Background information from 1841 census to 1901 census relating to Sankey Family Tree

Reuben Sankey (1836-1922) and his parents

 Click on any of the links below to view an image of the census page. Each link will open a new window.

From the 1841 census I discovered that my great great grandfather Reuben (b.1836) was one of a family of 6 living in Duke Street East, Preston. His father was James (b.1792) and his mother Betty(b.1801). His father’s year of birth is calculated as 1795 from the 1851 census and by that census Reuben’s mother, Betty, is no longer alive. However, I think this is the same family because Reuben (or Rubin as his name was recorded) had 2 siblings whose details are correct on both the 1841 and the 1851 census. The 1841 census only has county of birth recorded, not the parish. However, from the 1851 census it appears that Rueben’s father James was born at Inskip in Lancashire. From the Lancashire on line project it looks like James'(1791) mother was Jenny Sanky living in Catteral and baptised at St Helen's in Garstang on 8/4/1792. The entry has the word 'poor' written alongside it preumably to show that the 3 pence entry fee had not been paid. There is no father recorded and along with the fact that James' birthplace is given as Inskip on the 1851 census (which is 6 miles away) leaves lots of questions unanswered. Was James born out of wedlock? Records show a Jenny Sankey marrying James Coggan at St Helen's Garstang in 1796.   There is also a John Sankey(1795) whose mother is Mary is also recorded as being baptised at St Helen's, also with the ascription 'poor' who later became schoolteacher at Inskip. Did both these boys grow up with their grandparents Thomas & Isabel Sankey living at Inskip? James and Betty's first child seems to have been call Jenny, which would support the suggestion that James' mum was Jenny. She was baptised at the non-conformist chapel in Bilsborrow. See the entry here. James' occupation is given as farmer in the parish of Churchtown. In census of 1841 and 1851 Jenny now appears as Jane, so again there are questions marks around this entry. By the census of 1861 James has moved next door to his daughter Margaret married to John Singleton. The address is 112 Hampson Fold Sharples and he is registered as a lodger with one other lodger, Henry Burns.

The 1841 census records Rubin having 4 siblings all aged 15! Their names are Jane(jenny?), Margaret, Alice and James. They are all registered as in employment, the girls as Cotton Weavers and James as a Cotton Piecer.  Accurate ages for children less than 15 years of age were required, but adults over 15 years old were put in bands grouping 5 years together. So Rubin’s siblings were aged between 15 and 19 at the time of the census on 6^th June 1841. There is a long gap between James and the younger members of the household, Rubin (5) and Joseph (3). Why this might be I don’t know.

By 1851 great great great grandfather James(b.1792) was still living in Duke Street East. Living in the same household were his sons James(25) Rubin(14) and Joseph(12) and a lodger Christopher Gratham(26). James’ (b1792) occupation was recorded as ‘carter’. His sons James and Rubin as ‘piecer cotton’ and Joseph as ‘creeler cotton’. A piecer mends the broken threads during spinning and was often done by a young person sometimes directly employed by the spinner and often a younger member of the family. A creeler winds thread onto a bobbin (creel). At the age of 12 Joseph is already in the work place!

In the 1861 census Reuben(25) has set up home at 89 Abbey Village with his wife Esther (24) nee Gregory. They are living next door to Esther’s parents. Reuben and Esther now have 2 sons James (4) and David(2). Reuben is a ‘Spinner in Cotton Mill’. You can see a copy of Reuben and Esther's wedding certificate here. You can see that Esther signed her name with a cross indicating that she was not literate. The wedding took place in Leyland as the Methodist Church in Abbey Village was not licensed for weddings.

By 1871 Reuben has moved to 53 Abbey Village and they have 2 more children Alfred (6) and Elizabeth(3). Esther’s 2 sisters Grace and Margaret appear to live next door at no. 54 but are recorded as lodgers under the Reuben’s headship.

In 1881 Reuben and family are at no. 59 Abbey Village with Grace and Margaret as part of the family. My great grandfather James(24) has left home. His brother David (22) is living in the family home with Alfred (16) and Elizabeth (13).

