The Taylor and Bramley Families of Blackburn
Margaret Taylor was Michael Gregory’s great great grandmother. It was known from her marriage certificate and from census returns that Margaret Taylor was born in Blackburn in 1834-36, the daughter of John Taylor, a brick maker.
The Parish Church of Blackburn, dedicated to St Mary, is included in the International Genealogical Index (IGI); but there were four other churches in Blackburn not included in the index. A search was made of the online edition of the IGI for Margaret Taylor born in Lancashire, daughter of John, between 1825 and 1831. This produced a list of entries, but none was in Blackburn.
The original parish registers of Blackburn were now searched for Margaret’s baptism in the period 1831-38:
St Mary’s
St John’s
St Paul’s
St Peter’s
The result was negative. The Roman Catholic Church of Blackburn, St Alban’s, was then considered. These registers are supposedly included on the IGI. The original registers for the years 1834 to 1836 were searched, but again with no positive result.
As noted in research on the Caffrey family[1], the 1851 census of Blackburn is indexed by surname only. Christian names are not included in the index which makes searching for a name like Taylor laborious. There are some 80 references in the census returns themselves, but the right family was quickly found:
Census 30 March 1851
Public Record Office Ref: HO 107 2258 ED 4 fol 88v
SRD and RD Blackburn
Entry 27: 19 Whalley Bank, Blackburn
OccupationWhere born
John TaylorHeadMar37Labourer at BricksBlackburn
Hannah TaylorWifeMar36Blackburn
Margt TaylorDaurUn15Cotton CreelerBlackburn
William TaylorSonUn14Cotton CreelerBlackburn
John TaylorSon10ScholarBlackburn
Peter TaylorSon7ScholarBlackburn
Nicholas TaylorSon4mBlackburn
(a number of lodgers were also noted)
Margaret was shown here as the eldest daughter living at home, working as a cotton creeler; as was her younger brother William, aged 14. The names of her siblings were also noted. Her mother was called Hannah. The record indicated that her mother and father were both born around 1813/14.
It was hoped to find the birth registration of the youngest of the Taylor children shown on the census, Nicholas (born 1850), which would indicate Hannah’s maiden name. Fortunately, the family was assiduous in registering the births of their children and the certificate was found:
Birth
Registration District Blackburn
Sub-district of Township of Blackburn
County of Lancaster
21 Nov 1850Nicholas [son of] John Taylor (X) Spinner [of] 19 Whalley
Banks Blackburn and Hannah Taylor formerly Bramley
A search of the IGI was now made for the marriage of John Taylor and Hannah Bramley. There was indeed an entry for this marriage with the date 20 April 1835, but it was submitted by a church member rather than taken from a parish register. Such entries are often inaccurate. However, the original registers of St Mary’s were checked and the entry was found to be correct:
Blackburn St Mary, Lancashire
Original Parish Registers
Marriage
20 Apr 1835John Taylor (X) of his parish Bachelor spinner and
Hannah Bramley (X) of this Parish spinster were married in this church by Banns with consent by me Richard Burnet
Witnesses: Joseph Fairbottom, James Neville
The marriage took place ‘with consent’, indicating that one or both of the couple was probably under 21; this suggested that the ages given for John and Hannah in the 1851 census were probably inaccurate. If they were born in 1814/15 they were probably about 20 when they married. However, neither of the witnesses was a parent of the bride or the groom.
Since it was now known that John and Hannah had children born between 1835 and 1850, the search was extended to the Roman Catholic registers of St Alban’s to cover this period. There were Taylor families using this church in this period, but no sign of John and Hannah.
During research into the Caffrey family of Blackburn[2], an entry was discovered for a Margaret Caffrey (Margaret Taylor married Thomas Caffrey) who died in Blackburn. The death was reported in the BMD Index for the January quarter of 1879, ref 8e, page 205. This is likely to be Margaret Taylor and a copy of her death certificate may yield further family clues.
Further research on this line is clearly possible, beginning with a search for the baptism of John Taylor in about 1813/14 in Blackburn. The family could also be searched for in later census returns.
