Alice’s father was the illegitimate child of Margaret Foulds Ridehalgh. I discovered that Margaret never married Horsfall’s father. They lived together for over 15 years before Jonas died.

William Wesley Oxborough

Born: 4 FEB 1888 in Bardwell, Suffolk County, England

Father: Stephen Inkerman Oxborough (1855 to 1946)
Mother: Mary Ann Francis (1856 to 1920)

Spouse: Alice Ridehalgh (1884 to 1970)

Married: 1909 in Brierfield, Lancashire County, England

Child:

Herbert Oxborough (13 AUG 1914 to 14 JUN 1978)

Died: 1962 in Brierfield, Lancashire County, England

Burial: Wheatley Lane Inghamite Church Churchyard, Fence-in-Pendle, Lancashire County, England

Timeline:

1891 Nelson, Lancashire County, England
1897 Death of brother, Leonard
1901 Nelson, Lancashire County, England
1909 Marriage to Alice
1911 Brierfield, Lancashire County, England
1914 Birth of son, Herbert
1920 Death of mother, Mary Ann
1939 Brierfield, Lancashire County, England
1944 Death of sister, Ethel
1946 Death of father, Stephen
1947 Death of brother, Sidney
1950 Death of brother, James
1954 Death of brother, Charles
1954 Death of brother, John
1960 Death of second brother, Leonard
1962 Death and Burial

Occupation: window cleaner (1911), cotton weaver (1939)

Records:

1891 to 1911 England Census Records
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
The UK WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current

Variations of Surname: Oxborrough (birth record index)

Misleading Information:

The 1939 England and Wales Registers show that William and Alice were living in the parish of Brierfield. Included in the household were Herbert and Florence Oxborough. They were both unmarried. I assumed these two individuals were William and Alice’s children.

When I searched for their birth records, however, I could only find Herbert’s. In fact, there was no entry for an individual named Florence Oxborough at all.

I returned to the 1939 register for a closer look. I noticed that the surname of Oxborough had been crossed out. Above this was written the name Wadsworth. Above Florence’s given name was written the name Hoyle.

I decided to search for a birth record for Florence Wadsworth. I found it in Ancestry.com’s England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916-2005. Her mother’s maiden name was listed as Starkie.

I then discovered that Florence married a man named Harold E Hoyle in 1952 in the Burnley Registration District of Lancashire County, England. She was 37 years old when she married Harold.

It is interesting to note that Herbert Oxborough married Elizabeth Simpson in 1947 in Brierfield. He was 33 years old when he married Elizabeth.

Is there an Oxborough/Wadsworth Connection?

Both Herbert and Florence did not marry their respective spouses until they were in their middle and late 30s. This made me wonder if they had been engaged to be married and called it off.

Another scenario is that Florence Wadsworth was somehow related to the Oxboroughs. I have not found a connection.

A search of the 1939 census shows that there were eleven people with the name Wadsworth living in the parish of Nelson. It could be surmised that Florence was merely renting a room from the Oxboroughs.

If anyone knows the answer to this question, please contact me. My email address is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Spouse:

Alice Ridehalgh:

Alice was born on 18 AUG 1884 in Brierfield, Lancashire County, England. She died in 1970 in Brierfield, Lancashire County, England.

Alice’s father was Horsfall Ridehalgh. He was born in 1840 in Trawden, Lancashire County, England. He died on 12 JUL 1891 in Brierfield, Lancashire County, England.

Probate:

Alice’s mother was Susannah Smith. She was born in 1842 in Nelson, Lancashire County, England. She died on 21 MAY 1905 in Brierfield, Lancashire County, England.

Probate:

Alice had two known brothers and sisters:

Ira Ridehalgh (1877)
Ada Ridehalph (1879)

A Little History:

When I first saw the name Horsfall Ridehalph, I thought the given name was unique. I discovered that Horsfall was a surname.

When Horsfall was born, his mother was not married to his biological father. This type of naming process was used to establish paternity. It was meant to let the townspeople know who fathered the illegitimate child.

