My current research is focused on several questions.
Our family tree, as I inherited it, stated that great great-grandfather Samuel Birtwistle married Martha and had a daughter who married Alfred. Family Legend as I remembered it said Samuel was a Sheriff of Nottingham. We have two photos, one of Sam'l and one of Mary as well as a third, unidentified woman, perhaps Eliza. They are stern Victorian photos and by tradition, they are hung in the bathroom. My mother told me if someone snootily mentions they have Rockefellers in their family we can reply "I have Birtwistles in my Bathroom".
When I actually found the family record it said "Mayor of Norwich", but this was also apparently wrong. It also said Alfred married a Birtwistle, wrong again. We knew Alfred by name. Frederic was buried in Rose City Cemetery in Portland. When I was looking through their records, I found Alfred was buried there also, so I ordered his death certificate from Oregon.
Alfred's death certificate listed his father as Charles Houghton and his mother was Eliza Birtwisle, both of England. Next I looked for Norwich in a list of English townships but found Northwich instead. Years ago, a history professor, when he heard my name, asked if I was Welsh. Northwich was in Cheshire near Wales. So I looked for Birtwisles and Houghtons near Northwich.
I found the Cheshire Records Office online, which had a terrific searchable list of marraiages and births (and, now, deaths). I sent for Charles and Eliza's marriage certificate as well as Charles' birth certificate.
Eliza was 19, a Spinster from Castle Northwich. Castle Northwich is a western suburb of Northwich across the River Weaver. Her father was Samuel Birtwisle, a grocer. Charles signed with his mark. Eliza signed. Witnesses were William and Frances Pemberton, who signed with their marks. They were married the Parish Church, Davenham District, Chester County, England, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Established Church by Tho. France.
Charles and Eliza had a son, Charles Edwin, born September 29th, 1840 in Leftwich, Northwich Sub-District, Chester County, England. By this time father Charles' occupation was WATERMAN, boatman who plies for hire. He signed the registration on October 2nd with his mark.
Charles and Eliza had another son, Alfred, born June 2nd, 1843 in Leftwich, Northwich Sub-District, Chester County, England. The father Charles' occupation was now smith. Eliza also signed the registration on June 21st.
The next information on Charles comes from the the 1851 census. At that time he was 32 and living at 163 Ship Street, Frodsham, Cheshire.
The next information on Charles comes from the the 1851 census. At that time he was 32 and living at 203 Ship Street, Frodsham, Cheshire. Whether this represents a move or a change in numbering I cannot tell.
Alfred and Charles have moved out. Frank is still at home. A grandson named Edward Critchley is 2 years old. This must be Lucy's child which suggests she married a Critchley and then died at or soon after Edward's birth. Wm Critchley was a grocer in Northwich in 1828, at the same time as Samuel Birtwistle, Eliza's father. Perhap's Lucy married into that family.
A search of the Cheshire Birth, Mariage, Death indexes turned up a birth record for Edawrd Alfred Critchley in 1868, but no marriage or death records for Lucy Critchley or Houghton. I am sending for Edward's birth certificate and hope to learn more from that.
The next information on Charles comes from the the 1881 census. At that time he is 60 years old, is a grocer and has a lodging house. Perhaps he worked at or took over his father-in-law's concern. I have a little bit of information about the grandson, Edward Critchley. Frodsham was the birthplace of one brother of Annie Atherton, Alfred's second wife.
Individual Record 1881 British Census
Charles HOUGHTON Household
Eliza HOUGHTON Household
Source Information: Dwelling Ship Street Lodging House
Eliza's Birtwistle ancestry is documented back to the 1600s in the Birtwistle book, by Billy Birtwistle. Alan Birtwistle is currently (Jan 2005) writing an updated Birtwistle family history.
Descendants of: Richard Birtwistle
1 Richard Birtwistle b. c 1639 d. 1670
The 1820 date for Eliza's birth differs from the 1825 date found in the 1881 UK Census records.
Witton-cum-Twambrooks
This John was born about 1791 and he would be in his twenties about the time Charles was born.
Charles had two daughters. The first was named Lucy, a name with no known precedent in either family. The second was named Ann Eliza. This second name would combine the paternal grandmother and the mother's names.
This John might be the father or grandfather of Charles. Charles was at least 21 in 1839 so must have been born before 1819. This John would have been about 20-30 when he married and therefore about 35 to 50 when Charles was born.
This John does import the Worsley reference but otherwise seems an unlikely match.
