George Hargreaves part 2

It always pays to check all your sources thoroughly…

A couple of weeks ago in ’52 residents’ I wrote about George Hargreaves, chairman of the Sunday School committee at Sion, and my inability to track him down. I looked in the transcription of the gravestones in Sion, course I did, because I knew he was closely associated with the chapel and that the graveyard was open at the time of his death.

Couldn’t find him. That might be because he was buried elsewhere or that his stone was one of those said to have been lost during the renovations.

Looking in the database for something else today I came across:
‘Also of Mary Ann [Ormerod], their daughter, and wife of George Hargreaves died January 26th 1911 in the 68th year of her age’. This stone gives Mary Ann as daughter of James and Maria Ormerod and their death dates and ages.

So Mary Ann was 67 in 1911, b ~ 1844. It looks like Mary Ann Ormerod married George Hargreaves q4 1899 in Haslingden reg district , i.e. late in life. Cue a census trog.

John and Maria Ormerod in Cloughfold 1841 with their son Henry, who is also mentioned on the stone.
Both there in 1851 with Mary Ann, b 1844. John is woollen manufacturer employing 10 men 3 women 6 boys and 2 girls.
by 1861 he is a grocer - the decline of the small manufacturer with the growth of the mill?
1871 John is dead, Maria and Mary Ann still there.
1881 71 Newchurch Old Road. Mary Ann as general servant.
1891 71 Newchurch Road, living off own means
1901 still at 71 Newchurch Road, now as Mrs George Hargreaves. George is wast dealer (woollen), working on own account, aged 67 b Crawshawbooth ~ 1834.

So working back
1891 George Hargreaves at 26 Bacup Road with spouse Elizabeth (b ~ 1834) and daughter Jane Ellen b ~ 1860. Occupation Cotton Dealer.
1881 1 Green Bank Cottages with wife, daughter and 2 female lodgers. Occuptation ‘Waste dealer’
1871, 1 Green Bank cottages with wife, daughter and 1 female lodger, still there in 1881.
1861 Lord St, Newchurch with wife, daughters Betty b ~ 1857 and Jane Ellen and three lodgers (2F, 1M) all surnamed Hargreaves. Occupation Cotton Dresser. The lodgers are Sarah b ~ 1807 Deerply (I think) widow, Jane b ~ 1837 Goodshaw and Jacob b ~ 1845 Newchurch both single
1851. Well George isn’t married so is he with either of the lodger Hargreaves? Longholme Buildings gives us Head John Hargreaves b ~ 1802 Retired Loom Beamer, Spouse Sally b ~ 1802 and children Millison b ~ 1825, Betty b ~ 1827, Sarah b ~ 1829, John b ~ 1830, George b ~ 1833, Jane b ~ 1834, Hannah b ~ 1837, Joseph b ~ 1842 and Jacob b ~ 1845. The elder 7 born Higher Booths and the younger 2 in Newchurch. George then was a cotton weaver so it seems the lad did well for himself.

So both George and Mary Ann did well for themselves if George went from being a cotton weaver to self employed waste dealer and Mary Ann from general servant to living off her own means in 10 years…

Elizabeth was probably Elizabeth Ashworth whom he married q 2 1856. There were 7 Elizabeth Hargreaves died in the area between 1891 and 1899 so plenty more work to do.

So it looks like of my three likely contenders from the other week it’s the chap at 71 Newchurch Road, Cotton Waste Dealer. Don’t know where the idea that he ran his own building firm came from (see 52 residents #8).

Lessons of the week:
1. Check your resources thoroughly
2. Just because it’s in the paper doesn’t make it right. But we know that really.

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