 |
The Gazette | |
| Pendle and Burnley Branch | ||
| Issue No.23 - July 2006 | Acting Editor: Brenda I Hustler | |
|
The Gazette | |
| Pendle and Burnley Branch | ||
| Issue No.23 - July 2006 | Acting Editor: Brenda I Hustler | |
Number 2 The Straits at Oswaldtwistle became the Society's headquarters just over 4 years ago. The intention was that it would become an administration and resource centre. The administration part has been established and journals and book sales are dealt with from there. A working party has now been set up to develop 'The Straits' into a fully operational resource centre, hopefully with books, fiche, 4 networked computers and broadband. Once complete, volunteers will be required to staff the building during opening hours. David Hustler is representing Pendle & Burnley on the working party.
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LOCAL LIBRARY INFORMATIONLocal History Month is being featured in most libraries in the district. Colne is asking for a short story about your ancestors. Other libraries may be doing something different. If you wish to get involved, please contact your local library.
and although outside our area, also included is
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The Programme of Events for the coming meetings is shown below and can also be viewed on this website
| 16.August.2006 | Local Canal - Andrea Smith |
| 30.August.2006 | Open Night / Practical |
| 20.September.2006 | Mother Ann Lee - Pat Colman
(Shaker Movement) |
| 18.October.2006 | Yorkshire Roots - Michael Fisher |
| 15.November.2006 | Reluctant Soldiers - Fred Holcroft
(Conscription) |
| 29.November.2006 | Practical Evening |
| 13.December.2006 | Christmas Festivities (Ticket Only) |
Tony Mason, Programme Secretary.
New Books ..
LPRS No.161 Heywood (Vol 1), Baptisms & Burials 1733-1812
LPRS No.162 Whalley Part 3 1653-1753
LPRS - "Lancashire Parishes for The Genealogist" (a directory).
Holy Saviour RC Parish, Nelson - A Brief History
Heptonstall and Cross Stone - Baptisms, Marriages and Burials
(various dates ranging from 1594-1837) -
12 Volumes.
"Parish Administration, Charity & Law 1750-1850"
The latter have been purchased and donated to the Branch library by one of our members who wishes to remain anonymous. The branch would, however, like to thank this member for the generous gift, which will, no doubt, be a valuable resource for our members
New CD-Roms ..
LFH&HS CD 004 - Parish Church of St Peter, Burnley, Memorial Inscriptions and Burial registers 1813-1982
LFH&HS CD 005 - The Borough of Pendle: 1901 Census Index and partial transcription.
Grateful thanks to all those who have worked so hard to produce these excellent CDs. Both are available to purchase from the Society CD/fiche sales
Margaret Heap, Branch Librarian.
It is with great sadness that we report the sudden death of Tony Coward, a valued member of our team. Tony and his wife Gloria have helped with this project from the beginning. Our deepest sympathy goes to Gloria and her family at this sad time. We all miss him.
Work on the Birth indexes is now in the final stages, and a start has now been made on in-putting the Death indexes, thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers.
Christine Windle, Lancashire BMD Project Coordinator
Burnley Cemetery Memorial Inscriptions - Work on MIs in Part 2 of the old ground is now underway.
Work continues on transcriptions of the registers for St.Thomas's Church, Barrowford, and St.Mary's, Newchurch-in-Pendle.
The Memorial Inscriptions for most of the churches in our area were recorded in the early 1980s. These were typed up in the days before PCs. Work has started on transferring this information into databases so that they are available on the branch computer in addition to being in printed form in the big green books in the branch library. St Mary's Newchurch-in-Pendle, has now been completed and work on Winewall Inghamite Church is underway. Thanks go to all those working on these projects.
We are sad to report the death of David McBride, who, although not a member of the Society, did some valuable work for the Branch on the 1901 census (now complete), Walton Lane Cemetery and the transcription of St Mary's, Nelson, Baptisms. Our deepest sympathy goes to his wife and family. We will continue with this project in David's memory.
If you would like to help out with any of these projects, please contact Bob Ellis, Jean Ingham or Brenda Hustler.
Bob Ellis, Project Coordinator
LANCASHIRE FH&HS (Our Society) - CELEBRATION OF FAMILY HISTORY
Organized by Chorley Branch at Astley Hall, Chorley on Saturday 5th August, 12 noon to 5 pm
Everyone welcome. Admission free.
There will be information/displays/resources by LFHHS Chorley Branch, LFHHS Irish Ancestry Group, Chorley Reference Library, Latter Day Saints (Chorley), Wigan History Shop, Southport & North Meols Family History Society, & Chorley Local & Social History Society.
