Amy Hoyle/Hankin/Mcintrye?

[bunnyb]

Hello, Jill,

Thanks for all the information about Papist rolls, tenant farming, and Goores.  The Richard you mention was no doubt a relative and very likely an ancestor.  In any case, your posting sent me on another search, where I discovered that someone named Edward Goore or Gore of Altcar  was in 1652 charged with treason and had his lands and estate confiscated by Parliament (presumably because he was Roman Catholic).

On a happier note, I found a very floridly written story about a costume ball, held apparently in Preston in September of 1842, that was "the crowning, and most gorgeous of the Guild festivities":  "The hall and refreshment rooms were lighted up in a manner similar to that of the Fancy Ball. [. . .] The company, however, being attired in fancy dresses, made a more rich and diversified display."  Not surprisingly, "everything went off extremely well [. . .], the refreshments were excellent, and [. . .] dancing was kept up till nearly daylight." Among the hundreds of guests listed, usually with their costumes specified, was Miss Ellen Balshaw of Altcar, who was costumed as a Swiss peasant.  Your Ellen?  Or another?  If your Ellen was born in 1820, lived in Altcar, and was not yet married in 1842, she might well have been there enjoying the fine refreshments and dancing until dawn. 

Regards,

Jane

[AllStar]

Hi Jill and Jane
I have not been on this forum for ages, and it lovely to come back and find what further discussions have come from my questions. I will have to look into the Balshaw line myself, and further my tree, as I must confess I only have name on my tree briefly, as Ellen's maiden name. I know it has been a while since you both posted, but thank you both for the further information.
AllStar

[Mary Marsden]

Research has been carried out at UCLan (Preston) into the Gore and Balshaw families as part of investigations into the agricultural history of Lancashire. I believe that one conclusion about the Gores (and perhaps by implication also the Balshaws who intermarried with the Gores) is that "too many daughters" were born (hence leading to the need for dowries and to transfer of female wealth to their husbands on marriage). Perhaps UCLan's library has more information, e.g. in the form of dissertations by former students of UCLan?


I gather that a Gore Balshaw was charged at Lancaster with the "killing and slaying" of Sarah Holme of Lydiate in 1809 (according to the Lancaster Gazette of 25 March 1809). I have not yet been able to find out more about this case.

Another Gore Balshaw was subjected to bankruptcy proceedings (1871); his address was given as 22 Great Homer Street, Liverpool.

My own connection with these two families has as a result of DNA testing on my brother's Y-DNA (Gore) and via autosomal DNA from both my brother and me.

Let me know if you'd like more information on the above.

[TUPPENCE59]

Hello Mary,
Someone sent me the family tree from a genealogy course at Edge Hill. The tutor set the students the task of tracing one of his own lines - The Balshaws - as a test. He obviously knew the correct lineage and so it was a useful experience for them. Sounds like this may be a part of the Uclan documentation you mention.
Other than that, I know little about the Gore side of the family although I must admit I'm intrigued about the murder you mentioned!

[Mary Marsden]

If you'd like more information on the findings of the UCLan research, please let me know.

I've found some more about Gore Balshaw. There is a report in the Chester Courant of 4 April 1809 that at Lancaster Assizes GB was found guilty of manslaughter, fined one shilling, and imprisoned for 6 months. At the same assizes nine men were condemned to death for such crimes as "uttering counterfeit money" (technically a form of treason) and sheep stealing!

Ancestry has registers listing the outcome of assize trials including GB's but for an account of his trial I think it would be necessary to visit the National Archives at Kew.