I have another query related to Cockermouth, Penrith and Dacre, and these families. My Grandmother Sarah Ann Foster (nee James) told wonderful stories of her life in early youth in Cumberland, and one revolved around either a member of the James or Noble family who ran or possibly owned the Troutbeck Inn in Cockermouth, and how as a very small girl she could remember John Peel riding in and joining others in the Bar, how she sat in the hayloft and watched the comings and goings of the Inn. Can anyone confirm the ownership of the Inn mid 1700's to about 1880. Both James and Noble ggrandparents were born early 1800's - and my grandmother 1868 - that's about the nearest I can estimate dates for the period I am looking at as I have several conflicting dates for d.o.b. for my ggrandmother Esther Mary Noble. Census dates indicate different dates to physical evidence - for instance a Sampler completed by her on 29th Feb 1836 and I doubt if a 3 year old, even in those days, could have done work of this standard. She was born in Penrith and her husband Joseph James in Dacre. It still has to be established whether Mary Alison was Esther Noble's mother or grandmother, and whether 1739 carved on the Kist is the d.o.b., the marriage date, or the date it was presented to her. I did e-mail the present owners of the Troutbeck Inn asking if they had any early records of ownership, but have had no response. If anyone can help in any way with this query, or knows of a local historian in the area that I could contact, I will be extremely grateful
Thelma Hurly