The Memorial Room at Astley Hall will be open. The Friends of Astley Hall will be present during the afternoon, dressed in period costume. The Hall's Courtyard Cafι and the Branch's Family History Research Centre within Astley Hall will be open throughout the event.
Further information: email - family.history@chorley.gov.uk
Telephone 01257 515920 (Family History Research Centre) or 01257 262028 (when Centre closed)
IRISH ANCESTRY GROUP - ADVICE & RESEARCH AFTERNOONS
MINI-CONFERENCE The Resource Centre, 2 The Straits,
Oswaldtwistle
Saturday 7th October 2006, 10.30am to 4.30pm
ADVICE & RESEARCH AFTERNOON Workshop - Advice &
Research Session
Saturday 2nd December 2006, 1pm to 4.30pm at The Straits.
Enquiries to ,
128 Red Bank Road, Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire FY2 9DZ
SAE please if you would like travel directions.
THE NATIONAL FAMILY HISTORY FAIR
Gateshead International Stadium. Saturday 9th September 2006. 10am to
4.30pm.
Admission £3.00, accompanied Children under 15 free.
MALTON FAMILY HISTORY FAIR
The Milton Rooms, Malton, North Yorkshire. Saturday 16th September
2006, 10am to 4pm.
Admission Free.
LIVERPOOL AINTREE RACECOURSE FAIR
Princess Royal Stand Exhibition Suite, Ormskirk Road, Aintree L9 5AS.
Sunday 29th October 2006, 10am to 5pm. Admission £2 (accompanied children under 16 free).
Submitted by Rev. David Wiseman
My granddad, Joseph Wiseman of Burnley, had an old tin trunk in his bedroom, which he told my dad to destroy on his death. Fortunately, dad disobeyed his father and opened the trunk! In it, he found 58 letters written from convicts to their father in Burnley (1840-1856). The letters came from great uncles of my granddad and even in 1950, it was, in his eyes, still a source of sadness and shame to have had relatives transported. (As a young genealogist, I was delighted!).
The two convicts were Richard Taylor and Simon Brown (step-brothers) and the letters were written to their father, George Taylor, who lived, according to the address on the envelope, "Near the Star Inn, Hill Top, Burnley". George Taylor, the recipient could neither read nor write and his daughter Thomasina Taylor did all the correspondence. She was my granddad's grandmother, and that was why they were handed down on our side of the family.
All the Wiseman and the Taylor families in the Burnley of the 1840's came from Kettlewell in Yorkshire. They were, in the main, tanners (my granddad Joseph was the last, working at Hough's Tan-yard on Finsley Gate in Burnley). They were obviously desperately poor and the two step-brothers, Richard and Simon, were driven to stealing. Simon Brown stole a hat in Burnley (now that's what I call "desperate"!) and Richard Taylor stole three hundred yards of cloth in Skipton.
They were both caught, tried and convicted. Mercy was a bit thin on the ground in those days and a person convicted of stealing a ribbon valued at a few pence could expect seven or more years in prison. Simon Brown was tried at Lancaster and was detained at Lancaster Castle, whilst Richard Taylor was tried at Pontefract and was imprisoned for a while at York Castle. (If I'd have been proud, I could have entitled this piece "Burnley Boys who lived in Two Castles!")
They were both sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Australia and never saw Burnley or their families again. (Nor each other!). After some weeks in their castles, the Burnley boys were transferred to the hulks, Simon to HMS Warrior at Woolwich and Richard to HMS Fortitude at Chatham. It was some time before they sailed, indeed Simon not until May 1841. When they did sail, Simon travelled on HMS David Clarke from Sheerness to Tasmania and Richard on HMS Eden from Chatham to Sydney.
The journey took approx over four months, and nothing was heard from the lads until Richard started work at the Sydney General Hospital in 1841. By this time, brother Simon was living and working on an estate in Hobart, Van Dieman's Land. To two young men in their early twenties, neither of whom could read or write, it must have been a terrifying ordeal (All the letters are written in different hands, presumably by fellow convicts).
The letters gradually change in tone from repentance and sadness to hope and optimism. Richard has plenty of pious regrets whilst in York: "I hope that God will be merciful to me, and I hope that we shall meet again in a Better Place." "I am determined to lead a Godly life and I go to Chapel every day." "When I have lived out my ten years in a far distant land, how happy I shall be to return to my native home."
Two years later he wrote from Sydney: "When I landed, I was assigned to the General Hospital in Sydney where I had 39 fellow servants, one of whom, my mate, was a boot and shoe maker and my chores being so very light, I used to sit besides him and make threads. From that I learned to stick (stitch?) and eventually picked up the trade by which I earn a comfortable living. I live on my own little property, it is only half an acre but it faces the road where the Coaches pass every day to and from Sydney. There are very rich mines of gold found about 100 miles up the road. A Black found a hundred weight in one piece worth £4,870."