Horsfall was not the only child born out of wedlock. His widowed mother lived with Horsfall’s biological father for over 15 years. She gave birth to two other children after her husband died.

Below, you will find two examples of cohabitation without the benefits of marriage. Although not unique, this was not common in England at that time. The Church of England frowned on people living together without being married.

Horsfall Ridehalph’s Father:

Jonas Horsfall:

Jonas was born in 1791 in Trawden, Lancashire County, England. He died in 1851 in Trawden, Lancashire County, England.

Jonas married Fanny Wilkinson on 6 SEP 1810 in Colne, Lancashire County, England. Four known children were born to this marriage. There were probably more children born between 1811 and 1820.

John Horsfall (1811)
Jonas Horsfall (1820)
Mary Horsfall (1821)
Alice Horsfall (1826)

Fanny Wilkinson was born in 1791 in Trawden, Lancashire County, England. She died in 1872 in Spotland, Lancashire County, England.

Jonas and Fanny separated sometime between 1826 and 1835.

The 1841 England census shows that Jonas Horshall was living in Trawden, Lancashire County, England. Included in the household listing were Margaret Ridehalgh and two of her children.

The 1841 England census shows that Fanny Wilkinson and two of her daughters were living with a man named Richard Wilkinson. I can only assume that Fanny and Richard were distant cousins, once or twice removed.

The 1851 England census shows that Jonas was living alone. His marital status was listed as married.

The 1851 England census shows that Fanny was a lodger of James Wilkinson. Both of their marital statuses were listed as married.

After Jonas died, Fanny married Richard Wilkinson in 1857 in Trawden, Lancashire County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

Richard Wilkinson was born on 26 FEB 1792 in Colne, Lancashire County, England. He died in 1865 in Trawden, Lancashire County, England.

Richard had previously married Alice Emmott on 19 SEP 1816 in Colne, Lancashire County, England. Seven known children were born to this marriage:

Henry Wilkinson (1818)
Nancy Wilkinson (1821)
John Wilkinson (1822)
Robert Wilkinson (1824)
William Wilkinson (1829)
Mary Wilkinson (1833)
Emmott Wilkinson (1834)

Alice Emmott was born in 1793 in Colne, Lancashire County, England. She died in 1857 in Habergham Eaves, Lancashire County, England.

The 1841 England census shows that Alice and two of her children were living in Colne, Lancashire County, England.

The 1851 England census shows that Alice moved to Habergham Eaves, Lancashire County, England. Her marital status was listed as married.

Horsfall Ridehalph’s Mother:

Margaret Foulds:

Margaret was born on 9 AUG 1799 in Little Marsden, Lancashire County, England. She died in 1867 in Little Marsden, Lancashire County, England.

Margaret married Robert Ridehalgh on 12 JUN 1819 in Colne, Lancashire County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

John Ridehalgh (1819)

There may have been more children born to Margaret and Robert. I have not been able to find any baptism records.

Robert Ridehalgh was born in 1800 in Colne, Lancashire County, England. He died in 1834 in Colne, Lancashire County, England. Robert was 34 years old when he died.

When I searched for a baptism record, there were two entries for Robert Ridehalgh in Colne. These individuals were baptized in 1799 and 1800. For this reason, I am unable to establish Robert’s parentage.

I do not know when Margaret left Robert. There are four baptism records for Margaret’s children that list Jonas Horsfall as their father:

Margaret Ridehalgh (1832)
Susannah Ridehalgh (1835)
Horsfall Ridehalgh (1840)
Foulds Ridehalgh (1843)

The 1851 England census shows that Margaret and her two sons moved to Little Marsden, Lancashire County, England. She was working as a weaver.

The 1861 England census shows that Margaret’s two sons were working as coal miners.

I do not know why Margaret and Fanny left their husbands. Or, could the husbands have left their wives? I am sure the women found some happiness with their new husbands.

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

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