West Lane Wesleyan, Haworth - records?

[Clever clogs]

Ollie

Keighley library holds a large number of parish registers and transcripts/indexes etc for the surrounding area. I could go and have a look for you next week if you like.
Keighley and District FHS have also transcribed and published a large number of registers PR and NC, so there's maybe something in their records, which I can also check out.

If you will either post some details or PM me, I will see what I can do. Away from home this week, so it will be Monday at the earliest before I can go there.

Regards

Ellen

[dobfarm]

If anyone knows ? it will be this website-Ask away!!

http://www.kdfhs.org.uk/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=56

[Clever clogs]

Hi Ollie
 Currently in Keighley library and can see register index for baptisms for West Lane Wesleyan chapel, Haworth. Period covered appears to be for 1874 - 1928. May be marriages as well. The index is bundled with a number of other non conformist indexes.

If you wish me to look at a reference, please can you provide details of what you are wanting to check out.

Ellen

[ollie_r]

Hi Ellen,

Thanks for looking - sorry for not getting back to you sooner. It is good to know they hold those records, though it's not so good news that they perhaps only start in 1874. That's 130 years worth of missing data

If you do find yourself there again one day, could you please look up Noah Robertshaw's marriage in August 1875, and if any of his children were baptised there in the early 1880's? (e.g. my g-grandfather, born June 1882). Also if there are earlier records for the church hidden away in that pile of non-conformist records.

Thanks!

[Clever clogs]

Hi Ollie

Nipped in there for a quick half hour. This is what I gleaned. (in alpha order as listed in the transcriptions)
Baptisms at the West Lane Wesleyan
Arthur - son of Noah and Ann of Haworth 26.7.1878
Helena - daughter of Noah and Ann of Coldshaw 28.7. 1884
Herbert - son of Noah and Ann of Kirkgate 19.10.1876
Jesse - child of Noah and Ann of Coldshaw 14.6.1882
Thomas Alfred - son of Noah and Sarah of Haworth 8.1.1892
Walter - son of Noah and Ann of Haworth 27.6.1880.

Bridge House Wesleyan, Haworth
ROBERTSHAW _ Dorothy May dau of Arthur & Annie 173 Hebden Road, Haworth, born May 6 1916
"                  - Joseph Arnold son of Arthur & Annie 40 Rigton St, Bradford born July 14 1920

Some ROBERTSHAW, ROBARDSHAW, ROBARTSHAW and ROBERDSHAW listings at Denholme chapel and Denholme Wesleyan - these appear to have lived in Cullingworth 1798- 1831 and later at 1876, 1881 and 1900s for the Denholme Wesleyan.

Keighley Wesleyan
Percy son of John & Mary Ann of Ebor House, Haworth, born April 14 1871, engine tender
John son of John & Mary Ann of Ebor House, Haworth, born Dec 10 1874, engine tender

Mill Hey (Primitive) chapel, Haworth
Thomas William, son of George and Emily of New Road, Haworth born Sept 10 1877, weaver
Lynda, daughter of Fred & Kate of Coldshaw b. March 19 1897  Labourer
Alvin, son of Thomas William and Jane Ann of 2 Spring Row, Harden nr. Bingley born March 15 1903

No marriages available for West Lane Wesleyan, either in transcript, or on microfiche. (only baptisms)
So either records haven't been handed in, or they have been handed in but have not been filmed, but no transcription exists at present at any rate. The other possibility is that the chapel may not have been licensed for marriages (I don't know, but not all were) so could they have married in the register office rather than the parish church if they were both Wesleyans? If you haven't got the certificate, and you want the information, it looks like you will have to purchase this.

Hope this helps you.

Ellen

[dave the tyke]

Hi Ollie
West Lane registers along with other Wesleyan and Methodist chapels would have been grouped together under the circuit returns. Usually 6 chapels and sometimes from quite distant parts. Unfortunately when the transcribers from Ancestry came to record the results, many times they seem to have either put the lot under the name of the chapel on the first page or under the title non-conformist. The way round this (if you want to browse the chapel registers and IF they are on Ancestry) is to find the reference letters and code and search that way or find which circuit West Lane belonged to.

Dave

[ollie_r]

Ellen:
Thank you so much for looking Jesse is my great-grandfather; I will have to make a visit to see these myself - were they originals or microfilm? Do you know what kind of general records the library holds for Haworth (highways, law and order, poor etc.?) or at least if they have an index? I haven't been able to find one online yet. I will be happy to repay the favour if you need some research doing at the British Library or SOG for you, since I'm not too far from them both.

Dave:
Good call with regards to them being amalgamated with the circuit records, but I'm pretty sure that Ancestry/NA don't have them, even under a mis-categorisation. Though it's always possible. I've tried getting in touch with the church since it's still running, but to no avail yet - again will probably necessitate a visit. Hopefully they're all sat in a box in someone's office somewhere, and it's just a case of finding someone who knows! (Same story happened not so long ago with the records for Wainsgate, Wadsworth; I understand that they're now with the WYJS.)

[Clever clogs]

Hi Ollie

I used a transcribed index to post you the details, but they do have the records filmed and available on microfiche.
Some local records for Keighley and immediate area are held at Keighley library. I'm going there tonight so I'll try and have a look at what they might hold for Haworth. Poor law records pre 1834 would probably be catalogues under Quarter Sessions, and therefore would be held at Wakefield. I did some work a couple or three years ago on Poor law union records, which dealt with correspondence between the Keighley workhouse and London PL commissioners, which was sponsored by TNA and the period which was transcribed is now available via their Discovery catalogue - I think it was something like 1838 through to 1850? A lot of Irish had arrived in Keighley in this period, partly because of the famine, so there was a lot of correspondence about them, and also much discussion about outdoor relief. You should take a look in there as there may be something pertaining to Haworth that interests you. I don't think the workhouse admission records have survived though, but again, may be wrong on this, and they would be at Wakefield as far as I know.
The library have a very eclectic mix of holdings - they certainly have a fabulous range of street maps, and the local history society has just been given a lot of rates books for turn of the century including many outlying areas that had been mouldering in a town hall basement. They also have early police records that they are currently transcribing and digitalising, so there's lots of information around, but maybe not so much online as yet. Takes a while you know.

You should certainly come to Yorkshire (in the spring) and check out what they hold locally.

Regards

Ellen

[dave the tyke]

Hi Ollie,
Just in case you are unable to get there for some time. I took this in 2007 but Haworth is one of those places where the rain comes sideways and the locals can trace their ancestors back to stones, so I don't expect that it will have changed much.

Dave