The Henry Harold Harrison Family

John Harrison (1786–?)

Biography

John Harrison was born in the summer of 1786 in Coppull, a village 3km north of Standish, to John Harrison, a husbandman, and Alice Brimeley. He was baptized at Standish St. Wilfrid Anglican Church on 2 September 1786. John was the third of four children that we know of, although he may have had additional siblings.

As was typical of our Wigan ancestors of that era John started out as a farmer in the agricultural area around Wigan. As Lancashire industrialized during the 19th century he gave up farming and migrated to the town to find work.

In 1812 John married Jemima Whittle in Chorley St. Laurence parish church. The couple took up residence in John’s home parish of Coppull (a few km south of Chorley). For about the next fifteen years John farmed in the Coppull area. Their eldest son, also named John Harrison, was born a year after the marriage in 1813 and was baptized in Chorley. Their second son, James, born in 1814, was baptized at the chapel in Coppull and died about seven months later. Their next four children – James, William, Alice, and Ellen – were all baptized in Coppull. John’s occupation was variously recorded as farmer, husbandman, and labourer on the baptismal records, but it is not clear whether he actually changed employment or whether the church registrar was just more or less precise.

By the time the couple’s youngest son, Henry, was born in 1833 the family had moved to Adlington, a nearby town that was to become the home of their son John and birthplace of their grandson, Joseph. John continued to farm. Sometime during the 1840s the family moved to Wigan. At the time of the 1851 census they lived at Callendar Yard, Wallgate in the centre of town, an address that no longer exists. They were looking after their granddaughter, two-year-old Sarah Ashcroft. John, then in his mid-60s, had given up farming and was employed as a labourer.

At the time of the 1861 census John, in his mid-70s, was living in Wallgate working as a “shademan.” We have not so far been able to determine what a shademan did. Jemima was not home at the time and was enumerated at her son John’s house. She may have simply been visiting or the couple may have separated. Daughter Ellen, by then age 37, was a spinster living at home and working as a beerseller. John was taking in boarders to make ends meet.

John presumably died in the 1860s as he was not enumerated in the 1871 census. It may be difficult to locate his death certificate because over a dozen people named John Harrison died in Wigan during the 60s.

Research Note

A search of the baptismal records at Chorley St. Laurence and Standish St. Wilfrid has turned up only one baptismal record (John Jr). However Ellen appears to have been baptized at the parish church in Coppull and it may be possible to assemble a more complete picture of this family if an index for this church can be found (none currently available online). It may also be possible to learn something more about John and Jemima’s children by finding out who granddaughter Sarah Ashcroft was.