Using the online resources available at a search was made for the family in the 1861 and 1871 census returns. They were located as follows:
1861 Census
Blackburn St Peter’s Ward
67 Chapel Street
OccupationWhere born
John TaylorHeadMar49Blackburn
Hannah TaylorWifeMar49Walton
Nicholas TaylorSonS11Blackburn
Peter TaylorSonS16Blackburn
James TaylorSonS9Blackburn
Doctor TaylorSonS6Blackburn
1871 Census
Blackburn, Trinity Ward
17 Plymouth Street
OccupationWhere born
Doctor TaylorHeadUnm15BrickmakerBlackburn
Hannah TaylorMotherW56Walton
James TaylorHead19BrickmakerBlackburn
Peter TaylorHeadMar26BrickmakerBlackburn
Margaret TaylorDau1Blackburn
Elizabeth TaylorWifeMar28Cotton weaverBlackburn
Diana TaylorDau3Blackburn
Emma TaylorDau2Blackburn
There was a slight age discrepancy for Hannah Taylor between the 1861 and 1871 entries, but this is not unusual.
In an attempt to obtain further information about the family, research was undertaken using the census returns available online in the Ancestry.com website. The following information was found:
1861 Census
65 Chapel Street, Blackburn
John TaylorHdM49WeaverBlackburn
Hannah TaylorWM49Walton
Nicolas TaylorSS11Blackburn
Peter TaylorSS16Blackburn
James TaylorSS9Blackburn
Doctor TaylorSS6Blackburn
1871 Census
17 Plymouth Street, Blackburn
Peter TaylorHM26BrickmakerBlackburn
Elizabeth TaylorWM28Cotton weaverBlackburn
Diana TaylorD3
Emma TaylorD2
1881 Census
81 Mill Hill, Blackburn
Peter TaylorHdM36Gas stokerBlackburn
Elizabeth TaylorWM37Blackburn
Diana TaylorD13Cotton weaverBlackburn
Emma TaylorD11Cotton weaverBlackburn
Jane TaylorD9Blackburn
AdaTaylorD7Blackburn
Peter TaylorS4Haslingden
May TaylorD10 monHaslingden
1891 Census
14 Arthur Street, Blackburn
Doctor TaylorHdM36Gas stokerBlackburn
Eliza TaylorWM45Blackburn
Eliza FowlerStepDau17Heald knotterBlackburn
Hugh FowlerStepSon13Cotton weaverBlackburn
Thomas FowlerStepson10Blackburn
1891 Census
46 Stansfeld Street, Blackburn
James TaylorHdM40Gas stokerBlackburn
Margaret TaylorWM41Blackburn
Esther TaylorDS18(?)Cotton weaverHaslingden
James Henry TaylorS17Cotton weaverBlackburn
William TaylorS12ScholarBlackburn
Doctor TaylorS8““
Herbert TaylorS5““
Walter TaylorS2““
1901 Census
186 Bolton Road, Blackburn
Diana TaylorHdS33Blackburn
Emma TaylorSister31Cotton workerBlackburn
Jane TaylorSister29““
AdaTaylor“27““
May Taylor“20“Haslingden
Elizabeth TaylorNiece2Blackburn
1901 Census
113, Johnson Street, Blackburn
Doctor TaylorHdM45Gas stokerBlackburn
Eliza TaylorWM55“
Elizabeth FowlerStepdau27Heald knitter“
Hugh FowlerStepson23Gas stoker“
Thomas FowlerStepson20Solicitor’s clerk“
1901 Census
128, Stansfeld Street, Blackburn
James TaylorHdM48Gas stokerBlackburn
Margaret TaylorWM52“
Doctor TaylorS18Bricklayer“
Herbert TaylorS15Apprentice Blacksmith “
Walter TaylorS12Mechanic’s boy,“
Cotton mill
Attention returned in 2009 to Michael Gregory’s ancestor, Margaret Taylor, who was born about 1834-1836 in Blackburn. She was the daughter of John, a brick labourer. This information was already known from her marriage certificate and censuses. Margaret married in 1854 and was therefore at home with her parents on the censuses of 1841 and 1851. These were copied.
