X00378 Elizabeth Rothwell after 1871

Elizabeth Rothwell is the sixth daughter of Henry Rothwell and Alice Hacking. She was born 16 July 1846 in Blackburn, Lancashire. Census records have her living with the family all the way through to the 1871 census but I have not faound her in any records in Blackburn beyond that date.

I did then start looking farther out and found this marriage record:

It has an Elizabeth Rothwell marrying a William Sutton on 6 May 1876 in Eccles, Lancashire. Unfortunately the marriage record does not give an age or profession, so I can't verify that information. As well, the location isn't where I would expect it to be in Eccles, Lancashire.

The one positive as far as the connections ithe information about the father - the father is named Henry Rothwell and his profession is a cart driver. So that and the name Elizabeth Rothwell match.

So, it's a possibility that this is the correct Elizabeth Rothwell in the marriage record, but there's not a lot to go on. I'm going to treat it as a hypothesis to see if there are any other records that I might find to either prove or disprove the hypothesis.

X00377 Richard Rothwell and the discover of Ellen Rothwell

I had posted previously about Richard Rothwell, born about 1855 and the challenge of finding out who his parents were (X00377). One of the noted next actions was to look for birth/baptism records for a Richard Rothwell, born about 1855 in Blackburn, Lancshire.

I could not find any Richard Rothwell baptisms in Blackburn in the years around 1855 and there are no Richard Rothwells in the GRO indexes registered in Blackburn from the years 1853 to 1857. There are some Richard Rothwells born in Haslingden in the time period, which could be possibilities, although none of them are born to a mother with a maiden name of Airey.

So, it would appear that either the name, birthdate and/or birth location are incorrect for Richard Rothwell, or the birth was not registered or not indexed properly. It also seems unlikely that Margaret Airey Rothwell was the mother, given that the date is likely before her marriage with James Rothwell; perhaps Richard was the son of James H.R. Rothwell with another woman (his marriage certificate liss his as a bachelor, so no indication of a previous marriage). Or perhaps the son of one of the other children of Henry and Alice Rothwell.

Current Possibilities:

• Richard Rothwell is the son of James H.R. Rothwell and a woman other than Margaret Airey
• Richard could be the child of an unmarried Rothwell daughter
• There could be an additional child of Henry and Alice Rothwell that I haven't yet discovered

Until I have more definite proof, I've marked Richard as unconnected in my tree until I have definite proof of who the parents might be.

Next steps:

• Continue to look for birth/baptism records for Richard Rothwell - Although there were no Blackburn birth records found, there were a few Richard Rothwells born in Haslingden
• Trace James H.R. Rothwell in later years (X00376)
• Look for Richard Rothwell in later census records, marriage or death records (note that he was alive in 1889)
• Trace other children of Henry and Alice Rothwell to see if that yields anything

On a side note, as I was trying to find a birth registration for Richard Rothwell, I did a search to find other births with the surname of Rothwell and a mother's maiden name of Airey. I did manage to find a birth registration for an Ellen Rothwell, daughter of James Rothwell and Margaret Airey, born 27 December 1857 in Blackburn.

Sadly, Ellen died six months later of congenital phthsis. This does, however give a little bit more information about James Rothwell and Margaret Airey (X00376).

On yet another side note, I did come across another birth record for a William Airey Rothwell, born 29 November 1856 in Haslingden, but the parents were John Rothwell and Elizabeth Airey. Not from the same family, but perhaps a distant connection.

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possibility * not registered * Not registered in blackburn * Indeexed incorrectly

X00380 Richard Rothwell EOL

I had posted earlier about X00372 where I found the parents of Henry Rothwell to be Richard and Mary Rothwell. I also found that Henry was born in 1811 in Haslingden, Lancashire. So, the next step was to see if I can find more info about the next generation.

I had a search through the Haslingden marriage records from that time period and managed to find a marriage record in Haslingden in 1803 for a Richard Rothwell and Mary Ratcliffe.

Interestingly enough, the marriage right below it on the page is between a Richard Rothwell and an Anne Kindle on the same day.

