Search for parents of a Rothwell (an orphan?) born 1845, raised in Rochdale

[Rw2]

My great great grandfather was an Edwin Rothwell born in Rochdale in 1845 per the 1851 and '61 census, although I haven't found a birth or bapt. record for him.  At age 6 in 1851 he was living with and was being raised by his uncle and aunt William and Ann Clegg in Rochdale (or that area), who don't seem to have had other children, per the census, and in 1861 he was living at age 16 with his widowed aunt Ann Clegg while he was working as a plumber.
Ann was originally from Fewston, a town north of Leeds, and I think William Clegg was from Rochdale (or at least he was per the 1851 census I think), so it might be more likely that William was Edwin's mother's brother, and if so his mother was a Clegg too (William certainly wasn't his father's brother), than that Ann was his father's sister (and therefore a Rothwell) or his mother's mother, but either case is certainly possible too.
I assume Edwin's mother died before he was 6 but I don't know of course (there was a miserable mortality rate for the locals in Rochdale and in Lancashire generally in the 1840s), and I don't know who his father was or what became of him.
Does anyone have any info. that might shine some light re Edwin Rothwell born in @ 1845 in Rochdale and these Cleggs???
Thank you in any event.

Here's a link to a thread re Rothwells and, interestingly, Cleggs.:  https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=319463.msg2003306#msg2003306

[mckha489]

I am presuming you don’t have the marriage of Ann & William?

Interesting that in 1851 Edwin is Edwin R. Rothwell
Then in 1861 he is Edwin Clegg Rothwell. (Not that it helps)

What did Edwin say about his father on his marriage? 


PS it is confusing having your identical post on that old thread. Research gets doubled up.  I would delete that and just post a link to it on your first post here.

[Rw2]

Thank you, I'll delete the post to the old thread (once I learn how to link it to this post.) 

I wrote that post from memory (although I've checked the 1861 census record and changed it to mention that Edwin's aunt Ann originally hails from Fewston, just north of Leeds.  I checked the FreeCen site, and while an entry comes up for 1861, none does for 1851.  But I have a record from that census as well, for a 6 year old Edwin, that I printed out a few years ago.) 
I've looked through church records available online for the older churches in Rochdale and haven't found the bapt. record for an Edwin Rothwell that fits the census records, but which indicate he was born in Rochdale.   

Do you think it might be more likely that William is his maternal uncle, ie. that his mother was a Clegg too, in light of the middle name indicated in 1861, or would he take on that name having been adopted by a William Clegg?

Thanks again for your kind response!!

[mckha489]

Thank you, I'll delete the post to the old thread (once I learn how to link it to this post.) 

just copy the url at the top of the old thread, and paste it into your opening post (click on the modify button which is available for 24 hours). If you have missed that window, just post it in another post.

[Rw2]

Thanks again,

I included the link in the first post above.  Before I delete that post, is there some way to direct the people who posted to that thread to this new one?

I'd forgotten that Edwin was an Edwin R. Rothwell in the 1851 census.  His son, my great grandfather, was named Robert.  (Again, the 'Free Cen' site doesn't seem to work for 1851.  Not for an Ann Clegg either.  ?  Which site are you using?)

Thanks again very much. 

[mckha489]

I wrote that post from memory.  I've just checked and I've been reminded that Edwin's aunt Ann originally hails from Fewston, just north of Leeds per the 1861 census.  (I checked the FreeCen site, and while an entry comes up for 1861, none does for 1851.  But I have a record from that census as well, for a 6 year old Edwin, that I printed out a few years ago.) 

1851
William Clegg, 33, plumber born Rochdale
Ann Clegg, wife, 36, born Otley Yorkshire
Edwin R Rothwell, 6, nephew, born Rochdale

Fewston & Otley are a 3 hour walk apart.

Do you think it might be more likely that William is his maternal uncle, ie. that his mother was a Clegg too, in light of the middle name indicated in 1861, or would he take on that name having been adopted by a William Clegg?

he could be either - the son of William's sister who married a Mr Rothwell
or - the son of Anne's sister who married a Rothwell

I can't see a good Clegg-Rothwell marriage
so it does seem more likely that he is Anne's sister's child. But I don't think you should Assume
modified to add - that I believe Nephew could be a bit of a loose term too.

But I also can't see a good marriage for William Clegg a plumber!

Edwin might have simply taken on Clegg as an acknowledgement of his upbringing. 

[mckha489]

 Which site are you using?)

I am using Ancestry & FindMyPast, but he is also easily & freely found in 1851 on FamilySearch. Here
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGN4-RLB

[Rw2]

I'm looking for free sites.  'Free Cen' (here https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59036918e9379091b1ad4d57/edwin-clegg-rothwell-1861-lancashire-chadderton-1845-?locale=en ) is great for 1861, but doesn't seem to have '51 census records as yet. (?)

I've edited the post on that other thread.
Thanks again.

[sparrett]

   His son, my great grandfather, was named Robert.   
Thanks again very much.

You will know Edwin married Margaret

 
Marriages Sep 1866   
 
ROTHWELL Edwin K             
SILVERWOOD Margaret
Ulverston    8e/933

Census 1851 shows Margaret SILVERWOOD aged 2 with her family .
Her father is Robert a stone mason and her mother is Jane .

So possibly Edwin' s children Jane and Robert, as they show in census 1871, are named for his wife's parents

This birth should be considered.

ROTHWELL, EDWIN
mms -      - 
GRO Reference: 1842
D Quarter
ROCHDALE UNION  Volume 21  Page 595

Wrong year
Sue