In 1851, the family was living at 19 Whalley Banks, Blackburn (HO107/2258, fol. 88, p. 10). Margaret’s parents, John and Hannah, gave their ages as 37 and 36 respectively. John’s occupation was ‘labourer at bricks’ and the whole family had been born in Blackburn.
In 1841, the family was already living at Whalley Banks (HO107/59/23, fol. 5, pp. 2 & 3). John Taylor was aged 27 and his occupation was “op spinner”. His wife, here enumerated as Ann, was 26. They already had four children. Margaret was the oldest, aged 6; Thomas was 5; William 3 and John 6 months.
In the 1861 census, the last on which he appeared, John gave his age as 39. These three censuses would therefore suggest a birthdate for John somewhere between 1811 and 1814.
The marriage of John Taylor and Hannah Bramley had already been located. They were found to have been married at St Mary Blackburn on the 20th April 1835. Because the marriage had taken place ‘by consent’, it was possible that either John or Hannah might have been under 21. Despite this, neither of the witnesses had the same surname as the bride or groom.
No baptisms had so far been located for any of John and Hannah’s children. Searching the IGI for children of any John and Hannah or Ann Taylor, the following were identified as belonging to the correct family:
22 Mar 1843Dianad/o John & HannahSt Mary, Blackburn
8 Jun 1845Peters/o John and HannahSt. Mary, Blackburn
14 Feb 1847Janed/o John & HannahSt. Mary, Blackburn
(born 30 Jan 1847)
2 Mar 1849Elizad/o John & HannahSt. Mary, Blackburn
(born 15 Feb 1849)
There were also several children born to a John and Ann, which did not fit with the known children of the couple in question. However, there was also a Margaret Ann Taylor baptised to John and Ann on the 20th May 1835 at St Mary’s. She could be the couple’s oldest child and Michael Gregory’s ancestress.
The parish registers of St Mary Blackburn are available on microfiche at the Society of Genealogists’ library (LA/REG/81002/1-595). The five baptisms were located and that of Margaret Ann were copied. John’s occupation was a spinner on the baptisms of Margaret and Diana and a labourer on the remaining three. No more specific address than “Blackburn” was ever recorded for the family. It is not therefore clear whether this Margaret Ann was the child of John and Hannah Taylor.
Margaret was clearly born very soon after her parents’ marriage. It is also possible, given her age in 1841, that she was born just before the wedding. A search was therefore made on the IGI for any baptism of a Margaret Bramley in 1835 in Blackburn. None was found.
Using both the IGI and BVRI, a search was then made for the baptism of John Taylor, initially concentrating on the years 1810-1814. There was one baptism at St Mary Blackburn:
20 Mar 1814John s/oWilliam & Peggy Taylor
Additionally, at St. Paul, Blackburn was found:
12 Jan 1812Johns/oRobert & Mary Taylor
(born 9 Dec 1811)
Bearing in mind the possibility that John was younger than this, the search online was extended to cover the whole of the period 1800 to 1820. No further John Taylor was baptised at St Mary’s in this period. Several younger children called John were found baptised at St Paul’s and also two at St. Alban’s Roman Catholic Church:
2 Jul 1815Joanniss/o Gulielmi Taylor & Helenae HolkerSt Alban
(born 23 Jun 1815)
11 Feb 1816Johns/o James & Elizabeth TaylorSt Paul
(b 2 Feb 1816)
15 Feb 1817Johns/o William & Nancy TaylorSt Paul
(b 9 Dec 1816)
1 Aug 1817Johns/o John & Ellen TaylorSt Paul
(b 5 May 1817)
8 Feb 1819Johns/o James & Ellen TaylorSt Paul
(b 21 Dec 1818)
28 May 1819Joanness/o Gulielmi Taylor & Sarae MorrisSt Alban
(b 28 May 1819)
It was felt that given John’s age on the census, a birthdate of 1811 to 1814 was more likely. A copy of the baptism of the child of William and Peggy at St Mary’s was therefore made. This gave William’s occupation as weaver and their abode as Blackburn. No other children were found baptised to this couple.
