Sunday, January 19, 2014

1838 Marriage - Richard Speakman & Mary Ainscough

Hi Barbara,
1838 Marriage Cert. Richard Speakman & Mary Ainscough

1842 Death Cert. Richard Speakman aged 30

Attached are copies of the marriage certificate of Richard Speakman and Mary Ainscough, and the death certificate of Richard.  I hope they are clear enough; the marriage certificate in particular is fairly faint writing.

Just to add re the photo of Elizabeth Speakman already mentioned in an earlier Email. The photo gives her dates as 1840-1922 … however, I can confirm that she was born 6/7/1838 and was baptised at Wrightington Hall RC Chapel.  I do not yet have more exact dates for her death or burial.  Her younger brother James was born 31/1/1842, was also baptised at Wrightington Hall, and died 2/3/1843.  He is buried at St Peter & Paul, Mawdesley in the grave of his father Richard.

As your blog is concerned primarily with Ainscough family memorabilia, is it unlikely that photos of more recent Speakmans would be of real interest.  Except for that of Elizabeth, I have none from the 1800s as yet.

I need to do some work on the family tree details of the Speakmans from the 1800s which I have gathered, and will let you have them asap.

Best regards,
Christopher Alex Darbyshire

Friday, January 17, 2014

Elizabeth Speakman

Dear Barbara,

What a thrill it was to find the photo of Elizabeth Speakman in your Ainscough FLICKR gallery.  It is the oldest by far of a Speakman family member that I have managed to find so far.  A photo adds so much more to a name and date on a family tree, so you can guess that I would be equally thrilled to locate others.

I am 3 years or so into researching my mother Evelyn’s family line.  She came from Roby Mill, and married William Leslie Darbyshire from Bank Top in 1942 : sadly both are now deceased.  I waited too long to ask questions!
In the 3 years mentioned I have, with various others who are researching the Speakmans, Chisnalls and Bullens, put together a quite expansive Speakman family tree.  The 3 family names just indicated, all principally farming families of old, and yours, all have links to one-another.  Two Ainscough names appear : Susannah Ainscough, who married Joseph Speakman of Dalton, and Mary, who married Richard Speakman (a son of Joseph and Susannah).  I have a copy of the latter’s marriage certificate, on which Susannah and a Hugh Ainscough were witnesses.  I’m not sure which Hugh it is, or which Ainscough was Susannah’s father.

I don’t wish to burden you too much, but I would be appreciative of any information re. the locations of Joseph & Susannah’s Dalton farm and Richard & Mary’s Wrightington grocery shop, or anything else which you might have on them.  I do know that after Richard’s early death, Mary re-married to a William Jackson (at St John’s in Manchester?) in 1848, and that Elizabeth was with them in West Derby in 1861.  Elizabeth, however, was living with her uncle Richard & family at his Burscough premises by 1871.

I noticed also the Fairclough and Speakman “trees” in your FLICKR gallery, but the text was too small to read.  Even so, I did detect what appeared to be a couple of differences in them from those which I have assembled (the Faircloughs are another local family linked to those we are involved with).  I could send you my versions if it would be of interest to you.

                In anticipation,
                Many thanks,

                Christopher Alex Darbyshire.