My paternal grandma Annie WHITTAKER, born in 1905 at Meadow Lane, Grimshaw Park, Blackburn, married Horace SMITH in 1926 at Christ Church, Blackburn.

Annie was the daughter of Joseph Whittaker and Edith nee Arnold.

I have my Whittaker Line back to George Whittaker,
born c1796 Blackburn or ?Yate Bank, Darwen, & who married Betty.

My Whittaker Data page, for the line back to the 1841 Census is here....
>> WHITTAKER Family of Blackburn >>
(Dec 2007: update of that page in progress so the link might not be available at present)

Ongoing compilation of old Photographs of my Whittakers and more information about the family has been posted on Smith Chat's Photos Board (Special Permissions Usergroup).....
>>Grandparents Family Photos: Whittaker & Smith >>

Would love to hear from others who are researching Whittaker families of Blackburn and/or Darwen.

Carole

Any more Whittaker of Blackburn & Darwen descendents out there?

My husband and I both have Whitakers, but Church and Clayton le Moors, rather than Blackburn and they don't seem to be related to each other, so far, anyway. Mine are catholic and his are Anglican. His Catherine Whitaker was born in 1800, dau of James (and Nancy), son of James W and jennet Hargreaves, m 1760. This James was born about 1724, but i can't find his birth. He might be a widower and Jennet might be a widow as they only had children for ten years, lived to a good age, so married pretty late for a first marriage. I've looked at a will to do with Grimshaw Park, which I presume are yours. My Margaret Whitaker, b 1788, dau Edmund Whitaker, witness at marriage Robert, Brother, maybe, again I am stuck. marie87

Hi Marie,

Thanks for the info about yours & your husband's two different Whitaker families of Clayton and Church. Well that's not far from Blackburn and Darwen of course - about 4 miles at a guess - so the same area.

As mentioned - the earliest I have so far is George Whittaker born c1796. One census says born Blackburn, the other is more specific & so probably correct - which says born Yate Bank (Accy side of Darwen, & so not far from Church). I haven't got his Christening yet - but that's because I haven't had chance to go searching for it yet, nor his marriage. George moved to Grimshaw Park & there the family remained in the same street for next 3 generations. Mine were Anglican and belonged to Christ Church. I'll let you know when I do hopefully discover the names of his parents.
Would be great if we found a connection!!

I'll finish page 2 of my Whittaker Data pages later - then it can be accessed. You're in the "Special Permissions" group now Marie - so you should be able to see my Whittaker old family photos posted so far, and more information about their life at Grimshaw Park - on the "Photos Board". That's interesting about the Will you've read for Whittaker of Grimshaw Park. I haven't seen that - is it at Preston LRO? Must see that as soon as I get the chance.

Noticed your Jennet, maiden name Hargreaves.
I also have a Hargreaves connection - but all I know is this:
Ann Hargreaves, born Darwen c1842, married Ralph Thornber in Blackburn 1862 (my gr-gr-grandparents - their daughter Elizabeth Alice Thornber married Sam Smith ( my gr-grandparents).

Info from marriage certificate (1862 at non-conformist church):
Ann's father was John Hargreaves, Cotton Spinner, 13 Eccles Street, Blackburn. Have you got census data for James Whittaker and Jennet?

Chat again soon Marie - and if not before Christmas - All best wishes of the Season to you :wave2:

Carole

Hi Carol,
James Whitaker b abt 1724 Oswaldtwistle, d 1795, m Jennet Hargreaves 20 jul 1760 Church Kirk, born about 1732, d 5 Jul 1809. He was a tailor and appears in the Chetham series, I'm pretty sure, the discussion about Enfield. Children John 1761, James 1762, Katy 1764 Isabel 1866 Ann 1867 Betty 1769 Thomas 1770, Henry 1772. Both seem to be old for a first marriage, so I'm wondering if either or both were widowed. There were 3 possible Jennet Hargreaves if she was born Hargreaves, but getting nowhere fast. James jun possibly died 1843, but is on the 1841 with a younger James who reports the death at Waterside, Oswaldtwistle, so maybe I've got the wrong James as he doesn't have a James that age, even if his son Grimshaw Whitaker got married early. First wife, Ellen d 1789, 2nd Nancy d 1830 in Oswaldtwistle. James and Nancy had Richard 1793 Alice 1797 Catherine 1800 Nancy 1805. bye, marie

Hi Marie,

Just a quick note for now, as I want to come back here later and look at your Whittakers again. But this is about the Hargreaves - I found a bit more info about mine - so, thought would just tell you this - as discovered my John Hargreaves was born c 1816/17 in Yate & Pickup Bank - which is of course on route from Darwen over to Ossy/Church area......
Started a new topic about it here....
HARGREAVES Yate & Pickup Bank, Darwen & Blackburn

Chat again soon,

Carole

PS - still haven't updated my Whittaker page yet :ck-hrrmm: will get to it soon.
____________________

Just got a bit more Whitaker info. There's a website by 2 LDS ladies, but I think maybe they haven't got everything right. Am now certain the james W, weaver by trade who is on census in 1841 and died 1843 at Waterside in Oswaldtwistle with son james is the right one. He was the son of James and jennet and again, I'm now certain that james was born about 1723, m Catherine Livesey 1744, children at CHk, she d 1757, bur at Altham, then he m jennet in 1760, more children. Still not sure about his father . The LDs ladies have William, but i don't believe that as there are no Williams in james's family. Not sure if jennet a widow or not. as she was born 1732 from age at death, so old for first marriage.