RootsChat.Com

Thank you so much for this, Carole. This importantly extends my knowledge of the wider Horsfall family. I feel amazingly lucky to have come across these diary fragments, courtesy of one particular Whitworth Museum researcher. I had previously deposited a copy of my ongoing research, and how I have this data to add.

The diary has helped fill in some detail about the early life of my father, Frank, born 1926. His mother [Mary, known as May Horsfall, Anne's sister] married Chriss Horsfall. After giving birth to my father, May spent long periods in hospital, while Frank was looked after by various family members, chief among whom were the Whitakers. Marjorie, as a 15-16 year old, played a large role in my father's infancy. I was sorry to read, in the information you sent me, that she had died so young.

Many thanks again!

Thanks for that reply, and I'm sure you must be correct. [Marjorie's mother's prepositions were, throughout the diary, rather hapharzard, and I hadn't picked up on the 'for'] It would seem, then, that Marjorie's interview was for a scholarship: next job will be to look into Marjorie's post-1927 life. In fact Marjorie had an uncle who, before the Great War, had qualified as a pupil-teacher. Thanks. again, and best wishes.

That's great, TM.
PJ Cosgrove will be delighted to learn (if he doesn't already know) that his forebear James Horsfall was clearly eminent in his field, a skilled horticulturalist and garden designer.

Hello PJ
The Hiram Horsfall you mention was, I think, the brother of my great grandfather, whose name was Hiram. My great grandfather, Frederick and his much younger brother James were sons of Hiram Horsfall (born Heptonstall 1810), the first of the Horsfall family to live at Whitworth. Hiram's father was Abraham (born 1786), who by 1841 had Chamber Hill farm in Briarfield, some way north of Whitworth. Abraham was born to a large family in what is now Todmorden.

Now ... Hiram (my g-g grandfather) died young in 1852 in his mid-thirties. When Hiram died his wife, Ann (Barker), was pregnant with a son, who was named Hiram after his late father. This Hiram would have been the 'Uncle Hiram' you mention. About a year later Ann remarried to a much older man called Robert Rudman, but 'your' Hiram retained the Horsfall surname. My great grandfather Frederick Matthew Horsfall was the son of Hiram and Ann. He was born in 1849 and had siblings (Anne, Thomas, Mariah) born obviously before Hiram, their father's death. After Anne's remarriage she gave birth to a son in 1855, Joseph Rudman––who was, therefore, the half brother of Frederick and 'your' Hiram.
Hope you can make sense of the above. Turning it into a diagram will help. Note that the first Hiram was born 1810, not the date given elsewhere.

Best wishes IAN