When I had been searching earlier I also found a death record record for a Richard Radcliffe Rothwell, an innkeeper who died in 1842 aged 50, which would suggest a birth year of about 1892. Far too young for it to be the same one, but it does suggest a connection between the Rothwell and Radcliffe families.

So, lots to investigate with my newly-found 5x great grandparents, Richard Rothwell (X00380) and Mary Ratcliffe (X00389). More to come.

X0293 How Did Percy Douglas lose his leg

Some time ago I posted aboux X00293 raising the question of how did Percy Douglas lose his leg. In the post I mentioned that the next steps would be to look for obituaries to see if any of them mentioned anything

I did manage to find obituaries for Percy Douglas in both the Owen Sound newspapers:

And the Kalamazoo newspapers:

Unfortunately, neither of them had anything to say about losing a leg. I have not been able to find any news articles or documents that say anything about a lost leg, other than the draft registration card. This one remains a mystery.

Profile: Henry Rothwell 1811-1875

Ancestor Profile: Henry Rothwell (1811–1875)

Birth & Early Life
Henry Rothwell was born on 1 August 1811 in the market town of Haslingden, nestled in the rolling hills of Lancashire, England. He was baptized just a few months later on 20 October 1811 at the local parish church, marking the beginning of a life deeply rooted in the industrial heart of northern England. He was the son of Richard and Mary Rothwell, whose own stories remain elusive in the historical record.

Marriage & Family
On 22 July 1833, Henry married Alice Hacking in Blackburn, Lancashire. Their union spanned over four decades and produced nine children:

• Nancy Rothwell (b. 1828)
• Richard Rothwell (c.1834–1844)
• James Hacking Ratcliffe Rothwell (b. 1835)
• Mary Rothwell (c.1836–1903)
• Henry Rothwell (c.1838–1840)
• Martha Alice Rothwell (1840–1899)
• Ellen Rothwell (1842–1844)
• Alice Ann Rothwell (1844–1872)
• Elizabeth Rothwell (b. 1846)

Their family life was marked by both joy and sorrow, with several children passing away young—a common tragedy in Victorian England.

Occupational Journey
Henry’s working life paints a vivid picture of the laboring class in 19th-century Lancashire. He held a variety of roles, each reflecting the gritty resilience of a man who adapted to the demands of a rapidly industrializing society:

• Horsekeeper & Ostler (1833–1836): Early records show Henry working with horses, a vital role in transportation and trade.
• Porter & Carter (1840s–1870s): He transitioned into roles involving the movement of goods, often recorded as a carter or porter in Blackburn.
• Labourer & Foundry Worker: By the 1860s, Henry was employed in a foundry, contributing to the industrial backbone of the region.

His residences—High Street, Back Lane, Salford, Ewood Bridge, Swarbrick Street, and Peter Street—map a life spent in the bustling neighborhoods of Blackburn.

Final Years & Death
Henry in a hotel in Blackpool, Lancashire on 25 July 1875 while vacationing there. The cause was broncho-pneumonia, a respiratory illness that claimed many lives in the era before antibiotics.

He was laid to rest on 28 July 1875 at Blackburn Cemetery, a final return to the town that had shaped his life.

Legacy
Henry Rothwell’s story is one of perseverance, family, and quiet strength. Through decades of hard labor and personal loss, he helped build the foundations of modern Blackburn. His descendants carry forward the legacy of a man who lived humbly but left a lasting mark.

X00372 Henry Rothwell End of Line - Solved!

Henry Rothwell is my 4x Great Grandather, and I have talked about him in previous blogposts. Now that I've sorted out a number of other details about him, it's time to sort out his birth information and to try to get to the next generation.

