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.