Meanwhile Simon, in Tasmania, distinguished himself in the employ of Edward Bisdee, owner of a large estate called Lovely Banks in Springhill, Oatlands, Tasmania, rising from a ploughman and waggoner to overseer or foreman. Mr Bisdee was a large sheepholder possessing 400,000 acres with 20,000 sheep. Simon found working among sheep and cattle far more agreeable than working at the weaving looms of Burnley.
Inside a few years, both brothers had married, (by permission) both to fellow convicts. Richard Taylor, in Sydney, married Julia Hand who was a weaver before being transported, whilst Simon, in Tasmania, married Margaret Martin who had been sentenced to seven years after stealing a watch in Liverpool.
With a bit of delving, we have discovered records of the men. We know this:-
SIMON BROWN - Weaver, 5' 8", fresh complexion, long hair, red hair, blue eyes, long nose, broad chin, arms and face freckled, tattoo of a woman with a parasol on the inside of his left arm. Offences: Drinking in 1842, absent without leave, having a quantity of wool in his possession supposed to have been the property of his master, insolence, fighting during Divine Service, misdemeanour.
RICHARD TAYLOR - Reads and writes, cotton spinner, 5' 5", dark complexion, brown hair, dark brown eyes, lower front teeth irregular, eyebrows meeting, scar on nose, mole on right cheek, scar on jaw, hairy breast.
There is so much more from these 58 letters. In 1965, I deposited them at the County Records Office in Preston, and they can be viewed there. (I still have one or two floating around our house - they probably came second class mail !)
Neither brother returned to Burnley, and we have a letter reporting Richard's death in Sydney in 1856. I have never managed to make contact with any of "our family" over there but I surely owe them some letters!
SATURDAY OPENINGS 2006
Lancashire Record Office will open on the second Saturday of each month
in addition to the usual daily opening times. The office will open from 10am until 4pm on ..
| 12 August | 14th October | 9th December |
| 9th September | 11th November |
Submitted by Christine Haworth
RAILWAY COLLISION NEAR HELMSHORE
Burnley Cemetery Old Ground - Grave 4739: MI 827 reads -
"In Memory of Alice HARTLEY of Burnley, who was killed at Helmshore by a collision of two trains, on the 4th of September 1860, aged 24 years."
There is a long report in the Burnley Advertiser for 8th September 1860 and more details in the Colne section of the newspaper.
About 3,000 people had gone from East Lancashire on three excursion trains to Salford to visit the attractions at Belle View Gardens. Some extra old carriages had been borrowed from the Chester and Birkenhead Railway. On the return journey the first train left Salford at ten minutes to eleven and arrived back safely. The second train left at ten minutes past eleven and the third train at thirty-one minutes past eleven.
The second train with about 1,000 passengers and 31 carriages got to Helmshore where it stopped to let out some passengers. When the guard released the brakes there was a jerk and 16 carriages broke away from the train and started sliding down the line between Helmshore and Ramsbottom. Mr Shaw, the superintendent, saw what had happened and unhooked the engine from the train in order to go down the other line to warn the third train, but unfortunately he was too late. The carriages had already run 400 yards down the line and collided with the oncoming train.
Killed:-
Richard HEAP, mechanic of Colne, aged 25, left a widow and five children.
Starkie HARRISON, tailor of Barrowford, aged 21, single-man.
Samuel DUCKWORTH, beamer of Ewood Bridge, aged 40[?],
left a widow and eleven children, nine of whom are under age.
John HARTLEY, labourer of Accrington, aged 21, single-man.
Thomas BLYTHE, weaver of Garden Vale, Colne, aged 34, single-man.
Thomas LOFTHOUSE, cotton spinner of Huncoat, aged 64.
He was a widower but left nine children.
Mary HAYES of [?], hand loom weaver, aged 51, unmarried.
Alice HARTLEY of Burnley, power loom weaver, aged 24, unmarried.
Mary FELL of Barrowford, power loom weaver, aged 19, unmarried.
Isabella HINDLE of Baxenden, aged 22, wife of Thomas HINDLE, collier.
Wounded:- [extract of those said to be from Burnley, Nelson & Colne]
Alice HIGGINS, Temperance Hall, Barrowford, broken leg.
John CLEGG, Milton St., Burnley, broken leg.
Mrs CLEGG, wife of above, fractured leg.
Jane DUCKSBURY, wife of Mr Starkie's gamekeeper, Padiham, both legs fractured.
Smith MEDLEY, Colne, broken leg.
John WHITAKER, Whitfor, Nelson, fractured leg.
Robinson HARTLEY, Barrowford, fractured thigh.
Lawrence JARVIS, Barrowford, fractured leg.
