LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter October 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

From Jacquie Crosby at Lancashire Archives:
Getting to know Lancashire Archives

Have you ever wondered how to use the searchroom at Lancashire Archives or what sort of records we hold? How to find your great-great-grandfather's will? What goes on behind the scenes? If so, these sessions may interest you.
An archivist will describe some of the sources we hold, and how Lancashire Archives works. They will explain some of the procedures and give guidance on how to use the finding aids to help you to make the best use of your time when you visit.
Sessions will be held at 2.30 p.m. on Friday 9th November, and 14th December 2012.
Each session is FREE and will last 1½ - 2 hours. Places are limited, so advance booking is essential - telephone 01772 533039 or email record.office@lancashire.gov.uk

Saturday 3rd November 9.30 – 4.30

Fylde History Network Conference,
St Annes URC St George`s Road St Annes– Four speakers and buffet lunch. Price for Conference inc. lunch £16 and Conference only £9. The Fylde Branch will have a stall on behalf of the LFHHS More details on the FHN website. www.fyldehistorynetwork.co.uk/page15.html

Additions to LancashireBMD

Added 25th September 1,756 Marriages for Hyndburn and Rossendale Registration District -

Bethlehem Chapel, Newchurch (1955-1985);
Bacup, United Methodist, Waterside (1948-1995);
Rawtenstall, Longholme Wesleyan Chapel (1953-1984);
Accrington, Cannon Street Baptist (1993-2006);
Huncoat, Methodist Chapel (1984-2002);
Haslingden, Primitive Methodist, Grane Road (1947-1953);
Haslingden, Congregational Church (1913-1932);
Facit, St John (1986-2009);
Oswaldtwistle, Immanuel (1840-1877)

Rossendale News, Notes and Queries

For our September meeting we visited the Society’s Resource Centre at the Straits, Oswaldtwistle. Tony Foster, Christine Dignall and David Dignall made us very welcome and showed us the facilities now available at the Straits, not only computers with internet access and the opportunity to try out different programmes for recording your family history but also a growing library covering all aspects of family history, exchange journals from other societies and access to the Society’s own Pedigree Database. Opening times are as listed above.

From the Lancaster Gazette - 14th September 1805

“A MORE CRUEL AND OPPRESSIVE CASE NEVER CAME BEFORE A COURT OF JUSTICE”

LANCASHIRE ASSIZES

Scholes versus Taylor and others.

Henry Scholes was a wheelwright who resided with his wife at a small farm situated at Boothfold (Waterfoot) in Newchurch.

At the Lancashire Assizes on the 14th September 1805 he was the plaintiff in an action for trespass against James Taylor, an innkeeper at Newchurch who was also a Constable for the Forest of Rossendale together with John Hargreaves, the elder, a Sheriff’s Officer at Haslingden; John Hargreaves, the younger, the son and clerk to Mr. George Hargreaves, an Attorney at Newchurch and four other defendants who were bailiff’s followers, George Pickup, John Hoyle, John Ashworth and George Riley.

Previous to the 25th December 1804 Henry Scholes had contracted a debt of £8 with James Taylor. He was sued for this money and an execution of his goods was issued to the value of £14 10s, including the costs of the action.
The named defendants with this authority, proceeded to Mr Scholes’ premises at about noon on the 31st December 1804. They drove off his two cows and later on the same day, they broke open the door of his house, seized all his goods and ransacked the house. They took away every article of any value. They then proceeded to turn the plaintiff’s wife and children out of doors and secured the premises so that they could not return. On the Saturday morning following, they broke open his workshop, seized his stock of woodworking tools and hung a lock on the door and another on the barn door.

On the same day they sold by public auction the whole of Henry Scholes’ goods, stock of cattle and hay, the produce of which amounted to £84. Not satisfied with this large sum, in satisfaction for their demand of £14. 10s, they demanded a further sum of £9. 4s from the plaintiff; at the same time adding, that if he did not produce the money in the space of an hour, they would sell his stock of wood and working tools.

The plaintiff being fearful of receiving further injury, borrowed money from his neighbours and paid it to the defendants who in defence of this action pleaded justification under the warrant of execution for £14.10s but the judge (Mr. Baron Sutton) being satisfied that the law would not justify such proceedings, did not permit the defendant’s Counsel to offer the same in evidence.

In summing up the case to the jury, the Judge observed “that a more cruel and oppressive case never came before a Court of Justice; and it called for the most exemplary damages”. He said “Here is a poor industrious man, with a large family, comfortably situated upon a small farm, obtaining his livelihood by honest industry, bereft of every comfort by these defendants, acting under the mask and colour of the law, sweeping away the whole of his property, to the amount of £84 exclusive of the £9. 14s extorted from him, to satisfy the sum of £14. 10s, breaking open his house at a late hour of the night, and turning the family out on to the open streets in the dead of winter, where they might have perished, had not neighbours taken them in and offered protection.
Gentlemen” he added “Such men as the defendants are not fit for the positions they hold; and I will take care that they never have it again in their power to oppress the weak”. His Lordship then directed the Under Sheriff to strike the defendant Hargreaves’ name out of his list of officers.
The Jury after a short deliberation, returned a verdict for the plaintive granting him £200 damages.
Mr. L. Shaw was the plaintiff’s attorney. Mr. Hargreaves, defendant’s attorney.

The Scholes Family
Henry Scholes had apparently married Betty Holden at Blackburn 28th November 1778. This is not certain as the Blackburn registers give his occupation as “weaver”. Their first son William was baptised at Tockholes 20th December 1778. They had children baptised at Church Kirk, Accrington and Baxenden before settling at Boothfold in Newchurch.

Betty Scholes, Henry’s wife died in childbirth on the 9th April 1805, shortly before her husband brought his court action but after the events described above. She died at Rossendale but was taken back to Blackburn for burial. She was aged 44. One can only wonder whether the trauma of the previous December could have contributed to her death. Henry Scholes, senior, of Boothfold, wheelwright, was buried at Whalley 16th February 1823 aged 68.

Why Whalley? It appears that Henry had remarried on the 29th September 1806. His second wife was Jane Riley of Pendleton near Whalley. They had four children together, Jane born 1807, Ellen born 1811, Margaret born 1813, and Christopher born 1815. Their father was described as being a wheelwright of Pendleton. Jane, widow of Henry Scholes was also buried at Whalley 8th October 1828 aged 57.

In October 2005, I wrote a short piece for the Rossendale Branch newsletter entitled “The Scholes Family, remembered in stone”. At that time I was struck by the fact that someone had entered information on this stone of family members who had been buried in places outside Rossendale, including Blackburn, Whalley, Bagslate and Todmorden. They didn’t all leave however. Henry’s son Jonathan was living at Boothfold in 1851 and was working as a wheelwright.

Rossendale Cemetery Records.

Rossendale Cemetery records have now been added to the Lancashire Online Parish Clerks website.
Bacup Cemetery 1862 – 1995
Haslingden Cemetery 1902 – 2012
Rawtenstall Cemetery 1887 – (in progress)