Mary Ann was born on the 16 September 1851 at Stubbins to Thomas (HM059) and Rachel (HM060). She was christened on the 19 March 1853 at Emmanuel Church in Holcombe, the register shows that the family were now living at Boardmans.

The 1861 Census was taken on the night of 7th April 1861 and shows the family living at Bromley Fold in the parish of Tottington Lower End. It took some time to track the family down on the 1861 Census, I finally found them when I stopped looking for variations on the Magnall surname and started looking for a Thomas married to a Rachel with the correct children with the correct ages. I found them with the surname Greenhalgh. Mary Ann was 9 years old and at school.

The family moved to the Burnley / Habergham Eaves area between the 1861 Census and the beginning of 1864 (when Thomas died). By the time of the 1871 census she was living with her family at Cog Lane in Habergham Eaves and she was a weaver.

Mary Ann married Ormerod Atkinson at Holy Trinity Church in Habergham Eaves on the 8th June 1873. Ormerod was a 26 year old weaver living on Gannow Lane, Mary Ann was 21 and working as a weaver.

In the 1881 census Mary Ann was living at 1 Ridge with her husband, her mother Rachel (HM060), her siblings Joseph(FM234) and Sarah Jane(FM231) and her daughter:-

  • Susannah Atkinson (1876 – 1882).

There is no sign of Susannah by the time of the 1891 Census, she had died on 20 January 1882 just weeks after her brother Arthur (see below). Mary Ann and Ormerod are still living at 1 Ridge Road with Rachel (HM060) and Joseph (FM234). Ormerod is a cotton weaver and Mary Ann is described as a housekeeper. Rachel died later in 1891.

In the 1901 Census Ormerod and Mary Ann are recorded as living at 13 Hobart Street, Ormerod still working as a cotton weaver.

Ormerod died on 6 March 1903 aged 57 and was buried in Burnely Cemetery plot 6298 on 10 March.

Mary Ann had moved in with her youngest sister, Sarah Jane and her family at 50 Albert Street. She was now 59 years old and no occupation is recorded.

Mary Ann died in March 1917 and is recorded as living at 1 Ridge Row, she was 65 years old. She was buried with her husband and children in grave 6298 on 19 March 1917. The burial records also show that she had two further children who died in infancy:

  • Thomas Arthur, born 13 March 1879, baptised 9 April 1879 and who died on 4 August aged 5 months whilst living at Cog Lane and was buried on 6 August 1879;
  • Arthur, born late 1881, baptised 2 November 1881 and who died on 9 January 1882 aged 3 months whilst living at Ridge Road and was buried on 11 January.

PR – Pat Russell
VRI – Vital Records Index

[Last updated 23 Dec 2023]