Richard DEARDEN, Treacle Row, Habergham Eaves, fractured thigh & cut on head.
Hartley BUTTERFIELD, Barrowford, compound fracture of leg.
Mary Ann BULLOCK, Burnley, fractured leg.
Sarah LEIGH, Barrowford, generally contused.
Ann DIXON, Nelson, bruises on forehead.
John FORT, Colne, bruised leg, contused chest & cut face.
Thomas MASON, Burnley, bruised leg.
Robert MEDLEY, Colne, contused face & chest.
James COOPER, and sister, Burnley, both bruised legs.
Mary MOODY, Burnley, generally contused.
Henry WHITAKER, Burnley, bruised legs & head.
ADDENDA Submitted by the Editor
Re: Hartley BUTTERFIELD, listed above as injured. Barrowford St Thomas Graveyard: MI reads -
"In Memory of
.. Also of Hartley BUTTERFIELD, their son, who
died September 19th in the 21st year of his age, at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, from the effects
of injuries received, at the railway collision near Helmshore, on the 4th day of September
1860. In my health ill the thought, My place was run so near, Now the time for me to is come,
No longer to be here."
BURNLEY MAN SHOT DEAD BY AMERICAN TROOPS
Burnley Cemetery Old Ground - Grave15538: MI 362 reads -
"In Loving Memory of Charles Frederick, aged 26 years, the dearly beloved son of John Charles & Sarah Ellen Simpson, of 48 Queensbury Road, Burnley, who was accidentally shot by the American soldiers at Manilia [sic], Feb 23rd 1899, & was interred at the English Cemetery, "San Pero", Manilia [sic], Philippine Islands."
The report in the Burnley Gazette of 1st March 1899 says that Charles Frederick Simpson had been an overlooker in a Burnley mill. About twelve months before his death he had gone out to Tondo, Manilla in the Philippine Islands to work as an overlooker at the Andrews Cotton Mill, run by a Manchester syndicate.
In Tondo some serious disturbances were taking place that the American troops were trying to quell. The mill manager - an Argentine subject, Mr Simpson & Mr T Haslem were watching from an upstairs window when their white suits attracted the attention of the troops. The soldiers mistook them for natives (Philippinos) firing from the window and so shot the three of them. The mill manager was killed on the spot, Mr. Simpson was mortally wounded and Mr Haslem only slightly wounded.
A telegram from Washington to the mill owners in Manchester said - " the shooting is generally regretted but is declared to have been unavoidable ".
More examples of THE STORY BEHIND THE STONES will be printed in the next edition of The Gazette.
This will be held at Nelson Library on Saturday, 14th October 2006, 10 am to 3.30 pm. We will be asking for volunteers to help out on the day
Submitted by Sian Pooley
Did your family live in the Burnley area in the nineteenth century? Have the letters, diaries or other family documents that they wrote survived? Would you be willing for your family's records to be included in academic research into the social history of Burnley?
I am a PhD student in history at the University of Cambridge and part of my research focuses on the social history of Burnley in the nineteenth century. I am researching the history of relationships between parents and their children in the nineteenth century and I am studying this through a series of case studies of contrasting localities. The Burnley area is especially interesting because of the unique roles that children played in the local weaving industry in this period. I am using a wide range of sources, including censuses, school log books, local newspapers, letters and diaries. Personal letters and diaries have tended to be neglected as sources for academic research. I want to find out about life in the Burnley area between 1860 and 1905, by studying the writings of the ordinary people who lived there. Many of you may have had relatives who lived in the Burnley area and whose families have kept the personal letters and diaries that they wrote.
If you would be willing to share your family's letters or diaries with me, I would love to hear from you. I would of course take the greatest care in studying or copying the documents and would fully acknowledge all your assistance. I would also be keen to talk to members at a future meeting of the Society about childhood in Burnley and how their family histories fit into my research into the social history of nineteenth-century.
If you would like to know more, please contact me by post or email.
Ms Sian Pooley, St John's College, Cambridge, CB2 1TP Email: skp30@cam.ac.uk
Submitted by Jean Ingham
When searching for civil registration records of ancestors in the Barnoldswick area a good starting point is the Lancashire BMD website www.lancashirebmd.org.uk Marriage indexes for the following Barnoldswick area C of E churches are now on-line.
St.Mary Le Gill, Barnoldswick, (1837 to 1908).
St.Michael's, Bracewell, (1837 to1950).
St.Mary's, Kelbrook, (1869 to 1950).
