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CHESHIREANCESTORCHESHIREANCESTOR

The Journal of theFamily History Society of Cheshire

Volume 46 March 2016 Issue No. 3ISSN 1460-0277

MOBBERLEY RESEARCH CENTRERajar Building, Town Lane,Mobberley, WA16 7ER

Tel: 01565 872210

In this editionThe Rev. James Crabtree, of Gawsworth Net That Serf

Family History Events Book Reviews My Welsh ConnectionGreat Remonstrance or Protestation Roll 1641/2

and more...

The Rajar Building is situatedon the corner of Town Lane(A5085) and Ilford Way. Theentrance is at the front of thebuilding on Town Lane.

Free access to findmypastAncestry and The Genealogist.Parish registers on film,national probate index,extensive library and muchmore. Large tree printing,fiche/film and A3 scanningavailable – please enquire.

Admission charges apply. Closed on bank holidays. Parking nearby on-road.Non-members welcome but preferably should phone in advance.

Non-member entry fee £5, refundable on joining the Society on day of visit.Opening hours: Monday-Friday 10.00am-4.00pm

Please refer to website www.fhsc.org.uk for holiday closure dates.

CHESHIRE ANCESTOR printed by: Deanprint Ltd., Cheadle Heath Works, Stockport SK3 0PR

The Family History Society of Cheshirewww.fhsc.org.uk

Location of Groups(see inside cover for contact details)

CHAIRMANDavid Smetham,Little TreesGawsworth RoadGawsworthMacclesfield SK11 9RATel: 01625 [email protected]

HONORARY SECRETARYHoward Martin2 Roxburgh CloseMacclesfield SK10 3QETel: 01625 [email protected]

HONORARYTREASURERVictoria Doran9 Birkett RoadWest KirbyWirral CH48 5HTTel: 0151 345 [email protected]

HONORARY EDITOR Rosie Rowley21 Lavenham CloseMacclesfield SK10 [email protected]

JOURNALDISTRIBUTIONJohn Lord17 Rowan DriveCheadle HulmeCheadle SK8 7DUTel: 0161 486 [email protected]

PUBLICITY OFFICERPeter Johnson57 Helston CloseBrookvaleRuncorn WA7 6AATel: 07769 [email protected]

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETYMOBBERLEY RESEARCH CENTRE REPRESENTATIVEAlan E Jones7 Beaufort CloseAlderley Edge SK9 7HUTel: 01625 [email protected]

LIBRARIANJoan Irving62 Orme CrescentMacclesfield SK10 2HSTel: 01625 [email protected]

RESEARCH ADVISERRichard Corbett113 Saughall RoadChester CH1 5ETTel: 01244 [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP(RENEWALS & GIFT AID)Maurice Stokes19 North DriveHigh LeghKnutsford WA16 6LXTel: 01925 [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP(ENROLMENT)Sue McNulty59 CedarwayBollingtonMacclesfield SK10 5NR(new members only)[email protected]

PROJECTSADMINISTRATORLesley SmethamLittle TreesGawsworth RoadGawsworthMacclesfield SK11 9RATel: 01625 426173

ELECTRONIC PROJECTSPeter DavenportGlensideOne Oak LaneWilmslow SK9 2BLTel: 01625 [email protected]

CHESHIREBMD &UKBMDIan Hartas [email protected]

CD/FICHE SALES &FICHE LOAN SERVICELen Davenport10 Daleswood AvenueWhitefieldManchester M45 [email protected]

BOOK SALES & OUTSIDE EVENTSDavid Johnson91 Stretford HouseChapel LaneStretfordManchester M32 9AYTel: 0161 864 [email protected]

WEBMASTERAlan Bennett8 Barford DriveLowtonWarrington WA3 1DDTel: 0161 408 [email protected]

ALSAGER GROUPPeter Rugman157 Sandbach Road NorthAlsagerCheshire ST7 2AX.Tel: 01270 [email protected]

BEBINGTON GROUPBob Wright9 Lough GreenBebingtonWirral CH63 9NHTel: 0151 334 [email protected]

BIRKENHEAD GROUPDiane Robinson,2 Colville Road,Wallasey, CH44 2AS.Tel: 0151 639 [email protected]

BRAMHALL GROUPIan BickleyLumb CottageLumb LaneBramhallStockport SK7 2BATel: 0161 439 5021. [email protected]

CHESTER GROUPDavid GuytonSpringfield22 Lache LaneChester CH4 7LRTel: 01244 [email protected]

NORTHWICH GROUPDave Thomas1 Arley CourtWrenbury DriveNorthwich CW9 8RXTel:01606 [email protected]

RUNCORN GROUPLinda Finnigan10 Ashbourne AvenueRuncorn WA7 4XYTel: 01928 [email protected]

TAMESIDE GROUPGay Oliver26 Woodville DriveStalybridge SK15 3EATel: 0161 338 [email protected]

TARPORLEY GROUPJan Craig10 Dunns LaneAshton HayesChester CH3 8BUTel: 01829 [email protected]

WALLASEY GROUPSheila Hamilton10 Church GardensWallaseyCH44 [email protected]

WEST WIRRAL GROUPCarol Hunter8 Westbourne RoadWest KirbyWirral CH48 4DGTel: 0151 625 [email protected]

COMPUTER GROUPGeoff Johnson,Garth Nook, Well Lane,Little Budworth, Tarporley CW6 9DATel: 01829 [email protected]

CONGLETON GROUPDavid SmethamLittle TreesGawsworth RdGawsworthMacclesfield SK11 9RATel: 01625 [email protected]

CREWE GROUPMargaret Spate, FHSC Crewe GroupMunicipal Building(second floor)Earle StreetCrewe CW1 [email protected]

MACCLESFIELD GROUPJean Laidlaw47 Sycamore CrescentMacclesfield SK11 [email protected]

MIDDLESEX [email protected]

NANTWICH GROUPDavid Higham1 Heywoods RidgeAudlemCW3 0EFTel: 01270 [email protected]

GROUP CONTACTS

CHESHIRE ANCESTOR March 20161

CHESHIRE ANCESTOR

Registered Charity: 515168 Society website: www.fhsc.org.uk

Contents

Chairman’s Jottings 3Family History Events 7Help Wanted or Offered 615 Years of Local BMD Websites 11Book Reviews 14Certificate Exchange 16My Welsh Connection 18A Search for John Bryning 25Great-aunt Ann’s Story 29A Grand Day Out! 37

The Rev. James Crabtree, 39(1756-1835) of Gawsworth

John Findlow 44Great Remonstrance 47

or Protestation Roll 1641/2What Did You Do 51

in the War, Dad?Net That Serf 55Group Events 65Membership 73

Cover picture: Gawsworth ChurchPhotograph by the late Bill Moston, who passed away in 2015 (Membershipsection, page 69). See page 37 for the story of the Reverend James Crabtree(1756-1835) of Gawsworth.

CHESHIRE ANCESTOR is published in March, June, September and December (see last page).The opinions expressed in this journal are those of individual authors and do not necessarily

represent the views of either the editor or the Society.All advertisements are commercial and not indicative of any endorsement by the Society.

No part of this journal may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior written permission of the editor and, where applicable, named authors.

The Society accepts no responsibility for any loss suffered directly or indirectly by any readeror purchaser as a result of any advertisement or notice published in this Journal.

Please send items for possible publication to the editor by post or email (see last page).All items should include name & membership number or postal address of submitter.

Our society was founded in 1969—one of the first family history societies


by Rosie RowleyWelcome to the first CHESHIRE ANCESTOR of 2016, and myfirst as your new editor. Producing my first issue been asteep learning curve, but the ANCESTOR and I have been'knocked into shape' with the help of the previous editor,Jean Laidlaw, and our proofreader, Suzie Woodward, andI am grateful to them both for their assistance. I would alsolike to thank Jean for all the work she has done, producingthe CHESHIRE ANCESTOR during the last four years – I hope

I can keep up her high standards!

I was born near Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire, and settled in Cheshire withmy family about twenty years ago – still a newcomer, then! I have beenresearching our family history for over thirty years, although I have no localancestors, being almost exclusively of East Anglian stock. Nevertheless, I havefound great benefit in being a member of my local family history society: thejournal and meetings provide me with research tips, and the opportunity tochat about census records and brick walls with like-minded enthusiasts whounderstand what I'm talking about and don't glaze over with boredom!

I have enjoyed reading the articles in this issue of the CHESHIRE ANCESTOR. IanHartas tells us about the local BMD projects, and possibilities for the future.We learn about the Welsh connection in Joyce Rishworth's family, andMargaret Hough's search for her elusive ancestor, John BRYNING. ChesterGuttridge relates the life story of his great-aunt Ann WILLIAMSON with theaid of newspaper reports, and Sue Tyers has researched the life of the Rev.James CRABTREE, who was vicar of Gawsworth near Macclesfield between1789 and 1818. This article demonstrates the depth of research which can becarried out using resources at our Society's main research centre at Mobberley.

Finally, after Jean's request to everyone in the last issue to put pen to paper andwrite something for the CHESHIRE ANCESTOR, I thought I'd better lead from thefront and have written about our group visit to 'Who Do You Think You Are?Live' at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre last year. We really didhave 'A Grand Day Out', and I would recommend a visit to everyone, whetheror not they’ve been before. This year’s show will be held at the same venue,from Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th April.

Editorial


Chairman’s Jottings

by David Smetham

It was an honour to be elected as Chairman of the FHSC atthe AGM in November 2015. I have worked actively for oursociety and as the group leader of the Congleton Group forover 27 years.

During that time I have seen many changes in the way thatwe carry out our family history research: the onlineavailability that we have become accustomed to is

improving all the time. Originally, many family history resources weredelivered by family history societies, and although resources are now primarilydelivered through commercial providers, family history societies like ours arestill very active in making significant amounts of family history data moreaccessible. We do this through our volunteers, members like you who getsatisfaction from transcribing resources, including some that might never becommercially viable but are invaluable for our research. Our volunteers alsosupport you in your research because they have the local knowledge to be ableto resolve your 'brick wall' problems.

The Family History Society of Cheshire, its officers and group leaders, and ourtwo research centres in Cheshire are organised to help you with your research.We pride ourselves on providing you with the CHESHIRE ANCESTOR, our award-winning journal, and the content on our award-winning website atwww.fhsc.org.uk, which is currently being redesigned; the new version may belive by the time you read this. At the monthly group meetings of our sixteengroups plus the computer group, we bring you up to date with the latestresources and research methods and give you the opportunity to share yourfamily history experiences and problems.

This is your society: together, we will endeavour to provide the benefits ofmembership that you expect.


Mobberley Research Centre

by Alan E Jones

A decision I had to make early in the New Year waswhether to renew my personal subscription to Ancestry.Having been a subscriber for ten years, I have been ableto extract quite a lot of information to help with myresearch, but in the last year or so I have not used itsufficiently to justify the renewal fee of £96 for the basicservice. I decided that in future I will make use of Ancestryat Mobberley where I can also search on Find My Past and

The Genealogist. These three genealogy websites are available to visitors toMobberley without additional charge.

Another six-week course for beginners and those with some experience infamily history research started in January. The well-attended weekly sessionswere tutored by Jean Laidlaw and course members were able to get hands-onexperience of using the research centre’s facilities.

The library has received a collection of documents about Bramhall and theDavenport Family of Bramhall Hall. At the time of writing this report ourLibrarian Joan Irving has the task of cataloguing them and in due course detailsof the documents will be included in the library catalogue (available on theFHSC website and at Mobberley).

The full contents are not yet known but the collection includes copies of:Estate Surveys 1777 and 1823 with tenants namedDocuments relating to Wallbank Hill Farm, Pepper Street Farm and othersLand Tax lists 1712-1717Documents relating to the Davenport FamilyDocuments relating to Bramhall HallBramhall Manor Court Rolls and transcripts 1632-1732Documents relating to the Pownall family and the Pryce-Humphreysfamily107 wills, inventories and transcripts 1580-1784

Just a reminder that we are always pleased to have visits from groups, althoughprior arrangements are necessary.


Lookup ServiceWhat does the service provide? We will search our research resources forspecific information about one named person. For example: a search for abaptism or burial record or a search for a memorial inscription. We will alsocheck other indexes we hold. We cannot undertake in-depth family historyresearch. Members wanting that sort of service should seek the services of aprofessional genealogist. There is a charge of £5.00 per name for this servicewhich includes any copying and postal charges. The charge is not refundableif we are unable to provide the information. We will respond as quickly aspossible but please remember that the Research Centre is staffed byvolunteers who have other duties to perform. Requests may be by post or email.

Postal requests: Please remember to include your membership number andcontact details. Payment should be by cheque payable to FHS of Cheshire.Cheques from overseas members must be in sterling and drawn on a UKregulated bank. Requests should be posted to: Family History Society ofCheshire, Look up Service, Mobberley Research Centre, Rajar Building,Town Lane, Mobberley, Cheshire, WA16 7ER.

Email requests: Payment by credit or debit card can be accepted. Cardpayments must include the following details:

Name (as it appears on the card)………………………………………………....

FHSC Membership No………………… Charge on this card £……………......

Card Billing Address……………………………………………………………....

… ………………………………………………………Post Code/Zip………......

**Members email address………………………………………………………...

Credit Card No……………………………………………………………………..

*AVC/Security No (see note below) ………………..Issue No (Switch)….......

Type of Credit Card (Delete as required) VISA/MASTERCARD/SWITCH

Valid From…………………............. Expiry Date………………………………..

*AVC/Security number is the last 3 digits on the reverse of your card. Foradded security you may prefer to send the AVC number in a separate email.**The information required on this form is for administration purposes only.We will not pass your details to any third party.Requests should be sent to [email protected]


For up-to-date news and Group meeting dates check the website:www.fhsc.org.uk

15th Apr Final copy date for CHESHIRE ANCESTOR, June issue.24th Apr FHSC Executive Committee meeting, Rajar Building, Mobberley 2.00pm.15th Jul Final copy date for CHESHIRE ANCESTOR, September issue.31st Jul FHSC Executive Committee meeting, Rajar Building, Mobberley 2.00pm.15th Oct Final copy date for CHESHIRE ANCESTOR, December issue.30th Oct FHSC Executive Committee meeting, Rajar Building, Mobberley 2.00pm.

Those members who do not have access to the Internet should contact theirlocal Group for up-to-date information about meetings, etc.Contact details for all Groups are inside the back cover.

Diary Dates

Help Wanted or Offered

Erratum: World War I POW Camp at Handforth.

Gillian Mills enquired about Handforth in the last CHESHIRE ANCESTOR butunfortunately sent an incorrect email address. An outline of her request isreprinted below, together with the correct email.

I am currently researching a personal memoir of ‘Handforth Industry', mostlyabout the 20th century going through to the 1950s and 1960s when the CWS(Co-operative Wholesale Society) used the print works, which used to be aWWI POW camp, as a warehouse.

I live in Norfolk and all my research is done online. Being unable to access themany sources that are not online means that I have gaps in this history andmany unanswered questions. If anyone has information about the aboveworks, or Handforth Hall and The Parsonage, or any old photographs, I wouldbe very pleased to hear from them.

Gillian Mills (nee Bailey)[email protected]


Family History Events

Federation of Family History Societies AGMSaturday 19th March 2016

commencing at 1.30pm in Committee Room 1at the Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester M60 2LA

www.ffhs.org.uk/events/meetings.php

Who Do You Think You Are? Live7th-9th April 2016 9.30am - 5.30pm

at the NEC, Birmingham Come to a live event, where everything you need

to know is all under one roof!www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com

Wirral History and Heritage Association History and Heritage FairSaturday 12th March 2016

10am - 4pmat Birkenhead Town Hall, Mortimer Street, Birkenhead, Wirral CH41 5EU

https://sites.google.com/site/wirralhha/next-whha-event

North-West Group of FHS Day Conference: Basic Research to DNASaturday 5th March 2016

10.30am - 4pmat Friends Meeting House, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BT

Tickets £5 from Ian White, 23 Fold Lane, Hesketh Bank, Preston, PR4 6RE(cheques payable to NWGFHS) or on the door if not fully booked

www.nwgfhs.org.uk

Sheffield & District Family History FairSaturday 21st May 2016

10.00am - 4.00pmin the 1867 Lounge

at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, Hillsborough, Sheffield S6 1SWhttp://sheffieldfhs.org.uk/fair.htm

Shropshire FHS Family History Fair 2016Saturday 4th June 2016

10.00am - 4.00pmThe Shirehall, Shrewsbury

Admission charge - Free Parking - Stands - Talkswww.sfhs.org.uk/events/shropshire-fhs-family-history-fair-2016


Family History Fair and Lecture DaySaturday 11th June 2016

10.00am - 4.00pmPudsey Civic Hall, Dawson's Corner, Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 5TA

with DNA Specialist Debbie KennettAdvance booking for DNA lectures - £18.00 per personEntry to Family History Fair only (no lectures) £2.50

Free car parking - Pudsey Railway Station nearby - Cafe open until 3pmhttp://yourfairladies.ning.com/events/dna-lecture-day

Yorkshire Family History FairSaturday 2nd July 2016

10.00am - 4.30pmThe Knavesmire Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, York YO23 1EX

Admission: Adults £4.50, Children under 14 FREEOver 70 exhibitors on two floors (lifts available)

Free talks throughout the day on the mezzanine floorhttp://yorkshirefamilyhistoryfair.com/

For news of family history events, see theonline calendar of GENealogical EVents and Activities

http://geneva.weald.org.uk/

Society of Genealogists Open DaySaturday 21st May 2016

10.30am - 6.00pmat 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA

Free Lectures, Library Tours & Advice * Booking Essential *Tel: 020 7553 3290 or Email: [email protected]

www.sog.org.uk/books-courses/events-courses/calendar-day/2016/05/21/


Family History Website News

World Travelling Times from London in 1914www.vividmaps.com/2015/11/isochronic-distances-in-days-from.html

Ever wondered how long it took your ancestors to travel to far-flung placesin the early 1900s? This map of the world is coloured according to travellingtime - pink for areas which could be reached within five days through toblue for far-flung places such as Australia which took over forty days.

Was your ancestor knighted?http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/britain-knights-of-

the-realm-indexThe Knights of the Realm index, available on Find My Past, records thedetails of over 35,000 individuals who were awarded an order of chivalryby a British monarch. The index was created by Colin J Parry and coversseventeen different honours and decorations, both current and dormant.The index can be searched without a subscription and search results showthe full name and years of birth, award, and death (if available). Furtherinformation can be seen by subscribers.

Peterborough and the Great Warwww.peterboroughww1.co.uk

Peterborough Archives Service is embarking on a three-year project to bringto life two visitors’ books from the tea stall on Peterborough East RailwayStation during 1916 and 1917.Servicemen travelling through Peterborough on their way to and from thefront wrote messages, poems or drew pictures to express their gratitude tothe ladies serving them tea and cake. These slim volumes provide a uniqueinsight into the servicemen who were passing through Peterborough duringtwo years of the Great War. The men came from across the country and thebooks highlight the city’s importance as a railway hub during this period.The books have been digitised and transcribed and can be browsed orsearched on the website; the servicemen’s stories are being researched andwill also be made available.


