Showing posts with label lancashire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lancashire. Show all posts

Monday, 16 August 2010

Thomas Whittaker and Margaret

It gets very confusing with all these Thomas'. This Thomas was born in 1781 in Livesey, Lancashire. In the 1841 and 1851 census, he was recorded as resident in Blackburn, Lancashire.

He was a farmer.

He died aged 88 years old in 1869 in Bury, Lancashire.

I can't trace Margaret's maiden name or parentage. She was born in 1781 in Balderston, Lancashire. In the 1851 census, she is resident in Blackburn aged 70 years old. She was also recorded as working as a farmer. I have no record of her death.

This is as far back as I have traced the Whittaker family.

Thomas Whittaker and Susannah Simpson

These were Robert's parents. Thomas was born in 1815 in Clayton le Dale or Enfield, Lancashire.

In the 1841 census, he is resident in Blackburn, Lancashire. By the 1851 census, he has moved to Chorley, Lancashire and remained there until his death in 1872.

He married Susannah Simpson and had six children.

He worked as a calico printer and., cloth picker at printworks. In the 1871 census, he was recorded as unemployed.

Calico is a type of cloth, heavier than linen and made of cotton. A calico printer drew a pattern on paper, as wide as the cloth. The pattern was divided into squares about 8 inches by 12 inches and cut into wooden blocks. The cloth was laid on a table and the blocks covered with dye and placed on the calico to make the print.

If he worked in the print industry then it may be that Robert did too and had this skill to take to the printing factories in Scotland.

Susannah was born in 1817 in Enfield, Lancashire. I have her resident in Chorley in the 1851, 1861 and 1871 census. I can't trace her parentage.

Robert Whittaker

Robert was my grandmother's father. He was English, born in 1853 in Chorley, Lancashire. He married a widower, Jane Watson Paterson in 1885 in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

I can trace his residence from census and other documents:

1853 - Chorley, Lancashire
1861 - Chorley, Lancashire
1871 - Chorley, Lancashire
1885 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1885 - Alexandria, Dunbartonshire
1891 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1901 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1906 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1918 - died in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire.

He worked in the print industry as back tinter for calico printer, print field hand, printfield engine keeper and printfield worker.

I assume that he moved to Scotland for work as there was increasing industry and jobs in Jamestown (where Bonhill is located) at the time.

I know that he and my grandmother, Lydia were involved in St Mungo's Episcopal Church in Alexandria and were both very religious people.