X00378 Elizabeth Rothwell after 1871 (continued)

Continuing on from a previous post about X00378 - Elizabeth Rothwell after 1871 and a discovery made while researching X00384: William Charles Taylor after 1881.

To recap: Elizabeth Rothwell is the daughter of Henry Rothwell and Alice Hacking, born 16 July 1846. I have found her in various census records up to and including 1871, but nothing beyond that. There was a marriage record that I was investigating, but nothing definite.

While researching William Charles Taylor, I found William in this 1891 census record living with his Aunt and Uncle. William and Elizabeth Brown

Elizabeth Rothwell would have been his aunt, and the age of Elizabeth Brown matches. Could Elizabeth Brown be Elizabeth Rothwell? I have been looking for a marriage record for an Elizabeth Rothwell and a William Brown, but have not found anything definite at this point.

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】

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.