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LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY
AND HERALDRY SOCIETY
Rossendale Branch
Newsletter May 2000
The Petition of the inhabitants of the Forest of
Rossendale to His Majesty King Henry Vlll (c1510) which set forth the
reasons why a church was desirable:
Whereas the Forest of Rossendale was replenished
only chiefly with Foresters and Keepers of the Deer... (since then) the
Forest was deforested and let forth in divers sorts and Whereas the
Forest and Keepers of the Deer and other Savage and Wild Beasts and since
by Industry of the Inhabitants has grown to be Fertile Ground well
replenished with People, the Castle Church of Clitheroe being their Parish
Church is twelve Miles distant and the Ways very Foul, Painful and
Perilous and the Country in the Winter Season so vehemently Cold,
that Infants borne to the Church are in peril of their Lives and
the aged and impotent People and Women great with Child not able to travel
so far to hear the Word of God and the Dead Corpses there likely to
remain unburied at such Times for want of Carriage, till such Time as
great Annoyance doth grow thereby....
The Chapel was built in 1511 on the slopes of Seat Naze
in Dedwinclough The population at that time was said to consist of 80
souls. This first Chapel was named All Souls. This probably amounted to 11
or 12 families, they were probably all inter related and there can be few
old Rossendale families who are not decendended from this hardy group of
people.
In the time of Edward VI some 40 years later a
Commission of Pius Uses was set up. There was no difficulty in justifying
the presence of a Chapel in the Forest. The population had already grown
from 80 to 1000 persons. The Commission ordered that the inhabitants of
the said Forest and the inhabitants of the Lenches, Cowpe, Brandwood,
Rockcliffe, Greave Clough and Tong adjoining the said Forest should have
the use and enjoyment of the said Chapel above specified, together with
the parcel of ground inclosed and invironed with a hedge and called Chapel
Yard for ever.
The name of the church was changed to Our
Saviour. A second church was built in 1560 near the original site, named
Holy Trinity (it was enlarged in 1753) The present church was built in
1826 and dedicated to St. Nicholas. The Church of Newchurch in Rossendale
has given its name to the neighbouring village and to the larger Township
of Newchurch which covers a vast area of the former Forest.
Did you miss....
Our AGM and talk
We were very pleased to see so many of you at the AGM.
The Committee were all re-elected as before. Pauline Holt and Kathlen
Ashburner have agreed to share the post of Rossendale Representative on
the Executive Committee. They will ensure that we are kept informed of the
decisions made by the Executive and also of events taking place in the
other branches of the society. As I mentioned in the last newsletter, I
have now resigned as General Secretary. I shall therefore be able to spend
more time organising at a local level and assisting our out of town
members.
Michael and I were well received after our talk on
Newchurch. It created a lot of interest and we have since dealt with
several enquiries.
Rossendale Ancestry
1. Mr D. Ratcliffe, 11 Llys Clwyd, Bangor Road,
Penmaemawr, Conwy LL34 6AF writes to ask if anyone can tell him anything
about the early Ratcliffes of Haslingden (particularly of Grane) where
they lived etc. He says he has had his family researched back to James
Ratcliffe 1686 - 1757 but he knows little of Haslingden and its history.
As he is now in his 70s and confined to a wheelchair he would appreciate
any help. There is a Ratcliffe Fold and a Ratcliffe Street in central
Haslingden, on either side of Blackburn Road. Does anyone know how they
came by these names?
2. Mrs J. Small, 59 Rothesay Ave., Tile Hile, Coventry
CV4 9FH has been seeking her Ralph Duckworth, a carter, father Richard,
for many years. He married in Burnley in 1876, but had left his wife
before 1881. The age he gave at marriage (bn 1841) tallied with that of
another Ralph Duckworth (son of James) born in Haslingden. She has now
discovered that a Ralph, described as a carter with a brother Jonathan
died at Stake Lane, Musbury in 1883. This Ralph was born in Edenfield 1836
and was also buried there. His father was Richard Duckworth a fulling
miller. Anyone with a knowledge of this family please contact me.
3. Mrs. Dowling of Bacup is in her 80s. She is looking
for the gravestone of George Haworth of Acre Hill who died in 1863. His
wife was
Peggy. There is no record of the grave at Newchurch
although she found it 40 years ago. Mrs Downing says her information was
stolen in a burglary 2 years ago. They even took 2 family Bibles. Ken
Simpson will passon any information.
Coming events, talks, conferences, exhibitions.
Thursday 11 May and
Monday 22nd May
Lancashire Record Office is holding a series of brief
presentations giving an introduction to the following computer software:
- Family Search (on CD-Rom)
- 1881 National Census Returns
(on CD-Rom)
- Finding Folk (on CD-Rom)
There will be demonstrations of Family Search and
Finding Folk at 3-45pm followed by the 1881 National Census returns at
4-30pm. All sessions will be suitable for people with little or no
experience of using a personal computer.
To book a place contact the LRO on 01772 263038.
Saturday 13th May
LFHHS One Day Conference and AGM at the University of
Central Preston.
Full Day £14.50. AGM only, Free.
Full details were in your journal.
Saturday 24th June
York Family History Fair will be held at the Racecource.
Saturday 9th September
The North Wales Family History Fair Conference Centre,
Llandudno ++++++10.30am-4.30pm
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