LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter  May 2002

Programme 2002

Tonight

Gloria Oates OBE

will tell us about her year of Office as

High Sheriff of Lancashire

5th June Quakers in Rossendale. Julia Hoyle

3rd July Out Visit to Rochdale Town Hall.

7th August Research Evening.

4th September The other 1851 - Rossendale census

2nd October Members’ Miscellany.

6th November On board HMS George V -WW2. - Norma Cowpe.

4th December Christmas Celebration

Coming Events

Saturday 18th May

North West Family History Conference will be held at the Woodford Community Centre, Cheshire. Booking is essential. Application forms are available from Mrs. Rita Walters, Windy Ridge, Jacksons Lane, Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 5JW. John Dalton has a limited number of leaflets.

Saturday 25th May

LFHHS One Day Conference and AGM University of Central Lancashire, Preston.

3 good speakers. see your February Magazine for details.

Sunday 2nd June

Hyndburn Group will have a Family History Stand at Oswaldtwistle Mills. Any assistance will be appreciated, even for only an hour or two to allow people time off.

The Rossendale Group meets at Longholme Methodist Chapel, Rawtenstall on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm. Visitors Welcome

Did you miss.... Our AGM & talk by Susan Haworth?

At the AGM the committee members were all re-elected:

John Dalton, Chairman; Ken Simpson, Vice Chairman; Rita Hirst, Secretary and Editor of the Newsletter; Maureen Hodgkinson, Treasurer and Book Stall Officer; Kathleen Ashburner, Programme Organiser and Executive Representative; Michael Hiluta, Projects Organiser, Wilf Day, Web Manager, Jean Harrison, Minute Secretary.

Susan Haworth, gave us an amusing talk after the AGM. She is daughter of Dorothy Haworth, who is in charge of the Society’s microfiche sales. She admits that she has done little family history, that has been the province of her twin brother, Stephen, who has just retired as the Society’s Web Master. She told us that she has always been fascinated by the Haworth surname. Having been brought up in Sale, Cheshire, she had never (until last November) met anyone who spelt the name "Haworth" and not "Howarth"! It was not until her brother came to live locally, that Susan realized how many Haworths there were in Rossendale.

Whilst not interested in the specifics, she has developed an overview of the origin of the surname and some of the disreputable and also the more prestigious bearers of the name. Did you know that a Haworth had won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry?

Society Webmaster

As was mentioned at our last meeting (and above) Stephen Haworth has resigned as Society Webmaster. If you have the necessary skills, please consider whether you can undertake this very important task. The site can be viewed at www.lancashire-fhhs.org.uk

1891 Census on CD

Each branch of the Society has been issued with a pack of 38 discs of the 1991 census for Lancashire, published by S&N British Data Archive Ltd.

The CD box set contains images of the census books digitised from the fiche. There is a master disc which allows you to find the appropriate area or street.

NB you can not search by surname. If you have a street, it is a simple matter to locate the street, and it can be magnified for further detail. It is also possible to print the current page.

There are some faults, why is there no street index to cover Bury? This is a curious omission.

Further information is available on www.genealogy.demon.co.uk

Rossendale Ancestry:

Pip Cowling, would very much like to hear from anyone who has knowledge of the following:

1. WRIGHT/ BALDWIN (Crawshawbooth)

George Wright (B. Tamworth, Staffs. about 1816) was living in Reeds Holme, in 1846 and was a block printer. he joined the Lancashire Constabulary in 1846 and probably left the area. By 1841 he was in Whittle-le-Woods and in Croston by 1861. He married Isabella Baldwin (b. Crawshawbooth area 1812/13). I know three children Sarah b. 1840; John (my G.gf) b. 1843 and Alice Ellen b. 1850/51.

2. ORMEROD (Haslingden)

James Ormerod, a handloom weaver, was born in Haslingden about 1806 (parents probably Lawrence and Grace). He had an unmarried brother Henry born about 1809. He married Mary Crabtree (b. Colne 1802-1805). I know of 4 children all born Colne: Grace 1831/32; Henry 1837; James (my G.gf) 1840; Jonathan 1842/43.

Pip Cowling, White Cottage, 33 Windhill Old Road, Bradford, West Yorks. BD10 0SE

or Email: pipcowling@hotmail.com

Barbara Horbury wrote with a query regarding the number of Scots in Haslingden circa 1914. She was particularly interested in the burials at Deardengate Independent/Congregational Church.

1. McCONNAL/ THOMPSON/ McWILLIAM/ HYSLOP

Peter McConnal from Gelston, Kirkcudright died in 1814 aged 34, his half brother Allan died in 1813 aged 19. Both were in the Kelton Militia in 1806 and 1809. Adam Thomson from Auchencairn and his wife Mary (nee McConnal?) are in the same grave. Robert McWilliam, born at Collin, Auchencairn, died 1834 is in the next grave with James d. 1826 and sister in law Janet d. 1837.

Barbara says "I sent a copy of their (somewhat racy story, ‘All the clues but no threads’ to Haslingden Library. I have found no links between them and my McConnals.... Isabella was at Lime Gate Farm in Rawtenstall with her husband John Hyslop and sons Adam (my G.gf) and his brother Robert in 1851; but as they came from the same parish, Kelton in Kirkcudbright there must be a chance. Not only that but the McWilliams came from Collin in Rerrick were Adam Hyslop was born".

2. HEYWORTH of Flowers Mill, Bacup Barbara Horbury also has information on the Heyworths of Flowers Mill which she is willing to share with anyone researching that particular Heyworth branch. Email bhorb@mighty-micro.co.uk

To all our Web Browsers

Please do not double up your enquiries by contacting both this branch and Haslingden-Roots. You are by and large dealing with the same personnel.

Your enquiries will be redirected as appropriate.

If in doubt, contact us first.

Civil Registration - Changes

A white paper was issued in January 2000 which gave the governments plans for the existing records and for the recording of future events. This was summarized by Anthony Camp in "Family Tree Magazine" April 2002. I refer you to this article as I can not precis it in a few lines. The proposals are causing some concern as the intention is to limit the amount of information given on certificates under 100 years old.

The government believes that some information should be confidential. It will only be available to the individuals themselves, to their families and to approved users. Other applicants will receive a restricted certificate. The restricted items will be the personal addresses of those involved and the informants, details of occupation and causes of death.

Places of birth, death and marriage will remain public, as will the places of birth of the parents of parents marrying in the future.

A more detailed consultative document will be published in the Autumn. There will then be a consultation period. A final order would then be made in the winter of 2003.

If you wish to make your thoughts known on this matter, you can download a letter from www.official-documents.co.uk/documents/cm53/5355/cm5355.htm

Unlabelled Packages

I received a letter from one of our members who asked if I had seen a recent article in the Independent Magazine, about the growth of interest in family history and its tendency to become obsessive.

Apparently, "after porn, genealogy is the second most searched field on the internet". Moreover, it is "the province of the meticulous-minded, middle-aged, middle-classes... the sort of people who label freezer bags"!

Well, she says, "I don’t know about you, but I stand condemned - I have a large chest freezer full of labelled (and of course dated) packages, (apart from a few mystery items lurking at the bottom). Come to think of it, my family tree is in a similar state"!