Tithe Maps for England and Waleswww.thegenealogist.co.uk

The Genealogist has now completed the launch of searchable tithemaps and schedules for England and Wales with the release of moremaps covering forty counties. The maps are linked to the searchableschedules which contain over 14 million records and include detailedinformation on occupants and land use.

The 1939 Registerwww.findmypast.co.uk/1939register

STOP PRESS - 1939 Register now included in annual subscriptions!See the article in Net That Serf for more information.

Norfolk Parish Registerswww.thegenealogist.co.uk

Parish Registers for the majority of Norfolk parishes, some datingfrom the early 1500s, are now available online at The Genealogist.

Australian Newspapershttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

National Library of Australia Trove website: a vast collection of free-to-access Australian newspapers, dated from 1803 - 2007.

Scottish WWI Military Service Tribunal records 1916-1918www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/Content/Help/index.aspx?2352

Records of appeals against compulsory military service held in Scotlandafter conscription was introduced in 1916.

Surrey WWI Military Service Appeals Tribunal records 1915-1918.http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/

surrey-military-tribunals-1915-1918Records of appeals against compulsory military service held in Surreyafter conscription was introduced in 1916. The Surrey records are theonly ones kept after the end of the war, although a few records forother places may have survived.


by Ian Hartas

Time flies when you're having fun – so fast that I missed the fact that theCheshire BMD reached the grand old age of fifteen last October whilst we wereaway on holiday. The Cheshire BMD website marked the beginning of whathas become known as the Local BMD Project and now includes, at the time ofwriting, eleven regions of the country.

So, a long overdue big ‘Thank You!’ to all the volunteers who have contributedto the various BMD websites over the years. To take the project forward we'realways looking for volunteers to transcribe, but more importantly, the projectcould make use of people with project management skills who would bewilling to volunteer to help drive the project into new areas. Links to thevarious existing area websites are at the end of this article.

The local BMD websites, based on the original entries held by the local registeroffices, are the ones you should use in preference to the GRO-based websites.The GRO-based websites may offer a more national coverage, but they arebased on copies of the originals held at the local register offices, and so,unfortunately, they are well known for their errors and omissions. You can findmore about these problems on the Local BMD Project web pages athttp://LocalBMD.org.uk. The Local BMD websites offer other advantages too,such as fully pairing the marriages to provide the names of bride and groom,and naming the wedding venue.

What's in the future for the Local BMD websites? Our long term aim has alwaysbeen to have as many local register offices involved in the project as possible,getting as large a coverage as we can across the country, but as noted above,volunteer help is often a limiting factor. We are also limited by the willingnessof some register offices to become involved and content-wise by what the UKlaw allows us to show.

On 18th December I attended a meeting at the GRO's premises in Southport aspart of their user group. The meeting covered many interesting agenda items– here are a few highlights:

Digital by default – the GRO's aim is to work from digitised records andprovide digital versions, where the law permits

Fifteen years of Local BMD websites.Celebrations and a Look to their Future


A large proportion of the early birth and death records have already beenscanned and digitised.87% of the applications to the GRO are online applications, and this figureis likely to increase.The distinction as to what is considered a historic record is still a bit vaguebut it's likely to be 100 years, 75 years and 50 years for births, marriagesand deaths respectively.

From the FreeBMD representative present at the meeting we heard that thecopy of the FreeBMD data held by Ancestry does not have any of the updatesand corrections that have been applied to the FreeBMD.org.uk website.

How much would you pay for a purely digital copy? Various views were putforward on this topic as it would affect their plans for future access.

The recent 2015 Deregulation Bill permits changes to the way in which accessto the BMD records may be made by the public – but only for the GRO!This last point was a big surprise for me. I had heard that the government'sDeregulation Bill acted as a change to the law enabling future changes to ouraccess to the BMD records, but I had not realised that it had limited thesechanges to the GRO only. i.e. the local register offices will not benefit by thisderegulation bill and potentially could lose income because of it - my MP heardfrom me the next day!

If the local BMD projects are to be allowed to move forward to the point thatthey too can offer digitised images as an option, then the law will needupdating so that the deregulation bill permits the local register offices to offerthe same level of service as the GRO.You can read the Deregulation Bill online - it's a bit of a long web address soI've shortened it, using Google's url shortener, to http://goo.gl/3csPwTIf you feel as strongly in this as I do, please contact your MP and ask that theDeregulation Bill is amended further so that the local register offices have thesame rights and opportunities as the GRO.

Related Websites:Cheshire BMD: http://CheshireBMD.org.ukStaffordshire BMD: http://StaffordshireBMD.org.ukWest Midlands BMD: http://WestMidlandsBMD.org.ukLancashire BMD: http://LancashireBMD.org.ukYorkshire BMD: http://YorkshireBMD.org.ukNorth Wales BMD: http://NorthWalesBMD.org.uk


Dear Editor,

I have only just had the opportunityto read the September edition ofCHESHIRE ANCESTOR.Mrs Hough wrote an interestingreport on the Jackson family. Theitem about the marriage of SamuelJackson and Sarah Norbury on the25th December 1849 shown in boththe Saltersford-cum-Kettleshulme andthe Prestbury Church registers cameto my attention. Perhaps I can throwsome light on this anomaly for MrsHough.In 1754 Lord Harwick's Marriage Actcame into force and remained until1883, which stated that all marriagesmust be conducted by a minister at aParish Church, not a chapel.

As Saltersford-cum-Kettleshulme wasat that time a chapel under the mainchurch (Prestbury) and was notlicenced for marriages, the couple hadto be married at Prestbury. I think atthe side of the marriage entry properat Prestbury would show where thecouple lived.Saltersford-cum-Kettleshulme registerperhaps also showed it for their ownpurposes.All the small churches in the mainparish of Prestbury were onlyChapels.Alderley St Mary's and Astbury werealso main parish churches in this areaof Cheshire.I hope this will be of help.

Allan F Windelinckx (member 6045)

Letters to the Editor

Links to all of the above and other Local BMDs: http://UKBMD.org.uk/localbmd

Local BMD Project information: http://LocalBMD.org.uk

Full link to the Deregulation Bill web page:http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2014-2015/0095/lbill_2014-20150095_en_9.htm#pb13-l1g94

About the author: Ian Hartas is the author of the search software and other PHP codeused within the Local BMD websites. He is also the author of the UKBMD, UKGDLand UKMFH websites which provide thousands of links to genealogy websites that canhelp with your family tree research.


Books Worth Reading...CDs Worth Viewing

by Lyn McCulloch

Newly published items are welcomed for review; they should beon genealogical or Cheshire subjects.Please send to: Lyn McCulloch, Barrymore, Marbury Road,Comberbach, Northwich, CW9 6AU.After review, books are placed in the Library at MobberleyResearch Centre for use by members.

Irish Family History on the Web by Stuart A. Raymond, 4th Edn.Pub. 2015, by The Family History Partnership.

Stuart is well known for his excellent handbooksand guides for Family Historians. This volumewas first published in 2001 and is now broughtright up to date for 2015. It is crammed withinformation on Irish Family History, theaddresses of libraries, websites, databases andmany other sources. This book is a must foranyone researching ancestors in Ireland.

Available from the FHSC Bookstall.Price: £7.95 By post: UK: £9.75, Airmail: £15.15

Barnton by David Iredale

This is a prequel to Geoff Buchan’s Barnton, through changing scenes of lifepublished in 2009. It covers the history of Barnton from prehistory to thesixteenth century as well as some of David’s personal memories from hischildhood in Barnton. Many of the well known Cheshire families appear, suchas Starkey, Dutton, Mainwaring and Marbury. David has done extensiveresearch over many years and knows a vast amount about the area. The bookhas colour photographs and maps drawn by Geoff Buchan to illustrate the text.I was pleased to see a mention of my old friend, the late Brian Curzon who firstintroduced me to Local History. David has included an excellent bibliography.Copies can be obtained from Rev Geoffrey H Buchan.Tel: 01606 74512 Email: [email protected]: £9.95, P & P: £2.15


My Family History: A ten generation family research record book, withpedigree charts.Published by the Family History Partnership.

What a good way to record your Family History using theseprinted forms. They come in a book which could be easilytaken around to record offices.One end is blue for paternal entries and the other end pink formaternal entries. I would recommend this, especially for thosejust beginning their research.Start the way you mean to go on and keep your records tidy.I wish I had used these for mine.

Available from the FHSC Bookstall.Price: £9.99. By post: UK :£12.20, Airmail: £20.75

To order books from the FHSC Bookstall, please contact the bookstallmanager, David Johnson (address inside front cover).

Proofreading &Copy-editing Services

Give yourself the edge!

Proofreading services at reasonable hourly rates.

Special rates for students.

Grammar, punctuation, ambiguity, clarity and accuracy all checked.However long or short, be sure it is correct!

Contact me to discuss your project.

Suzie WoodwardVolunteer proof reader for the CHESHIRE ANCESTOR

Tel: 01856-831533;or Email: [email protected]


by Jean Jones

This service enables members to share unwanted certificates that they have purchased.Members can obtain a copy of a certificate by sending your name, membership number,and identifying the required certificate from the published list: by email [email protected] or by post (include a donation to FHSC of at least 50p tocover copying costs for each item, plus a stamped self-addressed envelope) to Jean Jones,2 Lytham Rd., Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan WN4 9RU. Unwanted certificates shouldbe sent to me at the above address.Please ensure you use the correct postage rate for the envelope size and weight. If indoubt, please ask at your local Post Office.Thank you for donating unwanted certificates to the FHSC. Certificates will be listedin the Cheshire Ancestor as soon as possible after receipt.

Certificate type: B= birth; M=marriage; D=death

Certificate Exchange

BEDDOE Ellen M 1869 Oct 17 To Ephraim Pearsond/o John Beddoe

West BromwichSTS.

BIRTLES James B 1838 Oct 26 To Mathew Birtles & Mary Ann Gleave. Hulme LAN.

BIRTLES James B 1840 Jun 13 To Walter & Margaret formerly Thomson. ManchesterLAN.

BIRTLES Henry B 1867 Sep 2 To Joseph & Ann formerly Weatherilt. Everton LAN.

BIRTLES Fred M 1911 Dec 7 To Margaret A Gill. s/o Stephen Birtles. FallowfieldManchester.

BROOKES John M 1862 Apr 16 To Elizabeth Dutton. s/o John Dodd. Chester CHS.

CHADWICK Audrey B 1927 May 29 To Walter & Eleanor formerly Williams Fleetwood LAN.

CLOWES William D 1883 Feb 18 Age 49 yrs.Daniel Clowes brother present.

SandbachCHS.

DUTTON Elizabeth M 1862 Apr 16 To John Brookesd/o Samuel Dutton Chester CHS.

GARDNER George D 1954 Sep 21 Age 54 yrs.Henry Burquest s-in-l. present.

Toxteth ParkLiverpool.

GARDNER Herbert D 1914 Apr 7 Age 34 yrs.Son of Thomas & Mary A Gardner. Tranmere CHS.


GARDNER Harry D 1908 Jul 5 Age 23 yrs.Mary Ann Gardner mother present. Pemberton LAN.

GILL Margaret A M 1911 Dec 7 To Fred Birtles.d/o William Gill.

FallowfieldMANCHESTER.

HAMPSON John D 1906 Dec 20 Age 79 yrs.C J Hampson, son in att. Sale CHS.

HINDLEY William B 1866 Dec 3 To Thomas & Emma formerly Williams. Birkenhead CHS.

HINDLEY Sarah B 1867 May 1 To James & Sarah formerly Jones. Tranmere CHS.

HINDLEY John A. B 1868 Nov 29 To Thomas & Emma formerly Williams. Birkenhead CHS.

HINDLEY Ellen M 1867 Dec 5 To George Tottey.d/o Thomas Hindley. West Kirkby CHS.

JUDD Ellen E. M 1909 Oct 16 To Robert Sykes.d/o William Judd dec. Nantwich CHS.

NEWTON Benjamin D 1919 Dec 19 Age 68 yrs. Workhouse, Knutsford. Knutsford CHS.

NEWTON Isaac D 1931 Jan 16 Age 89 yrs. The Institution Knutsford. Knutsford CHS.

PARKER Mary E. D 1906 Oct 9 Age 48 yrs.Sarah Northend cousin present.

West Derby,Liverpool.

PEARSON Ephraim M 1869 Oct 17 To Ellen Beddoe,s/o Ephraim Pearson.

West BromwichSTS.

SWINDLE-HURST Thomas D 1868 Jan 20 Age 77 yrs. Workhouse. Lancaster LAN.

SYKES Robert H. M 1909 Oct 16 To Ellen E. Judd.s/o Edward Sykes dec. Nantwich CHS.

TOTTEY George M 1867 Dec 5 To Ellen Hindley.s/o John Tottey West Kirkby CHS.

WILLIAMS Mary A. B 1888 Dec 31 To George & Margaret formerlyGronow. Llanelly CMN.

WILLIAMS Mary A. B 1888 Dec 19 To Thomas & Harriet formerly Hoskins. Pontypool MON.

WILLIAMS Mary A. B 1890 Feb 11 To John & Ann formerly Samuel. YstradyfodwgGLA.

WRIGHT Sarah B 1856 Feb 2 To George & Sarah formerly Hazard. Arnold NTT.


My Welsh Connection

by Joyce Rishworth

My great-great-grandparents William PAINTER (1815-1896) and MargaretHARRISON (1821-1887) married in Whitchurch Parish Church, Shropshire on24th January 1841. William was born in Iscoed, Flintshire but the couple set uphome at Castle Hill, Whitchurch, where William worked as an agriculturallabourer. During the next seventeen years Margaret gave birth to nine children:four boys and five girls. Their second child, Thomas (1842-1914), was my great-grandfather and their youngest child was my great-aunt Emily (1858-1923). Inspite of the age gap of almost sixteen years and the necessity in those days foryoung people to go out into the world to support themselves at an early age,this brother and sister formed a strong, long-lasting family bond, as thefollowing story will show.

In 1861 Thomas was eighteen years old, working as a carter in the village ofTushingham, which is situated between Whitchurch and Malpas. By 1870 hiswork, variously described as a carter, lorryman or horsekeeper, had taken himto Manchester. Here he married, by license, a widow named Betsy YOUNGnée ROLLEY (1837-1903) on 2nd October 1870 at Christchurch, Bradford,Manchester. Betsy was born in the pretty Derbyshire village of Bonsall and herfirst husband James was a miner by trade. Miners were poor and mining inDerbyshire had peaked in the 18th century with the installation of engines topump water. Lead reserves were worked out; depression set in and therebegan a gradual exodus to find work in other places. James and Betsy movedto Manchester in the mid 1860s with their three daughters, Ann, Mary andSusannah, and a fourth daughter, Rose, was born in Irlam in 1868. James diedin the first quarter of 1870 leaving Betsy to bring up the four little girls on herown. The fact that the marriage certificate of Thomas and Betsy gives both theirhome addresses as Ashton Old Road, Bradford leads me to believe that Thomashad been lodging with James and Betsy. This was common practice at that timeas it helped the family with household expenses.

Soon after their marriage, Thomas and Betsy moved to Chester Street, Ardwick.In the early part of the 19th century it had been a pleasant and elegant suburbof Manchester, and Ardwick Green was a popular and sought-afterneighbourhood in which to live. In the 1840s the Manchester & BirminghamRailway had arrived in the district and, by the late 19th century, Ardwick had


become heavily industrialised and the River Cornbook was extremely polluted,due to the disposal of effluents from the brick and chemical works having beenemptied freely into it. Jerrybuilt back-to-back houses were crammed in amongstthe factories and mills. Under these conditions Betsy and Thomas produced asecond family of five boys and one girl. My maternal grandfather, WilliamPAINTER, was their fourth child, born in Ancoats on 23rd December 1876.

William married Lydia SELLER (1876-1948) on 22nd May 1899 in St Giles’Church, Manchester. Like his father he worked as a carter on the railway, andLydia found employment as a cigar maker. In 1901 they were living in FosterStreet, Ardwick with their one-year-old daughter, Lily. William used to go toSmithfield Market and here he bought fresh fruit and vegetables; my mothertold me that Lydia began to sell them from the front room of their house at 66Every Street, Ancoats. Their second daughter, my mother Doris PAINTER,was born at that address on 3rd September 1911 when her sister was nearlytwelve years old. By this time William was describing himself as a greengrocer.From these small beginnings and thanks to their hard work and Lydia’sbusiness acumen, their enterprise prospered and they opened another shopselling fish, fruit and vegetables, on Ashton Old Road, Openshaw.

The photograph above shows the shop front with Lydia standing just left ofcentre. The population of Openshaw had expanded more than thirty-foldduring the 19th century as employment was available at the ArmstrongWhitworth Ordinance Factory, and the massive Beyer Peacock railway buildingyards. My grandparents were pleased to provide fresh food for the local


community. It was whilst crossing Ashton Old Road on her way home fromcollege that Doris noticed, and was noticed by, a very tall, good-lookingpoliceman on point duty named Arthur HIRSTWOOD (1904-1993).

William and Lydia’s increased prosperity encouraged them to escape from thecity and they purchased a large semi-detached house in Heald Green inCheshire. It had good-sized gardens at both front and back. The back gardenhad a large lawn and a rose garden and there was a fine glasshouse with agrape vine growing in it. For the first time they had the money to indulgethemselves. My grandmother loved jewellery, ceramics and silver articles andamongst other gifts William bought her were two diamond rings and a pair ofdiamond earrings. For about two years they owned a market garden known asThe Willows in Poundswick, Wythenshawe, where William had planned togrow his own vegetables to sell in the shop but unfortunately this venturefailed. They could also afford to take holidays and in September 1931 they tooktheir grandson William Painter METCALFE to Blackpool. The followingSeptember they enjoyed a holiday in Bournemouth from whence mygrandmother sent the postcard (below) to my mother. My grandparents areseated in the charabanc on the second seat from the back, closest to the camera.

William did not have verylong to enjoy his recentlyacquired affluence: three anda half months after this cardwas sent he died, aged 57,from influenza, emphysemaand bronchitis. His heavysmoking undoubtedlycontributed to his earlydemise.

