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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Cheshire => Topic started by: Ray T on Monday 19 March 18 11:20 GMT (UK)
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The kind folks at Stockport Local Heritage Library have provided me a transcript of an entry in the register of Stockport Sunday School (reputedly the largest Sunday school in the world). The entry goes further than that transcribed on FindMyPast but I have yet to have sight of the original image.
It has been transcribed as - "31 Dec 1865 - Progressive No. 80435 – James Owen - James is now an orphan, Age: 13, Class: 42. State of Learning: Testament - Discharged in Mar 1868, Class: 42, State of Learning: Bible, Memoranda: Home Attendance"
My understanding is that teaching (reading/writing) was mainly Bible based but would anyone like to comment on what "Home Attendance" might signify?
I've been chasing James Owen for some years and this is the closest to his birth I've come. This, and other records, suggest that he was born in 1852. His parents were (allegedly) James Owen and Martha Williamson. A James and Martha Owen feature on the 1851 living at Adswood Lane, Stockport; which just precedes James Jnr's birth and it appears that they were both dead before 1865 - possibly before 1861 as I can find nothing of them.
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Hi Ray
Just browsing through some old Cheshire posts.
You say you have not been able to see the original entry in the Stockport Sunday school register.
Just in case you've not seen the entry on familysearch catalogue, most of what they hold about Stockport Sunday school is now digitised.
"Scholars admission register 1854 - 1877" is digitised, but "Scholars register 1852 - 1920" isn't - yet! (I presume this is where the transcript came from?)
Perhaps there might be something in the admissions register? Otherwise you'll have to wait a little longer for the scholars register to be digitised. :)
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Hi Goldie
Useful information, thanks.
Shortly after the post, I picked up a copy of the entry from SK Heritage Library which is exactly what they transcribed for me. I'll have a look at the Family Seach info when I fire my desktop up (it's upstairs - or it would be but we currently have the builders in and don't have a staircase at the moment).
It's really the term "home attendance" I don't understand. I'm not aware that SSS had any form of boarding element.
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I wonder if 'home attendance' was linked to a teacher visiting a Sunday School pupil at home - and so attending to their 'needs' at home. This certainly was encouraged if a child had been absent, especially on more than one occasion. "The Sabbath-school teacher ... must needs visit his scholars often.'
See paragraph numbered 458 and onwards in The Sunday-School World published in 1871:
https://archive.org/stream/sundayschoolworl03gray#page/134/search/Sunday+School+World%3A+an+encyclop%C3%A6dia+of+facts
I remember reading somewhere about home visits carried out by SSS teachers and I think there were references to some kind of home tuition. It was in one of the digitised libraries - when I find it, I'll post a link.
Regards
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Sorry for the delay - been away, just back.
I suppose it's a possibility but my first thought is that, if he was orphaned, he wouldn't have had a home to be visited.
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Whilst not related to your current request wondering if you had come across this 1871 census entry
1871
RG10; Piece: 3658; Folio: 100; Page: 35;
Manchester Road Reddish
Joseph Thomas Owen 25
Ann Owen 26
Fanny Owen 5
Joseph S Owen 3
Alice Owen 7 Months
James Owen 17 BOARDER/lodger
George Conway 18
I also found a note on the grave page that suggested Mark J Whitehead b1846 was a cousin of James W Owen of Mass.
Elizabeth Wardle 21
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Now that is interesting!
Unfortunately, I'm varnishing doors at the moment (just stopped for a brew) so I can't dash off to my tree and check things.
From memory, I don't think I have him in 1871 - although there is someone in Macclesfield who might be him. It's the James W Owen of Mass. I'm interested in though - he married my, recently, emigrated G Aunt.
I've come across the Mark Whitehead connection before but not had much success in connecting him to the Owens. James Owen had what people might call and "interesting" life and best if I leave it at that unless people would like to hear more - if so, look up my public James Williamson Owen tree on Ancestry. I'll be more that happy for anyone to criticise my findings so don't hold back.
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Finished varnishing for the day so couldn't resist having a look. Unfortunately, I don't think it's him.
