LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter November 2005

Coming Events

Saturday 12th November

Family History Open Day

Barnoldswick Library,
Fern lea Avenue
Barnoldswick, Near Colne

Help and Advice. Some local resources available free. Everyone welcome.

10.00am - 3.30pm

Wednesday 17th November

Open Day at the Greater Manchester Record Office (54 Marshall St, New Cross, M4 5FU; 10am to 4pm, featuring tours, advice, talks displays & documents It is necessary to book email: archives@www.gmcro.co.uk Refreshments available. Free.

Saturday 3rd December

Irish Ancestry Group Workshop

Advice and Research Session 1.00pm - 4.00pm at the Resource Centre,

The Straits, Oswaldtwistle.

Email Margaret Pursell at irish@lfhhs.org.uk or phone 01253 353909

Haslingden Roots

The last meeting of Haslingden Roots for this season will be held on Monday 7th November. It will not reopen until after Easter 2006

Haslingden Action Website

The Haslingden Roots Research Group has now acquired the former Haslingden Community Website. It can be accessed at www.haslingden.org.uk The website includes information on family history sources in Haslingden. . If you have any queries then you can contact Jackie Ramsbottom

email jax@grane92.freeserve.co.uk

Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880

Many local Non Conformist Chapels and Catholic Churches did not have their own burial grounds. In towns where there was no public cemetery, it had been necessary for these chapels and churches to use the local Church of England graveyard for burials. In Haslingden this was certainly the case prior to the opening of Holden Hall Cemetery in 1902.

The 1880 Act allowed Non Conformists and Roman Catholics to be buried in St. James Church of England graveyard according to the rites of their own religion. It is difficult for us to appreciate the impact this had on the community.

John Dunleavy has sent me this account from the Accrington Times, 9th October 1880.

"As there is no public cemetery at Haslingden, the Roman Catholics and most of the Dissenters of the neighbourhood have interred their deceased friends in the cemetery attached to the Church of England, As soon as the Priest in charge of Haslingden Catholic Church, the Rev. F.M. Dillon, knew that the Rev. W. Champneys had received the necessary notice, that the Act was in force, he waited upon and made arrangements about the burial of Roman Catholics. On Wednesday last the remains of a Roman Catholic named John McHale were interred without the rites of the Church (of England), the first since the Act came into force.

A large number of people assembled in the graveyard to witness the interment. Fr. Dillon, vested in surplice and stole, met the corpse at the churchyard and walked in front of the possession to the grave where he read the general service according to the rite presented by the Roman ritual. The coffin having been lowered to the grave and sprinkled with holy water the priest read the latter portion of the service in English which almost corresponds with the Church service. Everything was carried out in the most decorous manner, the assembled multitude manifesting the greatest respect. We understand that the vicar, the Rev. W. Champneys, acted in the most gracious manner and promised to do all in his power to make the working of the Act as agreeable as possible".

JOHN MCHALE According to the burial register at St. James church, John McHale of Workhouse Lane, aged 62 was buried on 6th October 1880. He was not living in Haslingden in 1871.

There was an Ellen McHale, aged 62, living nearby in 1881, at Paghouse Lane, with her daughter Honor Clarke aged 28, (who had married Patrick Clarke in Haslingden Registration area in 1875) and her son Richard aged 20 all born in Ireland. There were 2 grand-daughters born in Haslingden.

John Davies Public Houses

The Pack Horse at Boothfold

A recent enquiry regarding the Pack Horse Hotel at Boothfold, near Waterfoot, led us to a typescript book in Rawtenstall library, written by the late John Davies, in which he has listed all the Public Houses in Rossendale and given their histories.

The information supplied to me by Rawtenstall Reference library listed all the landlords of the Pachorse from 1776 when John Nuttall held the premises. The notes contain such choice pieces of information as:

1798 There was a whipping post in front of the inn.

1815 John Nuttall, of the Pack Horse died. His gravestone is by Newchurch church gateway....

During Booth Fair, a greasy pole was erected outside the pub, with a leg of mutton at the top, anyone climbing the pole got the mutton....

1868 John Hayes and William Hargreaves were charged with fighting in the Pack Horse Hotel

1869, 21st June The death occurred of Mr George, Scott. (the Landlord) aged 47 years.

1869, 20th November Henry Law of the Pack Horse was fined 10s and costs for having two pint pots in the bar which did not hold a pint.

1875, 12th Jan.. The marriage took place at the Wesleyan Chapel of Thomas Tatterall of the Pack Horse Inn, Boothfold to Miss Mary Ann Lord of Hippin Bank.

1880 Thomas Tattersall was fined 40s for having his house open during non- permitted hours and permitting drunkenness.

1896. Thomas Tattersall sold the premises to John Baxter Ltd for £3,000.

1902 a new Public House was completed on the site.

1957. 7th January. the house closed ..John William Harrison was the last landlord. At that time it consisted of 4 bedrooms and a clubroom, 2 bars one up and one down 4 licensed rooms down and a stables beneath the hotel. It was demolished shortly afterwards and is now a car park.

THOMAS HARRISON

My original enquiry was regarding Thomas Harrison son of the above John William. He was in the Royal Navy in 1943 when he married an English nurse in Harefield Middlesex. He may have died shortly afterwards. If you have any information email Yvette Burr in Norway y_burr@hotmail.com