LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch  Newsletter  September 2001

TONIGHT

5th September - The Amish Story.  by  Mrs. Lewis.

The Amish are a Protestant group who are located the US and in Ontario, Canada.  They are farmers who believe in personal simplicity.  They do not accept modern technology, they have no telephones and have no electricity.  So no computers, no internet.  Oh dear!  would we manage How?

·     3rd October -  Rawtenstall Library.  A look at the resources of the library and help with your research.

·       7th November.   Uncle Fred,  Mary Davison and Jean Harrison will tell us about Fred Harrison.

·     5th  December.   Christmas Social.

PROGRAMME 2002 

·       2nd  January.  The Lancashire Parish Register Society.  John Dalton.

·       7th February.   Research Workshop.

Coming Events ....  

17th - 20th October  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints presents,  A Celebration of the Family.                  Family History Exhibition.

Learn how to research your family tree and access your ancestors through the Internet.  Starter packs & beginners workshops.     FREE  ADMISSION. 

Manchester Stake Centre, Altrincham Road, Wythenshawe.  1-9 pm Wed, Thurs,  Fri.  10 - 3pm Sat.

Tel. 0161 998 5623       www.lds.org.uk

27th October  The NW Group of Family History Societies FHS Fair, at the Guild Hall, Preston.  Details from F. Gullick, 4 Lawrence Avenue, Simonstone, Burnley.  HELPERS are required on the day.

Lancashire Record Office

Users of the Record Office are invited to attend a Consultation Open Meeting at the Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston to discuss  a “Best Value Review”  covering all aspects of its service:

                  Opening hours

         Changes to the service provided

         Proposed changes to the name of the office.

There are to be two meetings:  Monday 3 September at 7.00 pm and Tuesday 11th September at 2.00 pm.

As you know, the LRO closes for the first week of every calendar month.  If you have any views, on this, or any other aspect of the service currently proved, then please try to attend a meeting and make your feelings known.

You can contact the LRO by phone on 01772 263027 or by email record.office@ed.lancscc.gov.uk

The Society Dinner

The annual dinner will be hosted this year by the Chorley Group.  It will be held at the Masonic Hall, Chorley on 5th October. 7-30m for 8-00pm   £15 per head.  Details are in our August magazine. 

The Society Treasurer

Peter Joslin will be retiring as Society Treasurer at the next AGM.  If anyone is interested in taking on this important position, please contact Peter at  PeterJoslin@btinternet.com  or Tel. 015424 420841

The Pedigree Index

For many years new members have sent details of their pedigree to Winifred Rohmann. Winifred has indexed the names and attempted to link them to the researches of other members.  Due to illness, this service has been suspended.  It is now proposed that this index should be computerised.  A feasibility study is currently underway, full details are not yet available.  It will be a huge task.

St. John’s Church, Stonefold

This church is due to close in the near future. At present it is part of the United Benefice and Parish of Haslingden St. James and Grane St. Stephen. It is situated on Blackburn Road, Rising Bridge, between Haslingden and Accrington. 

Sylvia Craig (Tel. 01254 237963) has made a start on the monumental inscriptions.  She would like some help with this project. If you are interested please contact Sylvia as soon as possible.

Rossendale Ancestry

Workshop and Exhibition

The exhibition will run from September 29th -  October 13th at Rawtenstall Library.  A public workshop will be held in the exhibition room on Saturday October 6th.

Many thanks to all those members who have made pledges to contribute to the exhibition. The list is building up nicely.  If you haven’t yet decided to contribute, it isn’t to late.

If you don’t have a local family, you can do displays on a specific locality,  historic maps, census returns, civil registration certificates, population figures, distribution of surnames, etc. etc.

Please bring your contributions to Rawtenstall library on the first Saturday morning.  Displays should be mounted on card with your name and address on the back.

Volunteers will also be required to install the exhibition on September 29th and to help with the workshop on October 6th.

Rossendale Ancestry:

HAWORTH/NUTTALL  Ann Stocker writes to tell me that she has at last managed to find the maiden name of her great grandmother, Alice Haworth who married William Haworth of Lumb, 25 December 1861. Her maiden name was Alice Nuttall.  She died in childbirth 25 December 1861, leaving a one year old daughter, Ann. The strange thing is that she has a lovely sampler on the wall worked by  Alice Nuttall dated 1852 but she had not realised it was one of the family.  email  annstocker@supanet.com

PERRY/SCOBLE  Marcia Boggs who lives in Oregon thought that her great grandparents, Charles Perry and Caroline Scoble were both born in Rossendale in 1852.  In fact, we have been able to establish that Charles was born in Gwennap, Cornwall and Caroline in Truro.  They were living in Rawtenstall in 1881 but emigrated soon afterwards.  Caroline’s family were living at Union Street, Newchurch in 1881, headed by her mother Elizabeth.  Marcia and her husband are planning to visit Rossendale next May.  They will now be able to extend their holiday to Cornwall.

Marcia says she is overwhelmed by the information she has received.  Her father died before she was born and her grandmother died before her parents married.  She says this is the first breakthrough she has had in 30 years.  If you can help further, contact Marcia by email: marciaboggs@mac.com

The Causes of Immorality

 Bacup and Rossendale News.  10 Dec. 1864

...  The majority of the dwellings of the poor are entirely destitute of means for the common decencies of life.  Open cesspools at every corner.  No convenience for the dirt and refuse which is heaped up at the nearest place.

Any medical man, minister of religion etc.  or any of those brought into more intimate contact with the poor, and one and all will tell us that most of the causes of immorality are caused through the want of common decencies, and that the unhealthy dwellings drive men into the streets and public houses.

At Bank House west of Newchurch Road, there is a plantation, and people are obliged to come from the town to obey the calls of nature.  In King street some of the people use chamber utensils and empty them into the streets.  The smell is very offensive in summer.

In Newchurch are some very superior cottages but there are only two single privies for 16 houses.    In the door-stones John Pilling’s wife makes teacakes for sale.  She says “The damp and water from the privy at the back, comes through the wall.  I stuffed in a rag to stop it but still it runs on the floor”.

In Yorkshire Street there is one privy for 20 houses.

Gravestone of the Month

This month’s inscription from St. James’ Churchyard, Haslingden was submitted by Mary Davison. It commemorates a very remarkable 18 year old.

Here was interred the body of Elizabeth daughter of James SCHOFIELD, well beloved wife of James DUCKWORTH, who departed this life Feb. 17th 1754, in the 19th year of her age.

Wouldst thou, O Reader, know what excellence did Grace her person: stay and take it hence.  Virtue itself she was; to husband dear.  Dear to Jehovah, whom she did revere.  Her conduct was unblameable, her piety remarkable, her charities seasonable, her death lamentable, her friends unconsolable.

If you know of any interesting stones relating to the Rossendale area, please let me have copies for future publication.