Prior to 1974, the Barnoldswick area was part of the Skipton registration district in Yorkshire. Due to the boundary changes in that year, however, Barnoldswick and the surrounding area (Earby, Kelbrook, Salterforth etc.) became administered by Lancashire. At that time the old civil registration records of births and deaths, and marriages in the Church of England only, were transferred to Burnley Register Office in Lancashire. In 2005 another big change took place when the records covering the whole of the Burnley registration district were transferred to the new office in Preston. Burnley Register Office now only holds current registers for the last 3 to 6 months.
The address of the new office is:-
Lancashire Registration District Certificate Services
Quayside Court, Chain Caul Way, Preston PR2 2ZP
Please note that Barnoldswick couples who wanted to marry in a Register Office had to go to Skipton Register Office. These Civil marriages, together with Non-Conformist Chapel marriages, were not transferred to Lancashire but are now at a central office in Harrogate. The indexes to these will appear on the Yorkshire BMD website some time in the future.
The Harrogate address is:-
The Register Office, Bilton House, 31 Park Parade,
Harrogate, HG1 5AG
At the moment the indexes on the Lancashire BMD site only cover marriages but the indexes to births and deaths, which were registered in the Barnoldswick area from 1837 - 1900, will also be added. Watch this space for further updates.
Submitted by Christine Haworth
I came across a large bound typescript in Leyburn library that included the following items connected to our area that have been deposited at the CRO Northallerton.
Topham Family of Middleham Calendar: 942.74 Y North Yorkshire, CRO, Northallerton - Accession ZIF - Deposited 4.Nov.1959 by Mrs E J A Craven-Smith-Milnes of Middleham House, [Page] 109
Lancashire - Parishes of Burnley & Colne
1139-45 1720.Sep.24 - 1724.Oct.30 ...
Seven letters: John Coates, London & [from Dec.1722] Roger Coates, Roydhouse to Luke Yarker,
Rokeby, near Greta Bridge & [1724] Dalton, near Richmond - re coal mines in Colne region.
Interesting matter relating to mines management & mention of workmen's combination.
1146 1744/5.Jan.24 ...
Counterpart 21 years lease at £110 rent for let 3 years & £150 thereafter: John Duke
of Montague to Luke Yarker of Burton in Bishopdale, gent. - coals, collieries, coal mines &c not
already demised to any other person in the "Wapentake Lands" in the "parishes and
hamlets" of Simonstone, Read & Huntroyd; in the lane called the Lenches or Burnley Ridge in
the manors of Colne & Ightenhill; Carry Hayes in the Forest of Trawden, Old Lawne [Laund?],
Wheatley Lane, Blockwell Head & Briercliffe in the manor of Ightenhill, Habergham Eaves, Higham,
Goldshaw, & Barrowford Booths, West Close, Nether Higham, Reedley Hallows, Roughlee, Wheatley
Carr, New Lawne [Laund?], Barley & Whitley Booths in the Forest of Pendle & manor of
Ightenhill; in the parishes of Colne & Burnley & in Smalden Cross, Smalden Field, Underhand
Yate & Berkett als Burchin Moore in Bolland.
1147 1753.Apr.5 ...
Agreement for 20 years lease: John Yarker of Leyburn esq. to John Bannister of Carry Bridge,
parish of Colne, yeo. - copyhold farm at Carry Bridge at £12-7s-0d rent.
If anyone is interested these documents, the North Yorkshire CRO
at Northallerton still hold these items [ref: ZIF 1139-1147] but they are not able to photocopy
them. They could be microfilmed, however, the cost of this is -
16mm diazo negative reel or
part thereof £77.50
35mm diazo negative reel or
part thereof £77.50
| Census CD-Roms | ||
| Lancashire 1841 | Cheshire 1841 | Devon, Norfolk & Warwick 1851 |
| Lancashire 1851 | Cheshire 1851 | Devon 1891 |
| Lancashire 1861 | Cheshire 1871 | Hants. 1891 |
| Lancashire 1871 | Cheshire 1891 | Glos. 1891 |
| Lancashire 1891 | Cumbria 1891 | Staffordshire 1841 |
| Lancashire 1901 | Cumberland 1841 | Wiltshire 1851 |
| Yorkshire 1861 | Yorkshire N & E Riding 1841 | Wiltshire surname Index 1871 |
| Yorkshire 1871 | Yorkshire N & E Riding 1851 | Wiltshire 1891 |
| Yorkshire 1891 | Yorkshire West Riding 1841 | |
| Yorkshire 1901 | Yorkshire West Riding 1851 | Pendle surname Index 1901 |
| Miscellaneous CD-Roms | |
| 1900/01 Liverpool phone book | N & E Cheshire Marriage Index 1754-1837 |
| Ancient port of Whitby and its shipping 1717-1900 | National Burial Index for England and Wales |
| Army Roll of Honour 1939-1945 | Pallot's Baptism index 1780-1837 |
| Australian Vital records index 1788-1905 | Pigot Directory Cheshire 1834 |
| British Isles Genealogical register | Pigot's Cumberland 1834 |
| Cheshire Parish Records | Poll Book of the Borough of Leeds Nov.1868 |
| Directory of Scarborough, Whitby etc 1855 | Slater's Cheshire Directory 1855 |
| Family Tree maker | Soldiers who died in the Great War 1914-19 |
| Generations Family Tree | Staffordshire Directories |
| History of the 100 of Macclesfield | Vital records Index British Isles Births & Christenings |
