Thomas EARNSHAW

  General Notes:

See birth certificates for their children - give addresses in Bradford area and then around Luddenden area

Several Thomas Earnshaw's and a Thomas Earshaw born around that time, but none seemed to totally fit until 1891 census record found (see below). This shows that Thomas was born in Denholme (Bradford) rather than Halifax as seen on the 1881 census. From this the correct records have been found for Thomas and family.

Birth is Dec 1841 Bradford XXIII p203. This gives parents as John and Martha (Farrar) of Denholme Edge. Registered 9 Oct 1841 - birth date 24 Sept 1841. Also confirmed from inscription on gravestone and from baptism records.
Birth registered in Thornton Sub District of Bradford
Q4 1841 EARNSHAW Thomas THORN/4/88

Haworth Baptism 1842 Page 112 entry 894
September 4 born 24 Sept'r 1841, Thomas son of, John & Martha, Earnshaw, Denholme, Weaver, P. Bronte

First Marriage found at FRC
Both Thomas Earnshaw and Elizabeth Briggs
Sep qtr 1863 Bradford Yks Vol 9b P 222
Entry 63 on 8th August 1863 at Lister Hils Chapel - Thomas Earnshaw(21, but corrected to 23) and Elizabeth Briggs (20) - both unmarried and living at Denholme. Note that Elizabeth's sister (Ann) and Thomas's brother (John) had married at the same church 2 years earlier.

Death on FreeBMD
Dec 1899 Halifax aged 58 vol 9a P329. Informant was his daughter Laura. Certificate gives his age as 55 (a little low!). Address was 13 Church Hill.

Headstone inscription at Luddenden cemetery (plot B158)
In Loving Memory of
Thomas Earnshaw
Church Hill, Luddenden
Born Sept 24th 1841
Died Oct 9th 1899
Also -
Betty, relict of the above
Died Nov 7th 1904
Aged 74 years
Stone made by J Moses

No will or administration in the Calendars

The marriage came as a surprise as I had presumed his wife was SUNDERLAND and that she would have been 33 years old. His son John Sunderland Earnshaw and grandson John Kenneth Sunderland Earnshaw, together with the fact that his father in law was John Sunderland (1881 census) all pointed to this. The first clue had come from the birth certificates of Heman and Lora - stating mother's previous name as Briggs. I then assumed that she was a widow having married someone called Briggs, but maiden name was Sunderland.

It was clear that I had something very wrong - but with a son called Heman, this was unlikely (the only one in 1881 census I think). The only other obvious explanation was that Elizabeth Briggs and Betty Sunderland were two different people. Previous searches for the marriage of Betty Sunderland had always been up to 1864, so the next search was from 1864 onwards and I have found the correct result.

The second marriage was in Feb 1872 at the parish church in Halifax of Thomas Earnshaw and Betty Sunderland (Mar 1872 Halifax 9a P590). Witnesses were John Sunderland (father?) and Mary Ann Sunderland (sister). Thomas was described as 30 Widower and Betty as 40 Spinster.

In the 1881 census, living in the same house are several Sunderland families. Could it be that after Elizabeth died, Betty helped to look after the children and then married (not directly likely as Thomas was living in Midgley when Elizabeth died). The last child John Sunderland Earnshaw was registered as John, but the Sunderland was added when baptised - yet the birth certificate confirms that his mother was Elizabeth (Briggs). All 5 children were baptised at the same time. I presume that Thomas and Elizabeth were non-conformist and the children were baptised into CofE because his new father in law was the verger at St Mary's Luddenden

On 1891 census, Thomas and Betty are still in the same property with 2 daughters plus Thomas's father John and this gives better info than the 1881 census regarding their origins

From dates and locations of birth, Thomas moved from Denholme to Halifax between 1865 and 1867

1851 Census - Hedge Bottom, Denholme Gate in Hamlet of Denholme
HO107/2311 F244 P20
John Earnshaw, Head, Mar, 38, P L Weaver (Worsted), York Bradford
Martha do, Wife, Mar, 38, , York Bradford
Rebecca do, Daur, Un, 18, P L Weaver Worsted, York Bradford
John do, Son, Un, 15, Coal Harrier, York Bradford
Thomas do, Son, , 9, Coal Harrier, York Bradford
William do, Son, , 7, , York Bradford
Eli Shackelton, Nephew, , 3, , York Bradford

1861 census - Edge Bottom, Denholme
RG9/3337 F42 P21
John Earnshaw, Head, M, 49, Worsted Powerloom Weaver, Yorkshire Bingley
Martha do, Wife, M, 49, , Yorkshire Thornton
Rebecca do, Daur, Un, 28, Worsted Powerloom Weaver, Yorkshire Thornton
Thomas do, Son, Un, 19, Worsted Powerloom Weaver, Yorkshire Thornton
George Edw'd, Son, , 7, Scholar, Yorkshire Thornton

1871 Census - Providence Place, Midgley
RG10/4417 F28 P7
Thos. Earnshaw, Head, Mar, 29, Weavers Overlooker, Yorkshire Denholme
Elizabeth Earnshaw, Wife, Mar, 28, , Yorkshire Wadsworth
Maria Earnshaw, Daur, , 7, Scholar, Yorkshire Denholme
Martha Earnshaw, Daur, , 5, Scholar, Yorkshire Denholme
(Emma crossed out) Herman Earnshaw, Son, , 3, Scholar, Yorkshire Midgley
Lora Earnshaw, Daur, , 2, , Yorkshire Wheatley
John Earnshaw, Son, 1 mo, , Yorkshire Midgley

