Wednesday 18 March 2015

Who Were my Grandparents?

With Mother's Day last Sunday came lots of memories of Mum, Cicely Hullock, and it seems appropriate to present the little we possess of her origins. Recent posts talked about the Ainsworth family and specifically my Great Grandfather, John Ainsworth and his first daughter Mary Alice, my Grandmother. I don’t want to repeat here the family tree explanation which is covered in the post linked above.


Ainsworth Family Portrait
(about 1903/4)

From the apparent ages on display here, and input from my late Mother and Aunt, this is thought to be Chorley Councillor John Ainsworth and family around 1903/4. My Grandmother, Mary Alice is back row, left, then L-R we think Thomas, John and finally Sarah Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, long before this photo was taken, John’s first wife, Sarah Alice, my Great Grandmother, died in 1890 and this would have put great strain on John who by the census of 1891 had 4 children much younger than they appear here, was caring for his Mother-in-Law and her daughter living in as boarders and had a Drapery store to run in Chorley.

 

56004_10151168794474531_1330117653_oThe Ainsworth Drapery Store

Area known as 'Big Lamp', Chorley - my Great Grandfather, John Ainsworth's shop in clear view at No. 5 Bolton Street (now demolished). John's lifetime occupation was as a DRAPER, a dealer in fabrics, chiefly woollen and linen cloth, and sewing needs. Larger dealers also sold ready-made clothes. His first wife Sarah, my Great Grandmother was listed as a Draper too in the 1881 Census. He lived with his young family and with them ran this shop you see here in this very prominent central location of Chorley. T Whittle next door at No. 3 was a General Grocer & Provision store and further left No. 1 was an Umbrella Maker that year. This photo is probably from a later year, is currently undated and estimates run from early 1900s or before.

 

Not surprisingly, given the pressures of family and business described above, John Ainsworth quickly re-married and we see in the Family Portrait front row L-R, my Great Grandfather John seated, then his youngest son James and also son of my step Great Grandmother, Martha Anne Ainsworth nee Small (by John's second marriage in 1892). It is shown in the 1901 Census that the couple had adopted a daughter Ethel (then 8 months old) who for some reason is not included in this later family portrait.

 

It was about the time of the above Group Portrait that Mary married this next gentleman, my Grandfather William Hullock, Sept. 1906, at St.George's in Chorley.

William Hullock going to war!

(He enlisted 6 Dec 1915 around when this might have been taken.)

The above photo is the earliest I have of William taken almost 10 years into his marriage with Mary, living at 35 Geoffrey Street, Chorley, Lancashire, England, a Wood Sawyer and unfortunately for him and Mary, enlisting for the war effort on 6 Dec 1915. Mary would be 5-6 months pregnant with her second and last child, my Mum, Cicely. The couple had already produced their first child and daughter, Doris, on 9th May 1914

William Hullock was enlisted into the army and war effort on 6 Dec 1915 and started active service at Gosport on 3 Jun 1916 with the 101 Company of the RGA (Royal Regiment of Artillery). His subsequent tour of duty appears to have been in India for the duration of his military engagements.

William was the only Grandparent I met as the rest died before my time. He died around 1956 and I was only 5 then, so didn’t remember much of him, particularly as we lived over 100 miles away and family visits over those distances were few and far between in those days.

A celebratory studio portrait of Mary Alice Hullock (nee Ainsworth) with first daughter Doris and baby Cicely

- abt. June 1916

The photo above shows my Grandmother Mary holding baby Cicely and may have been taken on the occasion of Cicely’s Christening. She was born 29 Apr 1916. As William is not present the event might have been after he started active service in early June.

This second formal mother and baby photo is my mum, baby Cicely with her Mum Mary

About Aug 1916

 

Below are two more of the sisters taken later on that year

Cicely Hullock
Doris Hullock

Cicely Hullock

(est. Aug 1916)

Doris Hullock

(est. Oct 1916)

 

And now something of a puzzle…….

William Hullock with young family. His wife Mary has baby Cicely and Doris is standing. I find this intriguing as it seems to be a painting based on a photo almost. The appearance of Cicely suggests an age of about 8 months and that could correspond with a Christmas 1916 leave from the army for William, if that was possible. I think very unlikely and therefore my supposition is that it was produced by an artist from one or more photos as a composite with William still stationed in India. It is a large portrait and was elaborately mounted in a heavy frame with chain and probably had pride of place at some point. What a tough time for such a young family! There can't have been much father/daughter bonding, particularly for my mother who wouldn't have 'known' her father for quite some time.

William Hullock Family Portrait Painting

(est. Dec 1916)

William Hullock's wife Mary has baby Cicely on her lap and Doris is standing. I find this intriguing as it seems to be a painting based on a photo almost. The appearance of Cicely suggests an age of about 8 months and that could correspond with a Christmas 1916 leave from the army for William…..if that was possible. I think it is very unlikely and therefore my supposition is that it was produced by an artist from one or more photos as a composite with William still stationed in India.


The question remains as to whether he was there at all? Why a painting and not a photo? Would they really allow him leave from India so soon after posting? My understanding is leave was rare and granted maybe if there was a death in the family or some very compassionate circumstance. It's certainly not based on any photo I have (unless it's hiding somewhere)


It is a large portrait and was elaborately mounted in a heavy frame with chain and probably had pride of place at some point. What a tough time for such a young family! There can't have been much father/daughter bonding, particularly for my mother who wouldn't have 'known' her father for quite some time.

Tuesday 3 March 2015

The Ainsworth Family Weavers

To take up the story from the previous post, John Ainsworth’s mother, Sarah Ainsworth was a ‘Singlewoman’ by the time of John’s first marriage in 1876 and we knew he was born around 1852.
Having checked the Census for 1861, we discover John living with his family. However, they are not Ainsworths, they are Langtons.
The 1861 Census
The ‘Head of the Household’ is one Aaron Langton, aged 34, a Joiner by trade and his wife Sarah, aged 29, a Hand Loom Weaver. The couple have 3 children, all Scholars, James Langton, William Langton and John Ainsworth. This raises the question of whether Aaron was John’s biological father as he appears to have been born out of wedlock. At some point the birth certificate for John Ainsworth may provide further enlightenment.
Meanwhile, the Birth Registers show a John Ainsworth registered birth in Chorley district in the 3rd Quarter, Jul-Aug-Sep of 1852, almost certainly our John. He is baptised 15 Aug 1852 as per the Parish Register for Leyland, St Andrew below.

At this stage, Sarah Ainsworth is a ‘Singlewoman’ of Ulnes Walton, near Leyland and there is no indication of John’s Father’s identity from this record. Then in the second Quarter, Apr-May-Jun, 1853, Aaron Langton marries Sarah Ainsworth according to the freely available registers of marriage.
To follow back the Ainsworth line from Sarah, the 1851 Census was next consulted for Sarah and shows her living with her Mum and Dad, Mary and Edward and young brother William, at 35 Maltkiln Fold, Ulnes Walton. Wikipedia and other sites such as the extremely useful GENUKI provide further relevant background to this interesting old hamlet and the Maltkiln Fold, now established (2014) as a leisure route for walking, cycling, horseriding, etc. by the side of the Lostock River.
1851 Census

Note that they are all Hand Loom Weavers (Cotton). This lovely elderly gentleman gives us the benefit of history and experience for this occupation as typically established in hundreds of family units of this 19th century revolution.