In 1881 Thomas’ sister Emily was twenty-one years of age and working as ahousemaid at Alport Lodge, Claypit Street, Whitchurch for a retired NavyAdmiral named Francis Vere COTTON. She later took up another post atLlanrhaiadr Hall in North Wales, where she was to meet her future husband.On 8th May 1886 she married Charles Philip WYNNE (1856-1944), a joinerliving at Hetty’s Gild, Llanrhaiadr. Llanrhaiadr was a tiny village with a veryclose community situated between Denbigh and Ruthin. Its name derives fromthe Welsh llan meaning church and rhaiadr meaning waterfall. There has beena church, whose patron saint is St Dyfnog, on the site since the 6th century.The oldest part of the church is the 13th century tower, whilst the nave wasbuilt in the 15th century. The whole building was extensively restored between


1879 and 1880 and again between 1986 and 1989. Charles Philip, known to thefamily as ‘Tide’ (Welsh for grandfather), was the sexton, bell ringer,gravedigger and general factotum at the church and, with his carpentry skills,would certainly have been involved in the first series of restorations. Inside thechurch is a beautiful Jesse window, first set into the wall in 1533, depicting thedescent of Jesus Christ through the Royal House of Israel. Today the A525bypasses the village so that once more it is the sleepy backwater I remember.

Charles Philip and Emily had three children, John (known as Jack), Margaret(Maggie) and Charles Edward (Charlie) (1891-1948). The family moved into astone built cottage named Pen Llan, meaning church top, bank or head, whichis right in the centre of Llanrhaiadr village, opposite the village school. It hadbeen built close against the hillside, with the road passing almost onto its frontdoorstep. Modern comforts were non-existent: water was obtained from apump at the back of the house and the toilet was a three-minute run away. Itwas one of those with three different sizes of holes in the wooden seat set in astone whitewashed room but it had the advantage of being built over a streamso that it always smelt fresh, having natural drainage. At the back of the housewas a cave where the family kept their outdoor paraphernalia. It was also anideal place for keeping things cool. The kitchen garden was on the top of thehill, reached by wooden steps, and the fields rolled away from it. There werelovely walks, with mushrooms for breakfast if you were lucky. Tide expectedhis two sons to work hard, just for their keep. After his mother’s death Jack lefthome and went to America to ‘make his fortune’ whilst Charlie juniorremained, following the same trade as his father. After a long courtship, Charliejunior married Maggie MILLWARD (1900-1975) in 1930 and Maggie settleddown to married life at Pen Llan with Charlie and Tide.

Bearing in mind that nobody in the family owned a car and the PAINTERfamily lived first in Manchester and later Cheshire whilst the WYNNE familylived in North Wales, it is amazing that they had kept in contact for overseventy years. The Painter family went often to visit their cousins, and afterCharlie’s marriage to Maggie she and Doris quickly set up a very closefriendship, which lasted all their lives and enriched us all. In the summer of1930, when she was eighteen, Doris went on one of her visits to Llanrhaiadr tostay with Charlie, Maggie and Tide. She sent the postcard (below) to herparents, William and Lydia, at their home in Heald Green; it shows the villagestreet, and the building in the centre at the far end is Pen Llan.

Charlie and Maggie’s only child, Edward, was born in April 1932. Maggiebrought him to Heald Green for a holiday and my mother continued to go toLlanrhaiadr, particularly when Eddie was small. When he was only six years


old an accident occurredwhilst he was playing and helost an eye. He adored sportand his disability did not stophim from playing football orany other sport that he could.Indeed people often used tosay that he saw more with oneeye than some people do withtwo. Maggie had nursedGrandfather Tide in his lastillness and then tragedy struck again - Charlie needed to have an operation.The operation itself was a success but there were complications: the surgeon’sknife slipped, causing life threatening damage. Maggie nursed him until hedied. She became a widow before she was fifty and so did not receive awidow’s pension. She had to find a job and, being an excellent cook, took upthat position at the local school across the road. During the war the childrenevacuated from Liverpool were taught in the afternoons in Llanrhaiadr Schooland therefore Eddie, in common with many other children in this country, onlyattended school for half days. In spite of this he amazed everyone, includinghimself, by passing his school certificate before he left school at fifteen. Hebecame an apprentice electrician in a small shop in Ruthin and was sooninstalling electricity into many of the homes in the district. Together Maggieand Eddie just managed to make ends meet and the joys of electric light finallycame to Pen Llan.

Eddie’s holidays in his late teens were often spent in Heald Green. He cycledthe sixty miles there and back. We had some great times together, and mymother and I also spent holidays at Pen Llan.

Uncle Jack WYNNE, who haddone very well in America, cameback to England for a visit afterhis brother Charlie died. Thephotograph (left) shows himstanding in front of his home inAmerica. He came to HealdGreen to see us and I rememberhim as a charming elderlygentleman. He also visited his

sister Maggie and her family, who still lived in Shropshire, but spent the restof his stay in this country with his sister-in-law Maggie (who had the gift of


making everyone welcome) in his childhood home in Llanrhaiadr. He musthave seen how hard life was for her, with few amenities and no money to spare.

My parents married at Gatley Parish Church on 1st June 1936. For the first twoyears of their marriage they ran a corner shop, at 13 Great Jackson Street,Gorton, Manchester; but by the time I was born in 1938 the shop was not doingwell and they decided to sell up and move to Heald Green. Lydia had beenwidowed in 1933 but was unable to sell the house, as it was hers only for herlifetime, it being entailed to her elder daughter.

My father, having served in the Coldstream Guards when he was a young man,was called up on 8th April 1941 and joined the RAF Police. As a result of ourbeing now a household of women we had WRAFs billeted on us and mymother ran a canteen for the troops. When the war was over and my fatherreturned, I ran away from this strange, tall man in RAF uniform! On 11thFebruary 1948 I had spent a happy day playing on a farm belonging to thefamily of a schoolfriend and returned to find that my beloved grandmotherhad died. We had to leave the only home I had known and move into a councilhouse, as my grandfather had left the house and contents to my mother’s eldersister. Most of my grandmother’s treasures went under the auctioneer’shammer.

In the spring of 1960 I went for the day to Pen Llan in my boyfriend’s car. Thatday we decided to get engaged, and in 1961 we were married in the MethodistChurch in Heald Green. In 1963 we moved, with our first child, to Granthamin Lincolnshire where we had been allocated a smallholding by the LandSettlement Association under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.We grew tomatoes, lettuces, potatoes and sugar beet and reared pigs to baconweight. Eddie had bought a motorbike (much to his mother’s despair) and hedrove over to spend his summer holiday with us.

It was in 1965 that Uncle Jack died in America. He left a good sum of moneyto Maggie and some to Eddie. Eddie was then working for Pilkington Glass inSt Asaph and Maggie was due to retire from her job at the school, so the tieswith Llanrhaiadr were weakening. With the money, Maggie bought presentsfor everyone in the family, including my children, and Eddie bought his firstcar. But the biggest surprise of all was that they purchased a bungalowtogether in Rhyl, and named it ‘Jacwyn’ in memory of Uncle Jack. For the firsttime in their lives they had their own bath and toilet, running hot and coldwater and no stairs for Maggie to climb. In late June 1968 my mother becamevery ill. She was anxious to see Maggie so Eddie took her in his car to HealdGreen. I’m sure Maggie knew that they would not meet in this world again,


and my mother died on 4th July. My three children and I had several holidayswith Maggie and Eddie in Rhyl and then in September 1974 we attendedEddie’s wedding. He married Jennie, a divorcee with a young son and the fourof them settled down to live happily together at ‘Jacwyn’.

The following year we heard the sad news that Maggie had died. The servicewas at Llanrhaiadr Church, followed by a cremation in Colwyn Bay. Four yearslater, in April 1980, Jennie telephoned. Eddie had been into hospital for anoperation on his one eye as the sight was deteriorating. All went well and hehad returned to work after a fortnight but they telephoned her from work tosay that he was ill. She took him to the hospital in her car but he died as theyarrived. They had had only five short years together and in a few days Eddiewould have been forty-eight. With Eddie’s death my Welsh connection hadended and all I have left are precious and enduring memories of a very specialfamily relationship.

Did You Know?

A hatchment was a memorial board of adeceased armiger's coat of arms that was hungoutside the family home during the period ofmourning.

Hatchments were usually made of a diamond-shaped wooden base which had canvasstretched across with the coat of arms paintedon. A black background meant that it relatedto a spinster, widow or widower, whereas theright half of the background was white for amarried man and the left half white for amarried woman. Bunbury Hatchment, Stoak

Popular in the 17th Century, their use declined during the latter half of the 19thcentury. Many were transferred to parish churches where they can still befound. Examples of hatchments may be seen in several Cheshire churchesincluding Bunbury, Malpas, Stoak, Stockport and Wrenbury.

The hatchment shown above is in Stoak Church and is inscribed “Neere thisplace lyeth the body of Mrs. Abigail Bunbury the daughter of Thomas Bunbury ofStanney Esq. She dyed the 16th day of February Ano Dni 1672, aged 12 yeares.”


By Margaret Hough

I grew up having learnt from my father, Leonard BRYNING, that my great-great-grandfather, John BRYNING, was born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire,and left home aged about 16 with his horse and cart to make his fortune. Hesettled in Poynton, Cheshire. I often wondered why, of all places, he decidedthat Poynton was the place to go. Later I found that coal mining was expandingat Poynton in the early 19th century and so horses and carts would be indemand to move the coal.

When I began to look into my family history, about 40 years ago, I tried to findJohn BRYNING's birth at Poulton-le-Fylde, to no avail. Over a period of manyyears I would occasionally travel to the Lancashire Records Office at Prestonto search the parish registers for Poulton and the surrounding villages. In thosedays there were no online records and a hands-on search of the actual registerswas the only way to find people prior to civil registration; today we have theonline Lancashire Parish Clerks project, and some parish registers are availableon the subscription websites. I did find two other baptisms for John BRYNINGborn around 1800; I followed them up and found that one died young and theother was still living there in the later censuses. I knew that my John BRYNINGwas in Cheshire before 1841 as he was a shopkeeper in Poynton in the 1841census, and a corn and flour dealer and shopkeeper in the 1851 census.

The 1851 census stated he was born in Sunderland, Durham, but searches didnot show him living there. I then made a big mistake; I did not at that timesearch the later censuses. I wasted valuable time searching the Sunderland,Durham records to no avail before finding that later census records of Poyntonlisted him as being born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire. So my father’s storywas right. However, his baptism was not recorded in Poulton’s registers.

Years later, whilst making ever-widening searches in the parish registers ofsurrounding villages in the Fylde, I came across the burial at Poulton-le-Fyldeof a Geoffrey BRYNING “of Sunderlands”, who died from drowning.BRYNING being a very unusual surname, I decided to look into this anddiscovered that he was the river pilot on the River Lune. On studying maps ofthe area I found the hamlet of Sunderland Point on the northerly bank of theRiver Lune. River pilots were based there to escort ships up to Lancaster. This

A Search for John Bryning,my Great-Great-Grandfather


hamlet is just across the estuary from the villages of Stalmine and Hambleton,which were chapelries in the parish of Poulton-le-Fylde within a mile or twoof each other. There is no church at Sunderland Point, which is only reallyaccessible at low tide over the marsh. The nearest church was Overton, acrossthe marsh about a mile. I searched the Overton parish registers and found thebaptism of John BRYNING, son of Betty BRYNING, illegitimate; born in 1805, hewas the right age. He must have said “Sunderlands” to the census enumeratorin 1851 who had written down Sunderland as the place of birth and assumedDurham was the correct county. At last I had found him!

I then went back to Poulton-le-Fylde records and looked at the family of JohnBryning, the churchwarden. Amongst other children he had a daughter Betty,born 1778, and another daughter, Mary, born 1772. Looking at John’s parentsand siblings, I found that Geoffrey, the river pilot on the Lune, was his brother.

At that time, roads being very poor, the obvious way of travel for people livingnear the coast was by boat. By land the journey between Poulton-le-Fylde andSunderland Point would be slow and treacherous via Lancaster, but by boatacross the mouth of the river Lune it would be quick and straightforward. Infact, when chatting to Hugh Cunliffe, author of the book The Story of SunderlandPoint, I found that as a boy he and his friends used to tie their clothes on theirheads and swim across the river at low tide to do their courting with the girlsof Poulton-le-Fylde and the nearby villages of Pilling, Stalmine and Hambleton.

When Elizabeth BRYNING became pregnant it seems likely that, since herfather was the churchwarden at Poulton-le-Fylde, she was sent to stay withcousins (Geoffrey’s children) who lived out of the way at Sunderland Point.

Also, I found that Elizabeth’s sister Mary had married a Samuel LINLEY andcame to Cheshire with her husband and children around the time that my JohnBRYNING came, i.e. before 1841. They are also recorded in the Cheshire census.Mary’s children would be cousins to my John and in fact in later censuses, Ifound some of them present at John BRYNING’s house/shop and tenants ofhis in The Village, Poynton.

My John BRYNING obviously did not know who his father was, and so, whensigning his own marriage register at Cheadle, Cheshire, in 1844 he gave hisfather’s name as Samuel BRYNING. I have followed up the other BRYNINGlinks in The Fylde and never found a BRYNING with the Christian nameSamuel. It seems likely that my John BRYNING was brought up by his auntMary and her husband Samuel LINLEY, and came to Poynton with the LINLEYfamily.


Origins of the BRYNING name

BRYNING is not a Cheshire name. And it is an uncommon name. There is ahamlet called Bryning-with-Kellamergh a few miles south of Poulton-le-Fylde,close to Kirkham, and it must be there that the surname originated. I have learntthat the hamlet is on the site of a Viking settlement and there is a village calledBryning in Norway.

Most of the BRYNING families in the Fylde that I have found seem to traceback to Thomas BRYNING, currier, of Stalmine. I have found his death andchildren at the beginning of the 18th century but cannot find his baptism in the17th century. Stalmine is only two or three miles from Poulton-le-Fylde, but isactually in the parish of Kirkham; the boundary between the two parishes runsnorth to south. Thomas BRYNING and son John appear in the KirkhamApprenticeship records in the early 18th century. Thomas’ other son Richard(1707-1759) in later life lived at Moss Side, Hambleton. The house is still thereand has been restored.

Richard’s son, John (1735-1799) was the father of Elizabeth (b.1778), mother ofmy great-great-grandfather John and a churchwarden at Poulton. JohnBRYNING of Poynton is buried at Poynton Church together with three of hisfour children: John, died 1851 aged seven, Richard, died 1864 aged thirteen,James, died 1871 aged twenty-two. His first wife (Elizabeth NORRIS) who diedin 1868 and second wife (Anne POTTS) who died in 1894 are also buried in thesame grave, as are two granddaughters, Sarah and Elizabeth - two children ofhis only surviving child, Ralph. Ralph took over the shop at 179 The Village,Poynton, and was also listed in the 1881 census as a carter.

I remember the row of cottages at the end of Vicarage Lane on London Roadwhich were were very dilapidated in the 1940s and where I remember playingas a small child. In more recent years I found that they were the original Villageof Poynton. John BRYNING owned them and census returns show many wererented to relatives such as the LINLEYs and HIGGINBOTHAMs. In the 1871census John BRYNING is listed as a widower and provision dealer, aged 64. Inthe 1881 census he had retired and was living in the next village, Pott Shrigley,at Needy Gate.

I have copies of John BRYNING’s obituary from the Stockport Advertiser andalso his eight-page will. He seems to have acquired a number of properties inand around Poynton and also in Stockport. His obituary of 31st October 1884states:


Mr John BRYNING, a well known and widely respected inhabitant of the locality, diedat his residence Needy Gate, Pott Shrigley in his 79th year... He was born in Poulton-le-Fylde near Blackpool in humble circumstances. He commenced his career in Poyntonby carting; afterwards he became a grocer and provision dealer in the village and retiredfrom business about 12 years ago. He owned the Poynton Terrace and property inShrigley, the Elm Beds, Poynton and Tranmere, he having accumulated considerablewealth since he came to the village...

John BRYNING’s will seems to imply that he didn’t altogether trust his onlyremaining son Ralph to run his business properly:

...that in case my son Ralph shall continue to be the tenant of my shop in Poynton andmy trustees shall be of the opinion that he is not carrying on his business or conductinghimself in business in the manner in which I should have approved of had I been living,that my said trustees shall give my said son notice to quit the shop ...

His doubt seems to have been well founded because almost all the propertyhad gone by the time my grandfather, another John BRYNING, inherited hisfather Ralph’s estate in 1926!

American cousins

An interesting member of this BRYNING family is John BRYNING (1770-1853)of Poulton-le-Fylde, son of John, the churchwarden, brother of my Elizabeth.He seemed to have vanished from the records in the area but is mentioned inhis father’s will in 1799: “to my son John, who has had more from me in my lifetimethan all the others, I leave one shilling if he choose to take it....”

Through the Internet I came into contact with Yvonne Shultis of Ohio, USA.She had researched very thoroughly the life of her great-great-grandfather theRev John BRYNING in USA but had been unable to find his birth. All she hadfound was that he was born in Lancashire on 6th July 1770. Elizabeth’s brother,John, was baptised at Stalmine on 29th July 1770. Surely it must be the sameperson - uncommon name, birth and baptism dates fitting in. He could not betraced in the Fylde area in later life.

Yvonne had found that he became a merchant (apprenticed to a mercantile firmin Liverpool), witnessed the Battle of Waterloo, and then emigrated to Canadawith his son, another John, about 1820. Once there he became well-known forhelping to establish the church around Lake Erie. He settled in the village ofMount Pleasant, Ontario where he built a church and a house which is now aState Historic building. Yvonne and I have visited the house and his grave in


the village. He married twice more and his many descendants are scatteredthroughout USA and Canada.

Sources: Censuses, Parish registers, Wills, Stockport Advertiser obituary,Kirkham apprenticeship records, The Story of Sunderland Point by HughCunliffe, Lancashire Parish Clerks Project

Great-aunt Ann’s Story

by Chester Guttridge

In the early months of 1843, a baby girl was born to Rebecca, wife of GeorgeWILLIAMSON, my great-grandfather. She was Rebecca's third child, hersecond daughter. Brother Charles was five or six years old and sister Elizabeththree or four. Rebecca later gave birth to a third daughter, Martha, and thentwo sons: George, my maternal grandfather, in 1853 and John two years later.The family lived at The White Swan in Milton Street on the northern fringe ofChester, near the cattle market and a street away from the Chester Canal, as itwas then called. The pub was host to cattle drovers, bargees and labourers, andperhaps a lowly farmer or a butcher. The baby was christened Ann, in St Johnthe Baptist Church, Chester, on Friday 24th March that year.

When Ann was ten years old, the family moved to the country village ofBickerton, some ten miles south of Chester, although they retained a footholdin the city and returned from time to time. Elizabeth was married from MiltonStreet in 1855, and Ann was there in 1859 when she too married.

I believe Ann, the middle daughter of three, was a spirited, feisty and evennaughty child, as she strove to gain her share of parental attention. She styledherself Charlotte Ann, writing on the flyleaf at the back of her father's Weightsand Measures book the words: 'Charlotte A Williamson her book agust (sic) 20. 1855Aged 17 Born this year 1840', which is fanciful nonsense. She was twelve yearsold, if that was the day she wrote the message. As Charlotte Ann she was twicemarried and as Charlotte Ann she is remembered on her gravestone. On otheroccasions, she was just plain Ann.


