Places played an important role in the history of Henry Harold and his ancestors. For the most part Harold’s great grandparents came from the Lancashire countryside around Wigan. They lived in places like Upholland, Skelmersdale and Broughton where they worked farms in the late 1700s and early 1800s. As Lancashire industrialized they and their children migrated to Wigan. While some became shopkeeper or innkeepers, most laboured in the local textile mills and coal mines throughout the 19th century. In 1907 Harold emigrated and the family’s home became Canada and eventually Toronto and East York where he and Agnes raised their family.
This section of the HHH family history website describes what we know about the places inhabited by our ancestors over the past 200 years. In part it simply provides geographic orientation for those of us not familiar with Lancashire and Wigan. In part it describes the significance of certain villages, neighbourhoods, streets, houses, factories, and churches in the family’s history. Important family burial sites are also described, along with directions for those who would like to visit. In some cases it contains photos or descriptions of places where HHH and his ancestors lived and worked. In other cases it locates streets and houses that have since disappeared.