The Harrisons of Walsden

The post today looks at another family with connections to the Hileys.

Betty Harrison married Charles Hiley on 4th February 1844 in Holy Trinity Church, Littleborough. Betty was one of the nine children of John Harrison and Sally (nee Barker). John was a Woodcutter and the family lived at Rake Head Barn, off Inchfield Road in Walsden. Living close by at Nicklety on Inchfield Road was Reuben Highley, a second cousin of Charles Hiley. See the post of 7th May 2019 for more about Reuben.

Rake Head Barn, Walsden

Charles and Betty had eleven children, including Charles Harrison Hiley who was given his father's name and his mother's surname as forenames. But Charles Harrison died three months before he reached his second birthday. He was buried at St Peter's Church in Walsden but his name is remembered on the family grave at Mankinholes.

Charles's family grave at Mankinholes
including
Betty Hiley (nee Harrison)
Charles Harrison Hiley (Born 25th March 1859 Died 20th December 1860)

Other connections between Hileys and Harrisons

1 Betty's younger brother Thomas married Hannah Highley in 1859. Hannah was the daughter of Reuben and Betty, who lived on Inchfield Road (see above).

2 John Harrison was another of Betty's brothers and his granddaughter Bertha married Joseph Hiley in 1900. Joseph was the youngest son of Betty and Charles. Bertha and Joseph's son Percy died in infancy and is remembered at the bottom of the family gravestone shown above. The death certificate shows that Percy died from Broncho-pneumonia.

THEY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS
PERCY, THEIR GRANDSON,
AGED 5 MONTHS
C. HILEY. WALSDEN

3 William Harrison was the brother of John Harrison, Betty's father. William's granddaughter Ellen married James Highley in 1858.

The Harrisons were one of the prominent Walsden families in the 1700s and 1800s. Betty Harrison's ancestors can be traced back to John Harrison (1705-1772) who married Elizabeth Stansfield in St Mary's Church, Todmorden in 1727.

Victoria Street gang

Another photo from the archives.......

This photo was taken in about 1922, most likely in Victoria Street in Littleborough.

On the front row, 3rd from the right is Henry Hiley. Next to the back row are Henry's sisters Edith (5th from the right) and Agnes (7th from the right). Henry's other sister Mary may be on the far right on the front row. Their older brother Sam is not in the photo.

The Hileys lived at 72 Victoria Street, Littleborough.

Another medal and some prize money

The last post of 2020 (18th December) featured the seven war medals of Henry Hiley.

Another one needs to be added to the list because in 1991 Henry received a medal called the '40th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War Medal', popularly known in the UK as the Russian Convoy Medal. It was awarded to all military and civilian personnel of the USSR Armed Forces who took part in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, to partisans of the War, and it was also made available to sailors who had taken part in the Arctic Convoys from Britain to the Soviet Union.

Participant in the War 40 years of victory in the great patriotic war 1941-1945

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Certificate
for the Jubilee medal
'40 years of victory
in the great patriotic war
1941-1945'

Certificate
HILEY H
Presented with the Jubilee medal 
                                                             Participant in the War                                                               
31 JULY 1991

On this day... Birth of John Walter Hiley

This is the first in a new monthly series featuring an event or story about a family member from a particular day in the past.

John Walter Hiley was born on this day 13th January 1874.

John's father was Charles Joseph Hiley, Professor of Music, piano and music seller, and organist at Heptonstall church. Charles featured in the posts of 19th August and 2nd September 2020. 

John, born in Todmorden, was the third of Charles and Sarah's eight children. He showed early signs of  the skills required for his future career when he passed examinations at school, aged 11, in freehand drawing and geometry.

Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter
11th September 1885

Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved. 

With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive 

(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

At the time of the 1901 census John Walter was living at 22 Rochdale Road, Todmorden with his parents and his sisters Mabel, Amy Elizabeth and Edith Hannah. His occupation was given as Draughtsman. Tragedy struck three years later:

Todmorden & District News
16th December 1904

Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved. 

