JAGGER HISTORY

There is a 1306 Derbyshire record of some Thomas le Jager, but generally the surname is associated with West Yorkshire. A “jag” is a pack, in West Yorkshire dialect, and a jagger was a peddler. It has been said that English Jaggers descend from families in Stainland, West Yorkshire. A Yorkshire poll tax of 1379 reportedly showed only a single Jagger family, located in Stainland (west of Jagger Green). Over time descendants spread, particularly to the east. In West Yorkshire there are: Jagger Green, Jagger Green Hall, Jagger Bridge, Jagger Dam, and Jagger Park Wood.

About 1420, Shibden Hall (a Jagger later married into a family associated with Shibden) was built to the east of Halifax. Philip and Van Aaron kindly gave us a tour of Shibden Hall, which many of my kinfolk must have seen. The present Halifax Parish Church, associated with my ancestry, was begun in 1438, on the site of a Norman church.

About 1758-1759, Mary Jagger (great-grandmother of our James Jagger) was born; her parents are not known. An e-mail cousin has reported that Mary Jagger was not married at the time of birth of her son William Jagger (b. 1781-1782, Southowram). William was baptized at St. John the Baptist, parish church of the Church of England, on February 3, 1782. He was a laborer. William Jagger married Martha Wilkinson on December 26, 1804. Martha had been baptized on November 24, 1874, at the Square Independent Chapel. Their children were baptized at Square Chapel, so do not appear in Church of England records. One of those kids was our John Jagger (b. 1807-1808), who was christened on June 12, 1808, at Square Chapel; the parents were recorded as William and Martha Jagger of Southowram. John’s brother Joseph was to become a significant figure in the life of our James Jagger.

John Jagger was a weaver of Southowram at the time of his December 25, 1827, marriage to Mary Hardyman. He was also listed as a weaver of Southowram at the time of births of their kids Susannah (christened Jan. 25, 1829), William (chr. May 1, 1831), and John Jr. (chr. Nov. 6, 1836). Their daughter Martha Ann was christened on Oct. 30, 1839. As a weaver, John Jagger surely would have frequented the Piece Hall (opened in 1779) in Halifax. Small makers of cloth sold their products to wholesalers at Piece Hall.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,I'm the Dave Walker the closest match to Randy on WALKER DNA GROUP 20

Regards Dave

Unknown said...

Hi Just a comment about that possible William Walker/Mary Jagger 'connection'. I have your John Jagger/Mary Hardiman with an oldest child Judith b 1824. She might well have left home before 1841 census as she would have been 19. For some reason, Judith christened one of her sons, by Leonard Yates, Walker Yates. He's my wife's great grandfather. The Walker surname is unique in the family as far as I can see! A bit of a stretch, I know, in connecting William Walker with Mary Jagger... but why Walker Yates? Mary Hardiman would have known Mary Jagger who was her great grandmother. PS My mail address is now jimcennen@gmail.com. Regards, John Summers

Unknown said...

I meant Walker as a christian name!