A copy of the 1812 baptism at St Paul’s was also made (LDS film 1470928). This family were “of Oswaldtwistle”. No occupation was given for the father.
The original registers of St Albans RC Church are available on film at Lancashire Record Office in Preston. A copy of the baptism of Joannis, son of Gulielmi Taylor and Helenae Holker was obtained. The sponsors were Radulpho Railton and Gainer Pearson. This couple also baptised another son as James on the 25th December 1810. No marriage of this couple appears on the IGI or BVRI.
The registers of St John Blackburn for 1813-1853 are available on film at the LDS (1656732) Baptisms were searched from 1813 to 1817 for John Taylor. No Taylors at all were found baptised in this parish.
The IGI contains a submitted entry for the marriage of William Taylor to Peggy Oldham, which was said to have taken place on the 24th March 1799 at Blackburn. This event was found in the registers of St Mary Blackburn on the date suggested. A copy was therefore made. William Taylor was a crofter and his bride was a spinster. Both were of the parish of St Mary. They married after banns and the witnesses were James Radcliff and John Margerison.
When did John Taylor die? He was alive and present on the census for 1861 but his wife was a widow by 1871. He must therefore have died sometime between these two censuses. Age at death is only given in the indexes from 1866. Until that date, it is only possible to determine a person’s age by ordering a copy of the death certificate. Clearly, John Taylor is a very common name and a total of ten people of that name appear in the death indexes between 1861 and 1865 for Blackburn registration district. Any one of these could be Michael Gregory’s ancestor. Only one man of the correct approximate age appears to have died between 1866 and 1871 in Blackburn:
Mar 1867John Taylor538e 264
There are several candidates for the baptism of Michael Gregory’s ancestor, John Taylor. The evidence of his age suggests a most likely birth date of 1813/4. His most likely parents are therefore William Taylor and Peggy Oldham. However, it is not possible to be certain of his origins. Neither William nor Peggy can be located with any certainty on either the 1841 or 1851 census, although there is a Margaret Taylor, aged 72, a female servant with the Briggs family in Blackburn in 1841 (HO107/502/23, fol. 9, p. 11). This has not been copied.
The 3rd great grand-mother of Michael Gregory, Hannah Bramley married John Taylor at St Mary Blackburn on the 20th April 1835. The couple were married “with consent” so it is possible that one or both of them were under age, although neither of the witnesses appears to have been a parent of the bride or groom.
Hannah had already been located in each of the censuses from 1841 to 1871. Her age consistently suggested a birth date of 1814/5, apart from in 1861, when both she and her husband were said to be aged 49. This could make her year of birth as early as 1811.
Her birthplace was given as Blackburn in 1851 and Walton in 1861 and 1871. Walton-le-Dale is a locality west of Blackburn, near to Preston. Possible Anglican parishes in Blackburn where a baptism could have taken place at that time were St Mary, St John or St Paul.
The registers of St Leonard, Walton-le-Dale, are available on microfiche at the Society of Genealogists’ library (LA/REG/77759/1-50). Unfortunately there is a gap from 1809 to 1812. However, the bishops’ transcripts covering these missing years are held at the LDS library on film (1502380). It was therefore possible to search all of the relevant period for Hannah’s baptism. No baptism for a Hannah Bramley or Bromley was found. However, a baptism was found for Rachel Bramley on the 19th March 1815. She had been born on the 18th February in the same year. Her parents were Richard and Ellen, they were of Walton and Richard’s occupation was “macanick”. No other children of this couple were found.
Marriages in the parish of Walton are indexed on the IGI up to 1812. There is no marriage for Richard Bramley. An indexed transcript to the marriages of Walton (1609-1812) is held by the Society of Genealogists’ library (LA/R37). No Richard Bramley appears in the index. However, a systematic search of the relevant years in this volume revealed the marriage on 1st January 1811 of Richard Bromley, a macanick, and Ellen Bolton. The witnesses were William Wilson and John Tomlinson.
