Joseph Bracewell/Susy Hartley/John Higgin

[EileenDavid]

What I wanted to ask was about the Bollard family. James Bollard made my John Higgin yeoman of Holling Top his trustee in his will of 1762 and I was just wondering who the Bollard family was? I think John Higgin's was the forrester at Pendle Forest but I don't know for sure can anyone confirm this.

I also came across two people John Clayton and someone called Butterworth who have transcibed the Bollard wills John actually explained what John Higgin was in the will in laymans terms but couldn't find an email address for Ms Butterworth. It seems that Ms Butterworth has done quite a few trees in the area including the Hartley's & Bollard's but couldn't find Susy Hartley who married Joseph Bracewell and I was hoping to pick her brain. It's awful when you don't know the area.

I read on previous site that Holling Top is still there but it's a private house now could you tell me were it is as wouldn't mind viewing.

I was also hoping for some advise as to where I could check if John Higgin left a will when he died in 1770 also his son John who died prior to 1814 and Joseph Bracewell who died in 1825.

Thanks to help from the site I have now found Richard Higgin grave in St Bart's although still no luck on the Bracewells

Eileen

[Stanley]

Nice to see you managed to get on Eileen. I'm sure you'll get some responses when members get yoked in on the site again.

[Gillykh]

Hi Eileen,
On the site lan-opc.org.uk there is a burial for Joseph Bracewell 13 Dec 1825 aged 79 years,at St Barths Colne.His abode is listed as Earby.
Gilly

[EileenDavid]

Hello Gilly

Thanks for the info on Joseph Bracewell, I had his burial but couldn't actually find the plot in the graveyard at St Bart's. Thanks to another member Wendyf of OGFB I managed to find Richard Higgin's gravestone at St Bart's.

Still wanting to know who the Bollard family were seemed to have plenty of land? Also still trying to find Joseph Bracewell and John Higgin births circa 1746 I now have marriage certificates for John Higgin and his brother Henry Higgin thanks to Burnley library and know I have the correct ones due to them being able to sign their names and being able to check the signatures. Also Henry gave his father as John of Hollingtop so on the right track. There father John Higgin also of Holling Top married a Martha Smith at Burnley giving their address as Pendle Forrest I got his marriage cert but it's only a line in a book.

Thanks for help in the past and the future and to you Stanley for your encouragement.

Eileen

[Wendyf]

Hello Eileen,
I've received your email and yes, I will happily do some looking up for you at the library tomorrow.
To find your old avatar, go to your profile in the User Control Panel. There is an option to change your avatar, and a button which takes you to a huge selection. You should be able to discover your old one among them.
Wendy

[Wendyf]

I haven't found anything about the Higgins yet Eileen, but I have found a pedigree of the Bollard family, who lived at Whitehough for over 400 years apparently. Will get back later...

[Wendyf]

I have found the Newchurch MI's but no Higgins or Sutcliffes I'm afraid.

[EileenDavid]

Hello Wendy

Thanks for getting back this is a bit of a mystery on the Higgin front, however thanks for trying. Is the graveyard still at St Mary's or is it grassed over? Also thanks for letting me know who the Bollard's were it would seem they were land wealthy can't wait to see the pedigree. They are only of interest as James Bollard in 1762 made John Higgin snr his trustee and Hollin Top came as part of the package for him and his heirs. His son John lived at Hollin Top but died in 1789 leaving his wife with 8 children ages 4-21 unfortunately the eldest were girls and the eldest boy was 14 so I think this is were they ceased to be freehold yeomen as they all went into weaving, or it passed to one of the other brothers. Richard Higgin went into Chandlery and he was the one you found the grave for at St Bartholomew's.

I have now found John Higgin circa 1746 had a brother Henry 1744 and whilst John was living at Hollin Top Henry was living at Bank End Farm. I am beginning to think John Higgin was born 1740 not 1746 although the LDS had him as 21 when he married his 16 year old bride maybe he didn't want to admit he was 11 years older than her. Henry married a widow called Elizabeth Whitehead, he was a yeoman and married her at Newchurch in Pendle. Thought that Elizabeth might have had the farm with her first husband nice dowry eh? Thanks to OGFB there was something about Hollin Top being a farm and an inn and I think Henry and John had another brother Miles who was an innkeeper so that could be a possibility.

Thanks again

Eileen

[Stanley]

Higgin or Higgins isn't a common name in the district. In his History of the Baptist Church, the Rev. Winnard says that in 1500 the Higgins family were one of the six dissenting families in Barlick, remember that this was high risk then. He names the others as Mitchell, Edmondson, Hargreaves, Barrett and Greenwood. I mention them because such groups often intermarried. Baine's directory for 1871 mentions a Richard Higgins as shopkeeper in Earby. An Arthur Higgins was fined and gaoled for an assault on a police officer in Carleton shortly after WW1. Is Hollins Top the same as Hollins Farm? If you go onto the old site and look in Stanley's View you'll find two articles called 'The Holly and the Ivy', I posted them in 2006. They could interest you, more to the name Hollins than meets the eye!

