Thank you for that. I can see I have a lot more homework ahead of me. I would very much like to trace female line descendants; if Susan Irlam had the mutation some of these descendants should still be carrying the abnormal mtDNA.
Quote Originally Posted by Thomasin View Post
The will of Silas Whitney, yeoman, was proved on 18th December 1801. In it he mentions his wife Hannah and his sons Thomas and Silas, but there is no mention of the two daughters. I see from FamilySearch that Ann Whitney was buried on 29th April 1801, before her father was himself buried on 27th September 1801.

It seems that Mary Whitney married Hugh Smith on 25th November 1795 at Astbury, and there is a burial of a Mary Smith on 30th March 1799 at Astbury, but of course there is no way of knowing if she is the right Mary Smith as no spouse name is given.

Silas Whitney also had a nephew, one of his executors, named Matthew Worthington Whitney.