My ancestor Abraham Horsfall (1733-1807), married to Martha Thomas (1755), mentioned eight children in his will. A while ago someone was kind enough to look up the family in Wilson’s Baptisms at the Chapels of Heptonstall and Cross Stone … Only three of Abraham and Martha’s children seem to listed: John (1755), Richard (1758) and Philip (1774). The missing names are Susan, James, Abraham, Sarah, Betty. In Abraham’s will his children are named in that order (with John and Richard coming first, and Philip last of all), which suggests that it was their birth order. Does anyone know whether it is possible that the missing children might have been baptised elsewhere, or might it be the case that some entries in the original, from which Wilson made his transcription, are illegible?
Philip was born in Pickovergate (various spellings) – where both Abraham and Sarah died, so the family probably inhabited the same place for a long period. Does anyone have any information about Pickovergate? Was it a farm, or a group of cottages, or an area – and does the name still exist in present-day Todmorden?
Another place, associated with the next generation of Horsfalls, was Lowersmithy (or Lower Smith, or Smithy). Wilson adds an H, suggesting that it was in Heptonstall. Any ideas?
I would be grateful for some local knowledge!
Ian