The 1891 census records Reuben and Esther as living at 1 South Terrace, Withnell. Elizabeth is the only child living at home. As well as Grace and Margaret they also have Esther’s two nieces living with them. Their names are Esther and Maria.(see below under Esther)

Reuben’s wife Esther died in 1897 so the 1901 census shows Reuben living with his daughter Elizabeth now aged 33 and with his sister-in-laws Margaret and Grace at no. 9 Dole Lane Withnell. Reuben and Grace are now retired and Elizabeth and Grace are both still ‘Cotton Winders’.

 

Esther Sankey (nee Gregory)(1838-1897)

 

From the 1841 census the Gregory family were living in Tockholes, Lancashire. Esther’s father Jonathan (b.1806) was married to Ellen (b.1811 in Tockholes). They had 4 children, Seth (7) Ellen and Sarah both aged 1. Esther aged 4 does not appear on the household list. Why this should be I don’t know. Living next door was another Gregory family presumably Jonathan’s younger brother with wife Peggy and children Margarit, James and John.

The Gregory family moved to Withnell in 1848 so by the census of 1851 (second page) they were living at 56 Abbey Mill with Esther (16) Ellen and Sarah (12) Grace (6) and Margaret (3). Jonathan’s occupation is given as Power Loom Weaver.

By 1861 Esther is married and living next door to her family who are now at 88 Abbey Village. Esther’s mother is not registered, I presume she has died, her father Jonathan has a house servant called Margaret(55). Ellen and Sarah are 21 followed by Grace (15) and Margaret (13). All are Power Loom Weavers like there father except Sarah whose occupation is given as a Warfier.

Jonathan has died by 1871 and Grace and Margaret are living next door to Rueben and Esther. Their children are listed under Rueben above.

In the 1891 census as well as Esther’s two sisters living with them they have her 2 nieces Esther (15) born in Bolton and Maria (10) born in Longworth. They are the youngest two children of Esther’s younger sister Ellen.  Ellen married Thomas Woodburn and they had three boys and three girls. The Woodburn family initially lived in Withnell as their first daughter (b.1865) was registered there. The other children were registered at Bolton. When their youngest was born they were living just outside Bolton at Longworth. Esther was buried at St Paul's Withnell on 2 Feb 1897 aged 63.

 

James Sankey (1857-1940)

 

          James left home in 1879 to marry Elizabeth Miller Holl. They lived at 7 Bolton Road Withnell. In the 1881 census they had Annie aged 4months. James’ occupation was recorded as Operative Cotton Spinner. By 1891 they had moved to 11 Park View Withnell and had two more children Reuben (9), my grandfather, and Elizabeth (4).  In the 1901 census they have moved to 12 Bolton Road Withnell. Rueben has left home and they have another daughter, Edith (6) as well as Elizabeth (14). James is now a Cotton Spinner Overlooker.

 

Elizabeth Miller Sankey (nee Holl)(1851-1940)

 

            Elizabeth was born as the youngest daughter of Edward (b.1811) and Mary Ann (b.1817). She had a sister called Ann (b.1850). They lived at 6 Church Street, Kington Herefordshire. Her father was a Whitesmith (Worker of tin and soft metal), her mother was a Milliner (Hat maker and decorator). In the 1851 census she was not yet born, but interestingly they lived next door but one to Edward Sankey and family. Edward was a plumber. It would be interesting to know if Edward was related to the Sankeys of Preston. As Edward Holl worked in soft metals I expect he did some lead pipe work, so they must have known each other well. I have written to an Edward Sankey still living in Kington to see if we may be related. In the 1861 census Elizabeth is aged 9.

            In the 1871 census Elizabeth appears to be working as a general domestic servant at 49 Bridge Street Kington. I was told by my father that she came to work for a relative who was the school master at Withnell. I didn't know who that relative was until I discovered the link when working on the Miller family tree. Her Uncle William Caleb Miller(1821) was the school master at Withnell, which adds the missing piece of the jigsaw. In 1861 census her Grandfather George Miller(1785) was living with his son William following the death of his wife in 1860. On the same page of the 1891 census there is a family enclave in Park View/South Terrace Withnell with 4 of the houses occupied by my relations!   Elizabeth marries James in 1879 and they go on to have six children, two dying in infancy.