This printed transcript contains baptisms up to 1808 and the following possible siblings of Richard were found:
26 Aug 1787Thomass/o Richard & Margaret Bromileyborn 8 Aug
6 Dec 1789Maryd/o““born 19 Nov
15 Jan 1791Sarahd/o ““born 22 Dec
No baptism was found for Richard.
The IGI was used to make a search for any other children of Richard and Ellen Bramley or Bromley in Lancashire. Besides Rachel, this revealed the following three children baptised at Walton:
17 Sep 1820Abraham Bramley
17 Sep 1820Isaac Bramley
29 Jun 1823Richard Bromley
The bishop’s transcripts also showed a further child of this couple:
30 Aug 1812David Bramleyborn 2 Aug
The parishes of Blackburn were now considered for the baptism of Hannah.
St Mary BlackburnBaptisms 1813 – 1819
2 May 1813Maryd/o William & Margaret BramleyBlackburnplasterer
20 Oct 1813Stanleys/o Walter & Molly BramleyBlackburnjoiner
20 Oct 1813Maryd/o Walter & Molly BramleyBlackburnjoiner
4 Sep 1816Williams/o William & Margaret BramleyBlackburnplasterer
31 Aug 1817Williams/o Wm & Margaret BramleyBlackburnplasterer
13 Jun 1819Thomas Lambs/o Walter & Mary BramleyBlackburnjoiner
7 Jan 1820Henrys/o William & Margaret BramleyBlackburnplasterer
The registers of St John Blackburn from 1813 only are available on film at the LDS library (1656732). The years 1813 to 1819 were searched. No child with the names Bramley or Bromley was baptised there during that time.
Indexes to wills and administrations proved at Chester and deposited in the Lancashire Record Office at Preston, up to 1837, are held at the Society of Genealogists’ library. These were searched from 1791 for any Bramley.
20 Aug 1802William BramleyPadihamcotton manufactureradm
15 May 1805Lawrence BramleyEasterleyfarmerwill
5 Mar 1810William BramleyThorny Banktuition
5 Mar 1810John Bramley Hambledon Hallyeomanadm
3 Sep 1819Arthur BramelyHarcoatwill
May 1822Harriet BramleyRichmond Row, Liverpoolwill
Aug 1830William BramleyBlackburninnkeeperwill
Aug 1836Margaret BramleyWhalleyw Thomasadm
The will of William Bramley of Blackburn, an innkeeper, was of interest and a copy was ordered. For the remaining years in which the Consistory Court of Chester proved wills in Lancashire (1838-1857), the search was extended at Lancashire Record Office.
Sep 1838 Ann BramleyManchesterwidowwill
Apr 1845Thomas BramleyWhalleyinnkeeperadm
Aug 1847Roger BramleyHuncoat, Accringtonturnerwill
Apr 1850Rebecca BramleyTodmordenwidowwill
May 1854 John BramleyBlackburntallow chandlerwill
Mar 1856William BramleyPendleburygentlemanwill
A copy of the will of John Bramley, tallow chandler, was also obtained.
William Bramley, an innkeeper of Blackburn, made his will on the 12th March 1830. He named his two friends as executors: Joseph Edmundson, a cotton manufacturer and John Biggar, draper. His wife was called Margaret and he had four children – Elizabeth, Dorothy, Mary and William. He died the day after the will was written and probate was granted on the 12th August 1830 to the two executors and his wife, Margaret.
John Bramley of Blackburn was a tallow chandler. His will was written on the 10th February 1854. He named a brother, Lawrence, brothers-in-law, Thomas and James Willson, and an employee, Richard Ewart Moyle. He had a son, Thomas, who was under 21 and other sons and daughters, also under 21, whom he did not name. His wife was called Mary. No date of death is stated, but it must have occurred during 1854. Probate was granted to three executors: his brother, Lawrence Bramley, Thomas Willson and James Willson on the 26th May 1854.
There is currently no evidence to link any of the people mentioned in either of these wills to Michael Gregory’s ancestor, Hannah Bramley.