LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter April 2012

Research and Advice Sessions at Haslingden
Library every Monday 5.30 – 8.30 pm
Note: the doors to Haslingden Library close at 7.30 pm.

and at Rawtenstall Library every Tuesday 1.30 – 3.30 pm

We may be able to do simple look-ups for distant members. When contacting us with an enquiry, please include your membership number.

The LFHHS Resource Centre.

The Society’s Resource and Research Centre at 2 Straits, Oswaldtwistle, BB5 3LU is open every Thursday from 1.00pm – 5.00pm and 1st Saturday of each month 1.00pm..

Coming Events

Saturday 7th April 2012.
Family History Festival
10:30-4:00
Hosted by the museum of Lancashire, Preston, This event is a celebration of family history and will be attended by various groups and organisations that can help people with their genealogical research, whether they are complete beginners or have just hit a 'brick wall in their research.

Saturday 21st April 2012
Sheffield & District Family History Fair,
to be held at “Centre in the Park” Norfolk Heritage Park, Guildford Avenue, Sheffield S2 2PL 10.00am – 4.00pm Admission free. The LFHHS will be represented at this event.

Saturday 28th April 2012
Family History Day,
Pudsey Civic Hall, Dawsons Corner, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS28 5TA 10.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
The LFHHS will be represented at this event.

Saturday 19th May 2012
LFHHS One Day Conference
9.45am to 5.00pm at St. Cuthbert’s Church Centre, Lytham Road, Preston, Lancashire PR2 3AR 3 good speakers. £12.50 with buffet lunch. £6.50 without buffet lunch.
Full details and booking form were included in your “Lancashire” journal for February 2012.

This is a chance to meet old friends, make new ones and put faces to names. There will be an opportunity to exchange information etc… also a selection of books, CDs, and fiche which can be purchased or ordered.

Lancashire BMD updates for the Hyndburn and Rossendale area.
Added 26,167 Births for (1837-1895)
Added 7,316 Marriages, Haslingden, St James (1936-2003); Waterfoot, St James (1951-1996); Newchurch, St Nicholas (1845-2007); Bacup, Christ Church (1855-1992); Whitworth, St Bartholomew (1871-1969)

Increase in the cost of historic birth certificates from 1st April 2012
For historic certificates - i.e. those that we use for our genealogical research – which are obtained from a local Registrar, the price is to rise from £9 to £10. There is to be no change for the cost of certificates obtained from the national GRO for England and Wales at Southport, which remains at £9.25.

These changes are due to the Registration of Births Deaths and Marriages (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2012, laid before Parliament on 9th March.

Rossendale News, Notes and Queries

Unfortunately last month’s speaker Norman Hindley was not able to be present . However, our Chairman John Dalton stepped in at the last minute and gave us a very interesting talk on Wills and Probate, which was very well received by everyone present.
This month we have our AGM followed by a talk given by myself, entitled “Love across three continents”. I hope it will be equally well received.

This month’s article and plea for help is from Ken Roubik, a new member living in Texas.

The Bentleys of Bacup

I know I have Bentley ancestors who came from the Bacup area. My great great grandfather, Henry Bentley emigrated to the United States in 1831. I have located his baptism record at the Mount Pleasant Wesleyan Chapel in Bacup. This states that he was born 3rd April 1801 and baptised on 6 Jan 1801. His parents were John and Mary Bentley. John was a weaver of Bankside near Bacup. On the 14th October 1822, Henry married Grace Whatmough at St. Chad’s Church, Rochdale. He was listed as a weaver of Shaw Clough [Bacup] and she was given as a spinster of Ogden Street [Rochdale].

I believe that Henry’s parents were married at St. Nicholas Church, Newchurch. There is a record on 3rd April 1797 for the marriage of John Bentley of Newchurch Chapelry to Mary Hargreaves of Newchurch Chapelry. There is no other information but this seems the only likely marriage.

John and Mary’s first child was named John and was born 9th September 1799. Henry was born as previously stated in 1801, Mary was born 6th January 1803 and a second John in 1804 We must assume that the first John had died. There was also an Ann baptised in 1806 her parents were given as John and Mally Bentley. All except the first John were given as born at Bankside and all baptised at Mount Pleasant Wesleyan Chapel.

There are baptism records at St. Mary’s and All Saints C of E church. Goodshaw. There is a baptism for a Mary Hargreaves on 16th July.1776 at Goodshaw daughter of George and Ann - abode Bankside. There is also a baptism for a John Bentley 9 May 1777 Child of John Bentley & Mary of Bacup.

I have no other information on the other siblings. I would be interested to see if there are any records about what happened to Mary, the 2nd John and Ann. It would like to know if any of their descendants might still be in England.

Also in my research I have found records for a James and Mary Bentley, and a George and Hannah Bentley in Bacup having children baptised at Mount Pleasant around the same time. I am wondering what, if any relation James and George might be to John Bentley.

Henry left for the US in 1831 leaving his wife and children in England. Grace and the three living children followed a year later in 1832 sailing on a ship named the Ajax arriving in New York on 29 Nov 1832. In the passenger list, are Grace Bentley and her children; also Thos and Hannah Hargreaves (same surname as the suspected surname of Henry's mother Mary). Grace's profession is listed as a Weaver in the passenger list.

email kroubik@yahoo.com

Mary Hargreaves of Mount Pleasant, Bacup

About the year 1751 it became necessary for the little society in Rossendale, consisting of fourteen members to enlarge their borders and get better accommodation to worship. They had hitherto conducted their meetings in private houses or the old school house at Bacup….. Land was secured on the top of a steep and rugged road leading up to what has since been called Mount Pleasant and erection was commenced…. It is said that Mr. Wesley preached at the opening….. Under this first chapel resided a widow, Mary Hargreaves who after the sudden death of her husband eked out a scanty livelihood by teaching young children and receiving occasional assistance from the Society…….

It is probable that the first Class meeting in Bacup was held at her house. Her husband had died of a violent bleeding of the nose, when her son George, great grandfather of the late Laurence Hargreaves was about five years of age. Mary subsequently moved to a lowly cottage, below Mr Dawson’s house at Mount Pleasant…..

A somewhat singular custom obtained in this family. In the days when there was no reliable registration of births and the parish registers were sometimes at fault, George the son of Mary, on the occasion of the birth of each of his children used to go down to the brook, and having selected a smooth slate stone, cut it into an oval and transcribed upon it the name of the new born child and the date of birth. Each child on coming of age was given the stone which bore his own name…. On the fly leaf of a book owned by Mr Laurence Hargreaves are the following notes relating to the family:
George Hargreaves born Feb 19th 1749. His father died when he was 5 years old
George Hargreaves born Jan. 7th 1789 at twelve at night.
Jennet Hargreaves born Mar. 26th 1777 at half past twelve at noon.
Richard Hargreaves born at ------ in the afternoon ------February 17------
Ann Hargreaves born May 1786
Mary Hargreaves born Aug. 1781
Betty Hargreaves born Easter Sunday 1784
Edmund Hargreaves born Feb. 20th 1791
Betty Hargreaves born May 1752.

Extracted from “An account of Methodism in Rossendale and the neighbourhood”, by William Jessop 1880.