Ann's First MarriageAs plain Ann she fell in love or fell pregnant or both. On Monday 21stNovember 1859, when only sixteen years old, she married Thomas BENTLEYat St John the Baptist Church. Her father gave his special permission by addinghis own words to the printed licence form two days earlier. It was not to be ahappy union. Thomas was twenty-six and she, according to the marriagecertificate, was twenty years old, the ceremony apparently having aged her byfour years. Neither his parents nor hers witnessed the marriage, that role fallingto a John ROBERTSON, and to Ann's young sister, Martha, who was onlytwelve or thirteen years old. I fancy it was a hastily arranged wedding,suggesting that Ann was pregnant. If so, it was celebrated with little joy butsome satisfaction that Thomas had been brought to the altar to make an honestwoman of Ann and give the baby legitimacy.

Was she with child when she stood before the altar? I think she was. Theevidence is persuasive but not conclusive. A baby called Robert BENTLEY wasborn and died in the parish of Great Boughton, Chester, in the first quarter of1860, but, as the parents were not named in the record, we cannot be certainthat the child was Ann's, although the dates fit with conception in the earlysummer of 1859, a few months before Ann's wedding. According to anewspaper report, Ann's husband, Thomas BENTLEY, was the second son ofRobert BENTLEY, a baker. It was common practice at the time to name the firstbaby boy after his father or grandfather and to reuse a name if a child died.Ann gave birth to a boy in the first quarter 1861, whom they called Robert.Again the timings fit - a second baby twelve months or so after the first.

The marriage was soon in trouble. In 1860 - before Robert was born - a Chesterpaper reported that: 'A summons for an assault taken out by Ann Bentley of BrookSt against her husband, Thomas Bentley, for ill usage and assaulting her, was arranged,neither parties appearing.' Ann was a disillusioned seventeen-year-old, probablyurged to act by her father. The outcome of the summons was not reported.

In August the following year, twenty months after the wedding, the followingappeared in a local newspaper: I, Thomas Bentley, will not be RESPONSIBLE forany Debt or Debts my wife, Ann Bentley, daughter of George Williamson, LicensedVictualler, Milton-street, may contract after this date. 26 August 1861. The marriagewas dead.

Thomas BENTLEY found himself in prison in 1866. Described as a drover ofTarvin in the county of Cheshire, he appeared before Sir Harry MAINWARINGin court No.2, charged with stealing two, two-foot rules, the property of SamuelWEAVER at Hoole, on 19th September 1886. At the same time he pleaded


guilty to a previous conviction. He was awarded three months hard labour(Chester Chronicle 20th October 1866), but never completed the sentence. Theprevious conviction may account for the harsh sentence even for the times. Aseparate report states that he was sentenced to two weeks hard labour for thesame offence. Perhaps he escaped custody and on being returned to courtsuffered the harsher sentence. He died in gaol on 30th October 1866, being thendescribed as a 33-year-old labourer. The cause of death is unknown. Thus was Ann released from her tragic marriage. His remains are in OverleighCemetery, Chester. Also in the grave are the remains of Thomas's youngerbrother Robert BENTLEY; Mary Ann, Thomas's younger sister and wife ofCharles CRAWFORD, and Charlotte Ann herself.

After Thomas died, Ann probably returned to live with her parents at The Nag'sHead, Bridge Trafford where her father was licensee. She was there when, in1869, two of her petticoats were stolen from a hedge where they had been putto dry. The culprit was a Charles HIGNETT who, four days later exchangedthem, still wet, for two pints of beer with Mrs KNIGHT, a beerhouse keeper inUpton. Ann BENTLEY prosecuted Mr HIGNETT who was committed to trial.It was not reported whether Ann got her petticoats back or what happened toHIGNETT. Her father may again have encouraged her to bring the action. Annwas not a lady to antagonize.

Ann's Second Marriage Ann, it seems, was popular in Bridge Trafford as she prepared herself for asecond marriage. Now aged twenty-seven, she had caught the eye of BenjaminPhillip OWEN, a butcher of Tarvin and almost certainly a relative of elder sisterElizabeth's husband, George, possibly his cousin. They were married in nearbySt Peter's Church, Plemstall on 30th August 1870. On the certificate she isnamed as Charlotte Ann BENTLEY, widow. The Chester Chronicle describedthe bride as Miss (sic) Charlotte Ann Bentley and the occasion as ...of muchrejoicing. A handsome arch spanned the road, beautifully decorated with flags andvarious devices: and athletic sports with abundant libations left the villagers astir forsome hours. Her publican father, no doubt happy to see his daughter marriedto a worthy tradesman, supplied the drink. It was to be a successful union.After the wedding Benjamin took up the license of The White Lion (probablyThe White Swan renamed), his newly acquired father-in-law's public house inMilton Street. He stayed there for eighteen months, leaving to set up as abutcher at 42 Egerton Street, nearby. It was to be the family home where heand Ann produced eight children in eleven years.

Benjamin was a good man when sober. After nearly eleven years of wedlock,he came home late one night and assaulted his wife. Experienced in litigation


and not prepared to put up with violence, Charlotte Ann took him to court.The Chester Observer of 2nd July 1881 reports:

Benjamin Phillip Owen was brought up under a warrant charged with assaulting hiswife, Anne (sic) Owen. The prosecutrix appeared to have a strong objection to pressthe charge, and who had to be brought to court in order to present the prosecution, saidthat her husband came home on Thursday morning at about two o'clock, struck herseveral times and then turned her out of his house. When he was sober he behaved verywell to her, but when he was in drink, he was very violent in his conduct. The defendantwas bound over to keep the peace for three months, himself in £10 and one surety of£10 and two of £5 each.

That night, Ann and a servant found refuge in the house of a neighbour, MrLATHAM. To vent his anger, Benjamin broke twelve panes of glass inLATHAM'S window and was charged with wilful damage. In court headmitted that his 'temper overruled him' and that he was willing to pay for thedamage. Mr LATHAM was willing to accept the offer and his costs so theMagistrate made an order to that effect. Clearly there was goodwill in the airand sympathy for penitent Benjamin, everyone involved regretting the wholeunfortunate episode.

However, it was not Benjamin's only fall from grace although, apart fromanother assault, they were minor. In 1871 he slaughtered an unhealthy pig forWilliam WILLIAMSON, butcher of Milton Street (Chester Observer 27th May).William is not known to have been a relative of my great-grandfather, althoughhe probably was. The 1880 Chester Directory lists William Williamson of 10Milton Street as a pig dealer, he presumably having given up butchering in theintervening years. William was charged because it was his pig, not Benjamin's.He had asked Benjamin to slaughter it and prepare it for consumption. Anotherlocal butcher, appointed inspector, reported that the animal was in a badcondition and dropsical, having suffered from inflammation or fever. The flesh,he said, was in a bad state, with 'blue spots' on it and totally unfit for humanconsumption. William was fined £5 plus costs, which he paid. Benjamin wasnot charged for his involvement.

On 19th January 1878, Benjamin was summoned for alleged assault by a servantgirl called Margaret STEWARDSON, who was living in his house. She said thatthe defendant had kicked her twice, once in her bedroom and once in another room.Benjamin denied kicking her, but said he might have pushed her as she was lazy andwould not get up nor light the fire. The magistrate thought the defendant had beenhasty, but dismissed him on payment of the costs of the summons. She hadbeen a brave and perhaps foolish girl to bring the action. The court appearance


cannot but have soured the master/servant relationship. Presumably, Benjaminwas careful subsequently to keep within the law and Margaret, if she stayed,careful to show respect towards her employer.

On another occasion, reported on 1st November 1870, fines were sought fordisobedience of (school) attendance orders. Among other transgressors, Benjaminwas listed for not sending his eldest son Joseph to school. Benjamin was madebankrupt in 1882. The Chester Observer of 2nd March of that year reported thatBenjamin Phillip OWEN'S estate was wound up at a meeting of creditors. MrF. R. PRICE, accountant, acted for the unnamed creditors. Back in 1876, Anninherited from her father all those four Cottages sittuate (sic) in Barrow Lane in theCounty of Chester... It was not until the last Married Women's Property Act of1893 that a woman could retain inherited property in her own name; beforethat it became the property of her husband. In the circumstances, it seemssurprising that Ann's four cottages in Little Barrow escaped confiscation, whichthey did.

Sadly, Benjamin Phillip OWEN died on 14th April 1882, only six weeks afterthe bankruptcy hearing, suggesting that he may have been unwell prior to thehearing and had neglected his business. He and Ann had been married justunder twelve years. They were probably the happiest years of her life. She wasleft with little money and eight OWEN children, three boys and five girls.Robert, her son with Thomas BENTLEY, was with George and Rebecca, hisgrandparents and his cousin Sarah Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth, Ann'ssister, on census day, 2nd April 1871. He was ten years old. Later he ran agrocery business in Little Barrow where Ann owned cottages.

Robert married Lizzie Ann, and the 1901 census found him living at the RailwayInn, Barrow, with her and five children: Robert, fifteen years old; John, thirteen;Constance, nine, (all of whom were born in Liverpool), Hilda, three, and Amy,one (both born at Barrow). He died in 1901 or 02, leaving four adjacent shopsin Liverpool to John, Constance, Hilda and Amy.

Ann's Third MarriageWidowhood was not to Charlotte Ann's taste. On 5th November 1885 at theage of forty-three years, she walked up the aisle of St Oswald's Church inChester to marry John TUSHINGHAM, 47, a labourer. Only the day before thewedding, Ann had appeared personally at the Diocesan office to seek andobtain permission for the union. She swore on oath that she believeth that thereis no Impediment of Kindred or Alliance or any other lawful cause --- to hinder theProceeding of the said Matrimony ---. Signed, Charlotte Ann Owen. Surely, theapparent haste was not again a fear of premarital pregnancy, although it may


have been. I know of no record of a subsequent birth. Perhaps she feared Johnwould change his mind, but I fancy the former explanation although itseemingly turned out to have been a false alarm, which is not surprising atAnn's age. Ann, it appears, enjoyed the attention of men.

John TUSHINGHAM had previously been married to Elizabeth SHONE, whohad herself been married to a Mr FAULKNER with whom she had twochildren, who were brought up by their FAULKNER grandparents after theirfather died. Elizabeth gave John TUSHINGHAM two children: Alfred andJohn.

Ann's third marriage was not to be a cosy one.Five and a half years later at the time of the 1891census, husband John was living with his twoboys at Tarvin village, while Ann was livingwith six of her Owen children and earning aliving as a butcher back at 42 Egerton Street(Photo: 42 Egerton Street as it is today; the twoarched doorways on the right used to be an openpassage to the rear of the property.) The two eldestsons, George Joseph, nineteen, a carter andJohn, a blacksmith aged seventeen, no doubtsupported their mother and contributed to thefamily's income, whilst the eldest girl, eighteen-

year-old Martha helped domestically and with the business. The younger girls,Cissie Annie, aged thirteen, and Ethel, aged ten, surely ran errands and helpedwith chores, learning the essential skills of womanhood. Ann's third son,eleven-year-old Benjamin Williamson, was a scholar. Ann was sufficientlyprosperous to employ a live-in female domestic servant, making a householdof eight.

Ann had been before the courts twice before her third marriage and wouldappear again twice after it and a further time as a witness. According to anewspaper report of 21st July 1894, an action was brought against Ann byEdward Naylor, aged 10, son of Thomas Naylor, residing at 6, Suffolk-street, Chester,to recover £15 damages from Ann Tushingham, butcher, Egerton-street, for personalinjuries. Ann, it seems had left a cart tilted back with its shafts in the air andunattended. The action was adjourned for the attendance of another witness.

The court reconvened and the proceedings were reported on 15th September1884.About mid-day a number of children were playing on the cart, and the result wasthat the shafts fell and injured the boy, Naylor, who was standing near. After some


hilarious exchanges between lawyers acting for the prosecution and thoseacting for the defence, involving analogies with falling flower pots anddislodged fishing rods, His Honour reserved judgment in order to consult authoritiesquoted by both advocates. The outcome is unknown. Strangely, Ann used theTUSHINGHAM name although she did not marry John until November of thefollowing year. Presumably she was living with him although he had not yetbent the knee in humble supplication.

On 1st June 1895 a newspaper recorded a shameful event: Ann Owen, Egerton-street, was charged by Inspector Jabez Dowty (R.S.P.C.A.) with causing a mare to beworked when in an unfit state, and James Stainton was charged with driving theanimal. - The Inspector deposed that on May 18th he saw the horse in Bridge-street,drawing a cart loaded with refuse. He examined it and discovered that it was sufferingfrom spavin, and that its shoulders were sore. The Shorter Oxford Dictionarydescribes spavin as a hard bony excrescence formed at the union of the splint-bone and the shank in a horse's leg, which becomes inflamed. Ann stated thatshe had only had the horse for four days and that she had given £5.10s for it - “a dearbargain”. She was fined 5s and costs were imposed on Stainton. In betterfinancial circumstances she might have bought a fitter, more expensive, animal.

Yet again and even more shamefully: Ann Owen, master carter, Egerton-street,Chester [was summonsed] for causing a horse to be worked on January 2nd [1896]while in an unfit state. The summons was brought by police constable WmFRYER, who spotted the incident while on duty at Churton-by-Farndon some6 miles from Chester. Because of the previous conviction, Ann was fined 10sand costs, or in default of payment, 7 days hard labour. It pains me to readthat, for a second time, Ann caused a disabled horse to suffer pain. I hope therewere extenuating circumstances, although none were mentioned in the report.Perhaps Ann was fulfilling an urgent contract. A second horse was attachedby chains in front to share what must have been a heavy load. At the time ofthe incident Ann had been married to John TUSHINGHAM for two monthsbut called herself Ann OWEN at the hearing.

Earlier, in 1891, Anne (sic) TUSHINGHAM was in court when one AlfredBOYER pleaded guilty to stealing a horse rug worth 12s 6d. Alfred took therug to Ann's butcher's shop in Egerton Street, declaring that he had found it.Ann gave him 9s. and some food for it. Ann said that Bowyer denied havingstolen the rug, and she did not buy it with the intention of keeping it if the owner turnedup. - The Chairman described her conduct in purchasing the rug reprehensible. Theboy was bound over. Ann was not charged.Ann died on 25th March 1898, aged 55 years. She was buried as Charlotte AnnBentley in Plot no. P387, Overleigh Cemetery, Chester, beside the remains of


her deplorable first husband, Thomas Bentley, who had died 32 years earlier.A Memorial Card in my possession names her as Charlotte Ann Tushingham.John, her third husband, survived her.

Ann signed her will on 6th October 1897, six months before her death, perhapsbeing unwell. She left all her worldly wealth to be shared equally between herOWEN children, naming Robert BENTLEY, grocer in Liverpool and JosephOWEN as executors. Surprisingly, she did not include Robert BENTLEY amongthe beneficiaries, although she called upon him to be a trustee and executor.Perhaps she had previously helped him purchase the grocery business. Robert,being an executor, was doubtless responsible for arranging for his mother'sremains to be buried with those of Thomas, his father and his mother's firsthusband, wishing them to be reunited in death. Robert was only five years oldwhen his father died.

Although the British Newspaper Archive has made available a remarkableseries of events in Ann's life, so much remains hidden. What were theinfluences that guided Ann's decisions? What circumstances led her to use unfithorses? Was she really uncaring about animal welfare? Did she have worryingtimes with her children? How did she cope with adversity? Did she sharelaughter? Did she weep? Did her brothers, George and John keep in touch andhelp her through difficult times or did they see her as the black sheep of thefamily? I know so much and yet so little about my dear great-aunt, CharlotteAnn.

This, then, is the story of my great-aunt's eventful life, my happy, sad, ill-used,litigating, misbehaving, enterprising, spirited Ann WILLIAMSON - also knownas: Charlotte Ann WILLIAMSON; Ann BENTLEY; Miss Charlotte AnnBENTLEY, widow; Charlotte Ann OWEN; Ann TUSHINGHAM when she wasstill Ann OWEN and Ann OWEN when she was Ann TUSHINGHAM.Whatever adversity befell her, she bounced back. Her seduction, perhaps rape,when she was a supposedly innocent sixteen-year-old by an uncouth man someten years her senior, was a disgrace, bringing her disappointment, sufferingand unhappiness. On the contrary, her eleven years with Benjamin PhilipOWEN were, I believe, happy ones. His untimely death must have brought hermuch sadness but to her credit she knuckled down and fed his children. Ann,to my mind, was a fine woman, resolutely overcoming difficult circumstances.It is as Charlotte Ann OWEN, butcher, mother of nine children, that I shallremember her.

I am greatly indebted to June Hibberd for searching and finding such a wealthof information about Ann in the British Newspaper Archive and elsewhere.


by Rosie Rowley

Last April, a group of members from our Society spent a day at the Who Do YouThink You Are? Live Show at Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC).For those who are thinking of going this year (on 7th-9th April), here is thestory of our day, with some tips on how to get the most out of your visit.

Most Macclesfield members travelled by rail – it's possible to get a train straightthrough to Birmingham International station, which is adjacent to the NEC.Journey time is about an hour and a half and the fare, booked in advance, is£33 return (cheaper if you have a railcard). On arrival at Birmingham, it was asimple matter of going upstairs to the station concourse, along a short corridor,and we were at the exhibition in just a few minutes. There was a cloakroom bythe entrance for bags or coats, and toilet facilities were available by the entranceand inside the exhibition hall.

Once inside, the first stop was at the ticket booths, where we collected our pre-booked tickets for the workshops/lectures. The workshop timetable can beviewed on the website at www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com/workshop-timetable,so you can plan in advance; but if you don't pre-book tickets, be prepared withalternatives in case your workshop choices are full. It's a good idea to spreadthe workshops throughout the day so you can alternate between walking roundand sitting down. The lecture theatres have hearing loops for those withhearing aids - when you go in, ask where to sit to make use of this facility.

A Grand Day Out!


Stands for the large genealogy companies, and others such as the Imperial WarMuseum, had their own lecture areas, giving talks about aspects of researchusing the records they hold. These talks were advertised on the stands, so wehad a quick look round first to make sure we wouldn't miss anything we wereparticularly interested in.

Next stop – a nice cup of tea from one of the refreshment stands! We collectedour thoughts and decided where to start. If you have a brick wall or otherburning question – perhaps you have a photo you'd like to have dated, or apiece of militaria to be identified – work out where to go to have your questionanswered. You may need to book a session on the 'ask the expert' stand, or beprepared to join a queue on the military, photo ID or other helpdesks. We foundthe NEC had free Wi-Fi so we were able to use this to check details of ourresearch queries on our smartphones or tablets.

At lunchtime, we asked for a pass out of the exhibition. It was a lovely sunnyday so we went outside through the doors opposite the exhibition entrance andate our lunch at one of the many picnic tables. The toilets outside the exhibitionhad shorter queues, too!

