Thread: William Seddon Sharples

Could the "Big Help" become the Big Miracle?
This is a real challenge as I have been trying for years to solve this one.
I have my gt gt grandfather William Seddon Sharples b. 1822 Westhoughton LAN/Hindley LAN (bap. 8 dec 1822, St Bart's West Houghton - C023451) son of Isaac Sharples & Ellen Seddon.
In 1841 aged 17 with parents & siblings at Waterside, Eccleshill, LAN.
1851 aged 28, Grocer with sp. Mary (Townsend) 25 plus children Ellen Seddon Sharples & Isaac, living at 98 Darwen St, Blackburn, LAN
!861- Nothing found of ANY of this family, not a trace!
1871 - Nothing found of ANY of this family, not a trace!

1881 - Fond sp. Mary, 57, Black pudding maker, plus daur Bella 17 & Albert 12 at 18 St Pauls St., Blackburn LAN - Mary was stated as "M" not "Wid" (I know this state is not necessarily accurate)
And that's it, I know what happened to all William siblings and collaterals but where was he after 1851 and when /where did he die?
Any eventual help would be most appreciated.
Regards

Hello

There is a tree online at A*******

elsabels

Hi Barsharp,

I think I may have found Mary and the children Albert and Bella on the 1871 census.

Children's ages match up, Bella is down as Isabella here. The only difference is, Mary's husband is down as Henry and his mother's on there as well, but she's Isabella! Are you certain that the 1881 census is your family?
Name:Henry SharplesAge:45Estimated birth year:abt 1826Relation:HeadSpouse's name:Mary SharplesMother's name:Isabella SharplesGender:MaleWhere born:Blackburn, Lancashire, EnglandCivil Parish:BlackburnEcclesiastical parish:St JohnTown:BlackburnCounty/Island:LancashireCountry:EnglandRegistration district:BlackburnSub-registration district:BlackburnED, institution, or vessel:82Household schedule number:91Household Members:NameAgeHenry Sharples45Mary Sharples45Isabella Sharples7Thomas Sharples9Albert Sharples4Isabella Sharples72Mary E Sharples11
Mrsp

Hi Folks,
Sorry for my delay in responding, I though there was some sort of 'auto-response' when replies to posts are made.
Sorry again for lack of substance- I had just spent 40 mins composing a detailed response to the three concerned, when I finished and tried to 'Post' I got a reminder to login-in which my computer does automatically. When I tried to do this I got re-directed to a blank screen, and on trying to back-peddle found also that my carefully crafted post was LOST!
Sorry all, thanks for your patience, I will return shortly with a new (saved ) response - got to shovel a load of snow first!
Cheers

Hello barsharp, These things are sent to challenge us!

Hi Folks,
I will not say “Sorry” again promise, (Hopefully) big thanks to Elsabels/Mrsp2008/banditfivealive, for your kind responses and patience.
I have reservations about the 1871 Henry & Mary family, yes some names and dates are close, but there is no Henry as far as I know in my lot. I quick check seems to suggest that this Henry is the son of Christopher & Isabella, b. 9 Jan 1824, bap 24 Feb 1827 at St Mary's Blackburn – Not my family.
Having said that I am not 100% on my 1881 Black Pudding Maker Family either, but seems likely to me.

Elsabels – I had a look on Ancestry at the Sharples trees, they were either incomplete, part correct/wrong or just possibly copies of others mistakes. None of which, sadly shed any light on my current problem/s.

Banditfivealive – Ellen which Ellen? Is this the daur of William & Mary, b. 1845?

I have considered that William Seddon Sharples just might have died before 1861, (Not mentioned in a will of 1859)
might have 'been locked-up', emigrated, re-married, and even never existed (:-) but nothing.

It should have been compulsory for middle names to always be used in official documents, correct fore and surnames, ages, places of birth, parentage, occupations.............

I do have a fairly comprehensive Family Tree with all collaterals named and traced, but with this one, my own bloodline I have this insurmountable barrier.
The advantage of having another perspective on this problem is much appreciated, I have lost count of the number of times I have stood back from it, awaiting inspiration and eventual solution – As I have said before, the way this is going I may be able to ask him in person, if you see what I mean.(:-)

Anyone got anything further to suggest?
Kind regards

Thanks again to those who tried to help me, some giving me much food for thought.
Some time has elapsed, but I have been back to the begining on this double checked everything and spent a little of the hard earned on certificates etc.
I have found that William DID die early, 1854, (aged 32) hes was listed as a butcher not grocer, the children Bella b. 1864, & Albert b. 1869, were incorrect (Did not exist!) but there were two other additional children: Marth Ann b. 1851 & Jeremiah b. 1853.
This was one of the reasons why subsequent census failed to reveal the family, William's wid re-married in 1859.
So, if you have such a brick wall, don't despair, I have spent the last twelve years trying to solve mine.
Now I need to find where he was buried to end this task.
Thanks again.