The Taylor-Rothwell Family of Blackburn, Lancashire

The Taylor-Rothwell Family of Blackburn, Lancashire

The story of James Taylor and Alice Ann Rothwell is one of industrious lives, early love, and enduring legacy in the heart of Blackburn, Lancashire. Their journey, though marked by hardship, laid the foundation for generations to come.

James Taylor & Alice Ann Rothwell
James Taylor was born on 30 September 1845 in Blackburn, Lancashire, to John Taylor and Jane Whittle【James Taylor: 1,7】. Baptized at St. Mary the Virgin Church on 23 November 1845【James Taylor: 1】, James grew up in a working-class household and began his career as a cotton weaver before becoming a blacksmith’s striker and eventually a cabinet maker【James Taylor: 3,5,27】.

Alice Ann Rothwell was born on 11 November 1844 in Blackburn to Henry Rothwell and Alice Hacking【Alice Ann Rothwell: 1,4】. Baptized at Saint Mary’s Church on 23 February 1845【Alice Ann Rothwell: 3】, she worked as a throstle spinner and later as a cotton weaver’s wife【Alice Ann Rothwell: 5,10】.

The couple married on 28 June 1864 at Blackburn【Alice Ann Rothwell: 7】【James Taylor: 8】. Their union, though brief due to Alice’s untimely death at age 27 from uterine hemorrhage【Alice Ann Rothwell: 9】, produced three children who carried forward their legacy.

Children of James and Alice
1. Jane Taylor (1864–1941)
Born on 12 October 1864 in Blackburn【Alice Ann Rothwell: 10】【James Taylor: 12】, Jane was just seven when her mother passed away. She later married Christopher Place on 6 May 1883【James Taylor: 33】. Jane lived through the industrial boom of Blackburn and raised her own family amidst the changing tides of Victorian England.

2. Mary Alice Taylor (1867–1938)
Mary Alice was born on 7 January 1867【Alice Ann Rothwell: 11】【James Taylor: 13】. Baptized in Blackburn【James Taylor: 14】, she married Thomas Lee on 8 August 1891 at St. Michael and All Angels Church【Alice Ann Rothwell: 15】【James Taylor: 16】. Her life spanned the transition from Victorian to modern Britain, and she remained in Blackburn until her death in 1938【James Taylor: 20】.

3. William Charles Taylor (1870–1946)
The youngest, William Charles, was born on 15 September 1870【Alice Ann Rothwell: 21】【James Taylor: 22】. Baptized at St. Mary the Virgin Church【James Taylor: 23】, he lived a long and varied life. From working as a cotton spinner and coal miner to becoming a chip fryer and timber yard laborer, William embodied the resilience of the working class. He married Elizabeth Ann Briggs on 24 December 1898【James Taylor: 25】 and died in Blackburn in 1946【James Taylor: 30】.

Legacy and Later Years
Alice Ann Rothwell passed away on 8 March 1872【Alice Ann Rothwell: 9】【James Taylor: 32】. James remarried Hannah Holden in 1876【James Taylor: 9】 and continued working until his death from heart disease on 17 April 1893【James Taylor: 10】.

Their children remained rooted in Blackburn, contributing to its industrial and social fabric. The Taylor-Rothwell lineage is a testament to perseverance, family bonds, and the enduring spirit of Lancashire’s working class.

Source Citations

• Birth, marriage, and death certificates from the General Register Office, Southport【Alice Ann Rothwell: 1,7,9,10,11,21】【James Taylor: 1,7,8,9,10,12,13,22,25,30】
• Census records from 1851 to 1921【Alice Ann Rothwell: 4,5,6】【James Taylor: 2,3,4,5,11】【William Charles Taylor: 3,4,7,8,9,10】
• Baptism records from St. Mary the Virgin and other Blackburn churches【Alice Ann Rothwell: 3】【James Taylor: 1,23】【William Charles Taylor: 6】
• Marriage records from Church of England parishes【Alice Ann Rothwell: 15】【James Taylor: 16,33】【William Charles Taylor: 2】

X00390 Charles Taylor after 1861 - Part 2

As I continue to try to find out more about Charles Taylor after 1861, I have been checking the hints on Ancestry and there is one death record for a Charles Taylor in 1934 that shows up. A number of other researchers have put his year of death as 1934, likely because of this record. So I decided to go and get it.