Mary KENE,of John HOUG ? of Leftwich. There are two Halton’s near Northwich. One is about 10 miles northwest. The
other is about 20 miles south of Chester. This John would be old enough when Charles
was born, in his forties, to be a grandfather. He has a son, George, who immigrated to the USA and this might tie into our immigrant Arthur.
Husband
This John would have been 30 in 1797, when John[2] married Ellen Worsley
-----Original Message-----
I am finally writing to you to tell you that the comment about Samuel being
a mayor could possibly be near the truth. He was in fact on the Board of
Guardians which was a forerunner of the Town Council. He served from in the
1860's and was named at meetings in the local newspaper, the Northwich
Guardian. It appears that if he was actually chairperson, then that is in
fact just the same as being voted as mayor.
Kind Regards a cousin from Northwich
-----Original Message-----
Dear cousin Chris,
I don't know when Eliza or Charles died, or what happened to any of their
children. I have only recently found out what happened to Ann Birtwisle ( another
sister of Eliza) and Joseph their brother just went missing after 1871
But it will explain the Worsley connection to your Houghton's. Mary Jane
Birtwisle Eliza's sister married James Worsley in 1848.
Samuel was a grocer and provisions dealer. The premises where he did his
business from are still standing , all be it over 200 years later.
He left £2,000 in his will in 1876 which I think roughly comes out at about
£220,000 now with inflation. So he did not do too badly for a grocer.
His link with the Board of Guardians would have been after working hours,
somewhat of a voluntary occupation in those days and people from all walks
of life would have been elected, mainly people who were held in some esteem
and very much respected in their local community.
From Ann Brown, Castle,Northwich, Cheshire, England
Davenham is a township, in a parish of the same name, situated on the river Dane, in the hundred of Northwich, from which town it is distant about two miles, and from Middlewich, N.E. about four. The greater part of the estates are the property of J.H. Harper, esq. The ancient hall of Ravenscroft, the name of one of the former possessors of the estates, is here. The church, part of which is of modern erection, is a neat building, with a spire; on the north side of the chancel is the Leftwich chapel, belonging to the hall of that name, and within which township, the whole building stands. It is dedicated to St. Wilfred, and certainly existed previous to the 12th. century; the present rector is the Rev. Henry Tomkinson. A free school is endowed here, with a rent-charge on Shipbrooke hill farm, of £20 per annum, for the master, and the parish has added to its income. The township of Davenham, contained in 1821, about 400 persons; and the whole parish, including ten other towsnhips, 3,470.
Leftwich village is situated about one mile from Northwich, in the parish of Davenham. The family of Leftwich resided here for many generations prior to the seventeenth century; a farm house now occupies the site of the ancient hall, and the estates are chiefly the property of J.H. Harpur, esq. This township is strictly agricultural; it contained, in 1821, about 1,200 inhabitants.
Frederic Houghton also appears as Fredrick and Frederick.
Last updated 1.1.2004
Male
Other Information:
Birth Year <1821>
Birthplace Davenham, Cheshire, England
Age 60
Occupation Lodging House Keeper & Grocer Etc
Marital Status M
Head of Household Charles HOUGHTON
Relation Head
Disability
Female
Other Information:
Birth Year <1825>
Birthplace Oakmere, Cheshire, England
Age 56
Occupation
Marital Status M
Head of Household Charles HOUGHTON
Relation Wife
Disability
Census Place Frodsham, Cheshire, England
Family History Library Film 1341843
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 3518 / 73
Page Number 48
2 Richard Birtwistle b. c 1650 d. 1727 m. 1673 Sarah Billington
3 Mary Birtwistle b. 1673
3 John Birtwistle b. 1675 d. 1675
3 Ellen Birtwistle b. 1677
3 John Birtwistle b. 1679 d. 1730 m. Mary Birtwistle
4 Sarah Birtwistle b. 1704
4 Peter Birtwistle b. 1707 d. 1789 m. Martha Birtwistle
m. 1739 Mary Denning
5 Sarah Birtwistle b. 1739 m. 1757 Thomas Strick
5 John Birtwistle b. 1739 d. 1794
5 Peter Birtwistle b. 1742 d. 1812 m. 1762 Mary Birtwistle
m. 1764 Elizabeth Birtwistle
6 Charles Birtwistle b. 1763
6 Jane Birtwistle b. 1765 m. John Holland
6 Anne Birtwistle b. 1767 m. Daniel Nixon
6 James Birtwistle b. 1770 d. 1858 m. Ellen Stretch
m. Elizabeth Birtwistle
6 John Birtwistle b. 1774 d. 1776
6 John Birtwistle b. 1776 d. 1778
6 John Birtwistle b. 1778 m. 1794 Elizabeth Birtwistle
m. 1843 Martha Pemberton
7 Samuel Birtwistle b. 1794 d. 1876 m. Mary Woodcock
8 Eliza Birtwistle b. 1820 m. 14 Oct 1839 Charles HoughtonJohn Houghton
I have information on fIVE John Houghtons from the Northwich area.
