Stopforth family

On 23 Jan 2011, at 14:17, Wendy (wendy807@btinternet.com) wrote:

Hello Barbara,

I found your family history site on the web whilst searching for info about my 3rd Gt Grandmother Ann Stopforth b.1810 Newburgh

Although I have amassed a pile of info about the Stopforth family I cannot say for sure who Ann's parents were.
My best guess is Edward Stopforh and Catherine Hankin although I have no proof of this but her first born was Edward.

Have you come across her in your research? So far I haven't found any clues beyond the cenus records/parish clerk project etc.,
I wondered if she was born a Roman Catholic which may be why I haven't found a baptism record.

My next move is to look in Ormskirk Library and the Records office at Preston as nothing is turning up in the usual online searches.

Look forward to hearing from you

Wendy


Hi Wendy

You may have seen this post already? There are some trees here - you might also like to contact Andy Scarisbrick directly to see if he has any more info. or John Stopforth, Canada - email addresses on this page.
http://ainscough-familyhistory.blogspot.com/2008/11/stopforth-speakman-ainscough-links.html

regards
Barbara

Hi Barbara,

I saw your web site and the message from Wendy. I have just sent her the message below. If my calculations are correct, Anne Stopforth/Ainscough was my 4x great grandmother.

On 4 Apr 2011, at 16:11, JOHN STOPFORTH wrote:
JOHN STOPFORTH
Hi Wendy,
I saw your message on Barbara Ainscough's web site.

Catholicism was a strong belief in the Stopforth family and many of them were recusants. Edward Stopforth and Catherine Hankin were my 3xgreat grandparents who married on july 20th 1800 in Ormskirk at St.Peter & St. Paul's, the parish church. Their first child Thomas was baptised at St. Anne's RC Church on May 10th 1802, one of his sponsors being Anne Ainscough, but I believe that he died that same year. Thereafter are problems since I have found no further baptisms until 1820 in St. John's Burscough, also roman catholic. The problem lies in the fact that the records of St. John's are incomplete - the story goes that they were rescued as bits of paper by an anglican vicar around 1900.
To recap, their first child was Thomas, b.1802 who died the same year. As I understand it, my Thomas was born 1807 although I have yet to find the actual record but all the other facts fit. Both Thomas and William who was born in 1808 (and in 1832 married Susannah Mayor) were named as the "sons of my nephew Edward" and beneficiaries in Hugh Ainscough's Will.

The records of St John's show Edward in 1820, Jane and James, both in 1822 then Hannah in 1824. Somewhere inbetween there is Catherine and Anne, although Anne and Hannah could be the same person. There must have been other births or deaths during the missing years.

There is always the possibility that I have not got it right and that the post 1818 children belong to another Edward and Catherine but I find that hard to believe since St. John's records give Catherine's maiden name quite clearly as Hankin, or Ankin.

My Thomas married Ann Robinson in 1826 and remained as a grocer and beerseller at Spencer's Bridge for the next 40 years until they both died, possibly initially financed by Hugh's legacy. Spencer's bridge is only about a quarter of a mile from Tawdside farm where Edward and Catherine lived. As the oldest son it might have been expected that Thomas would take over the farm when Edward died but it would appear not to have been so. Edward continued to run the farm until at least the age of 77 in 1851.
If this has been of any help, please get in touch.

John Stopforth.


On 5 Apr 2011, at 11:07, JOHN STOPFORTH wrote:

Hi Barbara,

Thanks for your speedy reply.

I am fairly happy with my family tree going back to the second half of the seventeenth century but before that is very problematic - and may always be so. The date stone on the gable end of Tawdside Farm bears the initials E,A,S 1684, that I take to be Edward and Alice Stopforth (nee Dickett). Now a long shot. As far as I can make out, "our ancestors area" became settled in the late tudor times with the draining of the mosses - the straight drainage lines can be clearly seen on the OS map of today with farms and villages dotted around the outsides. A trawl through A2A gives lots of documents dating from the first half of the seventeenth century that concern property transfers that refer to "the inheritance of the late William Stopforth" This seems to have been the William who was secretary to Lord Derby on the IOM and who seems to have been somewhat aquisitive with regard to properties. (reference the Miles Standish dispute).

It looks like his properties were given out to various members of the Stopforth family after his death but how they were related to him, I have no idea. He must have made a will but I have been unable to find it. Do you have any ideas? I believe his widow married into the Heskeths.

Regards, JS