With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive 

(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Tomlinson's of Rochdale 'Moser Raiser'
Soho Street, Rochdale
Machine for raising the nap of woollen cloth c 1904-1908
(Grace's Guide to British Industrial History)

Part of the inscription on the family grave at Christ Church, Todmorden
(full photo in the post about Charles Joseph Hiley, 19 August 2019)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our readers - and welcome to the first post of the year.

A reminder that this Blog is for anyone who is a Hiley (or Highley), or who is related to one, or who has an interest in family history and genealogy. I would be pleased to include anything that others would like to contribute, either about Hileys or about a related topic.

This year, look out for posts featuring some history of  early Hiley families from near Halifax, and of Hiley families from further afield. And also more about Henry Hiley's service in the Royal Navy in WW2.

And a new regular feature:  On this day... An event or story about a family member from a particular day in the past.

This year I will continue to include occasional posts on the following:

Alfred Hiley

Notable Hileys

Already in this series:

Alfred Hiley (1831-1911) - a clergyman, mathematics teacher and writer of text books.

Wilfred Hiley (1886-1961) - a forest economist of world fame.

Thomas Alfred (Tom) Hiley (1905-1990) - an accountant, politician and public servant.

Joseph (Joe) Hiley (1902-1989) - Member of Parliament for Pudsey in Yorkshire from 1959 to 1974.

Hileys killed in WW1

Already in this series:

John Clifford Hiley's grave

Thomas Edward Hiley - his steam trawler struck a mine in the North Sea.

Herbert Hiley - his ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German U Boat off the Dutch coast.

Frank Hiley - killed in Italy when an enemy shell he was inspecting exploded.

James Highley - a Rifleman from Halifax, killed in action on the Somme.

John Clifford Hiley - a Bombadier in the Royal Horse Artillery, killed in action in Belgium.

Albert Edward Hiley - an errand lad from Sheffield, Albert was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

James Joseph Hiley's grave

Horace Highley - from Halifax, Horace fought on the Western Front, was wounded and died three days later.

Leonard Hiley - fought with the Salford Pals and was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Norman Hiley - the youngest of seven children from Shipley, Norman was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Joe Hiley - a Lance Corporal with the York and Lancaster Regiment 8th Battalion which suffered very heavy losses including Joe on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

James Joseph Hiley - from Halifax, James was killed in action whilst fighting with the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment.

Families connected with the Hileys

Henry Heap

  Already in this series:

  The Heaps of Cornholme

  The Parsonses of Sabden 

A few reminders

You can contact me directly at christopherhiley@hotmail.com.

Click on an image in a post to magnify it.

Use the 'Search this Blog' feature to search for a particular name or post.

Let me know if you want to include an article or have a suggestion.

Looking from Hathershelf across to High Lee Green and High Lee. In the distance on the left is the Warley hillside across the Calder valley.

The Yorkshire Hileys came from this area.

Henry Hiley's medals

Henry at Portsmouth 1940

In 1950 Henry received five medals for his service in the Royal Navy in WW2.

  

Above: the box in which the medals arrived Left: Letter from the Admiralty

Display frame for Henry's medals

The medals were:

1 1939-1945 Star 

Dark blue, red and light blue in three equal vertical stripes. This ribbon is worn with the dark blue stripes furthest from the left shoulder. 

This star was awarded for service in the Second World War between 3rd September 1939 and 2nd September 1945. Royal Navy personnel had to complete 6 months service afloat in active operational areas. 

The ribbon has three vertical stripes of dark blue, red and light blue. The dark blue stripe represents the Naval Forces and the Merchant Navy, the red stripe the Armies and the light blue stripe the Air Forces. The ribbon for this medal, along with those of the other Second World War campaign stars, is reputed to have been designed by King George VI, with the three equal bands representing the equal contributions towards victory of the Royal Navy, Army, and the Royal Air Force respectively.

