A Gravestone Proves Me Wrong - and we find a Preceptress

David Campbell, who has made a close study of the YARKER family, has kindly emailed me to point out an error in my previous post about Sarah YARKER. I had identified her in the 1841 census as living in Clerkenwell with the SWAISLAND family. This was on the basis that James SWAISLAND had married an Elizabeth YARKER and so was brother-in-law of our Sarah YARKER.

David points out that there is a Monumental Inscription (MI) in St Mary, Ulverston, on a grave located in a triangular area between two footpaths. The MI says:

"Beneath are deposited the ashes of five infant sons of John & Elizabeth YARKER of Ulverston.
Henry departed this life 26th June 1802, 5 months.
John Langton died 7th January 1803 aged nearly 3 years.
William resigned his breath 20th September 1804 an infant 10 days old.
John Kendall quitted this vale of tears 9th November 1811 aged 5 months & likewise is here interred an infant son born lifeless 20th August 1812.
Elizabeth their daughter who died 19th August 1821 aged 18 years.
Also John YARKER the father who died 29th December 1822 aged 51 years.
Also Elizabeth widow of the last named John YARKER who died 11th November 1825 aged 51 years.
Also William YARKER nephew of the above who died 14th April 1863 aged 75 years."

I had previously known of Sarah's brothers Henry, Willliam and John Langton. Most of these dates coincide with my previous data, so this must surely be the same family. However, this does show that Sarah's sister Elizabeth had in fact died in 1821, so cannot be the Elizabeth SWAISLAND née YARKER in the 1841 Census.

David has also found more evidence - the marriage between a Sarah YARKER and a Henry MILES, butcher, on 4 Dec 1847 at St Andrew by the Wardrobe in the City of London. This Sarah's father is shown as "Robert YARKER, ostler" and a witness is Elizabeth SWAISLAND. This sounds very much like the Sarah YARKER and Elizabeth SWAISLAND née YARKER of the 1841 census, showing that this Sarah YARKER  was very much alive four years after our Sarah YARKER was dead.

Marriage of Henry MILES and Sarah YARKER, 4 December 1847

David then pointed me to the 1841 census for Wales, which has an entry for a "Sarah YARKER, age 35, Preceptress, n[ot born in county]" in the household of Joseph JONES, solicitor, in the High Street of Welshpool, Montgomeryshire. "Preceptress"? Apparently this was a tutor/governess - presumably to Joseph's three children of school age. Not confirmed, but certainly a more likely fit to what we know of Sarah's background than "Dressmaker". Sarah had a first cousin Robert Francis YARKER who was a solicitor in Ulverston - one can conjecture that she might have obtained the post through his contacts. Again, this is only conjecture; it is not proof.

Sarah YARKER in the 1841 census

So thanks to David we have certainly eliminated the wrong Sarah YARKER in the 1841 census and found a much more likely entry for her; not in England, but in Wales.

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"If many faultes in this booke you fynde
   Yet think not the correctors blynde;
If Argos here hymselfe had beene
   He should perchance not all have seene."

Richard Shacklock 1565

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