Help needed - Hilton Roscoe - 1824

[hannahb92]

This has been a brick wall for me for over a year and I have no idea were to go from here.

Hilton Roscoe (Walmsley) is my 3rd Great Grandfather. He was born in 1824 in Ainsworth, Lancashire. He was baptised on 21st November 1824 in St Peter's, Bolton-le-Moors. The only record I have is from his baptism and it only lists his mother Charlotte Roscoe and she is noted as a spinster. So i have no idea who his father is. He is down in the record as Hilton Roscoe. The next record I have of him his name is recorded as Hilton Roscoe Walmsley. I can't find any birth, marriage or death record for his mother Charlotte Roscoe. I am wondering if his mother married and Walmsley is the step father's name? Or if his father acknowledge him later in life and he picked up the name?

The only mention of his father is on his marriage record to Eliza Oakes in October 1854 which lists his father as James Walmsley, occupation - bloc cutter. I am wondering if this was actually who his father was, a step father, or even a fabrication, as I imagine being a bastard child would not have done him any favours at that time. Hilton died on 21st September 1898 and had 3 children, Joseph, James and William Walmsley if that is of any help.

Any information that can be found on Hilton or his parents would be greatly appreciated. I have been stuck on this for so long and it is a shame I cannot go further back on the main Walmsley line. If anyone needs any more information then please let me know and i can pass on what I have so far.

Thanks very much everyone.

 

[Llewred]

Hello Hannah

It looks as if he may potentially have had some brothers similarly born.

Peter Roscoe mother Charlotte Baptism 10 Mar 1813 Bolton Le Moors.
John Roscoe mother Charlotte Baptism 17 Mar 1816 Bolton le Moors
Thomas Roscoe mother Charlotte Baptised 14 May 1820 Bolton le Moors

Charlotte was shown as Spinster of Ainsworth on all the Baptisms same as on that of Hilton's. I have had a quick look and there are possible leads to follow re the potential brothers which might throw up some clues, possible marriages and census, but will require a bit of digging around, to see if any clues who may be father etc.

It is not something I have had to look into but understand Bastardy records might be worth considering (someone with more knowledge on these might be able to advise).

Have you considered DNA Testing? That may potentially give you some clues, especially if the Walmsley name is thrown up with matches.

I will dig around a bit more later and if I find anything will add.

 

[gibbo]

Is this your fella in 1841?

1841 uk census
Name: Hilton Walmsley
Age: 15
Event Place: Lancaster, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Registration District: Lancaster
Birth Year (Estimated): 1822-1826
Birthplace: Lancashire
Page Number: 18
Piece/Folio: 553/37
Registration Number: HO107

John Whalley Male 30 Lancashire
Martha Whalley Female 30 Lancashire
Eleanor Whalley Female 7 Lancashire
John Whalley Male 5 Lancashire
Thos Whalley Male 3 Lancashire
James Whalley Male 1 Lancashire
Hilton Walmsley Male 15 Lancashire

 

[hannahb92]

Llewred - I have done the DNA testing with Ancestry but I have yet to find anyone with a direct link to Hilton that has any information. The only lead I could think of is that on the 1861 census record he has a nephew living with him under the name of Thomas Noden. I am assuming this nephew is via a sister possibly as his wife's maiden name was Oakes. Or perhaps it is Elizabeth's sister? And in 1871 he has another nephew with him under William Taylor.

The Charlotte you have found could be his mother. So my best bet then is trying to follow Peter, John and Thomas and see where the leads me?

I had no idea there was such a thing as bastardy records. I will have to do some research into that.

gibbo - I have that 1841 census down as a reference at the moment - I am pretty sure this is him but i have never had the proof to back it up. It doesn't say what relation he is to the head of the household but as John Whalley is an iron turner i am assuming that maybe he was an apprentice as he too turned out to be an iron turner.

 

[gibbo]

There appears to be another child

Baptism: 14 Aug 1808 St Peter, Bolton, Lancashire, England
Mercy Roscow - Daughter of Charlotte Roscow
Abode: Ainsworth

https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Search/indexp.html

 

[gibbo]

Just posting this link here to save people time looking for information when it may already have been found.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=838153.0

.

 

[hannahb92]

Ok so if Mercy Roscow is the sister of Hilton then i think this may fit. I am thrown off by the spelling of the surname but i know this can occur often.

So i tried to find a link back to the 1871 census were Hilton has a nephew named William Taylor living with him. I found a Mercy Roscow who married a John Taylor and they had a son named William Taylor in Manchester in 1840. The 1871 census lists William's age as 31 so this would fit in right?

Would this mean it is likely that Mercy is Hilton's sister? And also possibly Peter, John & Thomas? Why would someone have so many children out of wedlock, seems a bit unusual for that time.

The marriage for Mercy and John lists her father as a James Roscoe i am wondering if this would be another false name? The witness for her marriage was a John Roscoe so this would seem to tie in.

 

[hannahb92]

Ok so now i tried to find Mercy & John Taylor on the 1841 census record and i found them along with their son William who would match the birth record i have for him. Only problem is there is also a James aged 12 and Hilton aged 18. I am now wondering if this is my Hilton? But it doesn't state what relation they are and doesn't have a surname - would it have also been Taylor? If it is Taylor then i would assume James and Hilton are John's children from a previous marriage possibly.

So then the 1841 census where he is living with the Whalley family, is this my Hilton? But the age lists him as 15 years and he would have been around 17 during the 1841 census. At this point i have no idea! I am inclined to lean more towards my Hilton being the one of the Whalley census because i know he became an engineer. But the Hilton on the Taylor census is a Weaver and is 18 so is closer to the age i am looking for.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Llewred]

Ages were rounded down in 1841 census to nearest 5 years (apart from children I believe). So if shown as 15 could have been aged 16/17/18/19 if that makes sense.