 

2 Atlantic Star (with Clasp France and Germany)

Blue, white and sea green shaded and watered. This ribbon is worn with the blue edge furthest from the left shoulder.

This star is a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth that was awarded for service in World War 2. The star was awarded for six months service afloat, in the Atlantic or in Home Waters, within the period 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945. The 1939-45 Star must have been earned before commencing qualifying service for the Atlantic Star. 

The France and Germany Clasp was awarded to those who subsequently became entitled to the France and Germany star. 

The shaded and watered blue, white, and sea-green stripes represent the colours of the Atlantic Ocean.

3 Africa Star 

Pale buff, with a central vertical red stripe and two narrower stripes, one dark blue, and the other light blue. This ribbon is worn with the dark blue stripe furthest from the left shoulder.

The star was awarded for a minimum of one day service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. Naval personnel anywhere at sea in the Mediterranean or in harbour in North Africa, Malta or Egypt between the above dates will qualify.

The sand of the desert is represented by pale buff, the Royal Navy (and Merchant Navy), British Army and Royal Air Force are represented by stripes of dark blue, red, and light blue respectively. 

4 Defence Medal 

Flame coloured with green edges, upon each of which is a narrow black stripe.

The Defence Medal was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II. It was instituted to recognise both military and some types of civilian service. 

Flame coloured in the centre flanked by stripes of green to symbolise enemy attacks on Britain’s green and pleasant land, with narrow black stripes to represent the blackout.

5 War Medal 1939-1945 

A narrow central red stripe with a narrow white stripe on either side. A broad red stripe at either edge, and two intervening stripes in blue.

The War Medal was awarded to all full time personnel of the armed forces wherever they were serving, provided they had served for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. Sometimes described as the 'Victory Medal'.

The colours represent those of the Union Flag.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Malta GC Commemorative Medal 

In 1993 Henry received a sixth medal. He was invited to receive it at a ceremony at the Malta High Commission in London.

Henry's Malta medal

The Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Medal is a commemorative medal created by the government of Malta and awarded by, or in the name of, the President of Malta. Established on 17 January 1992, it could be awarded to individuals who met the specified requirements of service and made application for award of the medal by 15 April 1994. The medal honours the collective award of the George Cross to the island of Malta during World War II. 

The medal was awarded for service during the qualifying period of 10 June 1940 to 8 September 1943 during and after the Siege of Malta.

The colours of the ribbon, two narrow stripes of white and red on a background of blue, are representative of the Malta flag and the George Cross.

Arctic Star 

Arctic Star

Henry died in 2007. In 2014 his son John applied to the Ministry of Defence Medal Office and received Henry's Arctic Star in January 2015.

The Arctic Star is a retrospective award, announced in late 2012, nearly seven decades after the end of the Second World War. It is granted for operational service of any length, from 3rd September 1939 to 8th May 1945 inclusive, north of the Arctic Circle on the Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea. The Arctic Star is intended to commemorate the Arctic convoys and is designed primarily for the ships of the convoys to North Russia and their Escorts.

The three colours represent the forces which were involved in the campaign, light blue for the Air Forces, dark blue for the Navy and red for the Merchant Navy, while the central white band, edged in black, represents the Arctic.

Look out next year for more posts about Henry's service in the Royal Navy

Heap and Parsons families

Recent posts have looked at the Heap and Parsons families and their connection to the Hileys. 

The pedigree chart below shows Ethel Heap's ancestors on her father's side (the Heaps) and on her mother's side (the Parsonses). 

The map below shows the movement of members of the Parsons family from Bolton by Bowland to Sabden and Newchurch and then to Cornholme (red arrows), and also the journey of the Heaps from Bacup to Cornholme (yellow arrow). Whalley and Accrington, where Parsons marriages took place, are also on the map, along with Walsden where Ethel and Harold Hiley lived after their marriage.

Further east is the Upper Calder valley and Halifax. The Yorkshire Hileys originated in the township of Sowerby and a branch moved west to settle in Todmorden and Walsden.

Click on the map to magnify it.