1881 census
Dwelling:Church Hill
Census Place:Midgley, York, England
Source:FHL Film 1342056 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 4418 Folio 6 Page 5
MarrAgeSexBirthplace
Thomas EARNSHAWM39 MHalifax, York, England
Rel:Head
Occ:Worsted Weaving Overlooker
Betty EARNSHAWM50 FHalifax, York, England
Rel:Wife
Maria EARNSHAWU17 FHalifax, York, England
Rel:Daur
Occ:Worsted Millhand
Martha EARNSHAWU15 FHalifax, York, England
Rel:Daur
Occ:Worsted Millhand
Heman EARNSHAW 13 MHalifax, York, England
Rel:Son
Occ:Worsted Millhand
Laura EARNSHAW 12 FHalifax, York, England
Rel:Daur
Occ:Worsted Millhand
Johnny S. EARNSHAW 10 MHalifax, York, England
Rel:Son
Occ:Scholar
John B. SUNDERLANDW78 MHalifax, York, England
Rel:Father In Law
Occ:Verger

1891 census (on Ancestry.co.uk)
RG12/3602 Folio 78 P 6
13 Church Hill, Luddenden, Midgley, Yorkshire
Thomas Earnshaw, Head,M,49,Overlooker Worsted Weaving, employed, Yorkshire Denholme
Betty Earnshaw,wife,M,60,,,Warley Warley
Martha Earnshaw,daur,S,25,Weaver Worsted,employed,Yorkshire Denholme
Laura Earnshaw,daur,S,22,Worsted Mill Hand,employed,Yorkshire Ovenden
John Earnshaw,father,wid'r,80,Retired Weaver,,Yorkshire Denholme

Electoral Roll for 1887
Sowerby, Midgley Polling District, No 6 Midgley
D 183, Earnshaw Thomas, Church Hill Luddenden, Dwelling House, Church Hill

Electoral Roll for 1888
Sowerby, Midgley Polling District, No 6 Midgley
E 168, Earnshaw Thomas, 13 Church Hill Luddenden, Dwelling House, 13 Church Hill
-1889 is the same except no. is E163

On Electoral Rolls (on Ancestry) the address is given as 18 Church Hill from 1892 until 1896, then reverts to no. 13 until 1900

Not on 1901 Census - his widow and daughter Laura are listed at same address as 1881(indexed under Earnsham)

From confirmation that father, John Earnshaw, came from Denholme have now identified John on 1881 Census - together with wife Martha. The IGI below is correct as I have now a copy of the church record which has the same date of birth. The minister who performed the baptism was Patrick Bronte (father of the Bronte sisters)

IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0
British Isles
Search Results | Download | Pedigree

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THOMAS EARNSHAW
Male


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Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 04 SEP 1842 Haworth, Yorkshire, England

Death:
Burial:


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Parents:
Father: JOHN EARNSHAW Family
Mother: MARTHA


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Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.


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Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:

C018512 1813 - 1847 0990541, 0990542 Film 6909899 Film

In 1871, when Thomas was living at Providence Place, Midgley this was adjacent to, and part of, Oats Royd Mill, owned by the Murgatroyd family. So, presumably that was where Thomas was employed. He may well have been working there later, when living in Luddenden.
On the West Yorkshire Archive Service there are several references to the mill and this is the brief description
The family firm of John Murgatroyd and Sons Ltd, worsted spinners, started out in the 1700s doing cotton spinning at a farm, Green Edge, Warley. The business then expanded by collecting cloth from other farms, and had a warehouse at Lane Side, Warley and a room in the Piece Hall, Halifax.
The first section of the mill at oats royd, Midgley was built in 1847, with different sections being added in 1863, 1881 and 1893. At its peak in the early 1900's the company employed 1500 people, and in 1954 became part of the West Riding Worsted and Woollen mills Group, Guiseley, one of the largest worsted manufacturing groups in the country. The mill ceased production in 1983 and various parts of the building were used as industrial units, at the present time the remaining building is being converted into housing.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Worsted Weaving Overlooker, 4 Jun 1867. birth certificates of Heman and Lora and in 1881 census

• Occupation: Overlooker, 21 Feb 1872, Midgley Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

• Occupation: Overlooker worsted weaving, 1891, Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

• Occupation: Loom Turner, 1892, Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

• Occupation: Weaving Overlooker, 29 Dec 1897.

• Occupation: Worsted Weaving Overlooker, 9 Oct 1899, Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

Thomas married Elizabeth BRIGGS, daughter of John BRIGG and Maria HARTLEY, on 8 Aug 1863 in Lister Hills Chapel, Bradford, Yorkshire, England. (Elizabeth BRIGGS was born on 10 Apr 1843 in Wadsworth, Yorkshire, England and died on 15 Oct 1871 in Midgley Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England.)

  Marriage Notes:

The Lister Hills Chapel (Congregational) in Lister Hills Road, Bradford was built in 1854 but has now closed and been demolished - part of University on the site now. Bradford Archives have no records for this church

Thomas next married Betty SUNDERLAND, daughter of John Barker SUNDERLAND and Harriett BALME, on 21 Feb 1872 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. (Betty SUNDERLAND was born circa 1830 in Warley, Yorkshire, England, baptised on 26 Dec 1830 in Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England, died on 7 Nov 1904 in Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England and was buried on 10 Nov 1904 in Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, England.)