8 St. Patricks Road North (1901)

Living at number 8 are the Thompson spinsters, Mary and Gertrude. Both retired teachers in their 40s. And their maid Mary A E Hardy.  A spinster is an older, childless woman who has never been married

At this point we might suppose that the sisters must have worked in some prestigious school to be retired at 40, living in a nice house and having a servant.

The sisters were born in Helmshore  and Haslingden  respectively. These are adjacent towns in the Rossendale Valley. A region situated between Blackburn and Manchester. As we discovered in the previous posts, this region was prominent in the Industrial Revolution for textile manufacturing. In Helmshore the Turner mill built in 1789 is now a museum and the Sunnybank Mill once housed the world's largest spinning mules.

In 1911 we find the sisters have moved to 2 St. Patricks Road North and seemingly no longer have a maid.  We know the Whitaker family that lived at this address in 1901 had split up for unknown reasons by 1911.

Tracing the two sisters is proving somewhat difficult as Mary Thompson is very common name and I can find no record of either in the Lancashire on-line parish records. There seems to be a big gap in haslingden records of Thompsons around the time of their birth.

In the 1901 census there are two visitors in the house, John Woodcock and his wife Elizabeth. Turns out, John, a solicitor, was also born in Haslingden and does have a record on lan-opc.

Baptism: 16 Apr 1840 St James, Haslingden, Lancashire, England
John Woodcock - Son of Thomas Woodcock & Anne
    Abode: Pleasant Street Haslingden
    Occupation: Attorney at Law
    Baptised by: W. Gray
    Register: Baptisms 1834 - 1844, Entry 888
    Source: LDS Film 1040346


There must be some family connection here. Elizabeth born in Middlesex is not another sister.

I've found them in 1891 by searching for  Getrude Thompson living with a sister Mary. Given their aged spinster status and dedication to each other, it seemed possible they'd be together in earlier years.  So in 1891 the two sisters are living with their widowed mother,  Jane, in Haslingden.  Both sisters are listed with the profession "Governess / school".

In 1881 pretty much is the same but with a brother James Omerod and a different servant. James is listed as a solicitor so this could be the connection to John Woodcock.

There's a letter published in the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Monday 07 April 1884 from a J. Omerod Thompson, Haslingden, on the subject of enfranchisement of copyholds. It starts " I had read with great interest the able and exhaustive letter on this subject from Mr. John Woodcock"

In 1871 same again. Mary is a Governess, Getrude is only 12 so is a scholar. A different servant again and a border aged 12 named Annie Gertrude Mellor born in Ashton Under Lyme, Lancashire, which is approx 35km away, to the east of Manchester.

In 1861 we discover the Fathers name is Robert, born in Cartmel, Lancashire. Sixteen years older than his wife Jane. So we can say Robert died between 1861 and 1871.  His profession is practically indecipherable. A curate of something. This time they have the same servant as 1871.

In 1851 we find the family of Robert aged 40, Jane aged 24 and daughter Mary aged 1. With the servant of the future 20 years, Sarah Ann Aspinall. Again we can see the profession involving the word "curate".

Seems curate is the term for "parish priest". And there's St. Thomas Church at Musbery, Helmshore. The 1861 census profession certainly looks like "curate of Musbury"

The Lancaster Gazette - Saturday 29 May 1847 records the marriage of

 "On thursday last, at Haslingden Church, by the Rev. William Gray, the Rev Robert Thompson, incumbent of Musbury, to Jane, second daughter of James Omerod, Haslingden"

St. Thomas Church, Musbury

Now we see how James Thompson has the middle name 'Omerod'.

Family Tree

6 St. Patricks Road North (1901)

Here resided James William Hardman, a chemist (drugstore we presume) and his wife Susannah. James  was born in another industrial Lancashire town, Radcliffe.  Although it's part of Manchester now. Situated in the borough of Bury, Radcliffe appears in an entry of the Domesday Book as "Radeclive". Derived from the old english "red" and "cliff".

"Radcliffe Town Centre as we see today was originally called Radcliffe Bridge and developed around the road crossing over the River Irwell which allowed the Manchester to Blackburn packhorse trail to pass through Radcliffe Bridge along the route now called Blackburn Street. Radcliffe Bridge contained a small number of cottage industries amongst agricultural farmland until the early part of the industrial revolution but by the late-19th century,"
From Radcliffe Baseline and Options Report

Also present at the St. Annes house are his children; Elsie Hannah Leah,  Sydney Clifford and Bertha F.

