Halton, West Yorkshire

[jsm]

Thank you so much for your interest, Pels.  No need to say sorry, your questions are spot on!  (I have been niggling at this for the last 3 years or so, keep coming up with various questions of my own, and then trying them out.)

Yes, I have considered that they might have been married before - in fact, I am waiting for a marriage cert to arrive, which may (or may not) show that Mary A was married before.  That might explain why there is no sign of a marriage to Joseph Dobson.   IF I have the right woman she was in Dalton with her first husband in 1871, but Mary E was born in 1872 ..................................I'm now not sure if the first child mary E born in Dalton is actually Joseph's or her first husband's.  I've sent off to the GRO - not sure if they'll find the right cert though.

So yes, what if he too was married before?  It seems unlikely that he would go down the pit, if he had a trade like butcher/maltster/greengrocer, so I too have been concentrating on the others.  The lodger in Rotherham 1871?  The one with mother Ann (widow of Thomas) living in Rothwell?  Or was he in Lancs/Westmorland/?  Maybe  having an affair with Mary A??

What a puzzle this family is!!  You wouldn't believe the trouble I have had getting this far!

jsm

[Pels.]

I can well believe how difficult it's been, I felt sorry for you the minute I saw the problem. It was hard because I could almost feel how long it had taken and didn't want to appear like some kind of a smart alec who was trying to teach you how to suck eggs .. when I didn't have a clue either ??

What I'm going to do is post a little of the information we have, in the hope it can wet someone else's appetite too .. it occasionally helps me if the details are written down and then we don't have to refer to the census all the time.

1881 census:
RG11/4598, Folio 21, Page 36

Yorkshire, Cudworth

Joseph Dobson, h. mar, 37, Coal Miner, b. Yorkshire, Leeds
Mary A, wife mar, 36, b. Westmorland, Milnthorpe
Mary E, dau, 9, Scholar, b. Lancaster, Dalton
Joseph, son, 7, Scholar, b. Yorks, Shafton
Hannah, dau, 5, b. Yorks, Roystone
Sarah E, dau, 9 mths?, b. Yorks, Roystone

[jsm]

Well, let's hope there is someone out there who can shine a little light of inspiration on this ..............................

[Pels:]

Sorry posted in error. 

[jsm]

I have just got the marrige cert for Mary Ann - born Jackson (but known as Mark, until after her father left,when she is back to Jackson on the 1861 census in Wesmorland)  She was indeed married to a Robert Atkinson in Ulverstone in 1865.  Register Office wedding.

So, IF she married Joseph Dobson it would have been under the name of Atkinson.  I can't find any record of that though.  If anyone can, I would love to know!

Looking more closely at his dates, I'm thinking it more likely Joseph was born in the latter part of 1843 or early 1844 - he died in July 1885 at the age of 41 West Melton, West Riding.  (Ignoring mistakes of course)

[Comosus]

I have ancestors from Halton and it's a little tricky.

I think it came under leeds up until the 1840s and then was switched to was Hunslet, which covered the Leeds outskirts. Then it was moved to Kirkstall briefly during the 1860s. Then I think it went back to Leeds.

Baptisms etc. before 1837 will likely be at Whitkirk, which is slightly East of Halton. There's also another small village Colton slightly south. Imagine it like a little triangle. All were coal mining villages (quite literally all the men from the branch I have from here were coal miners).

On censuses you need to look out for different places of birth as it can vary: Halton, Whitkirk, Templenewsam - They all mean the same place really!

If you find any Woodheads, please let me know

Andrew

[jsm]

Thanks Andrew!

The whole Leeds area seems like a minefield to me ...............

Having begun to think that maybe my Joseph was the son of Thomas and Ann of Rothwell, I have just had an email from Australia, which would appear to suggest that he wasn't.  I think I might take up stamp-collecting or train spotting - might be easier!!!!!!!!!!