Hi Tony,

As you probably saw, no luck with with William Corkill & Elinor Christian's 1802 marriage record (looked up by both Frances in the MM, and Carol at her FHC) except that both parties signed their names. At that time many people signed with an "X".
- Unless the witness John Kermode was an in-law. Will try to check this.

I started off looking at the mother in 3 sets of possible parents for Elinor:
1. Ellinor daur of William Christian & Dorothy Wattleworth bapt 17 Mar 1773.
2. Ellinor d/o William Christian & Ellinor Christian bapt 28 Sep 1774.
3. Ellinor d/o John Christian & Joney Kerruish bapt 21 Jun 1783.
[There are probably more couples, but these fitted into the child-bearing years the best and were mothers of Elinors who could have married in 1802.]

Please see my message of 17/10/2013, 8:56 am, which refers to no.2, the ones from the farm Ballaterson (not a parish - Maughold was the parish), and were well-off, according to the will of Cath (Cowle) Christian.

The 1798 William Christian will you found is mentioned in this message, and there was no child Dorothy (that we know of) in that generation. You are thinking of the parents at no.1 (above) written about in other postings?

I know it is complicated, especially with the numerous Williams, both Christian and Corkill, and also numerous Elinor Christians! Try drawing a sketch chart - one for each set of potential parents and their relatives.

See also Frances's first message in this thread, and my answer 17/10/2013, 1:35 pm.
She posted details of the will of "Mrs Elinor CHRISTIAN" of Ballaterson, who died aged 91 and was b.c.1731, marr.1750 to William Christian, and had children bapt 1753 to 1774 [Elinor].
Her husband William Christian's will 1798 Maughold [A, 84, 0106233] was the one you looked at - the possible father of Elinor Christian (marr Wm Corkill 1802).

"Mrs Elinor Christian" was from Ballure (another farm) in Maughold, and I wrote on the board 18/10/2013, 9:10 am what the Radcliffes said in their book about her parents. Her mother Cath Cowle died in 1740 when Elinor was young, leaving a will, and her father John Christian's second wife Dorothy Callow also died young in 1745. Jim Smith is transcribing both their wills and will put them on his website.

Dorothy & John Christian had two sons:
John bapt 6 May 1742. (John’s first son Thomas with Cath Cowle died shortly after she did, so John was the heir).
Robert bapt 10 Mar 1743/44.

The John Christian's will you found was, I think, in Bride not Maughold. There are several John Christian wills in Maughold after his second wife's death, and his may be one of them. However Frances has an interesting summary for Thomas Christian's will [1756-1 E w] which mentions many people including “annexed note dated 12 Jul 1757 that Ballure Miln in a ruinous condition - proprietors Edward Christian, John Christian heir of Ballure with consent Capt Wm Callow guardian”. Having a guardian indicates that his father has died (Guardian Capt Wm Callow probably 2nd wife Dorothy Callow’s brother). If so we are looking for a will or decree for John Christian 1743-1757.
Possibly: CHRISTIAN, John 1754-3 Maughold E d 0106381

Re. William Corkill you mentioned being born 1779 – where did that date come from? I thought that judging by his marriage date he was likely to have been born between about 1760-1780. There were 6 bapt in Maughold around those dates, which is why I started on Robert’s maternal side.

Sue