Little can be discovered of the Hardman family roots. His Father Joseph was born in Pilkington, which is close to Radcliffe, in 1808.  Although the town is most known for cotton manufacture in the industrial revolution, we find Joseph was a shopkeeper, although of what is unknown. There are many Hardmans  in the Radcliffe area but its difficult to link them to Joseph (1)

In 1911 the family still reside in St. Annes. Present are the children Ethel, Elsie and Sidney, all listed as single in their 30s (Sidney 29). It seems unusual they would all be single at that age.  Unfortunately James neglected to write his full address on the census return so we don't know if they still lived at the 1901 address.
We find Sidney is now an assistant chemist to his father whereas in 1901 he was a apprentice electrical engineer.

James initially lived in Leeds with his wife. This is shown on the 1881 census. Five children were born there. The  last 2 were born in Horsforth, Yorkshire.  I can find no record of definite record of James on the 1871 Census or of the marriage to Susannah.

The site "Leodis, a photographic archive of Leeds" has a picture containing the 1881 residence of James, 96 Caledonia Road (2)

In 1891 the family live on Hyde Park Road, Burley, Parish of Headingly cum Burley, Borough of Leeds.


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In 1901 The family live at 6 St. Patricks Road North, St. Annes on Sea
One of these Houses


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In the 1861 census James aged 14 lives with his parents at 93 Granville Place in Burslem, Staffordshire. James' mother Hannah was born in Bilston, Staffordshire.  Burslem was one of six pottery towns that amalgamated to form Stoke-on-Trent.  Bilston is roughly 40km from Burslem.

The history of the county of Stafford vol 8 notes Granville Place being near the southern end of Waterloo Road (3) But doesn't seem to exist today.


In the 1851 census the Joseph Hardman family lived 85 Blackburn street, Radcliffe (now considered Bury). This has long since been rebuilt.

Here is an image of Blackburn Street in the 1920s

There is an image of Blackburn Street around 1877 on Flickr.  Perhaps Joseph Hardman had one of these shops.

In the 1841 census, Joseph is also a shopkeeper in Blackburn Street, Radcliffe

Family Tree

Records

Marriage: 17 Nov 1835 St Mary the Virgin, Bury, Lancashire, England
Joseph Hardman - Shop Keeper, Bachelor, the Parish of Radcliffe
Hannah Jones - Spinster, this Parish
    Witness: Thomas Horridge; E. Pilkington
    Married by Banns by: Thos. P. Kirkman Curate
    Register: Marriages 1832 - 1837 From the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 391, Entry 1173
    Source: LDS Film 1545467/1545468

4 St. Patricks Road North (1901)

The Sharp family arrived in St. Annes some time between 1891 and 1901.  Thomas and  his wife Elizabeth. Their daughter Edith, son James, his wife and their newborn daughter also called Edith.

Going by the birth places of all their children including the ones not present in 1901, Thomas Sharp moved his family around a number of times. His roots are in Ulverston (now in Cumbria), married in Liverpool  and several children were born in Barrow-on-Furness.  The towns of Ulverston and Barrow are of the region that was known as Furness. A peninsula of south Cumbria that was originally part of Lancashire.

Furness was a remote farming and fishing region until Iron ore was found in the 1840s and 1850s. A railway was built to ship ore. The iron industry including steelworks in Barrow caused the population to go from a few families to 47,000 by 1881!  (1)

A young Thomas would have witnessed the effects of a massive influx of people to his region. Ulverston, a  prominent town declined as Barrow and its superior harbour grew.
 
His Father Anthony was a grocer in Ulverston (1851 census). Ulverston was a village recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086.  It was granted a market charter in 1280 by Edward I (2) The family lived at 20 Rattenrow,Ulverston. The street appears to no longer exist but is mentioned in the English Heritage Archeological Report of the town (3)

Anthony was  born in Gleaston, a small village in the Furness area. It was a farming community with a mill and originally a castle but that fell into disrepair in 1451 when the family line died out. (4)

From the Lancashire online parish records (5) we can see Anthony of having the occupation of Farmer and Thomas being a carpenter in Liverpool at the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Overend.

The  Lancaster Gazette - Saturday 16 June 1832 reports the marriage of Mr. Anthony Sharp of Plumpton to Miss Frances Slater of Dalton in Furness on the 9th inst.


In Kendal Mercury - Saturday 16 March 1850,  "Anthony Sharp, Ratten Row, Ulverston" is featured in the news of as having reported 3 men for trying to pass a bad  soverign in his shop.

However the Kendal Mercury - Saturday 13 April 1850, report of the trial, that it was Mrs Francis Sharp who actually received the bad sovereign in her shop. There was some discussion on the chain of evidence regarding the sovereign as it had passed through the hands of several witnesses before Anthony Sharp takes it to the police. In the end the jury acquitted the prisoners for lack of evidence.


The Kendal Mercury - Saturday 13 November 1858  reports
"Wrestling Match for £50. - A wrestling match for £25 a-side, between William Mathers, of Kirby Stephen, and Thomas Sharp of Ulverston, came off at the Prince William Henry Field, Penny Street, Lancaster, on the afternoon of thursday last..." 

