The Hitchon family of Ridge End Burnley circa late 1700's through 1830's and beyond

[The Rose of Burnley]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone can help me research my Hitchon ancestors.

I have little information but I have some little clues and a family tree to begin my discovery. I know far more about a family that the daughter of this Hitchon family married into, namely the Robinson's of Liverpool but I'd love to know about my Hitchons!

Here's the tree as it stands;

William Hitchon married Betty (surname not know for sure but might be RUSHTON, m. 1797??)

William and Betty had the following children; (all born in Burnley)

Ellin b.1799
Peter b.1800
Mary b.1802 (Known as 'The Rose of Burnley'; her portrait hangs in a Cambridge Gallery)
Margaret b.1804
Sarah b.1806
Elizabeth b.1811

(Either Ellin, Margaret, Sarah or Elizabeth was known as 'The Lily of Burnley')

Mary is my next ancestor down; she married
William Fothergill Robin at Burnley in late 1831.

Elizabeth had married a Mr Golding (James I think) earlier in the same year.

In articles in local papers from online resources, regarding those marriages it's stated William, their father, was of Ridge End Burnley and had recently died.

So that means William Hitchon died between 1812 and 1831.

I would love to know more.

Thanks

Bye for now

Jessica

[CanCan]

Originally Posted by The Rose of Burnley

Hello,

I wonder if anyone can help me research my Hitchon ancestors.

I have little information but I have some little clues and a family tree to begin my discovery. I know far more about a family that the daughter of this Hitchon family married into, namely the Robinson's of Liverpool but I'd love to know about my Hitchons!

Here's the tree as it stands;

William Hitchon married Betty (surname not know for sure but might be RUSHTON, m. 1797??)

William and Betty had the following children; (all born in Burnley)

Ellin b.1799
Peter b.1800
Mary b.1802 (Known as 'The Rose of Burnley'; her portrait hangs in a Cambridge Gallery)
Margaret b.1804
Sarah b.1806
Elizabeth b.1811

(Either Ellin, Margaret, Sarah or Elizabeth was known as 'The Lily of Burnley')

Mary is my next ancestor down; she married
William Fothergill Robin at Burnley in late 1831.

Elizabeth had married a Mr Golding (James I think) earlier in the same year.

In articles in local papers from online resources, regarding those marriages it's stated William, their father, was of Ridge End Burnley and had recently died.

So that means William Hitchon died between 1812 and 1831.

I would love to know more.

Thanks

Bye for now

Jessica

Hi Jessica, took a look at a book I have and there is a William Hitchon who leased out a room to use as a workshop on Church St about 1824, and it was used as a currier and leather cutter business(tradesman), could this be your William, the surname also mentions other male Hitchons around 1800 to 1824, but only this one called William, will keep an eye out for anyone of that name in future though. CanCan

[The Rose of Burnley]

Dear CanCan,

Thank you for the information. I wonder is Church Street in the Ridge End area of Burnley? What do you know of this area 'Ridge End? Does it even still exist? I know lots of places havediserpeared or changed considerably.

Thanks again for the information

Take care

Bye for now

Jess

[CanCan]

Hi Jess, The history of burnley book by W Bennett Vol3 tells you about 'The Ridge' as it was known then. Most of the area is farms, and is next to Queens Park. The 1909 East Burnley map shows all the farms and some of the names from then, so maybe if you knew an address it could still possibly be there. (I managed to purchased this on ebay by putting in Burnley, I believe there is one fro sale now.)Although the main Ridge house has gone. I do have the census for Lancashire on disc of 1841,51,61,71,81,91,1901 and most of the name indexes so if you ever need anything looking up just give a call. Hope it's of some help, Regards Cancan.

[The Rose of Burnley]

Dear CanCan,

Thank you for your email. I do wonder if you would look up any Hitchons being in the Ridge End area (I imagine you can find out the parish as I'm not sure I know it; I'll try googling it!) Burnley in 1841 onwards.

Specifically I would start with the mother, Betty Hitchon who would be roughly aged between 60 and 80 but probably more likely in late 60's or early 70's given the births of the children and imagining she could have had children in her 40's.

If you find a Betty Hitchon of that area and right age that would be great. Of course where she was born wont appear in 1841 but should she still be alive in 1851, then it should be clear enough. (Safe bet it's Burnley but I am guessing!) Of course she could have died earlier and not appear but then if you could look up the children, that would be great.