The name and age match, but that's about it. The profession is different from any other profession that I've seen in other records and the name of the informant as his son doesn't match any of his sons in other records. The location of the death is Blackburn, but Charles doesn't seem to have much of a connection to Blackburn other than having spent his younger years living there. So, this does not appear to be the right death record.

Unfortunately finding a death record is going to be a challenge. Charles Taylor is a commmon name, and he moved around a lot, so there's not much to go on there. I don't have a year of death either, other than that he appears in the 1911 census, so the death would have been after 1911. The only hope is that a death record would have some clear identifying information on it, such as a profession or an informant name. In this case, however, this would mean buying a large number of death certificates in the hopes of finding a key identifying piece of information in one of them.

Instead, I turned my attention to his wife, Eliza Aylward Taylor. She appears in the 1901 census, but Charles is listed as a widower in the 1911 census, so she must have died between 1901 and 1911. And like Charles Taylor, finding any definite death information for someone with a common name like Eliza Taylor, who moved around a lot with no definite death year is a challenge. But I managed to get lucky.

Find a Grave has a memorial for an Eliza Taylor who died on 3 August 1907 and is buried in Lincolnshire, England. The year of birth is 1859, which matches. But the gravestone says on it "Eliza, the beloved wife of Charles Taylor, R.N. Chief Officer, Royal Coast Guard". So I have at least managed to find her death information.

X00390 Charles Taylor after 1861 - Part 1

I'm trying to sort out the children of John Taylor and Jane Whittle and what happened to the family after 1861 when both John and Jane died. I have been able to piece together most of the family, except for a couple of them: John Taylor (to be discussed later) and Chalres Taylor (X00390)

Charles Taylor was born 13 August 1856 in Blackburn, Lancashire. I have found him in the 1861 census living with the rest of the family and attending school. But beyond that it gets a little sketchy. Both of his parents died in 1861 when he was five years old. As well, Charles Taylor is a very common name, particularly in Blackburn.

I checkd on Ancestry for suggestions. An 1871 census record for Accrington, Lancashire has a Charles Taylor of the right age listed as an orphan, which does fit:

A number of other later census records mention a member of the Navy living in various different locations, but the name, year and location of birth all match. Could it be that Charles Taylor was orphaned at age five and ended up joining the Navy at a young age? It certainly would fit and would explain why he moved around from place to place.

The key clue that I found was in a marriage record between a Charles Taylor and an Eliza Aylward in Portsea, Hampshire in 1877. At first, Portsea did seem out of place, but it does make sense if he was in the Navy and moved around a lot. So, I ordered a copy of it:

The name and age match, and the profession is listed as a seaman, which would coincide with the later records of a Charles Taylor in the Navy born in Blackburn. And, his father is listed as a John Taylor an iron foundry worker, which also matches.

And so, it looks as if I have found the right Charles Taylor and with that I can continue to piece together his life after 1861.

X00384 William Charles Taylor after 1881 - Solved!

William Charles Taylor is my second great grand uncle and is the third child and first son of James Taylor and Alice Ann Rothwell. He was born 15 September 1870 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. I had found him in census records with the family up until the 1881 census, but then it was difficult to find him in records after that.

Ancestry had some in some census records with a wife named Eliza, but there were a number of marriages between a William Taylor and an Elizabeth. I did take a chance and requested the Marriage record that seemed to be the most likely candidate:

The name and age matches with the William Charles Taylor in my tree, but the biggest confirmation was the fact that his father is named James Taylor and his profession was a blacksmith's striker, which completely matches, so this is definitely the right person. And with that I"m able to confirm a whole lot of other records and put together the details for William Charles Taylor

There is, however another interesting mystery. I found William Charles Taylor in the 1891 census living with a William and Elizabeth Brown:

The relationship with the head of the household is nephew, so it would seem that either William Brown or his wife Elizabeth are relatives. I have not yet been able to figure out the connection.

Profile: Alice Hacking (ca 1807-1889)

Alice Hacking (circa 1807–1889)
Name: Alice Hacking
Gender: Female
Birth: Circa 1807, Clitheroe, Lancashire, England
Death: 4 November 1889, Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Burial: 7 November 1889, Blackburn Cemetery, Lancashire

Life and Residences
Alice Hacking lived a full life across various addresses in Blackburn, Lancashire. Her movements reflect the changing landscape of industrial England and the realities of working-class life in the 19th century:

• 1841: High Street, Blackburn
• 1844: Back Lane, Blackburn
• 1846: 38 Salford, Blackburn
• 1851: Ewood Bridge, Blackburn
• 1861: 6 Swarbrick Street, Blackburn
• 1871: 33 Peter Street, Blackburn
• 1881: 146 Cleaver Street, Blackburn
• 1889: 69 Alker Street, Blackburn (final residence)

Marriage and Family
Alice married Henry Rothwell on 22 July 1833 in Blackburn. Together, they had 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)

Her children’s lives spanned various paths, with some marrying and others passing away young—a poignant reminder of the era’s harsh realities.

