The Henry Harold Harrison Family

Biography

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

As was typical of the 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 baptism 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 was living in Wallgate working in his mid-70s as a shademan. 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. His 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.

Research Notes

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.

It has not been determined what a shademan did.

It may be difficult to locate his death certificate because over a dozen people named John Harrison died in Wigan during the 60s.

Source Documents

• Baptism Record of John Harrison (1786–?)
• 1841 Census Record of John Harrison (1786–?) and household
• 1851 Census Record of John Harrison (1786–?) and household
• 1861 Census Record of John Harrison (1786–?) and household
• Baptism Records of the Children of John Harrison and Jemima Whittle (1814–?)
• Marriage Record of John Harrison (1786–?) and Jemima Whittle (1746–1871)

Details

• Christening: 1786-09-03, Standish St. Wilfrid's Church;
• Occupation: 1812-11-29, Standish; Farmer.

  Per Marriage Registration.

• Occupation: 1813-03-12, Chorley; Farmer.

  Per John Harrison’s Baptism Record.

• Occupation: 1814-05-01, Coppull; Farmer.

  Per Baptism Record of son James, Coppull Chapel, 1 May 1814.

• Residence: 1814-05-01, Coppull; John & Jemima family home.

  Per the Baptism Record for son James, Coppull Chapel, 1 May 1814.

• Residence: 1815-10-01, Coppull; John & Jemima Harrison family home.

  Per Baptism Record of son James, Coppull Chapel, 15 Oct 1815.

• Occupation: 1815-10-15, Coppull; Farmer.

  Per Baptism Record of son James, Coppull Chapel, 15 Oct 1815.

• Occupation: 1817-04-16, Coppull; Husbandman.

  Per Baptism Record of son William, Coppull Chapel, 16 Apr 1817.

• Residence: 1817-04-16, Coppull; John & Jemima Harrison family home.

  Per Baptism Record of son William, Coppull Chapel, 16 Apr 1817.

• Occupation: 1820-07-30, Coppull; Husbandman.

  Per Baptism Record of daughter Alice, Coppull Chapel, 30 Jul 1820.

• Residence: 1820-07-30, Coppull; John & Jemima Harrison family home.

  Per Baptism Record of daughter Alice, Coppull Chapel, 30 Jul 1820.

• Occupation: 1824-06-20, Coppull; Labourer.

  Per Baptism Record for daughter Ellen, Coppull Chapel, 20 Jun 1824.

• Residence: 1824-06-20, Coppull; John & Jemima Harrison family home.

  Per Baptism Record of daughter Ellen, Coppull Chapel, 20 Jun 1824.

• Occupation: 1833-06-16, Adlington, Lancashire, England; Farmer.

  Per Baptism Record of son Henry, Coppull Chapel, 16 Jun 1833.

• Residence: 1833-06-16, Adlington, Lancashire, England; John & Jemima Harrison family home.

  Per Baptism Record of son Henry, Coppull Chapel, 16 Jun 1833.

• Occupation: 1841-06-06, Adlington, Lancashire, England; Farmer.

  Per 1841 Census.

• Residence: 1841-06-06, Adlington, Lancashire, England; John & Jemima family home.

  Per 1841 Census.

• Occupation: 1851-03-30, Wigan, Lancashire; Labourer.

  Per 1851 Census.

• Residence: 1851-03-30, Callender Yard, Wallgate, Wigan; John & Jemima Harrison family home.

  Per 1851 Census.

• Occupation: 1871-09-01 ; Farmer.

  Per Jemima Harrison’s Death Certificate.