After lunch, between our bookedlectures, we looked at all thefamily history society stands,where some of us joined a society,bought data CDs or books andasked for advice.Pictured right is our localNorthwest Group of FHSs stand.

Many of the trade stands had competitions and special show offers, so wesearched out the best deals: I bought a copy of the latest version of FamilyHistorian at a special show price, and subscribed to Family Tree Magazine. Thesavings I made covered the cost of my show ticket.

The genealogy website stands (Ancestry, FamilySearch, FindMyPast and TheGenealogist) had lots of computers so you could do some research free of charge.Obviously the subscription sites hope you'll register for their service, perhapstempting you with a special show offer.

Most people had left by 5pm, but a few stalwarts were still there playing withthe computers and asking questions when the show closed half an hour later!Afterwards, we agreed that “A good time was had by all!”

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by Sue Tyers

As a member of FHSC I have a small ancestral connection in Cheshire and myknowledge of the county records is rather slim. As a volunteer at Mobberleyon Tuesday mornings, therefore, I have my limitations. Luckily, there are othervolunteers with greater local knowledge. Ever willing to improve, I waspleased to be asked by Professor Bruce Kupelnick of Harvard University toinvestigate the Reverend James CRABTREE in connection with his researchinto Abraham and James CRABTREE, famous merchants of cotton in SouthAmerica. Having gathered the information it seems important to me to makesure it is recorded in Cheshire, hence this article.

If you look at the large board in Gawsworth Church which lists the Rectors,there is no mention of James CRABTREE. This is because from 1786 to 1872the rectors of Gawsworth were non-resident and delegated their work tovarious curates, one of these being James CRABTREE from 1789 to 1818.James CRABTREE was born early in 1755 at Edgeside Mill, part of Newchurchin Rossendale parish in Lancashire and baptised at St Nicholas’ Church on 2March. His parents were James CRABTREE (1730-1796) and Sarah néeCUNLIFFE (1721-1803), who were fullers (cleaners of woollen cloth). James hadsix siblings – Ellen (1747), John (1749), Alice (1752), Mary (1757), Sarah (1760)and Abraham (1762).

On 24th August 1776 James married Ellen ASHWORTH at St Nicholas’,Newchuch in Rossendale, and early in 1777 they had a daughter, Nelley, whowas baptised at St Nicholas’ Church on 11th March. In 1779 their daughter,Mary, was baptised at St Nicholas’ Church but James and Ellen were describedas being of Congleton. The first record of the family in Congleton appears to bethe baptism of their daughter, Alice, at St Peter’s Church on 18th October 1780when James is described as a schoolmaster. The couple had two furtherdaughters, Ann (died 1783) and Sarah (died 1786) and two sons James (1785-1786) and John (1788-1808).

Congleton had a grammar school and in 1779 the master was the ReverendJonathan WILSON. James CRABTREE could have been an under master. Thegrammar school was on land adjacent to St Peter’s Church. Jonathan WILSONhad arrived at Biddulph as curate under the Reverend John GRESLEY in 1775and was made second master at Congleton Grammar School in 1776, then

The Reverend James Crabtree(1756-1835) of Gawsworth


becoming vicar of Biddulph in 1783. James CRABTREE was ordained deaconat Biddulph on 20th June 1784 and made curate there on the following day.Two years later, on 25th June 1786, he was ordained priest and continued ascurate at Biddulph until 1789. His wife, Ellen, died and was buried at St Peter’sChurch, Congleton, on 28th April 1789.

Gawsworth Church

James CRABTREE was licensed as curate of Gawsworth on 23rd December1789 at a stipend of £50 per annum. This was endorsed on 19th November 1796with a stipend of £60 per annum and the house of John TICKELL, the rector, tobe occupied free of rent. This was endorsed on his license under the bishop’shand and seal. There was a further endorsement on 25th July 1804, when thestipend was increased to £75 per annum. As curate at Gawsworth, ReverendCRABTREE was assessed for Land Tax of 2s.2d. in 1790, which had risen to4s.8d. by 1811.

James CRABTREE was described by George SLATER (1771-1854) from his timeat the village school onwards: The minister himself was the schoolmaster. His namewas Crabtree. He had short legs, a short body and was very corpulent. I do not doubtthat his circumference was far greater than his length. He had a good school, wasreckoned a jovial fellow and was pretty well liked in the parish. He was frequentlyinvited to the farm houses on their special occasions, such as what they called ‘Shuttingof Shearing’ or Harvest Home. Notwithstanding his great corpulence, he prided himselfin knowing how to step it. It was rare fun for the swains, when all hearts were merry,to see their parson, with his big stomach and short legs and without coat or waistcoat,leading off in an Irish jig or dancing a hornpipe with the servant-maids.


However, Mrs BRANDT, the wife of the following curate, had a different view.She said, It is only right to say that the parish had long been placed under peculiarcircumstances. There had been no resident rector and it was left to the spiritualteaching and oversight of a benevolent kind-hearted but too easy going man. Moreover,he was poor, and indebted to his parishioners for companionship and many kind offices.The Reverend H E POLEHAMPTON, who quoted Mrs BRANDT in his bookGawsworthwent on to say, The curate referred to was James CRABTREE, in chargeof the parish from 1790 to 1818. He may have been ‘easy going’ but his penmanshipand autographs in the register point to a decided firmness of character. An excellentpenman, a calligraphist.

In 1797 James CRABTREE was married to Edna RATHBONE at GawsworthChurch by Thomas MONKHOUSE, the curate of Bosley. The marriage bondfor £500 which James signed with Edna’s father, Josiah RATHBONE, describedJames as a widower aged twenty-one, when he was actually forty-two, andEdna’s age was given as nineteen. James and Edna had eight children: James(lived a few days in 1798); Ann (1799-1851); James (buried 1801); Helen (1802-1897); Sarah Elizabeth (1804-1825); James (1806-1825); Frances (1808-1822) andJohn William (1812-1849). In 1816 Edna CRABTREE died at the age of thirty-nine and was buried in Gawsworth Churchyard.

In 1818 James CRABTREE was appointed vicar of Laughton-en-le-Morthen inYorkshire and he moved there with six children: Ann aged nineteen, Helenaged sixteen, Sarah Elizabeth aged fourteen, James aged twelve, Frances agedten and John, six. Three of these children died and are buried in All SaintsChurch at Laughton. On a pillar nearby is recorded:

“In the middle aisle under a stone upon which their names areinscribed are the mortal remains of three of the beloved childrenof the Rev James CRABTREE, Vicar of this parish.Viz Frances who died March 31 1822 aged 15 years, SarahElizabeth who died March 30 1825 aged 20 years and James whodied 10 August the same year aged 18 years and 10 monthsleaving a disconsolate and aged parent lamenting their loss.

Deep is their memory seated in this heartNor hence will ever save with life depart

But when this life is o’er he hopes with you to lieTill all shall rise to meet our Blessed Lord on high.”


The Reverend James himself was buried on 13th January 1835 and a report ofthe funeral was printed in The Sheffield Independent and Yorkshire and DerbyshireAdvertiser on Saturday 17th January 1835. On the same pillar in LaughtonChurch is a second tablet which reads:

“To the memory of Rev James CrabtreeVicar of this parish during the last 16

Years of his life.After labouring for above half a century in the

Vineyard of his RedeemerWas called to give an account of his stewardship on the

6th day of January 1835”

Of James and Edna’s children, Ann married George VERNON, a schoolmasterof Marton, Cheshire, on 4th April 1824 at Laughton-en-le-Morthen. She diedin Liverpool in 1851, George having predeceased her in 1842 and they are bothburied in the family grave at Gawsworth. John William joined his cousins inCrabtree, Aked & Co, and worked in Bahia, South America, but died inLiverpool at the aged of 37 in 1849 and is also buried in the family grave.

In 1834, James and Edna’s second daughter, Helen, married AbrahamCRABTREE by licence dated 3rd March 1834 at Laughton-en-le-Morthen.Abraham was Helen’s first cousin and the son of John CRABTREE and his wife,Esther STANDRING, John being James’ brother. Both bride and groom werethirty-one years of age. Abraham and Helen’s daughter, Edna, was baptised atGawsworth on 11th November 1838 but by the time of the 1841 census, Helenand Edna were living in West Derby, Liverpool, with several servants.Abraham could have been away in South America as, together with hisbrothers James (1793-1863) and Thomas (1800-1834) he traded in “BrazilProduce”, probably hides, cotton and sugar. In 1851 Abraham and Helen wereliving in Liverpool with Abraham junior, whilst daughter Edna was away atschool in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent.

Abraham senior died of pulmonary consumption on 21st February 1859 and,according to the probate index, his will was proved at Liverpool on 25th March1869 by the oaths of James CRABTREE of Newchurch in the Forest ofRossendale, Gentleman, and John CRABTREE, also of Newchurch, MD, hisbrothers and executors. His effects were stated to be under £16,000 but therewas a resubmission in October 1863 stating they were under £6,000.

Abraham Crabtree, junior was born in 1842 in West Derby, Liverpool. In 1861he was living at Trinity College, Cambridge, and became a mathematics


graduate and then for a short while a teacher at Repton School. He contractedconsumption and was only twenty-four years of age when he died in 1866.

At the time of the 1861 census Helen was living in Newchurch in Rossendalewith a visitor, Sarah E. MASON. Her daughter Edna had married George AllenMASON, a Manchester merchant, on 7th February 1861 and was living at 1Lansdowne Terrace, Stretford, with her new husband, described as a Merchant,American. Ten years later in 1871 Helen was in Erbistock, near Wrexham, Wales,with Edna, now a widow, and her five children, together with Edna’s mother-in-law and father-in-law. Edna was described as a Choir trainer!

In 1872 Edna married again to George BACKHOUSE in the Wrexham area andin 1881 Helen was living with Edna and George, six MASON children and threeBACKHOUSE children, at Shrigley Road, Bollington, Cheshire. George isdescribed in the census as a Cardboard, pasteboard and blanket manufactureremploying 30 hands.

Helen CRABTREE was eighty-eight years old in 1891, and had been a widowfor twenty-nine years. She was living at Harold House, Byrons Lane, Sutton,Macclesfield, with George BACKHOUSE and several of her grandchildren,whilst Edna was in Blackpool with her daughter, Phoebe BACKHOUSE.Helen died at Harold House on 12th May 1897 and was buried in the familygrave at Gawsworth. In 1901 George and Edna were still living on Byrons Lanewith their daughter, Phoebe, but by the time of the 1911 census Edna was awidow once more and living at Brook Cottage, Lane Ends, Macclesfield withtwo sons, Henry and Hugh BACKHOUSE.

Sources:St Nicholas, Newchurch in Rossendale Baptisms 1723-1772 Transcripts Lancs FHS CD(Mobberley Research Centre).Manchester, England, Marriages & Banns 1754-1930 St Nicholas, Newchurch in Rossendale(Ancestry)Lancashire England Baptism Marriages & Burials 153 Bishop’s Transcripts 1770-1778(Ancestry)St Peter’s, Congleton, Bishop’s Transcripts (Findmypast; also on microfilm at MobberleyResearch Centre)Congleton Past and Present by Robert Head pub. 1887 (Mobberley Research Centre)Clergy of Church of England Database (http://theclergydatabase.org.uk/)Cheshire Land Tax Assessments (Cheshire Record Office/Findmypast)The Manor of Gawsworth by Raymond Richards pub. 1957 (Mobberley Research Centre).Gawsworth by Reverend H E Polehampton pub 1924St James’, Gawsworth Parish Registers (Findmypast)Cheshire Marriage Licence bonds and allegations 1606-1905 (Findmypast)


Vicars of Laughton-en-le-Morthen (www.genuki.org.uk)Yorkshire Bishop’s Transcripts of burials (Findmypast)Yorkshire: Archbishop of York Marriage Licences Index 1613-1839Diocese of Chester Bishop’s Transcripts of Baptisms 1600-1910 (Findmypast)Probate Index (Ancestry)St James’, Gawsworth, Memorial Inscriptions CD No CHS/68 (Mobberley Research Centre)

Additional family information from Judith Webb, a direct descendant of theReverend James Crabtree, with grateful thanks.

Ed. - The above George Backhouse was a founder of the Macclesfield company'Backhouse & Coppock, Ltd'; his son Henry (Harry) Backhouse took command of the7th Cheshire Regiment at Gallipoli and died on 30th December 1915 when the ship hewas travelling on was torpedoed in the Mediterranean near Egypt.Further information on www.macclesfieldreflects.org.uk.

John Findlow

by Susan Bickley

The following article was found by a member of the Bramhall Group on thewebsite www.forgottenbooks.com and is an extract from pages 42-43 of CheshireNotes & Queries 1889.

JOHN FINDLOW Written by James FINDLOW of Cheadle.“In answer to W.W. of a few weeks back, I think he must have made a slightmistake about Findlow Hill being named after old John FINDLOW. Fromfamily traditions received from his grandson, who lived with him when a boy,he came first into this neighbourhood at about the age of seventeen to live asfarm servant at Henbury Mill, a place demolished before my time, althoughthe mill pool still indicates where it then stood, near the hall. He was therebrought before the squire for fishing in the pool on Sunday, and ducking in thewater the keeper who attempted to capture him, but was let off after beingadmonished, and promising not to repeat the several offences.

We next find him living in the Hough, after marrying, I believe, a BARBER, ofBrownlow-hill, Alderley. Probably this place in Hough was FINDLOW’sBower, where the first of his children was born. After that he farmed on Glaze-hill, behind the Wizard, to within a few months of his death. Being old,STANLEY fetched him to the hall and killed him with kindness. He married


twice, but I can’t say who his second wife was. His surviving sons at his deathwould be, I believe, James, William and John. The eldest son received at theold man’s death money from STANLEYs for a gravestone, which this son and,his son Samuel conjointly, spent. Consequently he lies buried without a stoneto mark his resting-place.

His son William married Ann, daughter of John BARBER, wheelwright, ofWithin Lea, on the edge of Mottram St. Andrew. This couple settled atHarbarrow Lakes, near the Black Greyhound in Alderley. Their children wereall born there. Afterwards they removed to Long Moss, to a cottage given themby the bride’s father. This old couple died over 29 years ago at Bredbury (hisage 86), where they are buried, after going to live with a daughter there, whomarried John MASSEY, of White Hall, Chorley. John, the youngest, settlednear the railway station, Bramall. His descendants are still there.

Miss STANLEY, in her sketch of Alderley, calls him a local historian, and makeshim out as riding on the springs of, I believe, her grandfather’s carriage. Whenseventeen he would be too big, I think, for much of that. He came to HenburyMill from the neighbourhood of Market Drayton. He certainly had sisters, anda nephew named William FINDLOW, settled near Nantwich, for he paid visitsthere occasionally, being away about a week at once. There were FINDLOWsburied at Wrenbury, which is only about four miles from Nantwich, sometimeprevious to 1800; probably he belonged to them. Still again, in 1712, we findHugh FINDLO, blacksmith, Great Warford which we might reasonably thinkwould be his father. Likely they would be the same family moving about thecounty.

Of anecdotes. Drinking to the STANLEYs, one day in his last year, he replied,“Awm a hundred aw ber one, and winna tak’ a blow from anny mon.” I haveheard tell of him enticing a man into the Black Greyhound by paying for a glassof ale for him. Instead of giving the man the ale he drank it himself, and thennearly worried him with his teeth. This was given as punishment to the manfor illusing his wife, who was some way related to old John. He was knownwell in a radius of many miles as “Owd Nick-a-back Sinew,” through catchingboys and pinching them with the knuckle of his thumb. Pulling out his knife,he would tell them, “Where this knife has nicked one back sinew it’s nicked ahundred.” He bought a cow from some bankrupt neighbour, and when visitedby an old noted lawyer from Cheadle, on horseback, and threatened withproceedings if he did not turn her up, he ran the man out of the yard with hisfavourite and ever-ready weapon – namely, a pikel*. His son William ran awayfrom his apprenticeship in Manchester; old John took him to his relations atNantwich and left him there. When the master came to Alderley to seek and


claim him, old John threatened to take proceedings against him for losing thelad, telling him if he came again without the lad he would kill him. Hisfarmyard was evidently his castle, his bayonet the pikel*.

His last grandson died only a few days ago – namely, George FINDLOW, wholived with his grandfather as a lad, at Glaze Hill, 70 years ago. This grandsondied at Henbury, on the estate of HIBBERTs, of Birtles, where he had workedfor over 50 years. His age, according to the register at Prestbury Church, wouldhave been 81 in May next. He died January 10th, 1889. This man married MaryAnn, daughter of Noah CARTWRIGHT, of Shaw Cross, Alderley. He leavesgreat-grandchildren living in Fallibroome, in the issue of Fred FINDLOW, sowe find old John’s posterity within two miles of where he lived, in direct linefrom his son William, grandson George, great-grandson Thomas, great-great-grandson Fred, and great-great-great-grandchildren.”

A gem of a piece – I’m sure we would all love to have such an article about oneof our ancestors!

The Bramhall Group have had two talks about old John’s grandson JohnFINDLOW of Benja Fold, Bramhall, station master and property developer.We have been lucky to receive a collection of Bramhall and FINDLOWmemorabilia from John’s descendent.

Trying to fathom out whom the errant son and grandson were who spent thegravestone money has been a problem.The following FINDLOW research done by another FHSC member, BillDEVERELL, who is a volunteer at Mobberley Research Centre and Judith FELL,a Bramhall historian, shows that William was the eldest surviving son at OldJohn’s death in 1830 but had no son called Samuel. James died in 1826 beforehis father. John, the youngest son at his father’s death, moved to Bramhall andhad a son Samuel who died when only fifteen years old.The most likely grandson is Samuel, born 1804, though his father, Joshua diedin 1828. Samuel, a landscape gardener, appears in the Over Alderley 1821census. A Samuel FINDLOW was receiving poor relief in Alderley from 1826- 1830, he married in Manchester in 1828, had a daughter in Macclesfield in1830 (confirmed by later censuses) and was not in the 1831 Alderley census.Could he have been elsewhere with the STANLEY’s gravestone money?!

*Pikel is a local word for pitchfork.

Ed. - the book can also be found free of charge on www.mocavo.co.uk, a website nowowned by Findpypast which I understand will eventually be incorporated into the mainFindmypast website.


by Joan Irving

The following transcript is an example of the Protestation Oath organised byParliament in 1641. The originals are kept in the House of Lords Library.Surviving parishes are listed in the Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Houseof Lords volume 5.

Bowden ParishA remonstrance or declaration of us the Inhabitants of the Countie pallatine of Chester whose names are subscribed.

