John and Mary Ann Bray Highley (Part 2 - the children)

John and Mary Ann Bray Highley had 12 children:

Thomas Arthur 1875 - 1952
John Henry 1877 - 1914
Ernest Jackson 1879 - 1916
James Edward 1882 - 1887
Mary Hannah 1885 - 1964
Sarah Alice 1887 - 1890

Charles William 1889 - 1917

Fred 1892 - 1892

Martha 1892 - 1892

Richard 1893 - 1953

Beatrice Annie 1896 - 1974

The 1911 census showed that John and Mary had had 12 children born alive of whom 5 had died. James Edward died at age 5, Sarah Alice at age 3, and the twins Fred and Martha were born prematurely and died after a few hours. There is no record that tells us more about their 12th child.

Nine of the children were baptised in the Inchfield Bottom Methodist Chapel in Walsden. The Chapel closed to worshippers in 2010.

Inchfield Bottom Chapel, Walsden

Three of the boys were killed in the First World War - John Henry, Ernest Jackson and Charles William. The next few posts will look at their lives before the War, where they fought and where they are commemorated, and what happened to their families afterwards.

Two boys, Richard and Thomas Arthur, took part in the War and survived. They both married and had children. Mary Hannah and Beatrice Annie both lived into adulthood, married and brought up families.

At the time of his marriage to Mary Ann Bray in 1874 John was living at Throstle Terrace in Walsden. His parents Thomas and Sarah had moved there at some time before the 1871 census was taken. From that time until about 1932, a period of over 60 years, there were various members of this Highley family living at Throstle Terrace.

The photo below shows Throstle Terrace and the Lanebottom Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and Sunday School.

The houses on the roadside were 935 - 945 Rochdale Road. At the back was Throstle Street (numbered 8 to 18). The whole block was known as Throstle Terrace.

935 - 945 Rochdale Road

Throstle Street. No. 8 at the end

John and Mary Ann Bray Highley and their family (Part 1 - John and Mary)

This is the first of a series of posts telling the story of a Walsden family of Highleys broken apart by the First World War.

John Highley was born in 1852 and was a direct descendant of David Hiley born in Warley in 1700. His parents were Thomas and Sarah (nee Jackson). The census of 1851 shows the family living on Todmorden Road, Bottoms, Walsden, with Thomas working as a Steam Loom Weaver (Cotton). 

John was one of 7 children. By 1861 the family had moved to Victoria Terrace in Todmorden and John, just aged 9, was already working as a Cotton Throstle Spinner. In 1871 they were back in Walsden, at 2 Throstle Terrace. John was a CottonWeaver.

Mary Ann Bray Wills was born in Cornwall in 1853 and was the oldest of 10 children. Her family, looking for work, made the epic journey to Todmorden at some point between 1871 and 1874. On 17th May 1871 this entry appeared in The Cornish Telegraph:

John married Mary Ann Bray on 4th April 1874 at Cross Lanes Chapel between Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall.

Marriage Certificate of John and Mary Ann Bray

Cross Lanes Chapel
From the Alice Longstaff Collection

Between 1875 and 1896 the couple had 12 children.

Next post - John and Mary's children