Nothing is known about the early life of John. He is Stephanie's 7x great grandfather.

He met Anne –?–★ before 1749 and had one son. William★ was baptised on 26 Sep, 1749 in Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire^a1. He married Mary Rose★ on 17 Oct, 1768^b1.

Timeline

1749

26 Sep

Son, William Gilkes★, baptised in Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire^a1.

Other Information

Other names and variations

• John Gilkes
• John Jilks^a1

Research Notes

Which Anne did John Marry? #

We looked for the baptism of William Gilks around 1748 and found the following:

William, son of John and Anne Jilks, baptized 26 Sep 1749 in Lower Heyford

Lower Heyford is just 2-3 miles to the east of Middle Barton. This seems a likely fit for William.

Unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be any trace of additional children of John and Anne in that area.

There seem to be two potential marriages:

• 13 Jan 1744, Steeple Aston - John Gilks and Ann Pettifer both of Salford, by licence
• 8 [???] 1735, Swalcliffe - John Gilkes and Anne Wyeat, both of this parish

There is also a William Gilkes marrying a Patience on the same day in Swalcliffe.

On the face of it, the 1744 marriage is the best fit for our John and Ann. Steeple Aston is within the same cluster of villages, between Steeple Barton, Lower Heyford and North Aston. Salford is 12 miles to the west of Lower Heyford, near Chipping Norton, close to the border with Worcestershire.

Swalcliffe is 10 miles north-west of Lower Heyford and 5 miles to the west of Banbury. It appears to be the epicenter of the Gilkes family in Oxfordshire. There are many families in that parish and the neighbouring parishes of Sibford Gower, Sibford Ferris, Tadmarton, Shutford and Epwell. There are also several Gilkes who are Quakers. It turns out that the Quaker Gilkes were famous clock makers. The website of the Sibfords has an article that lists some of the clockmakers and their families:

Thomas Gilkes senior (1675-1757) of Sibford Gower trained his three sons:

• Thomas junior (1704-1772) who remained at Sibford
• John (1707-c1790) who moved to Shipston on Stour
• Richard (1715-1787) who moved to Adderbury

and Thomas Gilkes junior (1704-1772) of Sibford Gower who had sons:

• Thomas 3 (1736-1779) who became the Charlbury clockmaker
• Richard (1741-?) who moved to Devizes
• John (1748-c1772) who remained at Sibford.

We searched the Oxfordshire parish records to look for the John Gilkes of Salford’s baptism some time before 1726 but unfortunately although there are many possible candidates, none look obviously connected to Salford:

• 7 Nov 1703, Tadmarton; John, son of Thomas Gilkes
• 25 Dec 1709, Swalcliffe; John, John Gilkes son of William and Hannah Gilkes
• 20 Mar 1710; Swalcliffe; John, son of William and Mary Gilkes
• 22 Mar 1712; Swalcliffe; John, son of Joseph and Ann Gilkes
• 21 Apr 1713; Burford; John, son of Robert Gilkes
• 2 Aug 1717; Hornton; John, son of Thomas Gilkes
• 10 Nov 1721; Swalcliffe; —- [John?], son of Georg and Ann Gilkes
• 21 Jan 1722; Wigginton; John, son of Peter and Mary Gilkes
• 22 Jan 1726; Swalcliffe; John, son of John and Elizabeth Gilkes

Tadmarton and Wigginton are close to Swalcliffe, about 5 miles west of Banbury and 8 miles from Salford. Hornton is about 5 miles north-west of Banbury and 12 miles from Salford. Burford is in the south-west of Oxfordshire, about 8 miles south of Salford.

There are no other Gilkes mentioned in the Salford registers. We searched for Ann Pettifer being baptised between 1706 and 1726 and only found one… in Swalcliffe!

• 8 Jul 1726; Swalcliffe; Ann, dau. of Mich. and Ann Pettipher

If this was “our” Ann Pettifer then it would mean that she and John Gilkes moved from Swalcliffe to Salford and then again to Steeple Aston to marry, settle down and have one child in the nearby village of Lower Heyford. It seems unusual that an unmarried couple would move from their home parish to another parish and then to another to marry.