 The result according to the Lancaster Gazette - Saturday 06 November 1858 was
"The affair was pretty soon decided. Sharp gained the first two falls, and in the third Mathers lost his hold and with it the  wager"

It's possible Thomas Sharp met and married his wife in Liverpool after being there to further his wrestling career.

The Kendal Mercury - Saturday 17 December 1864 reports the death of Frances Slater, 19 , daughter of Anthony Sharp.

In 1866 Thomas and his father, Anthony, had some bankruptcy issues.
The Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Thursday 21 June 1866 reports

"In re Thos. Sharp, Barrow-in-Furness, builder and beerhouse keeper, - Mr. Peat appeared for the bankrupt, who was examined by Mr. Gardner relative to a mortgage upon a freehold beerhouse called the White Lion, at Barrow-in-Furness, which was let to Jno. Price at 11s a week. The mortgage was made to the bankrupt's father on the same day, Anthony Sharp,  a farmer at Ulverston. It was signed on the 11th May last. He decided to become bankrupt on the same day. He sold a horse, a cart and hay cutter about a fortnight or three weeks before his bankruptcy to Joseph Dobson, a labourer at barrow. They were sold for £29 10s. Dobson paid £11 10s., and bankrupt owed his £18 or £19 before the money was borrowed. "

It's unclear who owed what in this report.

The death of an Anthony Sharp is reported in the Lancaster Gazette - Saturday 24 February 1872
"Ulverston - on the 16th inst.in Quebec-Street, Mr Anthony Sharp, aged 66 years."



In the 1881 census the family of Thomas and Elizabeth live in York Street, Barrow in Furness.


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In the 1891 census the family live in Sandon Street,  Darwen.


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In the 1901 census and the title of this post: 4 St. Patricks Road North, one of the yellow bricked houses.


View Larger Map


I can find no record of any of these Sharps on the 1911 census.

Family Tree

Records
From OnLine Parish Clerks project for the County of Lancashire

Baptism: 14 Dec 1802 St Mary, Dalton in Furness, Lancashire, England
Robert Sharp - Son of John Sharp & Eleanor
    Born: 14 Dec 1802
    Abode: Peaseholmes
    Occupation: Labourer
    Register: Baptisms 1781 - 1812 from Bishop's Transcripts, Page 25, Entry 6
    Source: LDS Film 1040303

Baptism: 14 Dec 1802 St Mary, Dalton in Furness, Lancashire, England
Robert Sharp - Son of John Sharp & Eleanor
    Born: 14 Dec 1802
    Abode: Peaseholmes
    Occupation: Labourer
    Register: Baptisms 1781 - 1812 from Bishop's Transcripts, Page 25, Entry 6
    Source: LDS Film 1040303

Baptism: 11 Jun 1805 St Cuthbert, Aldingham, Lancashire, England
Anthony Sharp - Son of John Sharp & Eleanor
    Abode: Dendron
    Occupation: Labourer
    Register: Baptisms 1800 - 1820 from the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 9, Entry 16
    Source: LDS Film 1040315

Marriage: 9 Jun 1832 St Mary, Ulverston, Lancashire, England
Anthony Sharp - Husbandman, Bachelor, this parish
Frances Slater - Spinster, the parish of Dalton
    Witness: John Sharp; Samuel Park; Mary Ann Nelson
    Married by Banns by: Patrick Charles Nicholson, Curate
    Register: Marriages 1828 - 1835 from the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 2, Entry 5
    Source: LDS Film 1040310

 Baptism: 15 Jan 1837 St Mary, Ulverston, Lancashire, England
Thomas Sharp - son of Anthony Sharp & Frances
    Abode: Rame Cottage, Ulverston
    Occupation: Husbandman
    Baptised by: W. H. Ibotson, Curate
    Register: Baptisms 1836 - 1841 from the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 445, Entry 3533
    Source: LDS Film 1040310

 Baptism: 25 Aug 1839 St Mary, Ulverston, Lancashire, England
Eleanor Sharp - daughter of Anthony Sharp & Frances
    Abode: Ulverston
    Occupation: Labourer
    Baptised by: Richard Gwillym, Minister
    Register: Baptisms 1836 - 1841 from the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 497, Entry 3949
    Source: LDS Film 1040310

Marriage: 1 May 1859 St Catherine Abercromby Square, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Thomas Sharp - Full, Carpenter, Bachelor, Liverpool
Elizabeth Overend - Full, Spinster, Liverpool
    Groom's Father: Anthony Sharp, Farmer
    Bride's Father: James Overend, Ostler
    Witness: John Cave Overend; Anne Overend
    Married by Banns by: James North
    Register: Marriages 1837 - 1859, Page 248, Entry 495
    Source: LDS Film 1655552

