Blakeb(o)rough - Gomersal / Liversedge 1891

[dolphin66]

Hi Everyone,

Been away for a while but now time on my hands again to pick my research up :-)

I have a brickwall for my Blakeb(o)rough ancestors Will and Matilda in the Gomersal / Liversedge area of yorkshire. I have found them on the 1881 & 1901 Censuses but nowhere to be found on the 1891 census.

Here they are in 1881 and have even tried searching for the ' Adopted ' son so hopefully fresh eyes or access to other records can help ? They had a son ( Arthur S ) born in Liversedge in 1890/91 and so thought I would find them there but no joy :-(

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27T-RJWR

[Pamelawagster]

The son Arthur S born 1890,I saw a baptism which gave an address of Littletown Street.
Then there was a voters record for a Will Blakebrough which just stated Littletown,these were before and including the year 1891 up to 1893.

Just haven’t found any of the family on 1891 census.

[dolphin66]

The son Arthur S born 1890,I saw a baptism which gave an address of Littletown Street.
Then there was a voters record for a Will Blakebrough which just stated Littletown,these were before and including the year 1891 up to 1893.

Just haven’t found any of the family on 1891 census.

I went through all the Liversedge pages for Littletown and drew a blank and can'teven find Wills parents or any Blakeb(o)rough in the area 🤔

[suemalings]

Will Blakebrough married Matilda Spencer, registered Sept Qtr 1876 in Dewsbury.

The children, Edith, Martha Ann, Asyne and Eveline, were all registered in Dewsbury. The brother mentioned on the 1881 at Family Search as Hairsine is registered as Asyne. He and Eveline were twins.


There is a death registration for a Matilda Blakebrough, Dec 1940 Spen Valley, Yorkshire. There is also a death registration for a Will Blakebrough, Dewsbury 1925 age 68. Birth registration for a Will Blakebrough, Dewsbury 185. Mother's maiden name - Brook.

[suemalings]

Arthur Spencer was also registered in Dewsbury Mar qtr. 1890. So that seems to prove that Matilda's maiden name was Spencer.

Sorry I missed off the last number of Will's birth. It was 1856

There is a marriage registration in Dewsbury 1841 for a Abraham Blakebrough marrying an Ann Brook.

[suemalings]

The marriage certificate of Abraham and Ann show that both were born in Gomersal. Abraham's father is listed as being Matthew Blakebrough a Miner. Abraham's occupation is also a miner.

The 1861 census has Will Blakbeigh (incorrectly transcribed but changed t Blakeborough) born 1857, parents Abraham and Ann. Address Gomersal and Dewsbury Road.

1n 1871 Will is age 14 still living with his parents and a Coal Miner

[Pam Downes]

Will Blakebrough married Matilda Spencer, registered Sept Qtr 1876 in Dewsbury.

The children, Edith, Martha Ann, Asyne and Eveline, were all registered in Dewsbury. The brother mentioned on the 1881 at Family Search as Hairsine is registered as Asyne. He and Eveline were twins.

[snipped}

His birth is registered as both Hairsine and Asyne, but Hairsine is on page 638a, while Asyne (and Evelyn) are on page 639.
The Hairsine spelling was used for both his marriage (1906) and death (1926) registrations.
Haven't checked all the census, but it was obviously used in the 1881 census, and in 1901 was spelt Hairesine.
Obviously a surname from a previous generation, as Hairsine is a surname, found mainly in Yorkshire.

I went through all the Liversedge pages for Littletown and drew a blank and can'teven find Wills parents or any Blakeb(o)rough in the area ��

If, like Pamela W, you've found the voter's record for Will which will hopefully show other people living in the same street, look for those people in the 1891 census. If they're there, then Will and family must have been missed off the enumerator's schedule. If the voting neighbours aren't in the 1891 census then either a whole street has been missed, or the documents lost/just not scanned.
You could also try going through the Liversedge census just checking that the folio/page numbers are consecutive. Can't for the life of me remember where it was but I think it might have been an 1861 census entry where the page numbers jumped from, say, 34 to 37.

[Pam Downes]

I was suddenly inspired by Hairsine's unusual name to see if I could find him in 1891, so searched using Hair*.
Nothing like Blakeb(o)rough as a surname but I did find Hairbert Adams, Thomas Hair STYLE, and David Hairy Perrins. (Such a let-down to find that David was registered as David Henry st birth, so they obviously meant Harry in the census.)
There was also a Leonard Hairsine KIRK, born 1889.

Forgot to add, that when going through the Liversedge census you need to check for first names, just in case the family have been given the wrong surname. Though having said that, I searched for Evelyn, no surname, without success.
Searching for *ough as a surname found only Cloughs and Barracloughs.

[suemalings]

1911 census: 5 Chestnut Avenue, New St. Haltemrpice St. Harwhorne Ave. Hull. (Not sure about all this.)

Will Blakebrough, age 54 born abt. 1857 - Ice Cream Vendor
Matilda age 51
Arthur S age 21, Boiler Fitter Born Liversidge
Annie born abt 1895, Liversidge, Wooden Box Maker

So they moved to Hull between 1901 and 1911.

[suemalings]

Now I have found Matilda on the 1939 Register. She is a widow living at 5 Victoria Street, Heckmondwike, Yorkshire living with her daughter Annie.