Hayhurst / Hurst - Hapton & Habergham Eaves 1840+

[Alison Smith (nee Hargreaves)]

Good evening everyone!

Wondering if there's anyone out there with knowledge of the HAYHURST and HIRST families in the above areas, as I'm trying to knock some brick walls down, and push my ancestry back a generation or two!

My 2 x Gt Grandmother Ann HAYHURST married Samuel WALTON on 4 Sep 1858 at the Trinity Church, Habergham Eaves.  According to the M Cert, Ann was a spinster, aged 20, a weaver of Trinity Street, Habergham Eaves - her father was Thomas HAYHURST, a Block Printer.

I've been trying to find Ann and her family prior to 1858 by using census, and have come up against a bit of a problem!

I find Thomas and his wife Frances on the 1861 census, living at Trinity Street, Habergham Eaves - and I am almost positive that this is Ann's
family:

1861 Census:  21 Trinity Street, Habergham Eaves:
Thomas HAYHURST    Head    M   59    Lab for Machines?   b Ceside?, Preston
Frances HAYHURST   Wife    M   50                  b Rossendale, Lancs
John HAYHURST      Son      U  24    Cotton Weaver       b Hapton, Lancs
Joseph HAYHURST    Son      U  19    Boot & Shoe Maker   b Hapton, Lancs
Margaret HAYHURST  Dau      U  16    Cotton Weaver       b Hapton, Lancs
Francis HAYHURST   Son         12    Scholar             b Habergham Eaves, Lancs
Samuel HAYHURST    Son         8     Scholar             b Habergham Eaves, Lancs
Sarah E HAYHURST   Dau         6     Scholar             b Habergham Eaves, Lancs

However, pushing back to the 1851 census, where I would expect to find a 13 year old Ann, I've come up with the following:

1851 Census:  Back 31 Trinity Street, Habergham Eaves, Lancs
Thomas HIRST    Head    Marr    47    Calico Block Printer   b:Preston?, Lancs
Fanny HIRST      Wife   Marr    41                           b:Rossendale, Lancs
Elizabeth HIRST   Dau           21    ?? and ?? Weaver       b:Habergham Eaves, Lancs
James HIRST        Son          19    Mechanic               b: Habergham Eaves, Lancs
William HIRST     Son           16    Mechanic               b:Habergham Eaves, Lancs
John HIRST          Son         14    Paint Work (Lead)?     b: Habergham Eaves, Lancs
Ann HIRST            Dau        13    Nurse                  b: Habergham Eaves, Lancs
Joseph HIRST      Son           9     Scholar                b: Habergham Eaves, Lancs
Margaret HIRST   Dau            6     Scholar                b:Habergham Eaves, Lancs
Francis HURST      Son          3     Scholar                b: Habergham Eaves, Lancs

And pushing on back to 1841, find the following:

1841 Census:  Knotts, Hapton, Whalley, Lancs
Thomas HIRST     35      Calico Printer    b:  Lancs
Fanny HIRST      30                        b:  Lancs
Elizabeth HIRST  13                        b:  Lancs
James HIRST      11                        b:  Lancs
William HIRST    7                         b:  Lancs
John HIRST       5                         b:  Lancs
Ann HIRST        2                         b:  Lancs

Looking at the names, ages, places of birth, occupations and addresses - I am pretty certain that this is the same family in the three censuses, but can anyone explain the change in surname from HIRST to HAYHURST?? Would it be quite feasible for the family to change their name slightly between 1861 and 1871?  Has anyone else experienced name changing like this, or offer any reason to why this may have happened?  Incidentally, I can find no record of any of these people on the 1881 or 1891 census, using the different spellings of Hirst or Hayhurst!  They all seem to have just completely disappeared, and I cannot easily pin down any deaths or marriages using Free BMD!

Any theories greatly appreciated!

Thanks and Regards
Alison Hargreaves, Swindon, UK

[mosiefish]

Hi Alison,

1881 census:
RG11/4153 Folio 59 page 53
59 Accrington Road, Habergham Eaves, Burnley

Fanny Hayhurst, head, Wid, 70, Newchurch, Lancashire
Francis, Son, Unm, 32, Mechanic Mill, Burnley
Mary or Marg. Miles, Daur, Mar, 34, Cotton Weaver, Hapton
John Thos Miles, Grandson, U, 11, Scholar, Burnley
Frank Miles, Grandson, U, 7, Scholar, Burnley
Fred Miles, Grandson, U, 6, Scholar, Burnley
John Sheilds, Boarder, U, 19, Labourer at paper Mill, Burnley
*ANNE WELDEN, Boarder, U, 23, Winder Cotton Mill Elberton,
 Yorks

* A Samuel Hayhurst, Widower, aged 29 married an Annie Weldon aged 24,at Holy Trinity, Habergham Eaves on 12th March, 1882.  Husbands father was Thomas Hayhurst and Wifes father William Weldon.

As Fanny`s place of birth is now Newchurch I would think that this is Newchurch in Rossendale.  I would also suspect that as Thomas and family were living at Knotts in the 1841 he would have been employed at the Lowerhouse Print Works.

Regards,
Mo

[Alison Smith (nee Hargreaves)]

Hi Mo

Thanks for your message re my Hayhurst family.  This definitely looks like them! 

Big clue there is finding Anne or Annie Welden living in Fanny's household in 1881.

I have been unable to find husband and wife Samuel and Annie Hayhurst on 1891 census, but suspect I have found the death of Samuel Hayhurst in Q1 1886 in Blackburn, aged 33.  I did a search in FreeBMD to see if it's possible that Annie Hayhurst remarried - and found one possibility - Q4 1886 in Blackburn to either Francis Cross or James Rimmer.

The 1891 census finds a Francis and Annie Cross living in Blackburn - with a 7 year old son called Samuel Cross...   Samuel would have been born about 1884 - and I expect it's possible that he took on his new stepfather's surname?! 

Incidentally, Annie's place of birth in 1891 and 1901 are York and Elvington respectively - this seems to be the "Elberton" stated in the 1881 census!  (Elvington is where TV presenter Richard Hammond had his near fatal crash last year....)!

Anyway - I will keep plugging away with this family, and I'm slowly getting there - so thanks a million again for pointing me in the right direction.

You're a star - as always!!

Cheers...  Alison x

[mosiefish]

Hi Alison,

Do you have these baptisms from Holy Trinity?

Sarah Ellen HEYHURST  Born 29th September, 1854, Baptised 11th November, 1854.
Parents Thomas Heyhurst and Frances TAYLOR

Francis HURST baptised 20th May, 1849
Parents Thomas Hurst and Frances TAYLOR

Regards,
Mo

[Alison Smith (nee Hargreaves)]

Thanks again Mo....

These do look my family, and I've been given some more baptisms from the BVRI discs for other children who appear to be the children of Thomas and Fanny/Frances - and they are looking very suspiciously like the children listed on the censuses!!   

More to get my teeth into which is fantastic!

Thanks again....  Alison x