I think, when I had access to the census (it was at a local archives place until it relocated to Kew Archives which isn't that local to me) I did attempt looking up said Hitchons on the census but didn't have much luck but sometimes it's not a straight forward thing of just putting in the name; you have to go local to find them and go page by page through the roughly right Burnley area.

Anyway, if you could look those up, that would be great.

Thanks

Bye for now

Jess

[lancsdave]

There was a Betty Hitchon who died in Padiham in 1844 aged 71, she could have been your Betty. On the Lancashire BMD there is a reference number so you could send off for the death certificate.

Having looked at the BMD, Hitchon was a very common name in the Burnley area

For some reason it won't let me paste links, if you search for Lancashire BMD and go to the site and look at deaths for the Burnley area in 1844 you will see the details.

[CanCan]

Hi Jess,

been looking at 1841 census for you. Not found a Betty Hitchon. So tried looking for Peter as he's the only son. Found two Peters.
Old Rd, Padiham, Burnley
Peter aged 39 Innkeeper Born Lancashire
Elizabeth aged 39 " "
Ann " 13 " "
Elizabeth " 12 " "
Charles " 10 " "
John " 8 " "
Margaret " 1 "

BLIND LANE END - Township of Huncoat, Burnley
Peter 36 Farmer "
Ann 25 "
Elizabeth 5 "
Richard 3 "
Joseph 8months "
Ages do seem to match if roughly born 1800+, checked on all other names but nothing, so I think they must have all married if they survived. There are 5 deaths for Peter's Sept 1844, March 1849, June 1854, 1865 june and 1868 march. Could not find him in the 1851 census for the age of 49+, he did appear in the 1861 census but not the 1871 leading me to believe he died somewhere between, hence the death check.
1861 CENSUS;
Burnley Rd, Padiham.
Peter Head M 60 Grocer & farmer Lan Reads
(of 10 acres)
Mary wife M 44 Cumberland
(hard to make out spelling ) - penrith/renwith
Ann Dau unm 33 dress maker Lan/accrington
Elizabeth dau unm 31 house servant Lan/accrington
Charles son unm 29 stone mason Lan/harwood
Peter son unm 20 joiner Lan/Padiham
alfred son 6 scholar Lan/padiham
(William Brookbank boarder unm 16 iron moulder)
It looks like Peter remarried as the names seem to match except for the wives, maybe she died, he remarried and had son with new wife because of age difference between sons and age between wife and eldest daughter? Will keep looking for you? Think you would only find daughters by doing parish register checks, whilst it sounds an endless task for these. The Hitchon name only appears in Burnley and close townships, and nowhere else in Lancashire. Hope this is of some use. Do any of the names sound familiar? Like I say I will keep looking!!! Regards Cancan.

[The Rose of Burnley]

Dear CanCan,

Thanks for looking all that up. I had briefly forgotten I do know one of the marriages of the daughters;

Elizabeth Hitchon married in 1831 to Mr James or John Golding in Burnley. (In article in local paper it mentions 'father William Hitchon, late of Ridge End' so it's the same family all right)

I had ages ago found some 'Golding' children named as I think nieces or nephews which is how I discovered that Liz had married initally before re discovering t through an online archives search of said newspapers.

I have had little luck with her siblings, minus the main one, Mary who was married later that year, December 1831, to William Fothergill Robinson.

Anyway, I'll keep plodding away,
I have to rush off for now

Thanks again for your help

Take care
Bye for now
Jess

[john hitchon]

I have been researching the HITCHON family since 1957 and have lots of data but your family is a new branch to me. I do, however, have a reference to William HITCHON's will Dated June 1828 of Ridge End, nr. Burnley which is in the Yorkshire Probate Indexes held at the Borthwick Institute, York. His surname did have the -ON ending too!

John Hitchon, Inverbervie, Scotland

[The Rose of Burnley]

Dear John,

Thank you very much for your email. It sounds like a match to me, as, well, he was William Hitchon of Ridge End!

Do you have a copy of the will or does the reference say anything else, give any more clues?

I shall google the Yorkshire Probate shortly!

Thanks a lot; do you know what relation he might be to your tree?

Thanks again

Take care

Bye for now

Jess

[john hitchon]

Dear Jess,

That's all I have; a reference in my files to this probate. I got the information from a Brian Stott in 1996. He lived in Clitheroe then.
I would like to get full details of your family, please. you can e-mail me directly at hitchon@one-name.org
I would think it worthwhile getting this will from Borthwick Institute.

John