LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter September 2009

Programme Please Note – Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Visit to Bacup Natural History Museum, will now take place in September and not in August.

Coming Events

19th September 2009

Family History for Beginners

Led by Peter Pack .Venue University of Central Lancashire, Preston. This one-day course will provide you with the background skills to research your family’s history. You will learn about the records and research methods essential in tracing your family in the 19th and 20th century. Cost (including buffet lunch) £15 for everyone. .

Contact Susan Bailey MA
ILFH Administrator
01772 893053
www.localandfamilyhistory.com

Tuesday 13th October

Local and Family History in the Modern World

Day School on Local Studies Skills £20 including lunch.

The Meeting Room Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston PR1 2RE Whether you are new to working in this sector, an experienced worker or an interested user, this day school will have something for you.

Contact Maureen Burns, Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre, Central Library, Old Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL6 7SG Tel. 0161 342 4242

LFHHS Subscriptions

Half Price Offer For those joining the Society on or between 1st June and 31st December, we offer a half-year membership at half the relevant subscription rate. This is a good opportunity for non members to discover the benefits of membership. For full details check the Society website www.lfhhs.org.uk

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 at the library adjacent to the new Community History facilities..

If contacting us with an enquiry, please include your membership number.

Haslingden Roots – New Meeting Times

Roots now meets upstairs at Haslingden library, each Monday except Bank Holidays from 6.00pm – 7.30pm

However, I have had a note from Jackie Ramsbottom, secretary of Haslingden Roots.

She says that the Monday evening sessions will finish on 28th September.. She is hoping to arrange some Saturday afternoons sessions during the winter. I will be able to give you definite information next month. For further information email Jax@grane92.freeserve.co.uk

Petition to 10 Downing Street

The Prime Minister has responded to all those who signed an e-petition asking for full and open access to registers of birth, marriages and deaths for the years 1837 – 1908. He says:

The Government proposed in 2003 a wide-ranging set of reforms to the civil registration service in England and Wales. These proposals included an intention to digitise all the records with historic records being accessible to view on a database, possibly with a small charge, but without the need to purchase a certificate. It did not prove possible to introduce the necessary legislation by a Regulatory Reform Order as we had intended and there has not been a suitable opportunity to legislate since then. Nevertheless, we remain committed to modernising the way in which these records can be accessed and the Registrar General keeps this under active review.

Rossendale: News Notes and Queries

Following my recent appeals. I have received several queries and articles for the newsletter This has meant that I only have space to print the third of Richard Ashworth’s fascinating letters from America. This one was addressed to Ann Duckworth, his wife’s mother.

The letters have been supplied by Valerie Maxwell member(164)

She can been contacted by email at maxy16@ntlworld.com

Richard Ashworth’s Letters from America.

Richard Ashworth’s third letter written on May 5th 1873 is addressed in the style of the day "Dear Mother In Law". He tells her "I had given up weaving and thought of coming home but I had a fresh thought & tried for my old sort of work [he was a tailor] but there is little chance at present. I started the fifth day of May in the Cabinet shop fixing up dressing stands & I think I shall leave a good job.

We was all three walking out on Sunday & we called at Mr Brown the Mill master. He promised to get me work at the foundry but I shall stay where I am.

Your Tom has got fixed, he has sent his jacket & pants with a young man that is coming home and your John, a whole suit & that new vest is for his father, if it will fit & the other for whom you like. Your Tom says he would like a Machum pipe for his lot.You must tell my wife I will send her some money before Whitsuntide. I will send her a letter to tell her how to go about it.

That young man will tell you how we are getting along. His name is Thomas Littlefare, he comes from Heywood, he has only been out two weeks. I sent four dolls for my children, they must mind of breaking them, as you will see what they cost. You must tell my wife, that if I don’t get along well with this job, I shall come home. To my mind I don’t like this country as well as old England. I have had a letter from John Ashworth & Thomas Hudders today. ----( the next line is missing)

There has not been any pay days yet, she will be all right as soon as there has been one or two, the reason I am sending, I had a little money & I have drawn two weeks pay. Give my respects to George Ramsbottom & tell him he would not like to work two days and a half more than he does & I think if [they] could work the same time at home they would make as much money. I must close for the present. Yours truly, R. Ashworth.

Address Richard Ashworth, Fisherville box 222, New Hampshire, America.

The Duckworths

Susannah, Richard Ashworth’s wife was the daughter of James and Ann Duckworth nee Tetherington. She was born in Haslingden in 1844. Her brother John was born in 1841 and Thomas in 1847. At the time of the letters the Duckworth family lived at Spring Terrace, Rawtenstall.

The final letter will be published next month.

Morris and Whittaker / Whitaker Families

Marjorie Perry (Member. 9418) has contacted me from California. with details of the families she is researching in Rossendale and Hyndburn.

She says:

Jonathan Morris was born c1807 in Oswaldtwistle. He married Alice Whittaker at Haslingden on 22 April 1831. Alice was born at Higher Booths c1807.

They had 10 children. Immediately after their marriage Jonathan and Alice went to live at Foxhill Bank in Oswaldtwistle where Jonathan was a draper. but it seems that at least the first three of their children were baptised at Goodshaw Baptist Chapel.

About 1844, they moved to Rawtenstall where their last three children were born. These were John (Margery’s ancestor) 1844, Mary 1847 and Alice 1849. By 1851 they were living at Abbey Street, Accrington.

Marjorie has a fragile piece of paper which gives details from Jonathan’s gravestone It states that he died 4 May 1854, aged 47. She has not so far been able to find his burial record in any of the churches surrounding the Haslingden/Accrington areas.

John Morris married Betsy/Betty Riley of Accrington (born Haslingden) in 1865, presumably in a Baptist Church. On the 30th May 1870 he emigrated from Liverpool to the Port of Boston. Margery cannot find Betsy's emigration record but John & wife Betsy are found in the 1880, 1900,& 1910 censuses in New Bedford, MA. Betsy d. in 1911 and John is found in the 1920 New Bedford census living with son John..

Riley, Heyes, Morris Families

Betsy Riley born c1845 was the daughter of Taylor Riley a barber of Haslingden and his wife Mary Heyes. They were married at St. James Church, Haslingden in 1843. Taylor’s father was (Edmund) Kay Riley, a barber and Mary’s father was John Heyes, a weaver.

In 1841, Taylor was living with the family of a James and Jane Morris (nee Riley) aged 28, at Silver Street, Haslingden.

Taylor’s father Kay Riley aged 50, his mother Betty aged 60 and a Betty aged 15 were living nearby in Pleasant Street. In 1851, Kay had died and Betty aged 70 was living with James and Jane Morris, she is described as "mother- in- Law" to James..

If anyone can untangle these Riley and Morris families or if they desire more information, they can contact Marjorie by email mep33@roadrunner.com