LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter July 2010

The LFHHS Resource Centre. Extension of Opening Hours

We are pleased to announce that the Society’s Resource and Research Centre at 2 Straits Oswaldtwistle, BB5 3LU is open every Thursday from 1pm – 5pm. and the Centre will now open on the 1st Saturday of each month 1pm – A catalogue of the resources available can be viewed or downloaded from www.lfhhs.org.uk/download/index.htm

Research and Advice Sessions:

at Rawtenstall library every Tuesday 1.30 – 3.30

Rossendale Branch has a group of members who are on hand very Tuesday, to assist members of the public with their Family History enquiries. You will find us upstairs in the library adjacent, to the new Community History facilities. When contacting us with an enquiry, please include your membership number.

Not a member? Then see the Benefits of Joining page.

Subscriptions June to December

Please note that at this time of the year you can take out a subscription for half the usual price. This is a marvellous offer. You will receive 2 copies of our magazine and all the benefits of the society until January 2011.

Rossendale: News Notes and Queries

Helmshore Mills Textile Museum

This unique museum consists of two original Lancashire textile mills: Higher Mill and Whitaker’s Mill together known as Helmshore Mills Textile Museum. On our two hour tour we will explore the history of Lancashire’s industrial past.

Higher Mill iwas constructed in 1789 by the Turner family, textile manufacturers from the Blackburn area. It is used to illustrate the development of the woollen industry. On the ground floor is the fully operational, large waterwheel together with five pairs of fulling stocks and a Spinning Jenny.

The Cotton Story is told in Whitaker’s Mill, where you can find out more about the industrial revolution. On the ground floor you will find the Revolution Gallery and the Devil Hole, while the Carding and Spinning machinery is upstairs on the first floor.

www.lancashire.gov.uk

Higher Mill
Holcombe Road
Helmshore, Rossendale,
Lancashire BB4 4NP 01706 226459

A Hargreaves Family confusion

Earlier this year I had an enquiry from Annmarie Arbez, a new member living in France. Annmarie had had some success in tracing her ancestor James Hargreaves and his wife Mary Ann Neves. In 1901 and 1891 they were living in Burnley, where James was variously listed as a Baker and Grocer. Prior to that in 1881 and 1871 they were living at Bankses Farm, Whitewell Bottom. Annmarie thought that James had probably been born at Bankses in 1828 or 1829..

However, in 1871 James was given as being a farmer, 40 years old, born at "Cowpe" whilst Bankses is in Newchurch. His wife was 38 born at Stalybridge. There were 5 children, of this marriage. The first two Joseph and John, born at Scout Bottom and the next three at Bankses. In 1881, James’ age is given as 52 and he still claims to be born at Cowpe.

I found his marriage at St. Nicholas 17th April 1858. He was given as of full age, Bachelor, engine tenter of Bridleway. Father John Hargreaves, Cotton Carder. Mary Ann was a weaver of Scout, Waterside. Her father was Joseph Neves, Collier.

This is borne out on the 1861 census, James and given as an engine tenter, born Cowpe. He and Mary Ann had a 1 year old son Joseph – no address given, apparently Scout Delph, Newchurch.

James Hargreaves of Saunders Height

I checked out the baptisms at Newchurch St. Nicholas for this period. There was only one possibility:

James son of John and Ann Hargreaves, weaver, of Mucked Earth baptised 31st August 1828. The problem is that the farm of this name is not in Cowpe either. It is on the Heights, to the north west of Newchurch, St. Nicholas. The father’s occupation would also appear to be incorrect.

I decided that I might as well check out the family of John and Ann Hargreaves. It soon became clear that John Hargreaves and his wife had, for a time lived at Cowpe but that James had been born at the home of his maternal grand parents, Thomas and Mary Ashworth, farmers of Mucky Earth.

The registers of St. Nicholas, Newchurch in Rossendale give the marriage of:

John Hargreaves of Baltick to Ann Ashworth of Heightside, both of this chapelry, married 20th November 1825. Their eldest son Thomas was also born at Mucky Earth in 1826, followed by James in 1828. and John in 1830 at Heightside, then a series of other children born at Carr in Cowpe and Underwood in Cowpe. Around 1840 they moved to Physic Hall on Saunders Height Lane, just to the east of Mucky Earth. A further four children were born there. By this time John is described as a farmer.

In 1841 James and his brother Thomas were both living at Mucky Earth with their Ashworth grandparents. but through an enumerator’s error they were entered on the census under the surname of Ashworth!

In 1851 they are still at Mucky Earth, together with their brother John. This time under their correct surname of Hargreaves. After his grandmother’s death Thomas took over the Farm. He has a gravestone at Newchurch. He died in 1905 in his 80th year, His wife Elizabeth died in 1902 aged 72. They were described as "of Myrtle Earth Farm". This name is on the current O.S. map.

John Hargreaves, their father had died in December 1855 aged 49, leaving his widow Ann still living on Saunders Height Lane.

At this point I decided that I had found the wrong James in the Newchurch registers. Surely this James would have described his father as a farmer, and not as a cotton carder, if he married Ann Marie Neves..

I tried again. In the baptism’s for Bacup St. John I found two further possibilities both had a father named John.

James Hargreaves of Waterbarn

Baptised. 6th October 1828, James son of John and Alice of Bacup Comber. This James appears to have died aged 19 at Waterbarn, 3rd March 1847 John Hargreaves of Waterbarn died 18th August 1846 aged 46 years.

James Hargreaves of Bridleway

Baptised 1st June 1829, James son of John and Jenny Hargreaves of Cowpe, Labourer.

John Hargreaves of Stacksteads married Jane Hackin of Fearns18th September 1825.

Witnesses Albion Hargreaves and Robert Stott

I have traced most of the baptisms of their children

1826  Robert born Hall House Barn. Father Spinner; 1829 - James born Hall House Barn, Father. Spinner.

31st Jan. 1834 Burial. Albion died aged 1/4 of Stacksteads.

1836 Albion son of John and Jenny born Pippin Bank, Engineman; 1837 - 2 children baptised together Martha born Pipping Bank Father Engineman and Elizabeth born Pipping Bank Father Engineman (she should have been born about 1834)

1839 William born Bridlegate Father Spinner.

There were two other children born after the 1841 census, Wellington and Isabella

The 1841 & 1851 censuses show Jane and her family living at Bridleway but John, her husband is not there. In 1851 she is described as a widow. Robert aged 25 was a woollen engine tenter. James aged 22 was a wool sorter. Jane lived at Bridleway for the rest of her life.

James Hargreaves of Ramsbottom

The other James (the wrong James) married Jane Hargreaves 29th November 1856. He gave his occupation as a farmer of Long Earth and his father as John Hargreaves, farmer. He baptised his eldest child John Ashworth Hargreaves, which I think, confirms that he is the James of Mucky Earth. After failing as an Inn Keeper in the 1860s, he eventually ended up at Hazelhurst Ramsbottom, first as a farm Labourer then as a mason’s labourer. He is buried at Holcombe.

If you have researched either of these Hargreaves families you can contact Annmarie Arbez by email at amarbez@free.fr