William GILL appeared to move around a lot. While he baptized all but one child in Pateley Bridge, his residence was different in each case: Mary (1712, Moor Houses), Isabel (1715, Tanfield, baptized in Wath), John (1717, High Hardcastle), Anne (1720, Bewerley), Sarah (1723, Low Bishopside), Mary (1725, Pateley Bridge) and William (1725, Harefield).
His marriage to France WOOD of Warsill in Mar 1712 was in Ripon Cathedral, where it was common for marriages to be held, but his residence was given as "Skeldin" (which was Skelden and is now Skelding), which is about halfway between Pateley Bridge and Ripon. Their first child, Mary, was baptized in April 1720, when they were in Moor Houses on the west of Pateley Bridge.
An Isabel GILL daughter of William GILL & [blank] his wife of Tanfield was baptized in Wath on 18 Dec 1715. This appears to be a one-off christening and fills the gap in the other baptisms more easily ascribed to this William GILL. Given the variety of abodes used - no two are the same - it seems consistent with the other baptisms to have another different location for this baptism. Therefore Isabel has been included in William children.
The variety of abodes suggests that William had some kind of travelling employment, either continually travelling or staying in one location for a year before moving on. Perhaps he was an entertainer of some kind.
Although he travelling nature makes it difficult to be sure of his origins, a good candidate baptism is the William GILL christened by William GILL on 20 Mar 1685/6 in Mickley. Tanfield Hall is in Mickley, and may be related to the baptism of Isabel GILL. It's also closer to the
Another possible baptism is in Burnsall on 20 Feb 1689 by Thomas GILL.
