Wilfrid Kershaw - the mill worker

Ealees Road in Littleborough, leading to Ealees Mill

Wilfrid Kershaw - early years

The next few posts look at the life of Wilfrid Kershaw.

Today's post covers the period  from his birth in 1886 up to the year 1914. Derrick Kershaw, Wilfrid's son, wrote the following about his father.

Wilfrid, aged 20

Littleborough Baptist Church, Durn, Blackstone Edge Road.
Closed 1953. Sold for use as an engineering workshop.
Destroyed by fire. Two houses built on site.

Wilfrid and Ada 13 April 1907

2 Pennine Villas, Limefield, Littleborough
(now 2 Halifax Road)
photo 2012

James Mitchell

James Mitchell was the youngest son of Robert Mitchell and Mary Clough, the parents of Jeremiah Clough. He was born in about 1849. He appeared on the Censuses of 1851 and 1861, working as a Cotton Doffer in 1861, by which time the family had moved to Newchurch in Rossendale.

Amongst Derrick Kershaw's papers was a group photograph featuring 36 people. This must have been given to him by his friend (mentioned in the last post). Nearly all the people in the photo are named, along with a few who were ‘known to have refused to be on the photo’. The photo shows the children of Jeremiah by his second wife Amelia (nee Jennings) except for Clara who was a granddaughter from his first marriage.

‘The occasion of the photo was James Mitchell’s return from Australia, taken in Littleborough Park about 1919.’ Most of the children from Jeremiah’s second marriage are on the photo along with spouses and children. Right in the middle of the photo is an elderly, distinguished looking gentleman and this is James Mitchell, the younger brother of Jeremiah.

On 25th July 1914 the following article appeared in The Rochdale Observer:  

The following year another article appeared in the same newspaper:

The sister mentioned in the article must have been either Elizabeth, born in 1839, or Susannah, born in 1853. James also had two brothers - William, born in 1837, and John, born in 1841.

The man on James Mitchell's left in the photograph may have been the Mayor of Rochdale (Alderman Redfern) who was instrumental in reuniting James with his long lost relatives.

And what happened to Mary Mitchell (nee Clough), the mother of Jeremiah Clough and James Mitchell? The last record we have of her is the 1871 Census where she appears as a widow, living near Blackpool with Susannah and working as a Lodging House Keeper.

The Clough branch of the family - Part 3 (Jeremiah Clough's early years)

In this post we trace Jeremiah's early years and upbringing.

A friend of Derrick Kershaw told him that ‘Jeremiah Clough was born out of wedlock and took his mother’s name of Clough. She later married his father Robert Mitchell and had another son who was James Mitchell.’

The Census records of 1861, 1881, 1891 and 1901 all give Jeremiah’s birthplace as Burnley. The 1871 record has not been located yet. The 1901 entry shows his birthplace as North Bank Extwistle, just east of Burnley. 

North Bank farm, Extwistle
(photo by Kris Baxter, the Briercliffe Society)

The Briercliffe Society has collected records of births, marriages and deaths including those in the Church of Briercliffe and Haggate Baptist Chapel. Using these I have established that William Clough (b 1786) and Nanny Clough (nee Jackson b 1786) had ten children between 1803 and 1826. Amongst these was Mary (b 1812), born whilst the family was living in Cockenden in Briercliffe. By the time of the birth of their last child Thomas in 1826 the family had moved to North Bank in Extwistle.

In about 1832 Mary Clough gave birth to a son Jeremiah. Mary was not married at this time. It appears that this son was born at the family home at North Bank, Extwistle and lived there with his grandparents William and Nanny and his mother Mary.

In 1837 Mary Clough married Robert Mitchell, a Carter from Todmorden, at St Chad's Church in Rochdale. The 1851 Census shows Robert and Mary living in Todmorden with Jeremiah, now 18 and a Picker Maker, and four other children, William, Elizabeth, John and James. Jeremiah’s surname is given as Mitchell, but this is the only record which doesn’t show him as a Clough.

The previous Census in 1841 had shown Mary and Robert with the three oldest children but no Jeremiah. At that time he was still living with his grandparents at North Bank. He is shown as Jeremy, aged 8.

