Wigan Album

If I’m not mistaken Mary Catterall was one of my grandfather’s sisters Daniel.

Yes she was indeed. She had 9 children three of which where Alberts. She married three times her last husband she married in Doncaster. As you know Jack and a few of his siblings moved there to.

Goodness me! I didn’t know she married three times! She must have liked wedding cake Daniel. Yes I know my grandad went to Doncaster with his brother Levi, Mary Jane wouldn’t go with him. When Levi died Jack came back to John St. That’s another story though …;0)) I do remember him though..just. Have you seen Levi’s photo on the ancestry page with his other brothers.?

Yes I’ve seen them. I’ve also got a photo of John Ashcroft Mary’s son and there was quite likeness to his father here and on the catterall side. Just wondering do you know what happened to Levi in Doncaster? I’ve got a death certificate for him but not completely sure if it’s him or not.

Also you can see the transcription of the first two marriage certificates on the Lancashire parish records.

All I know was that Levi died and Jack came back to Wigan in 1946. He was younger than Jack. I only know he married his wife before they went to Doncaster for work during the 1926 Strike. I don’t know what he died from Daniel. It should say on the death certificate.

Another thought occurred to me Jack would have been 65 in 1946. So he would have been eligible to retire and that may be why he came back home. His wife died in 1948 as well. Then he died in 1949… not much of a retirement . I can vividly remember him being taken out of the house on a stretcher into an ambulance. Very sad.

Well apparently it said “That whilst employed on a coal cutting machine at Brodsworth main Colliery the jib swung over dislodging a prop knocking him forward against another prop and he died from fractures of the base of the skull resulting there from. Accidental death”
jack also had another sister Margaret Ellen who died young just aged 20 she married John Dunn a year before she died.

That’s awful Daniel I didn’t know that. Yes I know about the others there were five sisters. There was one who died at Bull Hey which I think was a hospital for Tuberculosis patients. I will have to look in my paperwork. Thanks for that information. My dad never spoke about that. If I’m not mistaken I think she was buried with her mother.

Mary remarried within a year of Albert's death - to John Farnworth, who had been widowed himself in February 1917 when his wife Rose died, presumably in childbirth, as her still born son was buried with her in a common grave in Ince Cemetery. The family was further linked in 1929 when John William Farnworth married Margaret Ellen Catterall.
Mary lost husband John in 1934, when he died aged 57.

When I have time Daniel I’ll get your email off your grandma and send some copies of death certificates of Ellen Catterall and her mother Alice. They are Levi senior’s mother Ellen and Grandmother Alice I have quite a bit of info about them.
Alice was born in Penistone Yorkshire and married James Catterall in the 1830’s at Wigan Parish Church. He was born in Upholland.

How very strange the Farnworth name linked to the Catterall family ! My brother married a Farnworth as well 2 generations later... Thanks for the information Reverend. I have tended just to look at the direct line in my ancestry and sidelined the siblings apart from their names.

Rev David, that was correct. Both Father and son married into the same family, John Farnworth Married Mary Catterall and John Farnworths son John William Farnworth married Frank Catterall’s daughter Margaret Ellen.

Veronica, That would be much appreciated, thank very much. Also yes Frances lily Catterall is buried in Levi and Margaret’s grave and I think so is Levi (son) wife Phoebe. Think frances lily died of Tuberculosis meningitis.

Also Mary’s third husband was George Ridgewell They both married in Doncaster. he died after she died in 1953 and Mary died In 1940 in Doncaster.

It's a bit unusual that the son who died 16 hours after Rose gave birth - sadly passing away herself - was also named John, despite the name having already been given to John William. Names were often used again for successive children if earlier children so-named died in infancy.

I meant Bull Hill Daniel!
Not Bull Hey.. ‘Frank’ must have been named after his grandfather Francis Cox (one of 5 brothers from Leitrim Ireland) who died in 1901 or 02 at Pitt Street they lived in John St in the 1870’s.
yes the names are always repeated over and over Reverend. Sometimes it’s a good clue. Then again….

Yes that’s quite likely they quite often named them after there parents or grandparents. I don’t know if you’ve seen this but Francis Cox left a will when he died in 1900. The index to probate is on ancestry but I’ve also got the will. It mentions Margaret and Levi Catterall and Margaret’s brother lawrence.

Yes I know about the will Daniel. I have your email so I’ll be in touch.

What I was drawing attention to was the unusual re-use of a name, John, for the child who died 16 hours after Rose gave birth to him - when they already had a living son called John (William). Yes, names are re-used generation after generation, and across branches of a family, but not usually in that fashion, within the same generation of a family. It happened, as I said, when a child died in infancy - a subsequent child might be given the same name. I've also seen rare instances when a child born post-WW1 was given the name of a brother killed in the war.

Yes that is strange Reverend. Naming the child even though it died with the same name as the living child. Unless perhaps John William was called by his second name William throughout life. I only say this as my first name on official documents is Mary but I have always been called by my second name Veronica! Causes untold problems at times. Or perhaps there wasn’t any hope for the child to live…so they chose that in a hurry, I don’t suppose we’ll ever know. It can be inconvenient at times.