was my 4 x Great Grandmother. Ann and James had two children Elizabeth baptised at Houghton-next-Harpley on 3 September 1775 and Pooley born 18 December 1787 at Houghton-next-Harpley and baptised there on 23 December 1787. There is no evidence of other children being born to Ann and James at Harpley in the years between the births of these two children. Elizabeth married William TAYLOR at Swaffham, Norfolk on 11 October 1798 and raised their family there. Pooley married Sarah HEYHOE at Swaffham on 2nd August 1813 and raised their 11 children there. (See PETCH Family Page)
Ann and James are both buried in the pretty little churchyard at Houghton-next-Harpley James was buried there on 23 July 1811 and Ann on 29 January 1817.
For nigh on 20 years I searched for further information on both Ann POOLEY and James PETCH.The link must be with my 3x great grandfather POOLEY son of Ann POOLEY.
There is a Petch family residing for many years from Laceby, Lincolnshire but I haven't found a direct link and no reference to Pooley. There was a child William born to James and Ann Petch at Laceby, Lincolnshire, baptised there 23 September 1793 but I don't think this is they. In the 1841 census for Laceby they are recorded as James Petch 78 ag lab and Ann Petch 76 both born in County of Lincolnshire and Pooley's parents were dead by then. There is a marriage for a James Petch to Ann Petch at Laceby on 7th August 1790 and I believe them to be the parents of William.
After all those years of fruitless searching I was able to examine the Church Registers for Methwold, a village very near to Northwold and discovered Ann Pooley baptised at Methwold 17 May 1753, daughter of John (POOLE) POOLEY and Ann JAMES . John and Ann had 11 children some of them dying at birth or soon after: Elizabeth, John, Ann, Elizabeth, John, Robert, Ann, Elizabeth, William, Mary and Mary. John was buried at Methwold 14th June 1773.
John POOLEY was baptised at Methwold on 1 April 1720. He was the son of Robert POOLEY and Frances HOOD married at Feltwell 25th February 1714. Robert and Frances had 5 children Elizabeth, Frances, John, Robert and Mary. John married Ann JAMES at Weeting on 30th September 1740 and they