Holden Family

[gnorman]

Hi everyone, I'm looking in to some ancestors; Jane Palmer and John Holden. I have census info for Jane, she lived with her Uncle William Tootal in the 1851, 1861 Census and in the 1871 Census she is married to John Holden. The emigrated somewhere around 1885 to America and ended up in Los Angeles. I have them on the 1900 & 1910 US Census and have death certificates for Jane in 1929 and John in 1925 both in LA. The death certificate lists Johns birth as being on 26th Dec 1836 in Withnell, Lancashire, to John Holden and Matilda Porter. I don't have access to paying sites at the moment and wondered if anyone could help me look for a marriage cert, immigration papers or anything else.
Many thanks, Luke

[Marj]

Freebmd has
Marriages Dec  Qtr 1869   (>99%)

 
Holden John Chorley 8e 705
 
Palmer Jane Chorley 8e 705

Lancbmd shows the marriage to place at Chorley Register office or Registrar attended. Preston

Marj

 
   

[Annette7]

Could find no marriage for a John Holden and Matilda Porter, no any children born to a couple with these names.

I then found John Holden on census 1841 (Chorley), 1851 (Withnell) and 1861 (Lyons Lane, Chorley).   He was the youngest child of a William and Mary - I should add the surname alternates between Holden and Holding in census records.   However, one his sisters was named Matilda!

From what I can gather, Withnell did not have it's own church at this time and although living in Withnell children were baptised in surrounding parishes so it's difficult to locate the baptisms for William and Mary's children.   I have found Matilda's - bp.20/2/1831 Heapey, St. Barnabas,  dau. of William (weaver) and Mary of Withnell and William bp.6/1/1833 Tockholes, St Stephen, son of William (weaver) and Mary of Withnell.   You can see what I mean about baptisms in different parishes.   These are the only 2 baptisms I could find with certainty out of at least 7 children born to them (per the census).   Some possibilities for the others but only transcriptions available with scant details so don't know if the William and Mary in these instances lived in Withnell or not.

Likewise, cannot pinpoint a certain marriage for William and Mary so don't have her maiden name.

Annette

[Annette7]

From 1881 census John and Jane had 2 elder children to the 3 known about i.e. Edith bc.1872 and Thos. W. bc.1874.

Checking these births on GRO index Edith Holden birth reg'd June qtr. 1872 and Thomas William Dec.qtr.1873, both in Chorley district, and mmn Palmer.    I believe there was an older child who died i.e. Mary Jane Holden birth Sept.qtr.1870, death Dec.qtr.1870 Chorley (mmn Palmer).

Have found their arrival in US - John and son Thomas W. arrived on 1st. May 1885 on the ship 'City of Rome' - however, ages up the pole as John shown as 26 and son Thos. as 11!!

Jane and the other children arrived on the same ship on 21st May 1886 - ages somewhat out again and listed as Mrs. Holding aged 30 (?) plus Edith 11, Livingston 9, Wilfred 6 and John 7.

Annette

[gnorman]

Thanks Marj, now you've pinned it down I can order this on pay day.

Annette, some very interesting stuff here. I agree about Mary Jane being their daughter and its great to have the extra census details. Strange them changing between Holden and Holding isnt it. Also I've no idea why they knocked years off their ages when they immigrated, they went back to their real ages in America.

Thank you both for all of your help!
Luke