Richard was born between 1802 and 1807 in Bolton. Our first record of him is in the 1843 Slater’s Directory for Bolton where he is listed as “Mangnall Richard, sexton, Rose hill”. In fact, he was the sexton for the Parish Church of St Peter, Bolton. The sexton was responsible for the care of the church, the vestments and vessels, keeping the church clean and in good order, bell ringing, opening and closing the church, digging graves and caring for the churchyard. The current Parish Church was rebuilt and reopened on St Peter’s Day, 29 June 1871. Since Richard was the sexton at the time of the 1871 Census he almost definitely participated in the events! He was not the first Mangnall to be involved with the Parish Church in some way, the Pigot & Dean’s Directory of Lancashire for 1821/2 apparently records a John Mangnell living at “1 Church-gate” and he was a parish clerk or sexton (this needs to be confirmed!)

Richard married Sarah Crompton (HM170) on the 27th November 1828 at St Peter’s. They had at least two children:-

  • James, (GM238) born c.1834, Bolton;
  • Sarah E (GM239) born c.1839, Bolton.

The 1841 Census shows that Richard, Sarah and children were living at Rose Hill, Richard even gets mention in the Enumerator’s Schedule where it says that the enumerated area is “All that part of the township of Great Bolton on the eastern side of the Manchester road commencing with the house occupied bu Mr Mangnall at Rose Hill…” Richard is described as being Sexton.

The 1851 Census records Richard as both the Sexton and a Town Councillor. He was living on Manchester Road in Bolton with his wife Sarah and his two children.

The 1853 Whellan and Co’s Directory for Bolton lists Richard as one of the councillors for the Town Council for 1852-3. He was also on the “Watch, Fire Police, Sanitary and Streets Corporation Committees.” He is listed as living at “Lever grove, Manchester rd”.

Sarah died and was buried on the 8th March 1854 in the churchyard of St Peter’s, Bolton.

Slater’s 1855 Northern Counties Directory and the Slater’s 1869 Lancashire Directory records Richard under Nobility, Gentry & Clergy living at 79 Manchester Road.

The 1861 Census shows that Richard had remarried and was living at 79 Manchester Road with Caroline, his new wife, and with his son James (GM238) and his daughter Sarah (GM239). Caroline was born in Salford and it is possible that Richard and Caroline were married in Manchester Cathedra – this needs to be confirmed.

The 1871 Census shows that Richard, his wife Caroline and daughter Sarah (GM239) were still living at 79 Manchester Road. Richard is recorded as the “Sexton of Parish Church, Bolton”.

We think that Richard may have died in 1872 (RoD Bolton 1872 Q1 8c 167 age 70).

[Last updated 15 Nov 2013]