Black Country (Bilston) Friends and Neighbours - more names

[DudleyWinchurch]

Hi all,

Instead of just looking at direct family I wondered if anyone else out there is searching the same area as me?

Not sure if this is the best place for this (rather than the Staffordshire forum, for example) but it's a little bit off direct FH so I thought I'd try here (if it's in the wrong place, I guess the MODs will move it where it ought to be).

I've found that several generations of one branch of my family lived in Bilston throughout the 19th Century and possibly earlier. 

I've searched through the census pages and also been lucky enough to find Church records for many that even tell me the names of their godparents. 

They were large families with lots of girls so I have found connections to many other local families. 

Is there anyone else out there whose family come from 19th Century Bilston?  It seems to have been a melting pot for folk from many parts of Britain, including Wales and Ireland.

Occupations include Miners, Forge Workers (including Labourers and Engineers), Japanners, Stove Enamellers, Shopkeepers, Publicans, Schoolteachers - often with quite a mix of these in the same family.

So any other Bilston researchers who would like to chat, I'd love to hear from you.    

We might even have families in common, even if the relationships are tenuous.

[DudleyWinchurch]

Glad to see people are reading this - but no responses yet 

Just to start you off, I'm going to list some of the 3-4 dozen names I have already found as godparents (with the approx. dates when they did so).

These don't appear in my SIT, as they are not related (or not yet as far as I know) but obviously have some connection with my family (hence the interest in all their friends and neighbours).

James Tate - 1840
Jane Homer - 1840, 1843
Martha Smith (acted as proxy for someone who is a relative, 1848)
Elizabeth Johnson - 1850 (may be a relative)
Daniel Bowlan - 1851
Ann Roonay/Rooney - 1851 (also as Ann Cullen, 1861, 1863)
Joseph Shale - 1853, 1859, 1861
Mary Ann Shale - 1859, 1861
Obediah Johnson - 1855, 1867 (possibly a relative)
Sarah Lyth - 1855 (definitely a neighbour)
James Cummins - 1857
Mary Tunny - 1857
John and Maria Burke - 1859, 1863
Jeremiah Kennedy - 1861
John McNicholas - 1863
Agnes Shale - 1864
John Joseph Joice - 1865
Mary Ann Hayes - 1865
Agnes Cockhill - 1867

LOTS MORE ...

If any of these belong to you, I can give you details of when they appeared as godparents  and to whom and maybe you could tell us a little more about them.   

Also note, these come from Latin records so Ann could also be Annie, Hannah or Nancy, Mary could be Maria and vv. etc.

[leighton]

Hello Dud,

I have a g g grandfather who was born in Bilston. Henry Williams was born and baptised in December 1837. His parents were William Williams and Sarah Jones, Oxford Road, Bilston. They were married in Wolverhampton in May 1832 and lived in Bilston at least until about 1841. After that they moved to West Bromwich. They had nine children, six in Bilston and three in West Bromwich.

William was a Forgeman and was born about 1807. He gave his birthplace as Shropshire. Sarah was born about 1813 in Bilston. I have not been able to extend either of them any further back.

Leighton

[Arranroots]

Hello Dud

I have moved this to Staffordshire because I am hopeful that you will get a more "tuned-in" audience here!

kind regards, Arranroots 

[littleclaire]

Lots of my family come from Bilston area.....

Nicholls (lots and lots - you name them I'll be related!)
Hartell (from 18th century back)
Smallman (from 17th century and back)
Haley (from 17th century and back)

Anything that you have would be interesting - or you might be researching one of these lines!
Let me know....
Claire

[littleclaire]

In fact... one of the Nicholls' married a Dudley (Mary Dudley born about 1807)

 

[Ruth J]

littleClaire,

Did any of your Nicholls marry a Spruson?

Ruth j

[littleclaire]

not as far as I know, but there is still space for more marriages!
Claire

[DudleyWinchurch]

Hi All.

just got home and great to see everyone is talking about this.

Thanks Arranroots - I wasn't sure if I was allowed to use the main boards for talking about friends and neighbours who might not be relatives.

Leighton, I have a Williams family but not tracked before the 1880s so far as a Philip Williams b. 1883 married the daughter of one of my Dudley girls in 1914.  They were a big family still living in Bilston up to the 1900s.

Claire, I have a Thomas Hartill as a godfather in 1887?  
I'm very interested in your Mary Dudley.  My GGGGrandfather was Benjamin Dudley and he married a Mary Johnson in 1810.  Although they had several girls, who all seem to have been baptised in Bilston,  none of them were called Mary but if he'd been married before (it doesn't say in the parish record) and already had a Mary, that would make sense.  Do you know anything more about her?

For everyone else, I'll add some more names soon so keep asking about anyone you're looking for.  Each of these names is mentioned in a parish record that I have made notes from and/or photographed.  Obviously there may be more names as there are often more than one record clearly visible on these pictures and I will look again when I have a list of names to look for.

Most of the records but not all are from the Holy Trinity Church registers so if you know that some of your family were Catholic or married Catholics they may well be there.  I seem to have had family of several different denominations in Bilston.

Sheila