We most humbly declare and remonstrate that wee owe our Lawes Libertiesourselves and what else wee can yet stile oures (next to gods infinite mercies)to the goodnesse of his majestie and to the great care and Indefatigable Painesof the honourable Parliament to the one for discovering the varietie ofoppressions that had almost overwhelmed us and preparing and adviseing aptremedies to the other for crowneing those wholesome counsells with a blessedfiat wherein the joynt artes of a good king and a faithful Counsell have soApparently continued to the generall good that wee cannot but Looke upon allsuch as unworthie of future happinesse who do admit for current that dangerousand disloyall distinction which for the King or for the Parliament. our loyallaffections and judgments will not permit us to stile them true patriotts andloveres of theire countrey that are not cordially affected to our gratiousSovereign nor from good subjects that disaffect Parliamente. The King andParliament being like separated twinnes they must laugh and crye live and dyetogether And both of them are so rooted in our loyall hearts that wee cannotdisjoynt them.Therefore wee declare that according to our allegiance and solomne protestationour vowes being in heaven wee are resolved to spend our lives and fortunes inthe Service and Defence of both In maintenance of his majesties Royall andsacred Person honour and prerogative and in preservation of the Parliamentand Just privilidges thereof of our true and undoubted religion Lawes propertiesand Liberties which are deposited for our use and availe in that greate and wisecounsell wee being confident that neither king nor subject religion nor Libertiecan comfortably survive the ruines and destruction of that great bodie. And

Great Remonstrance orProtestation Roll 1641/2


wee further declare and express our selves enemies to all those whosoever theybee that shall bee discovered to bee agents in makeing our wounds deeper byfostering and fermenting the infortunate mistakes and fearfull jelousies betwixthead and bodie his majestie and his parliament. And which continuing at thisdistance do threaten the disolution of the fabrick of this blessed governmentwith the loss of all his majesties kingdoms and dominions.

The names of all male inhabitants over sixteen are then appended in two lists,one following the above declaration and another following a similardeclaration. The first list has seventy-five names and the second forty-ninenames - 124 in all but six are indecipherable.

S = signed M = made mark

S Alcocke, AlexanderM Allcroft, WilliamM Arstaull, WilliamM Ashley, RandleS Barlow, Hen.M Barlow, JosephS Barlow, RaphM Barlow, RichardS Barrett, JamesM Basnett, LawrenceM Baxter, JohnS Birch, JamesS Byrch, GeorgeS Booth, G.S Booth, JohnS Boulton, WilliamS Brereton, JohnM Brurton, JohnM Brundrett, JamesS Burges, JohnS Bufton, RichardS Clarke, Thos.M Cox, JohnS Crofte, WilliamS Crompton, WilliamS Davenport, EdwardS Davenport, WilliamM Davies, William

M Deane, JohnM Devias, RapheS Drinkwater, EdwardS Drinkwater, JohnS Drinkwater, PeterS Eatonn, JohnS Eatonn, JohnS Evans, EvanS Fletcher, Robt.M Foxley, WilliamS Gandy, JohnS Goulden, GeorgeM Goulden, RichardM Goulden, RichardM Goulden, ThomasM Goulden, ThomasS Grantham, RichardM Hamnett, JeffreyM Hankinson, WilliamM Hardey, JohnS Heiwood, JamesM Hesketh, WillM Hewet, JohnM Hollinpriest, JamesS Hollinpriest, LawrenceS Houlte, DavidS Houlte, JonathanS Hunt, HughS Hurlebutt, RichardS Hyde, Raphe


M Jannie, JohnM Jenkennson, JohnM Jones, RaffeM Jones, WilliamS Leicester, Pet.S Leigh, EdwardS Leigh, Jos.S Leigh, Ric.S Leigh, RobertS Lether, JohnS Locke, HenryM Lupton, JohnM Massey, JohnM Massie, GeorgeM Matley, RobertM Newton, GeorgeM Ottiwell, JohnS Overton, JohnS Parkinson, JamesS Partington, HeneryM Peirson, ThomasS Peirson, ThomasS Podmore, LeonardS Poole, WilliamS Potter, WillmM Preston, HughM Preston, RichardM Renshaw, JamesM Rowlandsone, RichourdM Rowlandsone, WilliameS Ryle, Arnold

M Samson, RobertS Sanderson, ThomasS Sanderson, ThomasS Saracould, JohnS Shaw, WilliamM Shellmerdine, JohnS Simpson, RichardS Smith, JohnS Smith, John minister of

BowdenS Strettell, RapheM Taylor, RichardS Thomason, William ThomsonS Tillsley, JohnM Vaudery, GeorgeS Vawdrey, Robt.M Vawdrye, GeorgeS Warberton, AlexanderM Warburton, GeorgeS Warburton, GeorgeS Warmincham, WilliamM Whillett, JamesM Whigbye, JohnS Whitbie, JohnS Woodall, EdwardS Woode, JohnS Worrall, WillM Worsley, ThomasM Wright, Rich.S Yarwood, Willm

Observations1. The reason for two lists is unknown. If parishioners had to attend, say, atAltrincham in order to sign, even on several days, then the one list would havesufficed. The fact that there are two lists seems to suggest that attendance wasat two different places in Bowden parish. A possible reason, though not verylikely, is that one list was for those favouring the King and the other forParliament; if that is so then the Parliament List of seventy-five names againstthe King List of forty-nine names would seem to bear out Cheshire'sParliamentary leanings.2. Eight names appear on both lists which suggests either the people of the


same name in different parts of the parish, or fathers and sons, or proxy signingcausing duplication. They are not in the same handwriting, and one or twosign on one list and make a mark on the other.3. It is difficult to decide which mark belongs to which person; it would seemalso that men who signed used a mark as well. It follows that the use of marksis no indication that men could not write.4. Several names without marks are in the same hand which again indicatesproxy signing.Transcribed by the late Peggy Sumner.Mobberley Research Centre has transcripts of Remonstrances for manyCheshire parishes; the transcripts were done by Roger Trunkfield and hisfamily history students.Below is a list of places covered, found in reference CHS OVERSIZE 13.ActonAlderleyAlderley (Nether)Alderley (Over)AllostockAlsagerAudlemBaguleyBarrowBetchtonBidstonBollington (Bowden)BoughtonBowdenBowden

(Dunham Massey)BredburyBreretonBurlandCarinchamCastle GloverstoneCheadleChelfordChester St.MartinChester St.MaryChester St.OswaldChester St.PeterCholmondestone

Chorley (Wilmslow)ChristletonCoole Pilate (Acton)DavenportEdelstone (Acton)EcclestoneFrodshamGawsworthGreat BudworthHaslington Hulme WalfieldHydeKnutsfordLeftwichLittle BudworthLittle WarfordLymmMacclesfieldMarpleMartonMiddlewichMobberleyMottram inLongdendaleNantwichNestonNorburyNorthenden

NorthwichNorton (Runcorn)OverOver PeoverPlemstallPoole (Nantwich)PoyntonPulfordRingwayRostherneRuncornSandbach SevenoakesShotwickSiddingtonSomerfordTarvinThorntonWarminghamWeaverhamWest KirbyWilmslowWithingtonWittonWoodchurchWoodfordWrenburyWybunbury


by John Lord

This article was inspired by the AGM of the Bramhall Group, when memberswere asked to bring to the meeting items that showed what their parents didduring World War Two. I have no mementos of that time, but I know whatDad did as I was there.

But first a little background on the LORD family. We come from Littleborough,Lancashire and the majority of the family are farmers on the border betweenLancashire and Yorkshire. Dad was the first member of the family not to beassociated with farming in one form or other. No doubt the influence of hismother, who was his father’s 3rd wife and had been the housekeeper to a localmill owner and an MP, had a bearing on his career choice.

Dad had a job in the office of a local foundry and had gone to night school tostudy book keeping etc., but during the depression in the 1930s it closed andhe lost his job. He managed to get a job in the Labour Exchange and he sat theCivil Service examination to become a permanent member of staff, no doubtaided by a reference from his mother’s old employer.

It was in the Ministry of Labour that he met Mum, who had sat the Civil Serviceexams after leaving grammar school. When they got married Mum had to giveup work as married women were not employed in the Civil Service.

One Thursday in late 1940, Dad came home and said, “I've been transferred tothe Assistance Board and have to report on Monday to a new office that’s beingset up at Chichester in Sussex”. The next few hours were spent finding outwhere Chichester was. After it was discovered by the powers that be that itwas impossible to get to Chichester by 9.00am on a Monday, Dad was told toget there as soon as possible.

Dad pretty soon found a house to rent in a little village called Bosham, whichhad a bus twice a day into Chichester, a distance of about 5 miles. This did notworry Dad as he went to work on his bike. The service soon went down to onebus per day so Mum was not happy. About that time it was decided that theoffice would be better sited in Bognor Regis which was about 7 miles away andso we moved.

What Did You Do in the War, Dad?


A large number of people living there were retired or of independent means: agreat deal of their income came from abroad. The war put a stop to this incomeand there was a large group of people who were badly in need of someassistance. Not all applied at first and being proud lived off their savings orborrowed money from various sources, thinking that the war would soon beover, but as the war went on the numbers grew.

When we moved to Bognor Dad had been given a list of over 500 propertieswhich were available to rent, due to the large number of families having fledfrom the south coast fearing an invasion during the Battle of Britain. Out ofthe list my parents choose a detached house with a large garden which includedan orchard of apple and pear trees. The house had been empty for about ayear and the garden was overgrown - in particular, the privet hedge at thefront. Dad had started to cut back the hedge when one of the neighbours cameout and told Dad that it was not the done thing on the road to do your owngardening: “We have a man to do it.” Dad told him that there was a war onand soon there would be no gardeners to do that work.

It turned out that out of fifty or so houses on the road, only three occupantswent out to work: Dad, a G.P. who lived five doors away, and the headmasterof a school in Croydon, who had moved to avoid the bombing in the Londonarea, and went every day to Croydon on the train. The rest were retired or wereof independent means.

Dad's job was to check on applicants for assistance and this involvedinterviewing them. Due to the remoteness of some of the applicants, Dad hadto cycle some way to meet them, especially if they were old or infirm, as busservices in the country parts of West Sussex were infrequent or in some partsnon-existent.

Two things happened that made Dad's job a little easier. First, Civil Servants,who had been expected to go to the office dressed in black jacket, waistcoatand pinstripe trousers, were allowed to go during the week in lounge suits,and on Saturday morning in sports coats and flannels. This meant Dad couldgo out on his cycle looking normal, or, as dad said, “Not looking like anundertaker.” Secondly, members of the public who owned a car could allowtheir car to be used on official business, for which they received petrol coupons,and they could drive the car. This was very handy for Dad if he had to go somedistance to investigate claims for assistance.

Dad would come back after work and tell Mum and me where he had been;sometimes he had a story to tell about who he had seen. One call was instigated


by the village sub postmaster, who had not seen two elderly sisters for sometime. Dad went to call on them at their house which was some way out of thevillage, to find that one of them was in bed after falling out of a tree pickingfruit. She had broken her leg and her sister had not called a doctor for somereason. Luckily, at the start of the war they had moved into a downstairs roomthinking it would be safer. The house was a mess due to them having severalcats and they said that they had lost their pension books. Dad went to the subpostmaster and lodged Post Office bank books and pension books with him,so that they would not be lost again, called the local doctor, and then camehome. As Dad said, his job was part social worker.

Another incident which I remember concerned a lady who was reduced toliving in one room in the attic of a house which rented out rooms. She was, toput it mildly, a little eccentric and wore a crocheted hat which was like abonnet. She would come into the office several times a week to ask if there wasany money for her only to be told she had received her assistance for that weekor she was too early for it. If the weather was fine she would go out and thatwas that. If the weather was bad or it was not her turn to be seen, she wouldstart to unravel the hat which was still pinned to her head and when she hadunravelled enough she would start to remake the hat! The staff let her stay inthe waiting room whilst she did this as they knew she was no trouble and itwas probably warmer than in her little room. On one particular day (whichwas a Saturday morning) she came in and asked Dad for her money and wastold by him no, sorry you have had your cash for this week, where upon sheproduced a large carving knife and threatened to split him “from top to toe!”Dad came home at lunch time and told Mum about this. Later in the afternoonMum, Dad and I were shopping in the High Street when Mum saw her comingtowards us. Dad told us to just act normal. When she got level with us shesmiled and said “Good afternoon Mr & Mrs Lord” and then “Good afternoonJohn” and walked on as if nothing had happened!

Soon after we arrived in Bognor Dad decided to get some hens so as tosupplement our egg ration (which at that time was one egg per person perweek.) He obtained a suitable shed to keep them in and sent off for six RhodeIsland Red crossed with Light Sussex pullets on point of lay, which came byrail from a breeder in Suffolk. At each change of train they were fed with someof the grain sent with them, and fresh water was put into the box.

Again Dad got told off by one of the people on the road with “We do not keephens on this road!” The following week the local doctor was round to seewhere he obtained them, promptly ordered a coop and six hens, then askedDad, “How do you look after them?” Within six months Dad was holding hen


keeping lessons in our front room, and one of the pupils was the person whohad told him off. Forty plus eggs per week is a great incentive for keepinghens, plus when they were past laying, you had chicken to eat.

There were some very sad cases that Dad had to deal with and often he wouldcome home to say someone he had spoke about had passed away. SometimesMum or Dad would go to the funeral and find that, other than the clergymanconducting the funeral, they would be the only person there. But in the mainthere were some happy times. I do know that what Dad saw had a great effecton him and when after the war the 1947 Health Act came out he quicklytransferred to the pensions side.

The 1916 Military Service Act

The Military Service Act of 27th January 1916 introduced conscription toEngland, Scotland and Wales for the first time. From Thursday 2nd March 1916,every man between the ages of 19 and 41 who was unmarried or a widowerwith no dependent children, with some exceptions, was deemed to haveenlisted in the army and liable to be ‘called up’. A further act of May 1916included married men, and in 1918 the upper age limit was raised to 51 years.

Minsters of religion and those working in certain ‘reserved occupations’ wereexempted from conscription into the army. Temporary or conditionalexemption could also be granted by a local Military Service Tribunal. Thesetribunals were held regularly - almost daily when the act first came into effect- and were widely reported in local newspapers. Men could appeal forexemption on the grounds of doing work of national importance, business ordomestic hardship, medical unfitness, and conscientious objection. Contraryto popular belief, only around two per cent of applicants were conscientiousobjectors.

There were 2,086 local Military Service Tribunals, with 83 County AppealTribunals to hear appeals by applicants not happy with the local tribunaldecision. A Central Tribunal at Westminster in London served, solely at thediscretion of the Appeals Tribunal, as the final court of appeal; it largely dealtwith difficult cases that would stand as precedent for local tribunals.

More information: www.1914-1918.net/msa1916.html


Net That SerfThe Computer Section

Compiled by Geoff JohnsonEmail: [email protected] Tel: 01829 760422

ContentsA Plea for Apple Users 51Windows 10 51The Electronic ANCESTOR 53

Backups My Way 54The 1939 Register 54Family History Programs 57

From the Desktop

A Plea for Apple Users from the DesktopI’m regularly receiving comment from Apple users concerning the strongMicrosoft Windows focus of Net That Serf. This is simply because I personallyhave absolutely no understanding or experience of the Apple/iOS operatingsystems. I have asked on numerous occasions for help from members withsuch skills but have had no offers to date. I therefore repeat my plea for someeditorial assistance towards better Apple/iOS coverage. I’ll gladly include itand edit its format if somebody can write it technically.

In respect of my piece 'Backups My Way’ and users of Apple Mac I make animportant observation: all the basic principles in the article focus on good filemanagement. These apply equally to both Windows and iOS systems. It’s justbased on good, sound computing practice. I cannot imagine that the processof getting backups soundly organised in an iOS system is any different inprinciple from what was said in the article.

Windows 10by Geoff Johnson

To go or not to go? That is the question I’m being asked by a number ofmembers. I was uncertain at first. My answer now is a definite `Yes’.

I now have my desktop and two laptops running Windows 10, and I’ve beenable to arrange both of them to look and feel just as if they’re on Windows 7. Ifyou’re holding back please remember that the free upgrade offer was released


on 29th July last year and only lasts for twelve months. I’m writing this piecein January, but you won’t be reading it until March! However, there is a bit ofwork to do in carrying out the upgrade. Here are some points to note:

a. The upgrade is a lengthy process: two or three hours is not uncommon.Don’t start it unless you are able to stick around near to the machine in theearly stages.

b. The initial download of data is big; it can be nearly 6 gigabytes, but seems tovary according on your machine. Depending on your line speed it can takequite a while. Questions get asked when the download ends and, if you’re notaround, the process is likely to fail or give up. When you come back you thenneed to start again!

c. After the initial big download it starts a lengthy process of organising itself,and you definitely get asked questions here.

d. Once the installation phase starts you can go off and let it run. It’ll restartmultiple times but does this on its own.

e. Once my Windows 10 upgrade completed things initially looked very muchas before I started. The desktop looked generally the same, all the programswere present and everything that should be running was ok.

f. However, things around the Start button I found less than desirable, andthere were a number of `app-like’ things that quickly got frustrating: notably athing called Cortana and a new internet browser called Edge. I quickly foundthat they were leading me into things that I just didn’t want.

g. I have collected a series of notes which I trust you’ll find helpful. I’ve putthese into a PDF document titled Windows 10 – Learning and Tailoring. There’snot enough room here, so you’ll find it by logging in to the website, navigatingto CHESHIRE ANCESTOR and looking for ‘Long Articles’.

h. If you’re happy with all the stuff that came in Windows 8 you might not evennotice the difference. The Start button reappears in Windows 10, but Windows7 users will miss the actions that used to appear when they clicked it; you nowget an entirely different presentation. Being a Windows 7 fan my solution afterinstalling Windows 10 is to buy the £3.40 copy of the Start10 utility fromhttps://www.stardock.com/products/start10/ - if you’re in doubt, read the reviewson Start10; it’s well thought of.


i. I find that Windows 10 is extremely hefty on downloading data. If yourbroadband service has a download limitation it’s not difficult to find that you’reexceeding it! As indicated in b. above the installation download is large, but Ithen found that the first subsequent updates were also much bigger than I’dexperienced before. However, now that my systems have settled down theupdates seem to be more realistic.

Ed: - I don't want to pour cold water on Geoff''s enthusiasm, but be warned – not allWindows 10 upgrades are so straightforward. After upgrading a Windows 8 computer(which you would expect to proceed more smoothly than upgrading from Windows 7)the computer was unable to connect to the Internet, and another computer had to beused to download new drivers for the network card. I also found that the upgradedcomputer couldn't print to my five-year-old printer, and it seems that there are noplans to provide new drivers for it. If you upgrade to Windows 10, allow plenty of timein case you hit a snag.

The Electronic Cheshire AncestorBy Geoff Johnson

The membership team has commented that a number of members who initiallyopted for the electronic version are now asking to be switched back to paper.We’d like to hear their reasons: is it simply that they like a paper read, or doesthe technology defeat their intentions? Please help us to fulfil your needs.