Reuben Sankey (1882-1940)

 

Reuben, my paternal grandfather was born on 12 Feb 1882 at Park View Terrace in Withnell, Lancashire. He was the second surviving child of James and Elizabeth. He followed his father into work at the Abbey Mill. You can follow the link here to see a facebook page about the mill. He married my grandma, Ellen in April 1906. They lived at 9 Dole Lane Withnell. The marriage was registered at Chorley, but I am not sure if he was married at Leyland like his grandfather. My father was born in Withnell in 1909 followed by his brother Reuben (1911) who died before he was one year old. They moved to Leigh as a family in 1911 where I my grandfather worked at the newly opened Bedford Spinning Company. You can read a fascinating history of the mill and its use today on their website found here. He was organist at Leigh Primitive Methodist chapel. My uncle Ira was born there in 1912 followed by Violet (1914) and Jasmine (1929). The census of 1921 shows Rueben living at 1 Park Lane, Leigh and working at Bedford Spinning Co. Ltd. on Leigh Lane. His wife Ellen recorded as employed in 'Home duties' aged 36 and my father aged 12 living with his siblings Ira(8) and Violet(6). The current residents of that house were kind enough to send me a copy of the census you can see it here. By the census of 1939 they had moved to 66 MacKenzie Street, Bolton. He died on 25 Feb 1940 after having contracted TB. He was given some experimental drug treatment, but I don't know what that was or whether that contributed to his demise. His death is recorded as being in Bolton although according to my research he is laid to rest at Tockholes, but I haven't been able to verify this.

 

Ellen (Nelly) Sankey (nee Berry)(1885-1976)

 

Ellen’s grandparents were John Berry (b.1808) and Margaret (nee Norcross) (b.1811). The Norcross side of the family can be traced back to Richard b.1682. They all lived in Ribchester, Blackburn. You can see this on Ancestry website. In the 1851 census they were living at 19 Ribchester near Blackburn. John was registered as a Sander. They had William (17) a Carter, Mary (15), James – Ellen’s father (8), Alice (5), Ellen (3) and Thomas (2).

            James (b.1843) married Margaret Parr (b.1841). Margaret was the second child of Merrick (b.1812) and Mary (b. 1817) Parr of 51 Cleaver Street Blackburn. In the 1861 census Merrick and Mary had Margaret (19) John (13) Susan (7) Johanna (5) and Mary (2).

            In 1871 James and Margaret were living in 55 Back Street, Blackburn with children Merrick(4) John(2) and Margaret (infant). James was recorded as a Labourer.

            In 1881 they now had seven children, the three above plus Mary(8), Elizabeth(7), James((4) and Nancy (3) and were living in 11 Main Buildings, Blackburn.

By 1891 James and family were living at 11 Beech Street. Merrick (25) was a coal dealer along with his brother James (14), Mary and Elizabeth were 18 and 16 respectively, Nancy 13 and the youngest my grandma was 6. Interestingly her name was written as Nelly in inverted commas so perhaps she was always known as Ellen.

In 1901 census they had moved to 26 Beech Street. James had died and it was just Nancy(22) and Nelly (16) at home with their mother Margaret. Nancy and Nelly (now with the spelling Nellie) were both Cotton Winders. Their mother Margaret dies on 17 Jan 1901, and they continue to live at Beech Street from where Nancy marries Earnest Lofts at St Micheal's and all Angels on 12 August 1901. Nellie (Ellen) is a witness at their wedding along with Robert William Armstrong.  Earnest works as an engine driver at the local brick works. They have a daughter Rabinah a year later. In 1904 the deep mine on the corner of Heys Lane and Broken Stone Lane closes. I believe this must be where Earnest is working at the time so they decide to emigrates to Thunder Bay in Canada to look for work. Nellie is living with Nancy until she emigrates with Rabinha to join Earnest in September the following year. I don't know how Nellie met my Grandfather at Withnell or whether she continued to live at Beech Street in Blackburn after her sister emigrated.  Earnest and Nancy go on to have five more children. Rabinah married Warren Alexander Gordon on 29 June 1926. It has been great to connect with my Canadian cousin through this side of the family.

Steve Sankey Feb 2021