Mary Rothwell was born around 1836 in Blackburn, Lancashire, a town at the heart of the Industrial Revolution’s textile boom. Her baptism on 3 September 1836 at Blackburn’s parish church marks the earliest confirmed record of her life. While multiple documents list varying birth years—from 1833 to 1840—her baptism suggests a birth in mid to late 1836¹.
She was the daughter of Henry Rothwell (c.1812–1875) and Alice Hacking (c.1807–1889), part of a working-class family that endured the trials and transformations of Victorian England.
The Weaver’s World
Mary spent her entire life in Blackburn, where from a young age she worked as a cotton weaver—a common but demanding job for women in Lancashire’s textile mills. In 1851, she was living at Ewood Bridge and already employed in the cotton trade³. Her trade would remain consistent throughout her life, recorded as her occupation in the 1851, 1871, and 1881 censuses³⁵⁸.
On 19 December 1854, Mary married George Slater, another cotton worker, at Blackburn⁴. The couple was living on Turner Lane at the time and both listed weaving as their profession. Their lives were emblematic of the many families who navigated marriage, work, and child-rearing within the constraints of factory schedules and industrial housing.
Home and Family
Mary and George had at least four children:
- William Henry Slater, born around 1856⁹
- Alma Slater, born around 1858⁵
- Margaret Alice Slater, born around 1859⁵
- Rothwell Slater, born around 1863⁸
Their homes shifted over the decades but remained within Blackburn. In 1861, they were living at 9 Barnes Street, and by 1871, they had moved to 85 Alker Street, where they remained at least through 1881⁹⁵⁸.
Decline and the Workhouse
The 1901 census paints a somber picture of Mary’s final years. She was listed as a "chairwoman"—possibly a home-based job or informal labor—and living in the Blackburn Union Workhouse¹⁰. Notably, she was described as a “lunatic”, a label commonly (and often inaccurately) applied in Victorian records to those with mental illness, dementia, or other cognitive challenges.
Mary died on 29 November 1903 at the workhouse (then located at 24 Copperfield Street) from senile decay, an outdated term often referring to age-related mental decline⁶⁷. She was buried in Blackburn Cemetery on 5 December 1903⁶.
George Slater – Husband and Mill Worker
Born around 1834, George Slater shared Mary’s life of weaving and resilience. The son of Lawrence Slater, George also experienced uncertain birth dates ranging from 1832 to 1837²³⁴. Like Mary, his occupation was listed as a cotton weaver across several census decades²³⁴, and he lived with her at their various Blackburn addresses.
Records after the 1881 census grow quiet about George, and it’s unknown whether he passed before Mary or simply left fewer records behind.
Legacy
Mary Rothwell’s life is a vivid example of a 19th-century working-class woman in industrial Britain. From the cotton mills of Blackburn to the workhouse in her later years, Mary endured hardship with persistence typical of many women in her era. Her story, pieced together through historical records, offers a glimpse into the life of a Lancashire cotton weaver and the unspoken struggles of the Victorian poor.
Sources
1. (Blackburn, Lancashire, England), Lancashire England, Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813-1911, "Baptism Record - Mary
Rothwell,"; digital images, ancestry.ca, ancestry.ca
[D09244].
2. 1841 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 4, page 1, 24; digital images; citing PRO HO 107/502/14.
[D01529].
3. 1851 census of England, Haslingden, Lancashire, folio 244, page 14; digital images; citing PRO HO 107/2250.
[D01628].
4. England and Wales, marriage certificate for George Slater and Mary Rothwell, married 19 December 1854; citing 08e/503/9, Q4 quarter 1854,
Blackburn registration district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
[D09270].
5. 1871 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, folio 45, page 27, 134; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestra.ca; citing PRO RG 10/4176.
[D09276].
6. England and Wales, death certificate for Mary Slater, died 29 November 1903; citing 08e/292/294, Q4 quarter 1903, Blackburn registration
district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
[D09269].
7. Blackburn Cemetery (Blackburn, Lancashire), order for interment of Mary Slater, 5 December 1903; digital images, Deceased Online, Deceased Online.
[D09284].
8. 1881 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, folio 92, page 34, 128; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestry.ca; citing PRO RG 11/4186.
[D09277].
9. 1861 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, folio 100, page 40, 222; digital images; citing PRO RG 9/3103.
[D09275].
10. 1901 census of England, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, folio 131, page 34, 1; digital images, Ancestry.com; citing
PRO RG 13/3916.
[D09279].