Maurice Stokes, our membership renewals officer, wrote:“In your January article - generally good, as usual, although completelyignoring Apple users as usual (see my editorial note in From the Desktop - GJ) -you quote GJ offering tips on downloading the electronic journal, includingchoosing from a selection of programmes to use in order to open it.Quite simply, when opening your email on an Apple ipad, after clicking the linkone is given the opportunity to download into ibooks - an app pre-loaded onthe ipad - or to a second location. In either case the download is immediate(depending of course on internet speed) but the result and re-readability of thejournal is excellent and permanent!”

Bolsover member Anne Harvey wrote to me:“Hi Geoff, I've just finished the second digital issue of CHESHIRE ANCESTOR andhave to confess that I'm a convert! As you know, initially I had my reservationsbut these have all gone now that I've viewed the December issue on my tablet(the September issue I read on my desktop - not ideal). The ease of just dippinginto it as and when is a big advantage so thanks to all the team for persevering


with it. It sounds to have been quite a headache for all concerned and the teamis to be commended for their persistence.”So here’s another happy member! Eighteen months ago Anne said to me “Bythe way, I would prefer not to read the ANCESTOR online”!

Back-ups My Way – But Slowly!By Geoff Johnson

The third part of this series covering setting up and running the backup processis again allocated to the NTS section on the FHSC website.I repeat that I would greatly appreciate some feedback on whether membersof finding this lengthy process of any help. As I said it the outset I have a bigand general concern for too many members who seem to `fly by the seat of theirpants’ when it comes down to safely handling their important data.Good sound backups are the only answer.

The 1939 RegisterBy Various

Many researchers have expressed doubts and presented a somewhat negativeattitude about the introduction of this research tool. Much negativity cameabout, just as it did with the 1901 and 1911 census releases, because the websiteoperators decided to charge a premium rate for access. I find that sad becausethere appears to be very little recognition of the enormity of the work involvedin devising and designing the database itself, transcribing and photographingall the images, and then presenting the data in the most acceptable way to theresearcher. FindMyPast and The National Archives have made an enormousfinancial and technical commitment here and one cannot expect them to releasethe data for peanuts. Enough said!

However, just as I am editing the final draft of this piece in mid-January,FindMyPast have written to say that, from February 16th, they are releasingunlimited access to the 1939 Register to those who have an annual Britain orWorld subscription and, we are told, the 1939 Register will also be includedfree of charge on the Society’s computers at Mobberley Research Centre. Theyare, however, increasing the price of new subscriptions by 20% from the samedate. I think that they have been listening to their subscribers!

I approached use of this register cautiously and with a more open mind. I’mnow realising that there is great value here. Having had a browse around thesystem, initially by searching for people I would expect to be in a particular


location, I decided that the offer to pay upfront at £55 for 900 credits was thebest way to go. At the time of writing this piece I’ve searched and downloadedabout a dozen records and still have 445 credits remaining, but I understandthat if I haven't used them by mid-February, as an existing annual subscriber Ican request a refund on any unused credits. At the lowest rate of £3.66 for eachrecord downloaded I’m consolidating the view that this is quite reasonablevalue for money, especially as viewing one record actually gives you a page ofregister entries (with the ‘closed’ entries redacted).

The very best description of how this Register came about in the first place canbe found from my favourite supplier of information, Peter Calver ofLostCousins. He has made several dissertations on the subject in variousnewsletters. You ought to be members of his site! Nonetheless the followinglinks will take you to two of the newsletters in which there is some good basicdescriptive stuff. You can follow on by using guidance in the newsletters tolook at other newsletters where his knowledge continues to develop and beshared:

http://lostcousins.com/newsletters2/specialoct15news.htmhttp://lostcousins.com/newsletters2/nov15news.htm

These are some of the key points that I have gleaned from my own experience:

1. When you view a record image onscreen from the FMP website theresolution can be quite poor. It’s much better to download it to your ownsystem and view it with your favourite image viewer (Irfanview is mypreference), then you will find that the images are of really high quality.

2. When you capture an image I find it also pays to snip and save a copy of thetranscription. Use the Windows snipping tool or any other screen grab andsave it as a JPEG along with the image record. The transcription gives a clearindication of the actual street address as well as the proper record sourcereference. The street address can sometimes be less clear on the image page.(On one page , the first line was a redacted (closed) entry so the street addresswas obscured, and all the other lines had 'ditto' as the street address!)

3. Every person’s complete birth date is displayed. If you didn’t know it before,£3.66 is a lot cheaper than buying a birth certificate! I’d argue that the accuracyof the birth dates is high.

4. Every person needed to be listed for their own sake, not just for governmentreasons. Only by being on the register was one able to get an Identity Cardand a Ration Book. In 1939 you were not going to get very far without these!


This register provides much, much better coverage than any census ever has.Note, though, that the register covers only England and Wales, and militaryestablishments are excluded.

5. This whole original database formed the basis for what we all now see as ournational health and pension records. It continued to be in use until the 1990sand carries much information about individuals. Notice how important yourbirth date is every time you go to hospital or for a blood test! It needed to beaccurate in this register, and its utilisation to this day is still crucial.

6. If a lady was married in 1939, subsequently divorced and then remarried,the record will contain and can be searched on all her married surnames. Ihaven’t found one of my own yet but one can see records of ladies born before1915 but subsequently married after 1939 displaying both a married as well asmaiden name: the added married name has been written in.

7. Everyone alive was listed and has been transcribed, but those whose ageindicates that today they are less than 100 are redacted in the record. You cansee the redaction as a thick black line, and the redacted records are excludedfrom the index. Those born less than 100 years ago and known to be dead willgenerally be listed. You can usually see a reference against such records which,presumably with some further knowledge, would lead you to the death orperhaps pension allocation records.

8. Every few weeks the redacted records for those born over 100 years ago areopened. The database continues to grow as these records are released.

9. If you know that somebody shown as redacted is definitely dead, you canpresent their death certificate and the redaction will be removed. However,this costs money unless you have a regular subscription to Findmypast. As yousee below one of our members has already achieved this. A record which hasbeen opened in this way will be included in the index and is open to all.

10. It’s my belief, confirmed by FMP, that if you buy credits and don’t use themwithin the timescale they are not totally lost. If you buy more within 3 monthsthe remaining old ones will be added in - less relevant once it’s all onsubscription! I have had a small number of credits hanging on my FMP accountfor some years, possibly left over from the 1901 or 1911 censuses. When Ibought my 1939 credits those old credits were added on to my total.

11. If you knew where somebody was in 1901 and 1911 but want to know wherethey turned up nearly 30 years later, providing you’ve got their date of birth,


their 1939 location becomes relatively easy. BUT - the register was compiled atthe end of September, after WWII started; some children and their mothers hadalready been evacuated by then, so you may not find them where you expect!

12. There are useful bits to browse for free. Previewing an individual isstraightforward. A second approach is just to put in a street name and you getan alphabetical list of every open record in the street - fascinating to check ifcertain neighbours you remember were already living in the road.

13. Remember that whilst in the next five or six years we should get release ofa 1921 census, we are not going to see one for 1931 (it was destroyed) or 1941(not taken). So the 1939 register is going to be the only research tool until therelease of the 1951 census. Are you likely to be around then?

Computer Club member Peter Deakin observed:“I've heard from FMP this week (December) to say that, following my emailingthem a scan of the death certificate, they have unlocked the 1939 Register entryfor my mother (who was born in 1915). And indeed they have!”However, Peter had heard nothing then about a transcription error he reported,in which 1880 had been misread as 1850!

Family History Programsby Geoff Johnson

Family Historian

West Kirby member Terry Wall wrote:“Like others, I have been using PAF for many years, and have just decided -on the basis of articles in Net That Serf - to move up to Family Historian (FH),but I am rather nervous about doing so, and wonder if you can answer a fewquestions about it?

1. Part of the need for change is to be able to access the program on my wife'scomputer in the next room. Do I need a separate licence for this? It is not clearfrom the website.

2. As I also plan to give copies to a couple of other family members. I guess Iwon't be getting a boxed set, so will have to rely on the online help menu - canyou reassure me about this?

3. The articles in NTS reassure me that I can export my files to GEDCOM and


use this to easily import the data. Will the entries still have recognisable INDInumbers? I have large Excel files of births, marriages and deaths, with thesenumbers used for identification, so any renumbering would be a disaster (thishappened to me once before, but I have over 4000 entries in the file by now).

4. Looking at the pictures of the new system, I see it has space for a minibiography with separate lines for birth, census data, marriage etc. At presentI have this sort of information in Notes. Clearly this would mean redoing theentry for each individual: I can see the advantage, but trust at least the Noteswill still be accessible. (And if I do redo the entry is there a simple way tosave/transmit this?)

5. One feature of FH seems to be to incorporate pictures of family members.Great - I probably have a pictures of hundred or so (many are on the website Icreated 12 years ago, at www.hearnshawfamilyhistory.org). I would be gratefulfor any suggestions as to the best way to label/manage/incorporate all these,and also to transmit the data to wife/brother/son to minimise what they wouldhave to do.

It sounds as though I'm asking a lot of questions, but I am trying to future-proof some of this work. I'm in the middle of a major exercise in tidying upboth computer and paper files so I'd be grateful for at least a few words ofencouragement.”

I responded to Terry as follows:Firstly a few words of encouragement Terry - go and do it!Second few words - download the 30 day free trial.Re. your points:

1. I run my copy of FH on at least 2 PCs with no problems.

2. When you say give copies do you mean of your data, or do you mean a copyof the whole program? The online help menu is much about average, but theuser group and forum are really good (www.fhug.org.uk); however my first portof call is usually Google!

3. I can't be certain about INDI numbers, but can't see why FH would want tochange them. I personally don't use such references, but they are there. Withthe 30 day free trial you can play to your heart's content. Just make sure thatyou only work from copies of your original files. I suggest that once you haveFH under your belt you may well want to archive your Excel file! I use Excel alot but not for storage of long-term data. It's too easy to screw up the linking


in a spreadsheet which can't happen in a database. I've attached a snip of thehelp page where I searched for INDI. You can see that Calico Pie really got theGEDCOM aspects well under control. It’s a central component of their system.

4. Every record/individual has separate fields for births, baptisms, marriages,deaths, burials, etc. The notes field is there as well and contains more roomthan you will ever want. Out of interest I Googled 'importing PAF into FamilyHistorian' - it looks as if there is a helpful FH add-in to consider. There’s plentyof reading for you to digest.

5. Incorporation of images is a really excellent FH feature. I don't just use it forpictures: for each record I link to scanned copies of all their census pages,certificates (BMD etc).

6. I still have copies of all my exported Family Tree Maker (FTM) files, and theyare just as I left them. Just occasionally I go back to them to check thatsomething I found that looks wrong in FH is not a FH error. I've never foundthat to be so because the original data I had in FTM was duff too!One day I might delete the FTM files, but it gives me a warm feeling to havethem there as well.

I’m waiting for Terry to give me a progress report but he’s been away a lotrecently – watch this space!

Ed. - I also use Family Historian on more than one computer, and store the data filesin Dropbox. That way, I always have an instant backup, and I can update the shareddata files on my laptop even when away from home.

Running Family Historian on Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, etc.

I very recently corresponded with Family Historian’s owner Calico Pie on thissubject and received the following answer:

“It is something we are still looking into, but Family Historian is currently aWindows only program. However, it is possible to run it on a Mac using avariety of methods. The FH User Group has a handy document with a few suggestions: ‘RunningFamily Historian on Mac or Tablet Operating systems.’”

See also the User Group website page www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=how_to:family_historian_on_imac_ipad_android_etc


Family Tree Maker

Following the announcement that Ancestry ceased selling Family Tree Maker atthe end of 2015, and knowing that many of our members use FTM and/orAncestry Member Trees for their family history, Chester Group Leader DavidGuyton presented the following notes to his Group:

Ancestry announced 8th December 2015 that they will stop selling FTM on31st December 2015.Support will continue to 31st December 2016.FTM programs will continue to work.Ensure you have a copy of the program to re-install if necessary.Do not rely on TreeSync continuing to work.Be wary about relying on Ancestry Member Trees or other proprietary on-line family trees.Keep control by having program and data on own PC.Options are to keep using FTM or to switch to another program, eg FamilyHistorian, Rootsmagic.Beware problems when exporting FTM GEDCOM files.Be sure to make regular backups.

David also warns people (and so do I – GJ) about ‘giving their soul away’ if orwhen they upload their family trees on to the Ancestry website. Hence thisextract from Ancestry's terms and conditions that David guesses most peoplewon't have bothered to read:

“By submitting User Provided Content on any of the Websites, you grant Ancestryand its Group Companies a perpetual, transferable, sublicenseable, worldwide,royaltyfree, license to host, store, copy, publish, distribute, provide access to createderivative works of, and otherwise use User Provided Content submitted by you to theWebsites, to the extent and in the form or context we deem appropriate on or throughany media or medium and with any technology or devices now known or hereafterdeveloped or discovered.”

This is a slim edition of NTS: too many articles by me andnot enough from members. Not enough from you to evencreate my `From The Inbox’ section. I’ve used those fewthat I did get within other pieces. I have to rely on yourinput to keep this forum active, so let’s have some smallarticles, or at least some responses coming back please!- GJ


Group Events and Activities

For up-to-date news and group meeting dates check the website:www.fhsc.org.uk

Alsager Groupby John Higgins

Future meetings:18th Apr Digging for Your Ancestors – Leigh Dodd

Archaeologist Leigh will talk about digs in Cheshire.16th May Overpaid, Oversexed, Over here – Rina Tillinger

Rina’s presentation is about the GIs in Britain and her father’swartime experiences.

20th Jun Baptist Church records – Claire MooresA guide to the records for family historians.

Meetings take place at 7.30pm on the 3rd Monday of the month at Wesley PlaceMethodist Church Hall, Lawton Road, Alsager, ST7 2AF. Admission is £1 formembers and £1.50 for visitors. Tea, coffee and biscuits are served after the talk,when there is an opportunity to discuss family history with other members.There is a large car park (free) opposite the church.Visitors are most welcome.

Bebington Groupby Bob Wright

Future Meetings:22nd Feb Looking back 40 years (Members Only) – Glynn Parry Group Members’ 40th Anniversary Celebration.21st Mar All Things Auctioneering – Mr. Cato25th Apr Pubs Alehouses etc. – Eileen Wilshaw23rd May Liverpool Cow Keepers – Dave Joy

Meetings take place at 7.30pm on the 4th Monday of the month at BebingtonCivic Centre, Civic Way, CH63 7PN.We hold a helpdesk at Bebington Library from 10am to 12.30pm on the 1st and3rd Thursdays of the month, where we can give individual assistance to ourmembers and the general public.


Birkenhead Groupby Diane Robinson

Future Meetings:26th Apr Emily St Pierre - William Williamson

An American Civil War sea story, with local connections.24th May Unsung Heroes of WWI - David Hearn

A different side to the centenary commemorations.28th June Ship Owners, Seafarers and Widows - Diane Robinson

The history of the Mariners’ Home and the two wealthy shipowners who made it possible.

Meetings take place at 2pm on the 4th Tuesday of each month, except forAugust and December, in the Community Room at Birkenhead Fire Station,Exmouth Street. The room is on the first floor with access via a lift or stairs.We hold a helpdesk at Birkenhead Reference Library, Borough Road, from10am to 12 noon on the 2nd Thursday of each month.

Bramhall Groupby Susan Bickley

Future meetings:10th Mar My Genealogical Journey - Tony Bostock

Tony demonstrates how he researched his own family history.14th Apr The History of Manchester’s Hospitals - Chris Makepeace12th May The Story of Arighi Bianchi - Nick Bianchi8th June Willow Grove, Our Heritage - Sheila Robins

A comprehensive account of this closed Stockport cemetery.

The Bramhall Group meets at 7.30pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month inthe United Reformed Church Hall on the corner of Robins Lane and BramhallLane South, Bramhall, SK7 2PE. Admission is £2. All visitors are most welcome.

Chester Groupby Helen Elliott

Future meetings:29th Mar The Changing Face of Chester - Len Morgan26th Apr The History of the English Longbow, and Cheshire and

Flintshire Bowmen - Bernard Dennis31st May A visit to an Antique and Collectors Fair - Betty Hayhurst


28th Jun Co-ops are more than just shops - Gillian LonerganResearching the Co-operative Society.

Meetings take place at 7.30pm on the last Tuesday of the month in the Loungeat the Cheshire Sports Club, Plas Newton Lane, Chester. There is a smalladmission charge and ample parking. All members and visitors welcome.We hold a helpdesk at 10am - 12noon and 1pm - 4pm on Tuesday and Fridayat Chester History & Heritage Centre, St Michael's Church, Bridge St., Chester.

Computer Group – The Society’s Computer Clubby Geoff Johnson

Meetings take place at 7.30pm on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at HartfordMethodist Church Hall, Beach Road, Hartford, Northwich, CW8 3AD. It isopen to all Society members. An evening at Computer Club is completely FREE- even the tea and biscuits!

These are informal meetings that are there to help YOU. Please bring along anyproblems or issues that you’re having difficulty resolving. We don’t guaranteeimmediate results but we’ll have a good try or at the very least provide anadvisory discussion.

Congleton Groupby David Smetham

Future meetings:15th Mar Getting the Best from your Computer for Family History

- Geoff Johnson19th Apr My Genealogical Journey – Tony Bostock17th May Congleton Town Library: Sources for Family History

Meetings take place at 7.30pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month in CongletonLibrary. Non-members are welcome. There is ample parking and access to theLibrary is by the lower entrance.

Crewe Groupby Margaret Spate

Crewe Family History UnitThe new research facility is now established and we look forward to welcomingyou on a fact-finding visit. We are open 10am – 4pm Monday and Tuesday at


the Municipal Building (second floor), Earle Street, Crewe, CW1 2BJ. Pleasesign in at main reception first and then take the lift or stairs to the second floor.

Future meetings:12th Apr To be arranged17th May Dating Victorian photographs - Linda Clarke of CRO

Please note the change to our usual date.This is a joint meeting with the Nantwich Group and will beheld at Nantwich Methodist Church Centre.

From 12th April, meetings will be held at Lifestyle Centre, Moss Square, Crewe,CW1 2BB. Please check the Crewe pages on the FHSC website for furtherinformation on meetings.

Macclesfield Groupby Jean Laidlaw

Future Meetings:22nd Mar Brick Walls - David Guyton

How to get round or knock down your genealogical ‘brickwalls’.

26th Apr Breach of Promise to Marry - Denise BatesSuing for damages after a broken engagement: what sort ofwomen were the real Miss Havishams, and what can youdiscover about them?

24th May The Railway Navvy: his working life - Chris & Judy Rouse.The life and working conditions of navvies during the peak ofthe early railway building mania, and also later on in thenineteenth century.

28th Jun WWI Conscientious Objectors - Pat Baker and Celia Davies.Conscription into the British Army was introduced for the firsttime in 1916. What happened to those who refused to fight?

