Monday, August 13, 2007

more Cowley links- descendant Margaret Eaton (Aus)

A message from Margaret Eaton (mamarg@git.com.au), also in Australia and keen to make contact with other members of the Cowley family - Sylvia Wilcox, John Cobham & Joanne Horridge who have strong "Cowley" & "Wright" links.....Margaret I would love to have more information about Edward so I can add it to this blog for others to see & use- any images you have is always useful too.....Edward Cowley's grandparent's - Richard Cowley 1798 - 1881 & Alice Swift 1798 - 1879 are my 4x grandparents.

"Dear Barbara,
I came across your address whilst browsing the web the other night. My mother's maiden name was Cowley, her father was Edward Cowley son of James ( born Lancashire 1842 ) and other than that James had sisters named Everilda, Matilda and Gemima, we had no other knowledge of our roots. You can imagine how delighted I was to come across an email from you to Sylvia Wilcox pin pointing our connections. I am writing hoping that you may have even more information on this subject and I am very happy to share the Cowley history from Edward's point of view with anyone who may be interested. Edward came to Australia in 1911, followed by his wife, Margaret ( nee Halton of Parbold) returning only once to England again in his lifetime at the conclusion of the Great War when he stayed with a Mrs Wright in Wigan. Any pointers that you can pass on to me to help trace our tree would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards, Margaret Eaton."

Hi Margaret, from information provided from Sylvia Wilcox & Tony Brown & various more recent sources (Jo Keenan, John Cobham) this is what I know of the Cowley family.
PARENTS:
RICHARD COWLEY, Upholland (b.1797-1881) m (17 April 1820) ALICE (SWIFT b.6 Nov 1798?-1879, Wigan) - my 4x Great grandparents
CHILDREN
Richard Cowley d.1881 and Alice d. 1879 had at least 9 children, although Sylvia's records indicate 14 children!! Farmers at Bannister House, Bispham.
3.1. Edward Cowley b. abt 1822-1887, Mawdesley (see image)

3.2. Ann Cowley, b. 21 March 1821 and perhaps died before 1851. She is not listed on the census. Then again she may have just been out visiting.
3.3 Elizabeth (Ellen) b. 11 Dec 1826- 1886 (my 3x Great grandmother - Barbara Ainscough & Tony Ainscough Brown's ancestor)
3.4. Thomas b. 21 Dec 1828 - 1912, Bispham married twice, both were called Margaret Ainscough – see blog detail Sept 25th 06
- (Gerard Swarbrick's ancestor)
3.5. Everilda b. 14 Sept 1830, Bispham married John Southworth 1833, Mawdesley - (Sylvia Wilcox’s ancestor)
3.6. Alice b. 1836-1898, Eccleston married Richard WRIGHT - (John Cobham & Jo Horridge's ancestor)
3.7. Matilda b. 1838 Eccleston
3.8. Jemima b. 1840 Eccleston married William Wright (Richard Wrights brother)
3.9. James b 1842 Eccleston (Margaret Eaton's ancestor)

On 14 Aug 2007, at 08:49, Anthony Brown (tonybrow@westnet.com.au)wrote:
"Hi Barbara, Margaret & others
I am also very interested in finding more of Edward and his descendants as Edward's grandparents , Richard Cowley 1798 - 1881 & Alice Swift 1798 - 1879 are my gt.gt.gt.grandparents. I know nothing of Edward's family but would love to receive any details you can provide. I migrated to Australia with my parents in1927
Anthony Ainscough Brown"


On 14 Aug 2007, at 08:40, JOANNE KEENAN (joanne@keenan9076.freeserve.co.uk)wrote:
"Hi Margaret
The Alice Cowley you mention married a relative of mine Richard Wright they had a son Thomas Richard Wright b 1872 in Mawdesley.
The Cowleys and Wrights feature alot in my family tree, the Mrs Wright you mention may be my father in laws grandmother! Let me know if you'd like any more info.
Jo"


On 15 Aug 2007, at 12:57, Margaret Eaton (mamarg@git.com.au)wrote:
"Thank you Barbara for all your help, the information was wonderful and I am amazed at the amount of it. I will forward a brief outline now and more when I am back on track again. I do have some photos that you may be interested in. In the meantime here is a brief summation on Edward Cowley.
Briefly, from the 1881 census I know that Edward (b.1875 died 30th April1952, Perth Western Australia) is the son of James ( Richard, Richard, John, John, page 11 of your blog) and had a sister and two brothers: Matilda, b. 1873, John b.1877 and James b. 1880. They lived at the time of the census in the Farmhouse at Parbold but the eldest were born in Wrightington. Edward married Margaret Halton in Parbold in 1903 and we think her father's name was Thomas. Edward came to Australia in 1911. They had three girls: Alice, Elizabeth and Margaret , I am descended from Margaret, and have three brothers. There are currently seven descendants of my generation and 25 or so of the next and even more of the one after. Edward Cowley, known as Ted had rather a sad life in many ways, he enlisted in the Australian Infantry Forces in 1916 and was sent to fight in France . He was taken a prisoner of war at 1st Bullecourt and although he lived to 77 years of age his health never recovered enough for him to work again. Now I realise that all this needs plumping out and adding to and I will do my homework in this regard and collate to the 10th generation of Edward's descendants.
This is a whole new experience for me, I have not ever compiled family tree information. My husband and I were in Parbold in 2000 and I wish I knew then the information that you have given me. I can feel another visit coming on!
(I have just had a closer look and realised that Edward had another younger sister Elizabeth.) Thanks again, I will be in touch in the near future.
Margaret"


On 15 Aug 2007, at 11:36, John Cobham wrote:
Hi All,
My Great Grandmother on my mothers side was Alice Cowley, who married Richard Wright, Her Sister Jemima Cowley married Richard Wrights brother William, they were sons of Peter & Mary (Pope) who farmed at Mawdesley, Lancashire. Richard Cowley & his family were at Bannister House, this is a big farmhouse at Bispham, nr Mawdesley & still virtually the same. Richard Cowley & his wife are buried in the churchyard of SS Peter & Pauls Catholic church in Mawdesley.
The Cowleys still reside in Mawdesley, some of them married Horridges- Alice Horridge (b1897) married Frank Cowley, & Eveline Horridge (b1892) married Justin Cowley ……it’s the family of Justin & Eveline that are still in the area.
Regards
John

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

not sure if you can help but every time i search my parants name this page appears, my father was peter cobham from croston & parbold and my mother was trafford, my father peter cobham died in 1988 at a young age from cancer, all i know i that his mothers name was mary cobham who finally lived in burscough
paul.cobham@hotmail.co.uk

Anonymous said...

My G.G.Grandfather James Swift was born in Parbold c1797 he married Mary Ann Baldwin from Scarisbrick in 1819 in Leyland he farmed at Lower house farm Runshaw Lane until his retirement.His eldest daughter was Alice and he had about 12 children one of whom Edward moved to Blackrod they were RC .My G.Grandmother was Sarah Swioft born c1832 she married James Walmsley in 1856 in Euxton.I have not been able to identify either James Swift or MaryAnnBaldwins birth but feel that there may be a connection to your subscriber with a Alice Swift as a ancestor.My other names in this area are Joseph Orrell born c1777 and Margaret Babut born about the same time.