Birth information for Henry Rothwell appears in in the 1841 to 1871 census records as well as his death and burial records. Unfortunately, his marriage record gives no birth information. Below is analysis of the records:

Doc No	Desc	Year	Age Given	Birth Year	Birth Place
D01529	1841 Census	1841	30	ca 1811	Lancashire
D01628	1851 Census	1851	39	ca 1812	Haslingden, Lancashire
D01602	1861 Census	1861	49	ca 1812	Haslingden, Lancashire
D02674	1871 Census	1871	59	ca 1812	Haslingden, Lancashire
D02737	Death Certificate	1875	64	ca 1811
D02679	Burial Record	1875	64	ca 1811

The records would suggest a birth year of about 1811 or 1812 in Haslingden, Lancashire.

I did look for baptism records around that time and I did find a baptism record for a Henry Rothwell, son of Richard and Mary Rothwell, born 1 Aug 1811 in Haslingden and baptised 20 October 1811.

Not only was this the only matching record that I could find for a Henry Rothwell born in that place in those years, but the names of the parents also match first names of Henry's children, so I am confident that I have found the right baptism record. Based on the above information I am concluding that Henry Rothwell was born 1 August 1811 in Haslingden to Richard and Mary Rothwell.

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Sources:
[D01529] 1841 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 4, page 1, 24; digital images(accessed 9 Feb 2025); citing PRO HO 107/502/14.

[D01602] 1861 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 100, page 27; digital images(accessed 15 Feb 2025); citing PRO RG 9/3100.

[D01628] 1851 census of England, Haslingden, Lancashire, folio 244, page 14; digital images(accessed 15 Feb 2025); citing PRO HO 107/2250.

[D02674] 1871 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 75, page 25; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestry.ca (accessed 15 Feb 2025); citing PRO RG 10/4178.

[D02679] Deceased Online, "Deceased Online," database, Deceased Online (DeceasedOnline.com : accessed 25 May 2025), 844.

[D02737] England and Wales, death certificate for Henry Rothwell, died 25 July 1875; citing 083/419/47, Q3 quarter 1875, Fylde registration district, Poulton le Fylde sub-district; General Register Office, Southport. Rec. Date: 20 Apr 2025.

[D09319] (Blackburn, Lancashire, England), Lancashire, England, Church of England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, "Baptism Record - Henry Rothwell," PR 3016/1/9; digital images, ancestry.ca, ancestry.ca (accessed 3 Sep 2025).

X00381 John Taylor End-of-Line - Solved!

John Taylor is my 4x Great Grandfather and I'm looking to find his birth information and get to the the generation before. But with a very common name like John Taylor it can be very difficult.

Through the various records I have found about him, he was born around 1821 in Heywood, Lancashire, England. He died in 1861, before the 1861 census, and I have not been able to find him in the 1841 census, so the only census record that I have found him in is the 1851 census. Here's what I have found:

• 1851 Census - Age 29, suggesting a birth year of about 1822. Birthplace: Heywood, Lancashire.
• Marriage Record (1842) - No age given, but father's name give as James Taylor, a brick setter.
• Death Record (1861) - Age 40, suggesting a birth year of about 1821. No location given.

So, the evidence suggests a birth year of about 1821 in Heywood, Lancashire, with a father of James Taylor, a brick setter.

But I did some more research and managed to find a burial record which gives both parent's names:

And so we now know that his parents are named James and Rachel. I next managed to find a baptism record of a John Taylor, son of a James and Rachel Taylor in Heywood, Lancashire dated 25 March 1820

So it looks like I have found his baptism record. It doesn't give a date of birth, but the year and location coincides with what I am looking for.

On to the next challenge - to find more out about James Taylor and Rachel (X00387)!

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Sources:
[D00866] England and Wales, marriage certificate for James Taylor and Alice Ann Rothwell, married jun 28 1864; citing 8e/452/216, J quarter 1864, Blackburn registration district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.

[D01629] 1851 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 93, page 28; digital images(accessed 21 Feb 2025); citing PRO HO 107/2259.

[D06569] Deceased Online, "Deceased Online," database, Deceased Online ( accessed 28 Aug 2025), 295.

[D06573] England and Wales, death certificate for John Taylor, died 20 March 1861; citing 08e/245/445, Q1 quarter 1861, Blackburn registration district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.