Bryan and Ann Baines lived in Wennington, a village in Lancashire just north of the Forest of Bowland.1 Wennington was too small to have its own church, and Bryan and Ann had their children christened at St. Wilfrid’s in Melling, a few miles away.2 There were four christenings recorded there, starting in 1662, with their son Gabriel. But the church records of baptism between 1650 and 1662 were lost, and at least one other child was probably christened there as well.3

Bryan and Ann were probably not Quakers, at least at first, but four of their children became Quakers and at least three of them immigrated to Pennsylvania. In 3^rd month 1694 Thomas Banes married Janet Ward at the Friends meeting house in Bentham, just two miles east of Wennington.4 His siblings Gabriel, Agnes and Deborah all signed the wedding certificate.5 Two years later Thomas and Janet arrived in Bucks County with a certificate from Wennington Meeting. Arriving in 9^th month 1696, Thomas was described as a tailor by trade, “late of Wenninton in Lancashire, but belonging to the monthly meeting at Settle.”6

In 1698 Gabriel, Deborah, and their mother Ann immigrated to Bucks County, arriving with a certificate from the monthly meeting at Settle that they presented to the meeting at Falls.7 Signed by 23 members of the meeting, the certificate included reassurance that Gabriel and Deborah were free of marriage entanglements.8

Deborah married Thomas Ashton in 1701 at Falls Meeting. Gabriel, Thomas and Janet all signed the marriage certificate.9 Oddly enough, her mother Ann did not sign, although she was still alive.10 Thomas and Deborah had two daughters, Mary and Ann, before Deborah died. They may also have had a son Isaac, who is believed to be a son of Thomas’, either by Deborah or by his second wife.11 The date of Deborah’s death is not known; it was before 1710 when Thomas remarried, to Hannah Hough.

In 1702 Gabriel and his mother Ann bought land together, paying £150 to William Duncan for 145 acres in Falls Township.12 This is Ann’s last appearance in the records. It is Gabriel’s only known land purchase. He served several times on juries and was chosen by Falls meeting in 1712 to speak with Friends who were behind in their subscriptions. In 1717 he married Elinor Botting of Middletown Meeting, and they had one son, Bryan, presumably named for Gabriel’s father. Gabriel was 55 years old when he married; Elinor must have been considerably younger.

In 1727 Gabriel wrote his will. His estate was to go to his wife Ellin and son Bryan, but if Bryan died without issue, then the estate was to in equal shares to his brother Thomas, sister Agnes Wood, and to the heirs of his sister Deborah, who died fifteen years before him. Specifically, the will named her heirs as his “cousin Ann Hillborn” and the two children of his “cousin Mary Lee”. Ann and Mary were his nieces, daughters of Deborah; it was a common locution of the time to use “cousin” instead of niece. His estate was valued at over £120, a good amount for the time. The inventory included a flock of 54 sheep, unusual for the time. Was Gabriel’s father Bryan a sheep farmer as well?

Ellin died in 1749; Bryan clearly died before her, since he was not named in her will.13  Half of her estate was to go to the monthly meeting at Falls, for the “service of truth”, and the other half was to be sent to England for the use of Shipley Meeting and for her brothers John and Thomas Botting of Gillington Parish, Sussex.

Children of Bryan and Ann14

Deborah, born about 1660, died between 1703 and 1710, married Thomas Ashton in 1701 at Falls Monthly Meeting, had daughters Mary and Ann.

Gabriel, christened 12 Oct 1662, died 1727, married Elinor Botting in 1717, had a son Bryan born in 1718.

James, christened 28 Aug 1664, died 1681.15

Thomas, christened 11 Feb 1666, died 4^th month 1743, married in 3^rd month 1694 Janet Ward at the meeting house at Bentham, Yorkshire. They immigrated in 1697, settled in Middletown, had a daughter Ann who married Daniel Doan Jr.16 Janet died in 10^th month 1732; Thomas died in 4^th month 1743. His will left his property and estate to his daughter Ann and her husband, who were also executors of the estate.17

Agnes, christened 7 Aug 1670, married a man named Wood after 1694 and before 1727. It is not known whether she immigrated to Pennsylvania. Gabriel left her a legacy in 1727 but did not say where she lived.