John 1
The most likely candidate for Charles' father comes from Witton-cum-Twambrooks, a suburb on the east side of Northwich.
(Gt. Budworth Parish)
1851 Census
(page14)Folio 385, Page 38, Schedule 163, Witton St. East.
John HOUGHTON, H., M., 60, Grocer, b. Cheshire, Davenham.
Ann HOUGHTON, Wife, 67, b. do., Davenham.
Elizabeth HOUGHTON, Dtr., 17, b. do., Davenham.
Joseph HOUGHTON, Gr.Son, 11, Scholar, b. do., Davenham.
Henry BARNES, Son-in-law, Wdr., 29, Builder employing 2 men, b. do., Northwich.
Mary Jane BARNES, Niece, 3, b. do., Witton.
William Henry BARNES, Nephew, 2, b. do., Witton.John 2
A second candidate for Charles' father comes from an email
Posted by Linda Hamilton Hart on August 01, 1999 at 13:27:48:
In Reply to: Obscure Worlsey References posted by Chris Houghton on March 03, 1999 at 18:27:04:
In searching for my Worsley ancestors I came across this reference in the LDS I.G.I.
John Houghton married Ellen Worsley the 26th of October, 1797 in Warrington, Warrington Parish Church, Lancashire.
Warrington district lies on the border between Lancashire and Cheshire, only a few miles from Northwich.John 3
A possible son of John[1] comes from the 1851 Census of Witton. This John would have been born around 1823 in Witton. This is close to the age of Charles.
Schedule 47, Tabley Street.
John HOUGHTON, H., M., 28, Tailor, b. Witton, Cheshire.
Mary Anne HOUGHTON, Wife, 31, b. Weston, Cheshire.
Edwin HOUGHTON, Son, 16, Scholar, b. Witton, Cheshire.
Sarah Anne HOUGHTON, Dtr., 4, Scholar, b. Witton, Cheshire.
Alfred HOUGHTON, Son, 3, Scholar, b. Frodsham, Cheshire.
Rolland HOUGHTON, Son, 1, b. Frodsham, Cheshire.
John Houghton's father
John 4
In January of 2004 another John emerged. Sue Wallworth has been transcribing church
records and posting them to the Northwich
mailing list. She posted the following records for ‘Burials St
Wilfreds Church Davenham Nr Northwich, Cheshire’
for her devotion and untiring effort to support herself and her child.
she was born at Halton Dec 22 1777
died at LeftwichDec 20 1859
Also John HOUGHTON,husband of Mary KENNERLEY Feb ? 1768.
interred at this churchyard, april 30 1831
Also George son, born Sept 7 1809
died Feb 21 1859.
#intered at Witton.
Also William,son,died in New Jersey USA, June 28 1866 age 61John 5
The only candidate for John of Warrington's father is a Warrington John Houghton circa 1772 in IGI is:
FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 British Isles
Family Group Record
HENRY HOUGHTON
Wife
ANN WHITTES
Children
1. JOHN HOUGHTON Pedigree
Male
Birth:
Christening: 15 NOV 1767 Warrington, Lancashire, England
Death:
Burial: Samuel Birtwistle
Penny's Northwich Pages list of Northwich residents 1828/9 has under Grocers and Tea Merchants Birtwistle Samuel, Applemarket.
From: Gordon.Annbrown@btinternet.com
[mailto:Gordon.Annbrown@btinternet.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2000 1:22 PM
To: cvh@teleport.com
Subject: Birtwisle of Northwich
I am a great- great granddaughter, Eliza Houghton was sister to my great
grandfather Thomas Robinson Britwisle, the youngest son of Sam. and Mary.
My grandfather was a son of Thomas R and Mary-Jane Birtwisle. His name was
Clifford Ernest Birtwislle. He was born in 1879.My father was his youngest
son Fred.
Ann Brown nee Birtwisle
From: Gordon.Annbrown@btinternet.com
[mailto:Gordon.Annbrown@btinternet.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 10:51 AM
To: Houghton, Chris
Subject: Houghtons of Cheshire
Descriptions of Davenham and Leftwich
These are excerpts from Penny's Northwich Pages.Alternate Spellings
Eliza signed as Birtwisle. Most Northwich families used Birtwistle. My mother wrote it Bertwhistle