LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter April 2008

Coming Events

Saturday 26th April 2008

The NW Group of Family History Societies,

Annual Conference Hosted by Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society, at The Council Chamber, The Old Fire Station, Albion Place, The Crescent, Salford M5 4NL Cost £18 (including lunch The theme this year is - What did they do before 1837? The Parish and its Records Admission is by advance booking only, applications to be received by 14th April. Forms are available at the back of the room.

Saturday 17th May 2008

LFHHS One Day Conference and AGM

at the Foster Theatre, University of Central Lancashire There will be three interesting talks. Full details were given in your February "Lancashire". Costs for the full conference with lunch £18.00 per person, without lunch £8.00. For the AGM only, no charge. Please send your application form before 26th April to Derrick Walkden, 2 Butterlands, Preston, Lancs. PR1 5TJ or Tel. 01772 792224

The Society Resource Centre,

2 The Straits, Oswaldtwistle, will open each Thursday 1pm to 5 pm until further notice.

The centre could open more frequently if more members would volunteer to help. Training given. For  more details please contact Tony Foster. Tel. 0161 764 2821

Gallipoli – help offered

Mary Davison will be going to Gallipoli again (7th trip) at the end of May. She says: "I would be willing to photograph graves/memorials etc. for any member with relatives who died during this campaign". Contact Mary via Rita Hirst the Rossendale Branch Secretary before 20th May.

Haslingden Roots

In addition to the regular research evenings members of the Rossendale Branch aim to be in attendance at Haslingden Library on Monday evenings from 6.30 – 8.30. These sessions are subject to the exingencies of the library service and you do need to notify us in advance so that we can ensure that we have the relevant material and/or computer facilities available. email Jackie Ramsbottom jax@grane92.freeserve.co.uk Tel. 01254 394794

Rossendale Miscellany:

News, notes and queries

Place names – Crew and Harrest Hills

Following my report in the February journal, two members contacted me with information on Newchurch place-names.

Both Chris Pickup and Eileen Barrett were able to give me the location of Croo which Chris said was due north of Stacksteads level with the Baptist chapel near Lumb. Eileen added to this by telling me "Both Croo and Harrest Hills were on the moorland between Weir and Water. I think that both were farms and may have been destroyed when the open cast coal mining occurred there. Others just fell into ruin. My family of Heyworths lived at Croo and I have two wills: one dated 21st May 1803 is of John Heyworth of Krow. The other, dated 24th September 1819 is of John Heyworth (son of the one above) of Croo. When I was a child, one of my aunts used to say that my grandfather, William, was known as ‘Billy Croo’ but I did not see it written down. There were other Heyworths in Weir also with Croo attached to their name and there was a notable "Croo chin", said to be a feature of the Heyworth family On August 19th 1822, my great grandfather, James Heyworth of Croo, married Betty Ashworth of Harristhills. On an old OS c (1842-1850), near to Clifton is Harrowhill and I assume this is the place".

[Modern maps show that there is a Harrow Stiles Lane in this area - interesting etymology]

Hargreaves Archives

Malvern Hostick has recently been archiving the effects of the late Joan Hargreaves, artist/teacher, born Whitworth (1920-2007) she was from a Whitworth mill-owning family, with associated names including Maden, Lord, Oddy, Brockie, Sucksmith. Family portraits, including the 'Five Generations' have gone to Rossendale Museum, and her art to the MMU archives and the Whitworth Gallery, Manchester. The family wills, deeds, photos, mill business paraphernalia, BMDs etc., going back into the early 19th century at least, are being taken to the Lancashire Record Office around the April 12th/13th weekend.

However, on Saturday 12th, early afternoon, at the Hallfold Chapel, Hall Street, Whitworth, there will be a viewing of the archives to the Whitworth Historical Society and any other interested parties. If the venue changes, it will be to the Whitworth Museum.

Can you help?

Yates/ Pilkington/ Berry/ Moorhouse/ Entwistle/ Bridge.