James "williamson" Owen married Elizabeth Ann Hamlet at Heaton Reddish Parish Church (admittedly not that far from Manchester Road) in July 1871 and he described himself as a "Hatter". Whereas the one on Manchester Road was a "Cotton Piecer". Subsequent baptisms confirm the hatting occupation and the Manchester Road one, on the 1861, appears to be Joseph Thomas Owen's brother.
The one I have in Macclesfield was a hatter and is therefore a better bet.
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The 1881 census shows James Owen as a herbalist with his brother in law as an assistant herbalist
ref RG11; Piece: 3466; Folio: 54; Page: 6; all living at 102 George Street Hyde
From MEN 20/09/1881
Manchester Evening News 04 March 1895
Cale Green Heaton Norris = Cale Green is a suburb just of the Manchester Road south of Stockport
St Thomas Heaton Norris is probably the parish church for the area a James Owen was living in 1871
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Thanks again Elzabels. I'm aware of JWO operating as a herbalist in Hyde but not of the two MEN adverts.
"Cale Green Heaton Norris" is a bit of a misnomer as Cale Green and Heaton Norris are totally separate places. Cale Green is a small area to the South of Stockport centre whereas Heaton Norris is/was a large ill-defined area North of the River Mersey. The county boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire runs along the river. St Thomas always causes confusion. St Thomas Heaton Norris (nowadays Heaton Chapel) is the older of two churches. There is also a St Thomas south of Stockport Centre - almost adjoining Cale Green.
If you have an Ancetry Sub. I'd recommend that you have a look at my James Williamson Owen tree which contains most of the info I have on him. It appears that his career started as a hatter - a common occupation in these parts - he then became a herbalist and, a few years later, emigrated to the US and started practising as a doctor - amazing what you could do in those days without apparent recourse to formal education!
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Just resurrecting a thread!
To Ray:
I don't know if 'home attendance' is still a puzzle.
I was looking at the original - and not transcribed records - for an ancestor who attended SSS. My ancestor too had 'home' attendance against his name ... except I read the phrase as 'none attendance.' Since he had been 'discharged' from the school, I took 'none attendance' as the reason why. See attached for two examples - one is for my ancestor and the other is a random other.
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I'd agree this says 'None attendance'.
Are these from within the dates Ray was interested in?
HAs the film now turned up on familysearch? :)
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My ancestor’s entries are for 1847 and 1853.
The records I was looking at on Family Search are for Stockport Sunday School 1825-1859, but it looks as though other year ranges don’t have images available.
In terms of Ray’s years, there is are entries in the 1825-1859 records which have later dates. Attached are two – one from 1860 and another from 1864, both of which use the same phrase of ‘none attendance’ as earlier records.
I don't know how far you got, Ray, with your research on the Owens. You mention in your first post you didn't know what happened to the parents. I wonder if parent James Owen is the person in the attachments below?
Regards
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Hello all and thanks for resurrecting the thread Ramsin.
I have extracts of the original SSS entries for Mar. 1859, Sep. 1859 and Dec. 1865. Looking at what has been written in the "Remarks" columns, I would go along with your suggestions that the final entry in connection with JWO reads "none attendance". Not only does this make more sense, across the three extracts, there are numerous "non attendances" and some are much clearer than the one against JWO.
Ramsin - I already have the James Owen buried at St Thomas and he seems to be the best fit for JWOs father. I'm working on this hypothesis for now as the original burial entry has his residence as "Adswood Lane" - where JWOs parents were possibly living in 1851 and which is close to Cale Green. The downside to this theory is that the Sept. 1859 SSS entry gives his "Parents Name" as "James" - the other two are "Martha" and "Orphan". I suppose it depends on the question asked - e.g. "What is the name of your father?".
Elzabels also mentioned a connection with Mark Whitehead. I've since researched this connection and my findings can be found here - https://www.ancestry.co.uk/mediaui-viewer/tree/76666049/person/48346250880/media/05b55041-18d2-4920-8486-367b6fc1be91
Any further comments would be most welcome.
Ray