LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter August 2007

Haslingden Roots

Due to alterations to Haslingden Library in August and September, we will be unable to access the upstairs section of the library during that time. In addition the library will be closed at 7.30pm on Tuesday nights. Therefore because of the limited space in the computer room there will be no Haslingden Roots meetings during August and September.

Due to the nature of the reorganisation, there may be delays, so please contact Jackie Ramsbottom on 01254 394794 at the end of September to confirm our opening date in October.

Computer/ Internet Workshop Sessions at Rawtenstall Library

Rossendale Branch Members will holding a series of workshops at Rawtenstall library during August and September to assist and advise you on using the internet to trace your family history. The sessions will be held on the following Mondays:

6th August - 20th August - 3rd September - 17th September at 5.30 – 7.30 pm

There are 6 bookable places for each session which will include use of - Ancestry The Lancashire Birth Marriage & Death Website Free BMD Family Search and other useful websites Tel. Rita Hirst 01706 227561 or email ritahirst@tiscali.co.uk

The Law Family of Todmorden and the Upper Calder Valley 16th – 20th Centuries, by Frank T. Haylett, has just been published by the author.

The fruits of over 30 years of research and taking further the family described in ‘Laws of Rossendale and Upper Calder’ by the author and Milton B. Ormerod published by the Society in 2001, this quite splendid book not only deals in great detail with the Law family on the Lancashire, Yorkshire border but plots the Law diaspora to North America and the Antipodes.

A full review of the book written by Bill Taylor will appear in the August editon of "Lancashire". Copies may be otained from the author The book is accompanied by a separate booklet of detailed family trees.

Cost £20.00. plus postage and packaging:

United Kingdom £5.10. Overseas: Airmail £10.62. or Surface Mail £5.63.

Sterling Cheques or Money Orders only, please, made payable to F. T. Haylett.

Available exclusively from:
Frank Haylett, 33 St. Michaels’ Crescent, Heighington, Co. Durham, England, United Kingdom. DL5 6RJ

When ordering please state clearly, Name and Address to which the book is to be sent.

The UK National Inventory of War Memorials

The UK National Inventory of War Memorials based at Imperial War Museum London, is a registered charity working to compile a record of all war memorials in the UK and to promote their appreciation, use and preservation.

Founded in 1989, the UKNIWM contains information on over 58,000 war memorials in a paper archive and online database. They want to improve their website, database and service and need your help to ensure they make this unique resource work for you.

They are carrying out an online survey to find out what you think about their website and how it can be improved. The survey will only take a few minutes and your opinions are vital to ensure they make the most of this unique resource. To complete the survey please go to www.ukniwm.org.uk/survey

Rosssendale Miscellany:

News notes and queries

James Ashworth and Mary Nuttall

Further to my report on the Ashworth Family in last month’s newsletter, Derek Taylor tells me that he has got together with the other decendants of James Ashworth and Mary Nuttall, he says quite a bit "new" information has come in recently from his correspondence with Erika Szwandt and Margaret Ashworth, plus a few "discoveries" on his own line Anyone interested should contact derek at email: derekthomas303@ntlworld.com

More Ashworths….

Walker Ashworth and Betty Duckworth

At our last meeting Dorothy Jones gave me a pedigree chart detailing the descendants of Walker Ashworth who was born about 1773 and married Betty Duckworth in June 1799 at St. James Church, Haslingden. They had 6 children:

Alice 1800; Walker 1802; Margaret 1805, (baptised at Deardengate Congregational); James 1807; Hugh 1809 (baptised at Deardengate Congregational); John, 1810 and David 1815. The pedigree follows the family of Hugh Ashworth born 22 Dec. 1809.. He married Olive Higgins at Manchester Cathedral in 1835. They lived variously in Accrington, Barnoldswick and Colne. He was buried in Accrington in 1863. Anyone wishing for more information on this family can contact me, or Dorothy Jones at 45 Limefield St. Accrington BB5 2AF.

Newchurch in Rossendale Registers

From time to time, I have received enquiries regarding what appears to be missing baptisms at St. Nicholas, in the period from 1760 – 1790. Craig Thornber (who is transcribing the registers for the LPRS) has confirmed this fact, he tells me

"I have found a lot of burials in the 1770s and they exceed the baptisms. For example in the whole of 1775 there are about 88 burials and 52 baptisms. 1776 gets off to a very bad start with 88 burials by the end of May. What could be the explanation?" 

This situations was first highlighted by Chris. Pickup in December 2004. Some of his missing baptisms were subsequently found at Goodshaw and Wilf Day in January 2005, suggested "Casting the Wilder Net". He states that only a quarter of Goodshaw baptisms relate to those residing in Goodshaw Chapelry. It has been suggested that Newchurch charged too much for baptisms. Whatever the reason, if you are stuck, at Newchurch during this period, you are advised to check not only the parish registers and the Bishops’ transcripts but also Goodshaw registers.

Open Days at Newchurch

If you are interested in visiting St. Nicholas. Two Open Days have been arranged by the Vicar, the Rev. Sue Davies on:

Saturday 8th September , 10.30- 4.30 and Sunday 9th September, 12.00 – 5.00

and More Taylors…

Joshua Taylor 1816 – 1882 and his three wives

Grahame Taylor writes from France: "My great grandfather Joshua Taylor was born 24 March 1816 at Holt Mill, Newchurch. Joshua's first wife was Alice Heys also from Newchurch. They married 29th April 1838 at Bury Parish Church She died after 16 months of married life and Joshua, with a baby, Elizabeth Ann, to look after quickly remarried. His new wife was Mary Grime. The marriage took place at St Nicholas Parish Church, Newchurch on 1 December 1839. Sadly baby Elizabeth Ann died aged 20 months from "fits" Mary and Joshua had 4 children (Henry, James, Thomas and Mary Ann) and she died possibly around 1860/61. Joshua again remarried, this time to Mary Hanrahan, one of the Irish immigrants into the area, at Holy Trinity, Over Darwen on 18 May 1862. Joshua moved to Haslingden in the 1870s. a stone mason by trade, he had four children by this Mary including my grandfather John. He died 28 March1882. He is buried in Rawtenstall cemetery with no headstone. On his marriage certificates, he states that his father is James Taylor, a wool sorter (1839) and a book keeper (1862)

Joshua was born c1816 and there was only one Joshua Taylor, son of James born at this time. ‘Joshua son of James and Hannah, baptised 24th March 1816 at Newchurch. Things get trickier here. A cousin used to joke that if someone had yelled in the street 'James Taylor' in Newchurch or Stacksteads, all the doors would have opened! Luckily there was only one James Taylor marrying a Hannah at this time. James Taylor of Boothfold married Hannah Haworth of Fearns 4 January 1816, (a hurried marriage). Their children were James, Suzannah and William. James Taylor of Miller Barn was buried on 21 February 1855 'aged 63'. Hannah Taylor, a widow, was living at Miller Barn in 1861. The censuses show him as a wool sorter born c1792 and there is only one birth for a James which appears to fit all the criteria and that is the James baptised 21 February 1792 to George and Betty Taylor of Walls. I would like to confirm that this is the right baptism for James.

I very much hope that someone has done research on this branch of the Taylors and that they will get in touch." Grahame Taylor.

Le Moustoir St Cado, 29380 Bannalec, France.  Member No 1012  email - GRAHAME.TAYLOR@wanadoo.fr