Jeremiah married Grace King in 1854 - see the previous post.

The Clough branch of the family - Part 2 (Jeremiah Clough)

Jeremiah Clough, born in 1832 and the father of Mary Ann, was one of my great great grandfathers. This post covers his life from his marriage to Grace King in 1854 until his death in 1908. The next post will look at his childhood and upbringing.

Jeremiah and Grace were married at Halifax Parish Church. They were both aged 22. No father’s name is given on the entry for Jeremiah. At the time they were both living in Stansfield. Jeremiah was a weaver.

There were four children from this marriage – Mary Ann (b 1854), my great grandmother, who featured in the last post, Sarah (b 1856), Joseph (b 1860) and Mary (b 1860) known as Polly, who married Joseph Crabtree. In 1861 the family were living in Mill Street, Todmorden. Grace died in 1864, aged only 32.

Jeremiah remarried the following year, to Amelia Jennings at Holy Trinity Church, Littleborough. Between 1868 and 1887 they had 10 children – James Henry, Helliwell, Crossley, Susannah, Herbert, Frank Arthur, Rose and Gertrude twins, Elizabeth A and Sarah J. They lived in Paul Row, Summit, Littleborough, and later in Todmorden Road.

Derrick Kershaw wrote of Jeremiah:

Jeremiah was living at Dobroyd at the time of the ‘great flood’. He later moved to Calderbrook, Littleborough where he lived in ‘Paul Row’ and at Whitfield. His occupations were gardening, labouring, stone waller, carter, weaver, engineer.

Both his legs were broken in an accident caused by firing a cannon placed on the top of Whitfield overlooking Townhouse to celebrate the return from sea of one of the Molesworth family.

My father Wilfrid Kershaw remembers him when Jeremiah kept a garden in the land overlooking the entrance to Summit Tunnel. He was also a visitor to the Duke of York Hotel, Ealees (kept by Joseph Crabtree, an uncle of Wilfrid’s) being quite a noisy customer, clapping down his two sticks on the table and shouting ‘whoever takes them takes me’.

The former Duke of York hotel, Littleborough
(Derrick Kershaw photo)

Entrance to Summit Tunnel (2025)

We know that Jeremiah was buried at Calderbrook church in Littleborough, but there is no record of the burial or grave reference in the church grave book. The photo below show a marker stone with the initials J C but this is only a guess at where he might be buried.

Calderbrook church, Littleborough

Marker stone

The Clough branch of the family - Part 1 (Mary Ann Clough)

The next few posts will cover the Clough branch of the family.

Mary Ann Clough was born on 31st July 1854 in Toad Carr, Stansfield. Toad Carr is an area just off the Burnley Road on the way out of Todmorden. Her parents were Jeremiah Clough and Grace (nee King). Mary Ann was not baptised until 17th September 1871.

Mary Ann's baptism entry for Holy Trinity church, Littleborough

Mary Ann married James Kershaw ('Jim Screw' - see the previous post) on 2nd February 1874 at Mankinholes Chapel. Her occupation was shown as 'Factory Operative - cotton'. Between 1874 and 1886 the couple had 5 children - Henry Taylor, Grace Ann, Allan, Fred and Wilfrid. James died of consumption in August1887.

In 1891 the family were living at Greenvale Cottages in Littleborough and Mary Ann was working as a Cotton Winder at Greenvale Mill. She died of pleurisy in August 1893. After Mary Ann's death the home was broken up, Wilfrid going to live with Harry, his eldest brother, and his family. Wilfrid's story will be told in a future post shortly.

Mary Ann Kershaw (nee Clough)

Mary Ann with Wilfrid on her right and Fred on her left

Next post: Mary Ann's father, Jeremiah Clough

James Kershaw (1851-1887) - 'Jim Screw'

 Derrick Kershaw wrote this summary of the life of his grandfather James Kershaw:

The photo below shows Greenvale Mill in Littleborough where James worked as a Warper, and the adjoining Greenvale cottages where his son Wilfrid was born on 15th August 1886. James died a year later and his wife Mary Ann (nee Clough) died in 1893.

Greenvale mill and cottages

Grave of James and Mary Ann Kershaw at Cross Stone church in Todmorden