Partial Transcript

Parish of Standish

Road, Street, &c., and No. or Name of House Name and Surname of each Person Relation to Head of Family Condition Age of Rank, Profession or Occupation Where Born
Males Females
Giant’s Hall John Ball Head Married 54   Farmer of 41 Acres Standish
Margaret Ball Wife Married   55   Breathertow
Henry Ball Son Unmarried 32   Farm Labourer Pemberton
Edward Ball Son Unmarried 21   Teams Man Standish
James Ball Son Unmarried 19   Teams Man Standish
Margaret Ball Daughter Unmarried   17   Standish
Daniel Ball Son Unmarried 14   Farm Labourer Standish
William Harrison Grandson Unmarried 14   Farm Labourer Standish
Mary Ball Daughter Unmarried   11 Scholar Standish
Lucy Ball Granddaughter     4   Standish

[Obtained from ancestry.com. Microfilm reference RG9/2767 folio 53, 54. The 1861 census was taken on the night of 7 April.]

Census Taker’s Route:

  • Odd Fellow’s House (5 families)
  • Prospect Hill
  • Gate House
  • New House
  • Wakefield House
  • Round Moor
  • Boar’s Head
  • Wigan Lane (3 families)
  • Brimshaw Colliery (2 families)
  • Brockurst Farm
  • Giant’s Hall (John Ball)
  • Billy Pitt Houses (5 families)
  • Top Engine Row (12 families)
  • Bottom Engine Row (6 families)
  • Canal Bank (2 families)
  • Lock House
  • Balls Houses (5 families incl. Joseph Ball from Orrell – Edward’s son?)
  • Balls Row
  • White Cake Row (6 families)
  • Lower Grounds (3 families including Edward Ball)
  • Royal Oak Inn (Henry Ball)
  • Lower Grounds (5 families)
  • John Pit Houses (7 families)
  • Birley Wood House
  • Frodsham
  • Standish Woodfolds (8 families)
  • Standish Hall Farm Yard (2 families)
  • Standish Hall
  • Fairy (Dairy?) Cottage
  • Garden Houses (2 families)
  • Mill Lane Houses (2 families)
  • New House
  • Crook School

The above route starts at Boars Head, goes south on Wigan Lane to the boundary of Wigan and Standish (which was the Douglas River), west along the north bank of the Douglas to roughly the boundary between Standish and Shevington, then north to Standish Hall and back east to New House. The route can be read on a modern map because some of these names still exist. Most of it can be followed on an 1840’s OSM, although the maps are about 12 years out of date for this purpose. It looks as if the Royal Oak Inn was called the Standish Inn in 1848.

Research Notes

Granddaughter Lucy Ball is almost certainly the daughter of John and Margaret’s daughter Lucy who died in childbirth in 1856 at age 22. The grandparents perhaps named baby Lucy after her deceased mother.