Ann’s Story

Ann PILKINGTON was born c1827, probably in Bolton. By 1833, when her brother James was born her family was living at Fall Barn, Holcombe. They were there in the 1841 and 1851 censuses. Ann Pilkington married Thomas Yates at Bury St. Mary’s Church on 17th July 1845. According to the marriage certificate, they were both of full age and both of Tottington. Thomas was a miner, son of James Yates a miner. Ann’s father was William Pilkington a stone mason. Ann would not actually have been of full age (21) she was only 18. For reasons I will explain, we have no idea of Thomas Yates’ age.

The newly married couple moved to Huddersfield in Yorkshire, where they had a son James born in 1847. They had another son, William born 17th August 1850 in Halifax". This child was baptised at Holcombe Emmanuel Church on 17th November 1850. The register reads:

"Wm son of Thomas and Ann Yates of Salter Ribble, Near Halifax"

Had the marriage broken up, or had Thomas died and Ann returned home with her two sons?

The 1851 census gives us Ann and her 7 month old son William lodging at Ravenshore, Tottington Higher End with her 7 month old son William Her 4 year old son is living at Fall Barn, Holcombe with his maternal grandparents. Her father is now entered as a farmer of 8 Acres.

Where is Thomas Yates?. Barry is interested in a Thomas Yates aged 34 in 1851, living at Miners Row in Oswaldtwistle. He is a coal miner, so is his father James aged 57. According to this census Thomas is married. He was born at Yate Bank.

In 1861 he is no longer living with his parents.

Ann went to live in Musbury near Haslingden. She had two "Yates" daughters born out of wedlock, Mary Ann born 1854, married in 1879 to James Moorhouse (her father was given as Samuel Books, farmer) and Ellen born 1858, married Richard Entwistle (father’s name not entered on her marriage certificate).

On 1st April 1861 Ann married Thomas Berry at St. Thomas Musbury, He was a labourer 4 years her junior. She was living at Hollin Bank, Musbury. In the 1861 census the boys were entered as born in "Yorkshire, Standish".

Ellen and Thomas Berry then went on to have 3 children together, Alice born 1862, Henry 1863 and Benjamin 1865. They continued to live in Musbury/ Helmshore for the rest of their lives.

Ann’s son William (born 1850 in Halifax) married Frances Bridge from Shuttleworth and went to live near Bacup in 1871. In 1881 he was living at Hapton, near Burnley and in 1891 his widow was living at Cloughfold, Rossendale. His children were Sarah Ann, James and Ada.

Ann’s son James (born 1847 in Huddersfield) married Nancy Haworth at Haslingden St. James 9th October 1869,

Yates/ Haworth/ Greenwood/ Vockins/ Craiggs/ Taylor

Nancy’s Story

Nancy HAWORTH belonged to the extensive Haworth and Greenwood families of Haslingden Grane. She was born at Long House. Grane and baptised at St. James, Haslingden, 4th November 1849. Her parents were George and Nancy [Greenwood] Haworth.

The Haworth family had gained notoriety in 1857 when George’s brother Jonathan was caught by the exise men distilling whisky in an underground chamber of his house, he was fined £80 and spent some time in prison.

After Nancy’s marriage to James Yates she went to live near her mother-in-law at Upper Park, Musbury. The 1871 census shows Nancy with one son, George, aged 1 month. Her husband died aged 26 in 1874. By this time Nancy’s parents had moved nearer to Haslingden to a row of cottages off Grane Road called "Waterfoot". This is where she was living 21st September 1876 when she married Alfred Vockins, a firebeater from Wiltshire. They had one son William Vockins born in the December Quarter of 1879. In the 1881 census Alfred was boarding in Lancaster Street, Blackburn. He was working as a railway labourer. Nancy and her two sons can not be found in this census but in 1891 they are listed at 6 James Street, Haslingden, she was a widow, aged 40. George Yates was 20 and William Vockins was 13.

Nancy Vockins married a third time in 1898 to an Edward Taylor and may have gone to live in Accrington near her son George, who had married Susannah Craiggs in 1891. They had had six children before moving to Accrington in 1901. Their eldest son James was maternal grandfather to Barry O’Neill. His father’s family came from Padiham but that is another story.

For further information or if you can help Barry email menzies@netspace.net.au