SMALLEY in Mold or Hawarden

[palfamilytree]

Hi,

I am tracing the family of John SMALLEY, who built the Holywell Cotton Mills in the late 18th century. His family lived mainly in Holywell, but I have also seen them mentioned living in Mold & Hawarden.
Does anyone have access to the PRs for these parishes? I would be grateful for any lookups.

Thanks,
Paul

[Jo Harding]

Hello Paul,

Have you approached the Flintshire Record Office as they are certain to have information on this family?

I don't know where you live but much of the old industrial site has been transformed into Greenfield Heritage Park.

 http://www.greenfieldvalley.com/

Jo.

[Jo Harding]

Hello Paul,

I notice that if you click on the Mill Sites History link on that site, it gives a history that mentions John Smalley and the cotton mills there. It states he built a six storey cotton mill there is just 6 weeks in 1785. That John Smalley was a former partner of Richard Arkwright. Some of the cotton mill building remains there to this day.

Do you have any idea when and where John Smalley was born and when he moved to Holywell?

I have seen other families by the name of Smalley in Hawarden, these included a John Smalley born c1771.

Jo

[Jo Harding]

Hello again,

I have found some information from the web and that John Smalley, who built the first cotton mill at Holywell, was born in England in c1729, he died in Holywell in 28 January 1782. He was a publican in Preston before he started this venture. That he moved to Holywell in 1777, when he built a cotton mill in the spring of that year.

It says that his son built 2 more mills in the same valley subsequently. I take it that you are seeking details on the son's family?

Jo

[palfamilytree]

Hi Jo,

Thanks for your reply.

I know quite a lot about John Smalley & his relationship with Richard Arkwright. He was born in Blackburn and lived in Preston. He helped Arkwright start up his famous cotton mill at Cromford in Derbyshire. They eventually fell out and John Smalley set up the Holywell mills in competition.

He had three sons, Christopher, William & John. They all started various businesses in Flintshire, mainly around Holywell. Christopher was an owner of the Doulas Smalley Bank in Mold, which went bankrupt sometime in the 1820s. John lived in Hawarden and died there in 1843, I found him in the 1841 census.
It is John's family I am interested in. I know he married Sarah Williamson, but have been unable to find out where or when. I am hoping it was in Hawarden.
Also I am interested in any baptisms or burials there.

Paul

[Peterej]

Hi Paul

Have a look on the Cheshire Parish Register database. They were married in 1793 in I think Neston.
If you cannot find the site please let me know - the web address is quite long.

Peter

[Jo Harding]

The link is as follows:

http://cgi.csc.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/cgiwrap?user=cprdb&script=ff-index

I hope I got it right!

It appears to be the right marriage as it states the groom's parish was Holywell. John Smalley shown as a "gentleman". Sarah Williamson of Neston parish. Witnesses were:Mary Williamson, Edward Lyon and Richard Carter. Married by Licence so there would be the record of this at the RO in Chester.

Jo

[palfamilytree]

Thanks Peter & Jo.

I never thought to look in Cheshire, although Neston is only on the other side of the Dee estury. You can probably see it from Holywell.

Paul

[Jo Harding]

Hello Paul,

Yes, the view across the estuary gives a good sighting of the North Wales hills and coastal towns. From memory, you cannot quite see Holywell from there though.

Jo.