[EileenDavid]

Hello Stanley

Thanks for the info, unfortunately I was unable to access your articles in the archives, don't know why just said may be available in the future. Thanks also for advising the Higgin's only came to the area in 1500 if I could get back to there it would be great. Don't quite understand what the risk was? Our Richard Higgin married Jenny Bracewell. His father John married Jennet Crawshaw and his grandfather John married Martha Smith. The Baine's directory for Richard Higgin as shopkeeper in Earby I don't know as Richard and Jenny nee Bracewell and their children had moved to Manchester between 1831-1833 although most of the children were baptised at Thornton in Craven. Hollin Top Farm is in Roughlee Booth and is a listed building. We have no Arthur Higgins. Dave's mum was always telling us that Higgins is an irish name and theres was English Higgin! Will try to get into The Holly and the Ivy again.

Thanks

Eileen

[Stanley]

Eileen, I'll repost them in Stanley's view.

[EileenDavid]

Hello Stanley

Thanks for the message on Hollins

Look forward to reading it

Eileen

[Wendyf]

Did Ken Hartley send you the Higgin entries in the Thornton in Craven registers, Eilleen?

[EileenDavid]

Good Morning Wendy

No I haven't had the Thornton in Craven entries for Higgin from Ken Hartley.

Eileen

[Wendyf]

I must be getting mixed up with another topic! I will see what I can dig out and put up on here.

[Wendyf]

Baptisms:
1809/11/26 c Higgan Robt s Richd & Jenny (nee Bracewell) weaver Earby b1809/10/16
1572/05/18 c Higgin Jennett d Henry
1787/04/16 c Higgin Sally d John & Isabella labourer Earby Moorside b1787/04/03
1813/03/07 c Higgin James s Richard/Jenny weaver Earby
1816/11/10 c Higgin Ann d Richard/Jane weaver Earby
1820/03/05 c Higgin Joseph s Richard/Jenny weaver Earby
1822/11/17 c Higgins Richard s Richard/Fanny weaver Kelbrook
1567/06/12 c Higgon Richd s Henry

Marriages:
1572/04/27 m Higgin Henry & Margery Wyndle
No Burials

[EileenDavid]

Thanks for the info its nice to know that the LDS are right in this instance.

Richard with the parents Richard and Fanny is ours. But I think the Fanny is wrong as the others Robert. James, Ann and Joseph are Richards brothers and sister and they were all children of Richard and Jenny Bracewell plus two more John and William baptised at St Bart's Colne. They all with the exception of Ann who died in Kelbrook went between 1831/1833 to live in Manchester/Salford and went into the tallow chandlery business.

I am now struggling with John Higgin Richard's 1780-1842 father of Holling Top with a brother Henry both yeoman but John's children seemed to go into weaving?

Nice to know I am on the right track.

Thanks again for your help.

Eileen

[Stanley]

Eileen, 1780 onwards was the start of the big expansion in the cotton trade because of improved machinery, Arkwright etc. Agricultural incomes were low and it was a struggle to support children so they tended to be sent into other work. In the Dales and other remote areas it was mainly girls going into domestic service. In the case of families near the new mills and merchants, they were either put to HLW at home or sent to work in the towns. Gradually whole families moved from agriculture into the towns where the family wage could be far higher than anything achievable in agriculture. Movements like this depopulated villages like Stock at Bracewell and Wycoller.

[EileenDavid]

Good morning Stanley

Thanks for the information as to why profession from agriculture to weaving. Tallow must have been the Higgin way forward as between 1831/1833 they moved to Manchester/Salford and were all Tallow Chandelers. One of the brothers John became a licensee of a pub but continued in tallow so for many years the pub was knicknamed the Tallow Tub. In 1966 the brewery officially named the pub the Tallow Tub. Unfortunately although a grade II listed building it was demolished in 1997. I know it's not Barlick but it is about an old boy of the area he was baptised at Colne but thought you might find it amusing anyway.

Eileen

[Stanley]

Every town had tallow renderers I think, a very useful trade. Until the advent of mineral oils tallow was a common lubricant for machinery and still has a place in specialised applications. Another major use was in tape sizing in mills. There was a renderer in Barlick, Butts I think but I can't find the reference. Very smelly industry and some land conveyances prohibited use for that purpose.

[EileenDavid]

Hello Stanley

The Higgin's went into Tallow in a big way and manufactured soap and candles employing numerous staff in there businesses and all had servants in their homes. Some of Richard & Jenny's grandchildren went out as travellers to sell the products as well as having shops and factories.

The industry provided for all the Higgin's, some of the Bracewell's, and the Ousey's (Elizabeth Ousey married Richard Higgin junior). Richard (our direct ancestor) of Richard and Jenny's 8 children, had two wives at different times of course and 13 children.

So they did ok on coming to Manchester/Salford I think!

I am still trying to find John Higgin though, born circa of 1709 (married in 1738 at Burnley St Peter's to Martha Smith) bit of a brick wall but will have to break it down if I am to progress. Still no luck on Joseph Bracewell though or Susy Hartley but will carry on looking and have had loads of help from OGFB so I am sure I will get them eventually.

Read the Holly and the Ivy very entertaining

Eileen

[EileenDavid]

Just found how to thank everyone for their kindness so you all know now how grateful I am

Eileen

[Stanley]

Did you find both the articles?

[EileenDavid]

Good morning Stanley

Yes I have read 1 and 2 and found them informative. Will view holly in a new light as it was very useful as well as decorative. I don't know if Hollin farm is the same as Holling Top Farm though

Eileen

[Stanley]

Neither do I Eileen but almost certainly the same root.