| Holy Trinity Church Chester Parish Registers | Vital records Index British Isles Marriages |
| Kelly's Cheshire Directory 1865 | Vital records Index North America Marriages |
| Kelly's 1898-99 Directory of W Kensington, Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush and Fulham | Vital records Index North America Births & Christenings |
| Licensed victuallers asylum 1841-1891 census transcript | White's History Gazetteer and Directory of the West Riding of Yorkshire 1837-1838 |
| Marriage index of Cheshire 1700-1837 | West Riding Election 1848 |
| Morris and Co Cheshire directory 1880 |
These are available for use on Nelson Library computers and can also be used on the People's Network computers. Users need to have a library card and pin to access. There is also a designated Local Studies PC. Through our On-line Reference Library, however, free access is provided for users of the People's Network computers in all Lancashire Libraries. The CDs will continue to be kept at Nelson Library, because, as the People's Network PCs are often heavily used (a PC can be booked up to a week ahead at any library), the standalone PC can be used instead.
There is now an index of the names mentioned in previous editions of "The Gazette".
The members' interests pages have been updated and addenda will be added to the printed version in the branch library. The updated list will be available on floppy disc at the bargain price of 50p. Anyone who bought a "floppy disc" of the original version can have a replacement free of charge on return of his or her disc.
Lancashire Mining Disasters 1835-1910 This is a forthcoming publication of a new book by Jack Nadin. Details available at the branch meeting.
Fiche Catalogue Update Jim Lancaster from Bury Branch has been re-organizing the Society's microfiche catalogue over the past few months so that the catalogue has more meaningful descriptions and a more uniform approach. The new catalogue should be included with the August edition of "Lancashire".
Request for advice from Sheffield FHS The secretary of Sheffield FHS has asked if any Society has gone down the route of employing paid staff to help keep their wheels turning. Since many of our members are also involved with other Societies, some of you may be able to comment on this matter. For more information visit their website www.Sheffieldfhs.org.uk
Message from the new Chairman Greetings to you all, who are reading this letter in your branch newsletter. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Stephen John Ward and I was elected to be the new Society Chairman at the AGM on the 27th May. I am following a man who has great respect amongst Society members. This is Tony Foster who is now our Society President.
Over the next year I hope to visit all the Society Branches, I will be introducing myself to each branch, so come and have a chat, give me your ideas about what you want from your Society. Those of us who have Society roles do not have all the best ideas. I also want to bring a challenge to all our members that is for more Society members to get involved. At our last Executive meeting the following decisions were made:-
A working group was set up to bring recommendations at the next Executive Meeting about the Straits at Oswaldtwistle.
Get your members interest to Tony by the end of August. If you have sent them in you will get a free CD-Rom with all the Society Members Interests on. If you are not a subscriber, you will have to pay £3 to get a copy.
The Society attended the York Fair on the 24th June and we will be attending Southport (North West Group Fair) on Saturday 23rd September and Aintree in October.
1. Don't forget to book for the Society Dinner at the Whitehall Hotel, Darwen. Booking forms will be in your August copy of Lancashire.
2. Two new CD-ROMs are now available from Dorothy Haworth.
TAYLOR, ROBERTS
, NSW Australia, is looking
for information about her great grandparents Joseph TAYLOR and Mary Ellen ROBERTS. They
were married on 4.Apr.1896 at St.Andrew's Church, Burnley. Witnesses were Walter Ashworth
and Martha Roberts. Joseph and Mary Ellen were weavers and had three daughters - Doris,
Ida (Lyn's grandmother) and Emma. The family emigrated to Australia after the World War I
(approximately 1919/1920). Joseph made a couple of trips back to the Burnley area to work
in the mills. He was a cloth inspector.
Joseph's father, George Taylor was a collier and Mary Ellen's father, Robert Roberts, was a slater. It appears that Joseph and Mary Ellen kept in touch with their friends in the village of Blacko and portions of their letters appeared in the paper (the Notes?) from time to time. There are many photos of Blacko and Barrowford amongst her grandmother's possessions. Joseph was fond of music and played the organ for his amusement and for the entertainment of passers-by. It is thought that Mary Ellen's sister married into the KIRKHAM family from around the same Burnley/Nelson/Barrowford/Blacko area. Lyn would be grateful for any information.
