Robert was probably born in late 1826 / early 1827 to Thomas (HM052) and Jane (HM053). He was christened on the 11th April 1827 at Manchester Cathedral.

The 1841 Census shows that Robert was living on Bradford Road in Ancoats, Manchester with his parents. Robert is about 10 years old.

The 1851 Census shows that Robert was living at 103 Bradford Road with his parents. He was working as a Land Agent.

Robert married his first wife, Judith Porter (GM200) at St John’s Church in Manchester on the 19th June 1851 (RoM Manchester 1851 Q2 V.20 p.637 ?). Robert lived in Green Heys and was a Land Agent (amongst his many occupations!) Judith had been living in Oldham Road and was the daughter of William Porter, a spinner, and Judith Harcourt/Hawcourt. Robert and Judith had at least six children:-

The Manchester Weekly Times and Examiner had the following article on the 20 June 1854:

In the County Court of Lancashire, Holden at Manchester. – In the matter of the petition of Robert Hartley Magnall, formerly residing in Bradford Road, Manchester, Lancashire, bookkeeper and clerk to a rent collector; afterwards of Ridgeway-street Manchester aforesaid, out of employment; afterwards of No.99, Bradford Road aforesaid out of employment; afterwards of the Robin Hood beerhouse, Grosvenor-street, Chorlton-upon-Medlock, within Manchester aforesaid, beerseller; afterwards of 5, Gibbon-street, Bradford Road, Manchester aforesaid, grocer, provision dealer, and beerseller; afterwards a prisoner for debt in Lancaster Castle; afterwards residing in Slater-street, Oldham Road, Manchester aforesaid, out of emplyment; afterwards of Vine-street, Hull, Yorkshire, canvasser for an insurance office; afterwards of No. 15, Acorn-street, Leeds, Yorkshire, in the same employment; afterwards of Spinkwell, Dewsbury, yorkshire, in the same employment; then of No.3, Beckett Well Lane, Derby, in the same employment; afterwards in lodgings in Bradford Road, Manchester aforesaid, out of employment; afterwards of Green Lane, Patricroft, part out of employment and part warper; and at present for two years last past residing at Gilda Brook Road, Eccles, Lancashire, warper. Notice is hereby given, that the County Court of Lancashire, at Manchester, acting in the matter of this petition, will proceed to make a final order thereon at the said court, on Monday the sixth day of July next, at twelve o’clock at noon precisely, unless cause be then and there shown to the contrary.

Richard Twemlow, High Bailiff

At the time of the 1861 Census Robert and Judith were living at 113 Bradford Road, just along the road from his widowed mother. He was 34 years old and working as a Cotton Warper.

The 1871 Census shows that Robert and Judith were living at 4 Factory Brow, Tetlow Bridge, Crumpsall in Manchester with their seven children. Robert was an “Overlooker Cotton Reelers”

We think that Judith died in 1874 (RoD Manchester 1874 Q3 V.8d p.305 age 48 ?) and Robert remarried on 10th October 1880 to Janet Wilson in Saddleworth, Yorkshire (RoM Saddleworth 1880 Q4 V.9a p.426 ?). Janet was probably a widow as she had children by at least one previous marriage according to the 1881 census. Notice that the 1881 census shows Robert as being a Magnall and not a Mangnall, he and Janet were living at Shelderslow in Saddleworth. Robert was working as a Cotton Warper. Benjamin (FM272), his son, was living with them along with Janet’s children and son-in-law.
William, Jane and John all emigrated to Australia at some point. There is a possibility, yet to be confirmed, that Jane married Augustus Edgar Young in Sydney, Aus. on 28th April 1881.

The 1891 Census reveals that there was a Janet Magnall living at Culvert Waterhead in Saddleworth. She was 57 years old, born in Scotland, working as an umbrella maker and living with her son William L Wilson aged 18, born in Scotland and working as a Cotton Piecer. The Census records her as a Widow! I searched for Robert in the 1891 Census and the only person I have found so far who fits the age and birth place was Robert Mangnall living at Stairfoot in Ardsley, Yorkshire (near Barnsley). He was working as a barber and is shown to be married to Elizabeth who is 17 years younger than him and born in Liverpool. This needs further investigation!

If this is the correct Robert then he probably died in 1893 in Barnsley (RoD Barnsley 1893 Q1 V.9c p.126 aged 66 ?).

Janet was still alive in 1901 and is recorded in the 1901 Census working as an Umbrella Maker, she probably died in 1915 (RoD Oldham 1915 Q4 V.8d p.809 aged 78 ?).

Many thanks to Val Barr, John Bennett and Phillip and Dimity for their help in supplying much of this information.


[Last updated 16 Feb 2021]