Unless otherwise stated meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month atThe Salvation Army Hall, Roe Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6UT. Doors open at7.15pm and meetings start at 7.30pm. Entry is through the new main door facing the Churchill Way car park, and we meet in the ground floor room.A monthly update and reminder about meetings is emailed to subscribers toour email list. If you would like to be added to our list, please send a requestto [email protected].


‘Macclesfield Reflects…’ WWI projectMacclesfield Reflects project members are researching the history of theMacclesfield area during the early 1900s to discover the stories of those wholived or died during the Great War - not just the servicemen - and ensure theyare not forgotten.Please contact Rosie Rowley on [email protected] if you have anyinformation about anyone who lived in the area during WWI or would like tohelp with research, transcribing old newspaper articles or on the helpdesks.Help is especially needed with researching the lives of Red Cross nurses.More information can be found at www.macclesfieldreflects.org.uk.

Middlesex Groupby David Smetham (FHSC Chairman)Please note that the leader of the Middlesex Group is no longer able to managethe arrangements for this group. We thank David Arnold for his support andendeavours over the years in providing this outpost for our London members.Is there a member in the London area who would like to take over the runningof this group? Support will be provided to a willing volunteer. The keyactivities will be to arrange a venue and meeting topics. If any member wouldlike to attend a meeting of Family History Society of Cheshire in London pleasecontact me - [email protected].

Nantwich Groupby Dave Higham

Future meetings:15th Mar A History of Middlewich and its salt production and trade -

Kerry Fletcher19th Apr Andrew Fuller Chater: Vicar of Nantwich during the cholera

epidemic of the 1800s - Graham Dodd17th May Dating Victorian photographs - Linda Clarke of CRO

A joint meeting with the Crewe Group, held in Nantwich.

Meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Nantwich MethodistCentre, Hospital Street, Nantwich. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start, withan entrance fee of £1.50 for members and £2 for non-members, includingrefreshments. There is ample parking in The Gullet car park. Visitors are very welcome.


Northwich Groupby Dave Thomas

Future meetings:14th Mar House Detective - Dr Mike Nevell11th Apr Maps for Local Family Historians - Chris Makepeace

Meetings are held at 7.30pm on the 2nd Monday of the month at HartfordMethodist Church Hall, Beach Road, Hartford, Northwich CW8 3AB.

Runcorn Groupby Peter Johnson

Future meetings:2nd Mar World War I Myths - Tony Miller6th Apr Tiptoe Through the Tombstones - Rina Tillinger4th May Poison is a women's weapon - Angela Brabin

Meetings take place at 7.30 pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at ChurchillHall, Cooper Street, Runcorn, WA7 1DH. Non-members very welcome.We now have Wi-Fi and Find my Past, for use on research nights.For details of our weekly help desks contact Maurice Littlemore on 01928 572303.

Tameside Groupby Gay Oliver

Future Meetings:9th Mar Denton Then and Now - Allan Arrowsmith13th Apr My Genealogical Journey - Tony Bostock11th May Researching the Adsheads of Stalybridge - Gordon Adshead

How a one-name study can really help.

Meetings are held in the Old Chapel Schoolrooms, Dukinfield - doors open at7pm. There is disabled access and both members and non-members arewelcome. Admission is £2 for members, £2.50 non-members.

Why not come along to one of our helpdesk sessions in Tameside Local Studiesand Archives Centre on the first and third Tuesdays each month between 2pmand 4pm, where our team of experts can help you to break down thosebrickwalls or get started from scratch.


Tarporley GroupBy Jan Craig

Future meetings:2nd Mar To be arranged6th Apr To be arranged4th May To be arranged1st June To be arranged

Meetings are held at 7.30pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at LittleBudworth Village Hall, Booth Avenue, Little Budworth, CW6 9BU. Non-groupmembers and visitors are very welcome to attend.

Wallasey Groupby Dave Beck

Future meetings:15th Mar The Rise, Fall and Renaissance of Liverpool - Ken Pye

This illustrated talk takes us from the founding of 'Leverpul',by King John in 1207, to its remarkable and extremely eventfulrise to global supremacy.This was all then taken away whenthe city descended into social, political, and environmentalcollapse. We finally see how the people and the place havereclaimed their heritage and are reforging their destiny as aworld class city. Ken is a well-known local historian, author,broadcaster and business leader. His knowledge of the historyand heritage of Merseyside is second-to-none.

19th Apr Parkgate – Port & Resort – Anthony Annakin-SmithThe remarkable story of the popular ‘seaside village withoutany sea’ and the ships and people associated with it.

17th May Poison is a Woman’s Weapon – Angela BrabinIn 1884 two sisters, Catherine Flannagan and MargaretHiggins, were tried in Liverpool for the murder of ThomasHiggins, the new husband of the younger sister. His life hadbeen heavily insured and he was poisoned by arsenic. Duringthe police investigation it became clear he was not the onlyvictim nor were they the only poisoners. A true tale of greed,fraud, cruelty and murder - not for the faint hearted!

21st June The Old Mill – Ken ClarkA look at the workings of wind and water mills, especiallythose of Wirral.


Meetings are held at 7.30pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month (exceptDecember) at Claremount Methodist Church, Claremount Road, WallaseyCH45 6UE. Access via car park in Taunton Road. Visitors are always welcome.We hold a helpdesk from 10am to 1pm on the 2nd Friday of each month, atthe Wallasey Central Reference Library, Earlston Road, Wallasey CH45 5DX. At these helpdesks we are able to give individual help with family historyresearch. All members and non-members are welcome.

West Wirral Groupby David Callaghan

Future Meetings:9th Mar Poison is a woman’s weapon! – Angela Brabin13th Apr Hoylake Fishing Families: an illustrated talk - Carol Hunter11th May UKGDL: turning genealogy into family history - Sharon

Hartas explains how to get the most out of the websitewww.ukgdl.org.uk

8th June To be arranged. Please check the website for details.

The group meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month (excluding August andDecember) at Westbourne Community Centre, Westbourne Road, West Kirby,CH48 4DQ commencing at 2pm (helpdesk from 1.30pm). Admission £1.50 formembers and £2.00 for visitors.

Helpdesks are held at the following libraries:Heswall 1st Monday of the Month 10.00am to 1.00pmHoylake 2nd Saturday of the Month 9.30am to 12.30pmWest Kirby 2nd Monday of the Month 10.00am to 1.00pmUpton 2nd Tuesday of the Month 9.30am to 12.30pm

NEW Society website COMING SOON!www.fhsc.org.uk

The Society’s new redesigned website is nearing completion as we go topress in early February and plans are in place for it to be in use very soon,hopefully during March. The website address will remain the same but youwill notice many improvements. Instructions for accessing the members-only areas of the website will be provided in due course.One of the changes will be to the members’ area. Members will be able to‘follow’ one or more of the society’s local groups and receive the latest groupnews by email.

Membership

Sue McN

ulty

Mau

rice Stok

es

New

Mem

bers

Ren

ewals/Cha

nges

Please check the label on the mailing envelope. Thisshows your membership number and subscriptionrenewal date. All subscriptions need to be alignedto 1st July—please ensure your subscriptionamount (see last page of journal) & renewal arecorrect. The additional numbers are “sortnumbers” used by our mailing agency. If youchange your postal or email address, please adviseMaurice Stokes.

If you do not wish your address to be storedon the Society’s computer database ofmembers’ interests, then please inform themembership renewals officer (see inside frontcover).The "M" Team

CHESHIRE ANCESTOR 73 March 2016

Recently deceased members

3948 UN Mrs Bernice BARTON Kent438 UN Mr Frank A LATHAM Cheshire4032 UN Mrs Linda MASON West Midlands2484 UN Mr William E MOSTON Cheshire6824 CO Mrs B H TAYLOR-FRITH South Yorkshire6045 MC Mrs Edith WINDELINCKX Cheshire

Obituary – Bill MostonWe heard the sad news of the death of Bill Moston in December 2015.Phil Coops, former chairman of the SCFHS, wrote:

“I was very saddened to learn of the passing of Bill. We were both members ofthe former South Cheshire Family History Society (now the Crewe Group ofthe FHSC). Bill accepted the post of project coordinator for the society and wasinvolved in many recording projects amongst the graveyards of Cheshire andwas a wonderful helpful man. Although I have not seen Bill for several years,owing to my having moved away from the area, it is still sad to lose such agood friend. My condolences go to his wife and family.”


New Members

9185 CH Mr David SEWELL Cheshire9186 NA Mr David GREAVES Cheshire9187 UN Mrs Patricia BROWN Cheshire9188 BR Mr Stuart SMITH Greater Manchester9189 TA Mrs Daphne MILNE Cheshire9190 UN Dr Roger BURGESS & Family Cheshire9191 BR Mrs Louise BARSON Greater Manchester9192 MC Mrs Bridget FRANKLIN Cheshire9193 CH Mr Chester GUTTRIDGE North Somerset9194 UN Mrs Christine ELBEIK Cheshire

Mike Grose wrote:

“Bill was a long serving member of the committee of the South Cheshire FamilyHistory Society. In his role as Project Co-ordinator, he developed a system toaid in the recording of Monumental Inscriptions which is still in use today. Ithas been adopted by several other groups including the Sacred Spaces Projectin the Wrexham Maelor District and the Broughton District History Group.He gave me a copy of a CAD drawing package and taught me how to get thebest out of it. This not only helped with creating drawings of the graveyardswe were working on but also helped in my work. When one of my bossesrealised I could use such a package they bought a full-blown professionalversion and transferred me into their design section (increasing salary to boot!)and I am still using this program today.The FHSC Crewe Group now has quite a selection of detailed graveyard plans(at the last count I have been involved in some 30 odd publications onmonumental inscriptions). We have also updated the councils own plans for acemetery in Nantwich.The FHSC hopes to take over the hosting of Bill’s excellent website withpictures of virtually all of Cheshire's churches, as a lasting tribute to the workthat he has done over the years.All credit for the above rests solely in Bill's hands. He will be missed.”

We welcome the following new members to our society and wish them successin their research:


9195 BR Mrs L. Ann JONES Greater Manchester

9196 MC Mr & Mrs A. CLOUGH Cheshire

9197 MC Mr Ian HAY Cheshire

9198 UN Ms Sarah TWEEDLE Devon

9199 UN Mr Charles CAMPBELL U.S.A.

9200 TS Mrs Carolyn BARKER Greater Manchester

9201 WA Ms C. DRAIN Merseyside

9202 UN Mr Alan CARTWRIGHT Cheshire

9203 BR Mr Shaun WALSH Greater Manchester

9204 CO Mr Brian BARNETT Cheshire

9205 TS Mrs Janine PRINCE Greater Manchester

9206 UN Mr Simon HANCOCKS Australia

9207 WA Ms Elaine BESTWICK Merseyside

9208 UN Mr Michael HOLBROOK U.S.A.

NEW Society website COMING SOON!www.fhsc.org.uk

The Society’s new redesigned website is nearing completion as we go to pressin early February and plans are in place for it to be in use very soon, hopefullyduring March. The website address will remain the same but you will noticemany improvements. Instructions for accessing the members-only areas of thewebsite will be provided in due course.

One of the changes will be the new members’ interests section. Members willbe able to enter and update their own interests on the new website, and makecontact with others with their surname of interest, whilst keeping contactdetails private. A process will be set up to allow members without internet access to request asearch of the Members Interests database by post.

Members’ Interests


ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATESUK INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP with a printed CHESHIRE ANCESTOR - £18.00UK INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP with an electronic CHESHIRE ANCESTOR - £13.00 UK FAMILY GROUP MEMBERSHIP (all at the same address)

Above rates plus £2.00 per family

OVERSEAS MEMBERSHIP with an electronic CHESHIRE ANCESTOR - £13.00Special arrangements will be made for overseas members who want a printed copy.

The Society year commences on 1st July.Membership commences on the day of receipt of an application.

• New members joining between 1st July and the following 31st Marchinclusive will receive all the four journals of that financial year;renewal date is 1st July following joining date.• New members joining between 1st April and 30th June will receivea complimentary journal and their membership will extend until30th June of the following year.

.

Cheques, etc., should be made payable to “FHS of Cheshire”.Please ensure your renewal date is set to 1st July.

New member applications should be sent to Membership Enrolments:Mrs Sue McNulty, 59 Cedarway, Bollington, Macclesfield SK10 5NR

Renewals, or changes of address, should be sent to Membership Renewals:Maurice Stokes, 19 North Drive, High Legh, Knutsford WA16 6LX

ADVERTISING RATESAdvertisements are accepted for publication at the following rates:

10% discount when same copy is run in four consecutive issuesFull page: £47Half-page: £25Quarter-page: £14

.

Please forward payment with copy & enclose a stamped,self-addressed envelope if receipt is required.

Note: copy date for adverts is 2 weeks prior to dates below.COPY DATES

Final copy dates for the CHESHIRE ANCESTOR are 15th day of January, April, Julyor October. The earlier material is submitted, the more help it is to our editor.Articles accepted digitally (preferably MS Word or Open Office format) on diskor by email, or as typescript or manuscript (address inside front cover).Images preferred in JPEG format at 300dpi: please do not post originals.Unused articles will be carried over to a later edition of the CHESHIRE ANCESTOR.

CHAIRMANDavid Smetham,Little TreesGawsworth RoadGawsworthMacclesfield SK11 9RATel: 01625 [email protected]

HONORARY SECRETARYHoward Martin2 Roxburgh CloseMacclesfield SK10 3QETel: 01625 [email protected]

HONORARYTREASURERVictoria Doran9 Birkett RoadWest KirbyWirral CH48 5HTTel: 0151 345 [email protected]

HONORARY EDITOR Rosie Rowley21 Lavenham CloseMacclesfield SK10 [email protected]

JOURNALDISTRIBUTIONJohn Lord17 Rowan DriveCheadle HulmeCheadle SK8 7DUTel: 0161 486 [email protected]

PUBLICITY OFFICERPeter Johnson57 Helston CloseBrookvaleRuncorn WA7 6AATel: 07769 [email protected]

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETYMOBBERLEY RESEARCH CENTRE REPRESENTATIVEAlan E Jones7 Beaufort CloseAlderley Edge SK9 7HUTel: 01625 [email protected]

LIBRARIANJoan Irving62 Orme CrescentMacclesfield SK10 2HSTel: 01625 [email protected]

RESEARCH ADVISERRichard Corbett113 Saughall RoadChester CH1 5ETTel: 01244 [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP(RENEWALS & GIFT AID)Maurice Stokes19 North DriveHigh LeghKnutsford WA16 6LXTel: 01925 [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP(ENROLMENT)Sue McNulty59 CedarwayBollingtonMacclesfield SK10 5NR(new members only)[email protected]

PROJECTSADMINISTRATORLesley SmethamLittle TreesGawsworth RoadGawsworthMacclesfield SK11 9RATel: 01625 426173

ELECTRONIC PROJECTSPeter DavenportGlensideOne Oak LaneWilmslow SK9 2BLTel: 01625 [email protected]

CHESHIREBMD &UKBMDIan Hartas [email protected]

CD/FICHE SALES &FICHE LOAN SERVICELen Davenport10 Daleswood AvenueWhitefieldManchester M45 [email protected]

BOOK SALES & OUTSIDE EVENTSDavid Johnson91 Stretford HouseChapel LaneStretfordManchester M32 9AYTel: 0161 864 [email protected]

WEBMASTERAlan Bennett8 Barford DriveLowtonWarrington WA3 1DDTel: 0161 408 [email protected]

ALSAGER GROUPPeter Rugman157 Sandbach Road NorthAlsagerCheshire ST7 2AX.Tel: 01270 [email protected]

BEBINGTON GROUPBob Wright9 Lough GreenBebingtonWirral CH63 9NHTel: 0151 334 [email protected]

BIRKENHEAD GROUPDiane Robinson,2 Colville Road,Wallasey, CH44 2AS.Tel: 0151 639 [email protected]

BRAMHALL GROUPIan BickleyLumb CottageLumb LaneBramhallStockport SK7 2BATel: 0161 439 5021. [email protected]

CHESTER GROUPDavid GuytonSpringfield22 Lache LaneChester CH4 7LRTel: 01244 [email protected]

NORTHWICH GROUPDave Thomas1 Arley CourtWrenbury DriveNorthwich CW9 8RXTel:01606 [email protected]

RUNCORN GROUPLinda Finnigan10 Ashbourne AvenueRuncorn WA7 4XYTel: 01928 [email protected]

TAMESIDE GROUPGay Oliver26 Woodville DriveStalybridge SK15 3EATel: 0161 338 [email protected]

TARPORLEY GROUPJan Craig10 Dunns LaneAshton HayesChester CH3 8BUTel: 01829 [email protected]

WALLASEY GROUPSheila Hamilton10 Church GardensWallaseyCH44 [email protected]

WEST WIRRAL GROUPCarol Hunter8 Westbourne RoadWest KirbyWirral CH48 4DGTel: 0151 625 [email protected]

COMPUTER GROUPGeoff Johnson,Garth Nook, Well Lane,Little Budworth, Tarporley CW6 9DATel: 01829 [email protected]

CONGLETON GROUPDavid SmethamLittle TreesGawsworth RdGawsworthMacclesfield SK11 9RATel: 01625 [email protected]

CREWE GROUPMargaret Spate, FHSC Crewe GroupMunicipal Building(second floor)Earle StreetCrewe CW1 [email protected]

MACCLESFIELD GROUPJean Laidlaw47 Sycamore CrescentMacclesfield SK11 [email protected]

MIDDLESEX [email protected]

NANTWICH GROUPDavid Higham1 Heywoods RidgeAudlemCW3 0EFTel: 01270 [email protected]

GROUP CONTACTS

CHESHIREANCESTORCHESHIREANCESTOR

The Journal of theFamily History Society of Cheshire

Volume 46 March 2016 Issue No. 3ISSN 1460-0277

MOBBERLEY RESEARCH CENTRERajar Building, Town Lane,Mobberley, WA16 7ER

Tel: 01565 872210

In this editionThe Rev. James Crabtree, of Gawsworth Net That Serf

Family History Events Book Reviews My Welsh ConnectionGreat Remonstrance or Protestation Roll 1641/2

and more...

The Rajar Building is situatedon the corner of Town Lane(A5085) and Ilford Way. Theentrance is at the front of thebuilding on Town Lane.

Free access to findmypastAncestry and The Genealogist.Parish registers on film,national probate index,extensive library and muchmore. Large tree printing,fiche/film and A3 scanningavailable – please enquire.

Admission charges apply. Closed on bank holidays. Parking nearby on-road.Non-members welcome but preferably should phone in advance.

Non-member entry fee £5, refundable on joining the Society on day of visit.Opening hours: Monday-Friday 10.00am-4.00pm

Please refer to website www.fhsc.org.uk for holiday closure dates.

CHESHIRE ANCESTOR printed by: Deanprint Ltd., Cheadle Heath Works, Stockport SK3 0PR

The Family History Society of Cheshirewww.fhsc.org.uk

Location of Groups(see inside cover for contact details)