Baptism: 30 Mar 1873 St John the Evangelist, Farnworth with Kearsley, Lancashire, England
Sarah Emma Sharp - [Child] of Thomas Sharp & Elizabeth
    Abode: 79 Kent St.
    Occupation: Joiner
    Baptised by: W. H. Taylor
    Register: Baptisms 1864 - 1873, Page 281, Entry 2245
    Source: LDS Film 1538438 

Marriage: 28 Apr 1900 St Anne, St Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire, England
James Anthony Sharp - 29, Tailor, Bachelor, St. Alban's Road
Ellen Cadman - 27, Spinster, Palatine Road Blackpool
    Groom's Father: Thomas Sharp, Joiner
    Bride's Father: John Cadman, Foreman
    Witness: Herbert Pendlebury; May Cadman
    Married by Banns by: Herbert. E. Butler Vicar
    Register: Marriages 1877 – 1900, Page 138, Entry 275
    Source: LDS Film 1470927

2 St, Patricks Road North (1901)

John Whitaker was born in the Lancashire Town of Haslingden.  Situated between Blackburn and Bury in the Forest of Blackburnshire. Haslingden is noted as being a hub of wool manufacture in the industrial revolution of the 1800s. Being that the so called forest was more park land than actual forest around this time there was no doubt a lot of sheep farming in the area. The market of Haslingden was established in 1671.

from the Lancashire Historical Town Survey Program:


"In 1801 Haslingden was considered a ‘thriving manufacturing and market town’ (Halstead 1916, 1). Its prosperity was attributed to both the increase in woollen manufacture and to the ‘lately introduced’ cotton trade (Aiken 1795, 276; Halstead 1916, 1), although wool continued to be the main industry. In the early nineteenth century, Haslingden’s reliance on wool was considered to have saved the town from the worst excesses of industrial development that were manifest in ‘cotton towns’ such as Blackburn (Corry 1825, 333).

This greater reliance on wool resulted in a slower growth in population compared to other east Lancashire towns, suggesting that the mechanisation of the textile industry and cotton in particular was never as important a factor in the growth of Haslingden (Tupling 1927,215). Its earlier roots as a market town and a centre for the woollen industry were more significant in establishing Haslingden as an important urban settlement, of sufficient significance to warrant its own entry in trade directories (Baines 1824). "

 John's father Rawstron is listed on the 1881 census as being involved in the wool trade but John eschewed the family trade to become an architect. This is noted on the 1881 census when he was 21.

The Whitakers seem a notable name of Haslingden as there is more than one Whitaker family mentioned on the 1861 census. At this time Rawston aged 29 is living with his father in law also of the wool trade.  Whitakers can be found in Haslingden as far back as the beginning of the 1800s. (1)

Marriage records seem to suggest John's wife Alice Jane was also a Whitaker by birth. (3)

Whitaker is a variant of the name Whittaker and means "white field". The origin of the name is believed to be Whitacre. The first instance of this name is Johias Whitacre who died in the battle of hastings on the side of King Harold. (2)

Family Tree of John Whitaker:

By 1911 John's family is split up. For some unknown reason he and his wife are no longer living together, neither in their 1901 residence.

Wife Alice Jane aged 46 is a border in Blackpool of a 60yr old hawker of cockles named William Omerod Read. She's listed as married not widowed or divorced.

Phyllis in 1911 is a visitor of her sister known as Margaret, married at this time to Samuel Harding, and living with his parents in Middlewich, Cheshire.

William and John are borders in Blackpool of commercial traveller Samuel Hulme. Both are listed as working at home in the Architectural business.

In the Bury Times - Saturday 13 June 1863, Petty Sessions report (these are records of court cases)
"Felony - Henry Ashworth, labourer, Haslingden, was charged with stealing a pocket book belonging to Mr. Rawstron Whitaker, cotton manufacturer, Marsden Square, Haslingden."

Whitaker was drunk and his version of events was not corroborated by witnesses. The case was dismissed. A reward of £5 was offered for the return of the book. 




Listed in this family tree

Rawstron Whittaker born 1834
Jane Haworth born 1837
May Whittaker born 1877
Jenny Whittaker born 1875
Maria Whittaker born 1874
Annie Whittaker born 1867
John Whittaker born 1860
Samuel David Harding born 1882
Constance Eva Margaret Isabel Whitaker (known as Margaret) born 1886
William Rothwell Whitaker born 1887
Phyllis J Whitaker born 1890

Questions arisen

-is there a family connection for the name 'Rothwell'
-how did John become an architect in the middle of wool manufacturing county
-what happened to the family between 1901 and 1911
-What part did John play in the construction of St. Annes.