Margaret Magnall was born on the 19th July 1853. She was the daughter of Thomas (HM059) and Rachel (HM060). According to the 1881 census she was born in Bolton. Her brother Ralph (FM001) may also have been born in Bolton but I have not been able to establish the movement of the family at this time however, Mary Ann their older sister was baptised at Holcombe on 19th March 1853. In 1861 they were living not too far away at Stubbins so I’m not sure how Bolton fits in! Margaret’s birth certificate shows that she was actually born at Boardmans.

Registration District Bury, Lancashire
1853 Birth in the Sub-District of Holcombe in the County of Lancaster
No. When and where
born		 Name, if any Sex Name and Surname
of Father		 Name, surname and
maiden surname
of Mother		 Occupation
of father		 Signature, description and
residence of informant		 When
registered		 Signature of
registrar		 Name entered
after registration
246 Nineteenth
July
1853
Boardmans		 Margaret Girl Thomas
Mangnall		 Rachel
Mangnall
formerly
Isherwood		 Cotton
Weaver		 X The mark of
Rachel Mangnall
Mother
Boardmans		 Second
August
1853		 Robert
Wolstenholme
Registrar

The 1871 Census tells us that she was 17 years old living with her widowed mother at Cog Lane, near Wood Top, Habergham Eaves along with her brothers and sisters Mary Ann (FM232), Joseph (FM234), Ralph (FM001), Thomas (FM021) and Sarah Jane (FM231). She was a cotton weaver like several of her brothers and sisters.

Margaret married John William Hartley (born 7th August 1850 in Burnley) at Holy Trinity Church in Burnley on 17th October 1872.

The 1881 Census shows that John and Margaret were living at no. 4 Cog Square with their daughter Emily aged 6. John was now 30 years old and a Coal Weigher (mine), Margaret was a Cotton Weaver and Emily a scholar. Ralph, her brother, was living at no. 6 Cog Square.

John and Margaret had the following children:

  • Emily (born 1874) (d.1943)
  • Thomas Aspinall (died as an infant in 1875)
  • Herbert Vincent (died as an infant in 1877)
  • John Aspinall (born 1882) (d.1942?)
  • Clara Hartley (born 1888) (died 1980)
  • Francis Arthur (born 3rd March 1890) (died Nov 1971). Frank, as he was known, married Amy Bertha Wilson on the 10th May 1913 at Hovingham church in North Yorkshire. They had two daughters, one of whom was Elsie Winifred (24th March 1916 – 10th June1991). Elsie married Arnold Pearson Jones (19th Jan 1910 – 8th June 1969) on 24th August 1939 in Doncaster Yorks.
  • Rachel Hartley (died as an infant in 1891)

The name Aspinall occurs several times as a second name. This is because John William Hartley’s father was John Aspinall Hartley who was the illegitimate son of Matilda Hartley a maid at Reedley House (nr Burnley?) and the son of the House John Aspinall.

Thanks to Clare Hollis, daughter of Arnold and Elsie Winifred for providing much of this information and for the photo.

[Last updated 25 Sep 2004]