LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter August 2004

Coming Events

Friday 1st October 2004

LFHHS - Annual Dinner. Whalley Abbey.

Hosted by Ribble Valley Branch. £16.00.

Details in "Lancashire" May 2004.

Saturday 2nd October

NW Family History Fair.

Manchester Veladrome.

Rossendale Ancestry

Do you have Rossendale ancestors? Are you a member of the Society? If so, please let me have your story, or queries for this section of the newsletter.

Tell your Story

BBC Television - Family History Series

From Emma Parkins - BBC Factual and Learning:

BBC 4 is making a television series featuring people looking into their family history. This series will compliment the BBC 2 series you might have already heard about - but while BBC 2 is featuring celebrities,

we're looking for 'ordinary people' with an interesting family history story to tell:

If tracing your family tree has changed your life then we would really like to hear from you: perhaps you've made unexpected, startling or extraordinary discoveries while searching for your ancestors?

Or are you involved in an ongoing search to uncover your roots? If you have an interesting family story to tell, please contact Emma Parkins on 020 8752 6179 or by email - emma.parkins@bbc.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ - World Wide Wonderland

BMD Update for July 2004

The following marriages from the Rossendale area have been added to the Lancashire BMD web site:

Civil Marriages 1895 - 1905;

Bacup - St Johns (1853-1906);

Tunstead - Holy Trinity (1883-1905).

Goodshaw - All Saints (1875-1907 & 1916-1927);

Haslingden Grane - St Stephens (1884-1950);

Haslingden - St Peters 1894 (1931-1946);

Musbury - St Thomas (1920-1938);

Newchurch - St Nicholas (1837-1845);

Greater Manchester Record Office

56 Marshall Street, New Cross, Manchester M4 5FU

Tel. 0161 832 5284 email: archives@gmro.co.uk

Established in 1956 the GMRO has responsibility for the archives of the 10 districts which form the county. There are 18 microfiche readers, 10 of which can be pre booked. Also GRO indexes of births, deaths and marriages from 1837 - 1995, Overeseas Indexes of some British Citizens since the late 18th Century and the Probate Index 1858 - 1951.

Open - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am - 5pm

Wednesday 9am - 5pm; and every 2nd and 4th Saturday 9 am - 12am & 1pm - 4pm. Web site: www.gmro.co.uk

Methodism in Haslingden

Adapted from Notices of Methodism in Haslingden

by John Stott: (1899) (Continued)

In 1747 Methodism was first introduced into the area later known as the Haslingden Circuit. In this year Paul GREENWOOD preached at Facit near Edenfield. The next record is at Hollin Yate near Rising Bridge, in 1750 under John TAYLOR.

Haslingden St. James Parish Registers show:

1st December 1751. Bapt. John son of John TAYLOR A Methodist.

17 November 1754. Buried Susannah RAMSBOTTOM, Widow - A Methodist.

19 August 1761 - Buried Robert HOLDEN of Lower Cockham. A Methodist.

21 September 1778. Buried Alice wife of Christopher HOLDEN of Todd Hall. A Methodist.

No Methodist Society existed Haslingden until 1775, when John RISHTON a farmer at Musbury Tor is known to have attached himself to Methodism at the age of 14 and was the 7th member enrolled in the new society. A brief memoir of John appears in the "Methodist Magazine" for 1827.

According to the author of "Notices of Methodism in Haslingden", John and his brother George were sons of Ralph RISHTON. John was father of Robert Rishton, who was father of Miss Rishton of Manchester Road.

About 1781, another Musbury resident, a woman named Alice MAWDSLEY and Daniel GREGORY of Gregory Fold became instrumental in starting a Society which met in Daniel Gregory’s House at Flaxmoss. The class commenced with John RISHTON (now aged about 21) as Leader and continued to meet in the same house until 1855. John RISHTON was the Leader for forty three years until his death in 1826. He was succeeded by James Stott (the writer’s father), who held the office for a further 49 years until he died in 1875.

John STOTT lists the following, all early members of this Class:

"Daniel and Mary GREGORY, his wife; George ASHWORTH, their son-in-law and Alice his wife; Daniel Gregory and George Ashworth became pillars in the Church, filling important offices. They and their wives lie interred in King Street Chapel Yard.

- John KAY, Thomas KAY, Mary KAY, Ann KAY (the two last named afterwards becoming Mrs. SMITH and Mrs. STOTT); - James GREENWOOD .... Alice GREENWOOD (his wife) - George BARNES, Margaret BARNES, Jane BARNES (all three subsequently moved to Burnley, living and dying, honoured, devoted, and consistent Methodists); Robert HOLDEN, Musbury ; Dorothy SOUTHERST William ROBINSON and Catherine (known as ‘Old Kitty’ his wife etc. etc."

King Street Methodist Chapel -Graveyard

In the late 1970s when we were recording the gravestones at Haslingden Parish Church, a few of us made a side visit to the nearby King Street graveyard. The chapel had closed in the 1960s and the stones were all in disarray (they have since been landscaped) we recorded all 24 stones and these are now available on microfiche from the Society.

There are stones for many of the aforementioned families, principally Ashworth, Barnes, Gregory, Holden, Kay, Rishton, Smith and Stott.

One of these stones was for Richard Holden of Higher Tanpits in Musbury. John Stott tells us " An upright memorial stone,... records the death of Richard HOLDEN February 17th 1811 in his 77th year. He was another pioneer of Methodism in Haslingden. Two of his sons, John and Robert became local preachers... Richard Holden appears to have joined the Society about 1782 or 1783, "he was the first person to rent a room in the town of Haslingden itself in which Methodists could assemble for worship, for as yet their services must have been held in some cottage or the open air...."

The death of John Stott’s father James is not recorded on his family gravestone. It reads:

Sacred to the memory of Ann, the wife of James STOTT of Flaxmoss, who departed this life the 28th day of October 1826 aged 29 years.

Also of Alice their daughter who died the 9th day of August 1821 aged 16 weeks. Also of John their son who died 26th of October 1826 aged 33 days".

Also Mary Ann their beloved and much lamented daughter who departed this life the 8th day of February 1845 aged 21 years. Also of James their beloved and dutiful son who departed this life in peace, February 16th 1845 in the 25th year of his age. Also of John STOTT of Sykeside, their grandfather who died May 12th 1851 in the 78th year of his age.

* John (the author) appears to be the son of a second marriage of James to Mary RISHTON. He was baptised at King Street 9th October 1829. In 1851, James was a woollen manufacturer living at Syke House. His son John was described as a "gentleman".

The family originated in Rochdale.

King Street Chapel

Opened 1798

Closed 1857

Re-opened 1868

Closed 1962

Demolished May 1979

For details of Methodist Registers in Haslingden see

the Rossendale Branch Newsletter April 2004.

If you think your ancestor may have been one of the Methodist pioneers in Haslingden, there are 5 copies of John Stott’s book in Haslingden library