Conflicting Birth Records
There are conflicting records regarding Alice’s birth year. While most sources suggest circa 1807, one record indicates circa 1810. This discrepancy is common in early 19th-century documentation and adds complexity to genealogical research.

Final Days
Alice passed away on 4 November 1889 in Blackburn. Her death certificate cites a strangulated hernia and exhaustion after a 12-day illness. She was laid to rest three days later in Blackburn Cemetery.

---

Sources

• Census: Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 4, page 1 [D01529]
• 1851 Census: Haslingden, Lancashire, folio 244, page 14 [D01628]
• 1861 Census: Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 100, page 27 [D01602]
• 1871 Census: Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 75, page 25 [D02674]
• 1881 Census: Blackburn, Lancashire, folio 24, page 41 [D01347]
• Death Certificate: England and Wales, 4 Nov 1889, Blackburn [D02683]
• Burial Record: Blackburn Cemetery, 7 Nov 1889 [D02680]

X00374 Alice Hacking End of Line

I have mentioned Alice Hacking previously. She is my 4x great grandmother and is currently one of my end-of-line ancestors. So, I've been doing some research to see if I can find more information about her birth and the generation before her.

Below is a summary of her birth date and location information based on the records that I have found:

No	Doc	Year	Age	Birth Year	Birth Place
D01529	1841 Census	1841	30	1811	Lancashire
D01628	1851 Census	1851	43	1808	Clitheroe, Lancashire
D01602	1861 Census	1861	55	1806	Ribchester, Lancashire
D02674	1871 Census	1871	66	1805	Clitheroe, Lancashire
D01347	1881 Census	1881	72	1809	Difficult to read
D02683	Death Certificate	1889	79	1810	N/A
D02680	Burial Record	1889	83	1806	N/A

The location information for the 1881 census is difficult to read and the ages in the 1841 census were rounded. So, I'm looking for a birth year between 1805 and 1809 and a location outside of Blackburn i.e. Clitheroe or Ribchester.

So, looking at the possible baptism records, I have found five possibilities

Possibility	Name	Birth	Baptism	Location	Parents
01	Alice Hacking	22 Dec 1806	22 Feb 1807	Blackburn	James Hacking & Jane Hacking
02	Alice Hacking	30 Nov 1809	19 Jan 1810	Blackburn	Betty Hacking
03	Alice Hacking	Unknown	31 July 1808	Blackburn	Lawrence Hacking & Betty Hacking
04	Alice Hacking	5 Apr 1806	27 Apr 1806	Altham	James Hacking & Ann Hacking
05	Alice Hacking	19 Oct 1805	10 Nov 1805	Mitton	James Hacking & Mary Hacking

Given that Blackburn was a larger city nearby, it is possible that the baptism occurred in Blackburn. Mitton is part of Clitheroe and the baptism record says the family was from Aighton, which is just West of Clitheroe, so possibility number five seems to be the leading candidate, but more investigation is required.

X00376 James H.R. Rothwell after 1856

I have mentioned James Hastings Radcliffe Rothwell in previous posts (X00376). He is the son of Henry Rothwell and Alice Hacking and was born 6 February 1835 in Haslingden, Lancashire. He is found living with the family in the 1841 and 1851 census records. He marries Margaret Airey 26 July 1856 in Blackburn:

Previously, I had only found them up to that point, so I did some further research. And here is where it gets interesting. In the 1861 census, both James and Margaret are found back living with their respective families:

James Rothwell in 1861:

Margaret Rothwell in 1861:

In the 1871 census records, they are again living separately. I have also found Margaret living alone in the 1881 census records, but have yet to find James. I have found a death record for Margaret in 1886, but am still looking for a death record for James.

So it looks like I have put together the story for Margaret Airey after 1856; I'm just waiting for a potential death record for James to arrive (stay tuned for more). But the reason why they lived separately for so many years will likely remain a mystery.