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】

X00382 James-Betty-Charlotte Taylor Connection - Solved!

James Taylor (1845-1893) is my third great grandfather. He died on 17 April 1893 in Blackburn, Lancashire England. A hint came up in Ancestry referring me to a burial record through deceased online.

In the record, there is a James Taylor buried in Blackburn Cemetery 20 April 1893, so that definitely fits the time period for a death of 17 April 1893.

But now we have an interesting research question - who are the other three people who are buried in the same location? There's a Charlotte Taylor who died 1904, a Betty Taylor who died 1901 and another James Taylor who died in 1899. None of these names or dates match the Taylors in my tree.

So, I decided to get the full burial records for each of them. The first thing that I found was that the James Taylor was not my thrid great grandfather:

This James Taylor was age one when he died and was the sone of James and Betty Taylor. James Taylor is certainly not an uncommon name, but it looks as if there were two James Taylors who died around the same time in Blackburn.

When I look at the burial records and ages for the individuals on this burial record, here is what we have:

• Charlotte Taylor - ca. 1881 - 1904, saughter of James and Betty Taylor
• Betty Taylor - ca. 1852 - 1901. rel. of James Taylor
• James Taylor - ca. 1855 - 1899, husband of Betty
• James Taylor - ca. 1892 - 1893, son of James and Betty Taylor

So, there we have the full details for the four of them. James and Betty are the parents and two of their children are Charlotte and James. None of these names or dates match with my tree. I did have a look to see if I could find more about this family. According to the marriage record, James Taylor's father is named John (same as my ancestor) but it looks like a different familyl completely. So at this point, I am concluding that there is no clear connection to my familiy and this one.

The Rothwell Family Part 3

I"m reviewing the information that I have to ensure that I have the correct surnames with the Rothwell family.

We know that Alice Ann Taylor’s last name was Rothwell from her daughter's birth record [D00449].

I also checked the GRO Indexes for both of the other children - Mary Alice Taylor, born 1867 and Charles William Taylor, born 1870. In both index records for them, the mother's name is given as Rothwell. So, I'm confident there.

Next, I had a look for Alice Rothwell's maiden name. Her marriage record [D00866] only lists her father as Henry Rothwell; no mention of the mother. Her baptism record [D00085] gives parents as Henry and Alice Rothwell. On the other hane, her birth record [D01711] does give us an answer and lists the mother as "Alice Rothwell, formerly Hacking".

So, we have established, that her maiden name is Hacking. I have found a marriage record for a Henry Rothwell and Alice Hacking in 1833. It all seems to fit except for one slight problem According to the 1841 census, Nancy ROthwell was born around 1828. So does this mean:

• Nancy Rothwell was born out of wedlock before they were married?
• Nancy Rothwell was born to one of the parents prior to their marriage?
• Is there an error somewhere and Nancy Rothwell is not their child?

There is a marriage record found from around 1828 between a John Hacking and an Alice Strong. Perhaps Alice was born Alice Strong, and Hacking is her first married name. There seems to be a few things that need further investigation:
X00370 Investigate Nancy Rothwell Birth info
X00371 Investigate Henry Rothwell & Alice Hacking Marriage

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Sources
[D00085] Saint Mary, Blackburn (Blackburn, Lancashire, England), "Baptism Record - Alice Ann Rothwell"; FHL microfilm Batch No. C110009; Dates 1844 - 1845; Source Call No. 1278805.

[D00449] England and Wales, birth certificate for Jane Taylor, born October 12, 1864; citing 8e/286/97, D quarter 1864, Blackburn registration district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.

[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.

[D01711] England and Wales, birth certificate for Alice Ann Rothwell, born 11 November 1844; citing 08e/350/221, 4 quarter 1844, Blackburn registration district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.

The Rothwell Family Part 2 - Alice Ann Rothwell (1844-1872)

In order to start looking at the information I have about the Rothwell family, I'm going to have a more in-depth look at my three-times great grandmother, Alice Ann Rothwell and what I know about her

Ancestor Profile: Alice Ann Rothwell
Full Name: Alice Ann Rothwell
Birth: 11 November 1844, Blackburn, Lancashire, England [D01711]
Baptism: 23 February 1845, Saint Mary, Blackburn, Lancashire, England [D00085]
Death: 8 March 1872, Blackburn, Lancashire, England [D00688]
Cause of Death: Hemorrhage (Uterine) [D00688]

Biography: Alice Ann Rothwell was born on November 11, 1844, in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. She was baptized on February 23, 1845, at Saint Mary Church in Blackburn. Throughout her life, Alice resided in various locations within Blackburn, contributing to the fabric of the local community.

Alice spent her early years at Back Lane, where she lived from birth. In 1851, she worked as a scholar and resided at Ewood Bridge. By 1861, she had become a throstle spinner and lived at 6 Swarbuck Street.

On June 28, 1864, Alice married James Taylor, a blacksmith in Blackburn. The couple resided at 43 Forrest Street shortly after their marriage and later moved to 49 Forrest Street in October 1864. Alice continued her life in Blackburn, living at 42 Milham Street in 1871.

Alice's life was cut short on March 8, 1872, when she passed away due to a uterine hemorrhage. At the time of her death, she was still residing at 42 Milham Street.

Family:
Father: Henry Rothwell (circa 1812 - 1875?)
Mother: Alice Hacking (circa 1807 - 1889?)

Spouse: James Taylor (September 30, 1845 - April 17, 1893) [D00866]

Children:

• Jane Taylor (1864 - 1941)
• Mary Alice Taylor (1867 - )
• William Charles Taylor (1870 - )

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Sources:
[D00085] Saint Mary, Blackburn (Blackburn, Lancashire, England), "Baptism Record - Alice Ann Rothwell"; FHL microfilm Batch No. C110009; Dates 1844 - 1845; Source Call No. 1278805.

[D00688] England and Wales, death certificate for Alice Ann Taylor, died March 8 1872; citing 8e/286/305, M quarter 1872, Blackburn registration district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.

[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.

[D01711] England and Wales, birth certificate for Alice Ann Rothwell, born 11 November 1844; citing 08e/350/221, 4 quarter 1844, Blackburn registration district, Blackburn sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.