HARRISON
, Perth, Western Australia. is
asking for help in trying to solve her family "skeleton". She is trying to trace
the death of her great great grandfather, John HARRISON. Although she lives in Perth,
Western Australia, she has made two trips to England and visited Colne library to try to solve
the mystery, but without success.
John HARRISON was christened at St.Bartholomew's Church, Colne on 22.Aug.1819. He married Ellen NELSON at St.Bartholomew's on 29.Oct.1839. Their children were Joseph, b.1840; Hartley or Harrison, b.1844; Mary Jane, b.1847 and John Thomas (Kay's great grandfather), born 21.Dec.1857. John Thomas HARRISON, however, was born after the death of Mr John HARRISON.
Although Kay found some helpful information whilst at Colne library, she has not been able to establish the date of death of Mr John HARRISON (husband of Ellen NELSON). As their daughter, Mary Jane HARRISON was born in 1847, it is assumed that John died sometime between 1847 and certainly prior to 1858. In 1851, Ellen and her three oldest children are living with her parents, James & Martha NELSON, in Foulridge and Ellen is listed as a widow. Ellen and Mary Jane are together in the census, through to Ellen's death on 27.Jan.1893, when she died alone in Foulridge in Edmunds Villa. There is no sign of Mary Jane HARRISON on the 1901 Census.
Ellen's two eldest grandchildren, Joseph Hartley HARRISON and James Crabtree HARRISON, (born of Ellen's son John Thomas HARRISON, who married Alice CRABTREE of Salterforth, were always told that their true grandfather was a Mr WINDLE. They were asked to visit their grandfather up at the big house to ask for money to help support the family in times of need. Whilst in Colne, Kay spent some time wandering around Foulridge and found Edmunds Villa and the 13 cottages that made up part of the original estate. From Census records, it appears that a Mr WINDLE was the owner of Edmunds Villa, the cottages and the farm on which John HARRISON was apparently, for a short time, a worker. Ellen HARRISON lived close to Mr WINDLE, until both their deaths late in 1890s.
Any help in establishing the date of death of John HARRISON, would be greatly appreciated.
PARKINSON, CRICKETT
asks if any member knows anything about C. PARKINSON or CRICKETT who were managers of The
PAVILION THEATRE, Rochdale, in 1913. The family must have moved somewhere in Lancashire,
but Derek does not know where and is hoping that one of the branches of LFH&HS other than
Rochdale might be able to help.
CUMPSTEY from , Burlington, Ont. Canada
John Thomas CUMPSTEY was born around 1856 in Blackburn, married Alice WALKDEN in 1876, with whom he had several children. Judith's grandmother, Margaret Ann, was the eldest. He was a tallow chandler, and organist and choir master at Witton Street Congregational Church in Blackburn. In about 1897, he left his wife and four or five children to go away with one of the choir members. He is listed in the 1897 Barrett's Directory in Blackburn and in the 1896 Electors Roll for Blackburn. These are the last records that have been found until his death in Burnley in 1926. Nobody can find him in the 1901 census anywhere, but whether this is because he is living under an assumed name, or managed to avoid it entirely, or the transcribers totally messed up his name is anyone's guess.
Information from the death certificate - John Thomas CUMPSTEY died on 22 Feb 1926 at the Sanatorium in Burnley U.D. He was 70 years old and had lived at 79 Belgrave Street, Burnley U.D. His occupation is given as Chandler. There is no clue as to whom he was living with (if anybody) because the informant was his widow, Alice CUMPSTEY, who was living at 287 Lytham Road, Blackpool. From the things that Judith's Granny said, they must have lived apart for about 30 years, since he left the family in the late 1890s. Judith would be grateful for any help at all.
[Janet Knowles has done a search of the Barrett's Directories and the electoral rolls for Burnley. The only reference to John Thomas CUMPSTEY has been found in the electoral rolls for 1924 and 1925 when he is listed as John Thomas CUMSTEY at 79 Belgrave Street, Burnley. In the 1925 entry, there is a Mary Jane CUMSTEY, at the same address, eligible to vote because of her husband's occupation]
HILL
is trying to find what happened to her grandfather, George HILL. He married Annie
WHITTAKER in 1902 and they were divorced in 1915. Up to then, they lived in Bracewell, nr
Barnoldswick. Barbara wonders if he went back to Great Harwood, where he was born, or back
to Clayton-le-Moors where he grew up. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
EASTHAM
, Coventry and her
father are researching their family tree, but unfortunately do not know an awful lot about the
family and, as they live in Coventry, they are struggling a bit. Natalie's great great
grandfather was John William EASTHAM, born in 1863. He lived in David Street, Barrowford,
in 1901. He was married to Jane Agnes, born in 1867 and information from the 1901 census,
shows that they seven children. Thomas, born 1888; Mary Jane, born 1890;
Elizabeth Ellen, born 1891; Frank, born 1985 (Natalie's great grandfather); Emily,
born 1897; Edward, born 1900; John born 1901.
Frank EASTHAM married Gladys BAKER on 25.Oct.1919 and had one child that they know of, called Allan (Natalie's grandfather), born 14.Jan 1920. Natalie and her father are trying to trace outwards from there and any information about the family would be greatly appreciated.
ORMEROD
is researching into the life of his maternal grandfather, Thomas ORMEROD, who was born in Nelson
in 1886. He was the son of John and Ann Ormerod (nee Greenwood) who lived initially at
Extwistle and moved to Nelson around 1876. Andy has obtained some information via e-mail
from Nelson Library including the residence of Thomas ORMEROD at 2 St.Mary's Street, Nelson in
the 1901 Census. He would like to find out more about the early school years of Thomas
ORMEROD. As far as Andy knows, his grandfather attended Lomeshaye Road C.of.E Infant and
Junior, Nelson, then Nelson Secondary School (also known as Municipal High School) and finally
at its Pupil Teacher Centre; matriculating in 1902. Andy is keen to get hold of any (copy)
of school records which would confirm this and any photos of those schools in the 1890s and
early 1900s. Any information on his ORMEROD family would be greatly appreciated.
[Tony Mason has provided quite a lot of information about this particular ORMEROD family, gathered during his research into the history of St Mary's Church, but it is mainly about the family prior to them arriving in Nelson.]
POLLARD, LEAVER
, Mem.No.7815, is
researching the descendants of her 2 x great aunt, Mary Ellen POLLARD, who married Hartley
LEAVER in Nelson, Lancashire in 1879. They were both cotton weavers. She has
recently discovered that they emigrated to Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A in 1880. From
the 1900 U.S census, Diana knows that they had four children, all born in Providence - William
in 1887; Margaret in 1888; Edith in 1895 and Maude Mary 1897.
William married Emma WHITE who was born in Scotland. From the 1930 census Diana found William and Emma living in Providence, with their children - Albert aged 20; Doris aged 16 and Raymond aged 10. She would be delighted to hear from anyone who might know how Lancashire weavers found work in Rhode Island at this time, or from any descendants of this family.
PILKINGTON, FISHER, WADDINGTON
is trying to trace his mother's side of the family and wonders if someone can help with this
query. He believes that the mother of his Gran, Elizabeth PILKINGTON, was called Jane
FISHER and that she married a Mr WADDINGTON. Brian has been searching for her for quite
some time, but cannot find her marriage. The only thing that he knows is that he found a
note with some old papers about a Jane FISHER who died 26th August, 1929 and was cremated.
The address given is East Street, Padiham. Brian would be grateful for any help or advice
as his mother is now very elderly and her mind is a long way from good. There is now no
one left that Brian knows of who can help.
DUGDALE from
The ancestors of Alison's father came from Colne, and lived in Colne Lane and Nineveh Street. Her great grandfather was William Edward DUGDALE, b.1876. He had 3 sisters Emily, Ann and Sarah. His father was Thomas, b.1843, d.1898 and he was an insurance agent. Thomas's father was Joshua DUGDALE b. around 1802-5 and he had a sister Ann b.1835 (she married John SPENCER). Joshua was a delaines weaver by hand and appeared to have lived all of his married life in Nineveh Street. It would also appear that the family were Nonconformists, as they were all buried at St.Johns Albert Road Methodist Chapel. Alison would be grateful if anyone has any information on the DUGDALE family.
HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS?
HAVE YOU NOW GOT AN E-MAIL ADDRESS?
If you have, send me an e-mail with a subject line of "e-mail address confirmation" and just put you name in the body of the message. Send it to
When the last issue of 'The Gazette' was posted out by e-mail, several messages "bounced" and were returned as undeliverable. If you have changed your e-mail address, please inform me.
If you have your research interests posted on the branch website please check that you have the correct address listed (try sending an e-mail to the address on the list). The research names of a few members have had to be removed from the members' interests pages on the website, because their e-mail address are 'bouncing'. If your interests are not on the website and you think they should be, is it because you have changed your e-mail address without telling me ?
Brenda I Hustler, Branch Secretary
Items for publication should be sent to the Acting Editor - , 49 Stone Edge Road, Barrowford, Nelson Lancashire BB9 6BB
DON'T FORGET ----- WE NEED AN EDITOR FOR THE GAZETTE
YOU ARE STILL READING ON BORROWED TIME !!
© 2006 LFH&HS Pendle and Burnley Branch