AN EASTHAM FAMILY IN DILWORTH AND DUTTON NEAR RIBCHESTER,
LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND

The following family tree has been put together from the parish registers of Ribchester, general registration records, census returns and monumental inscriptions.  Some information on the children of John Eastham and Ellen Seed has come from my third cousin, Colin Brown, who also has a web site.

If you are interested in the Easthams of Ribchester note that there are also Catholic families. Some of their records are in the Anglican churches such as Ribchester and its daughter chapel at Longridge and are identified as "Papist". There are also records in the "Catholic Record Society" series of books, to be found at the Lancashire County Record Office. Baptisms were recorded from 1783.

Diane Waddington provided the information that William Eastham and Margaret Lakeland were her GG Grandparents from their daughter, Ellen, who married James Robinson.  They had a son, William Robinson, who married Alice Holden and their son, George Robinson, born in Great Harwood, was Diane's maternal grandfather.

Abbreviations

MI        Monumental inscriptions, (unless otherwise stated they are at Mitton)
BC       Birth certificate
MC      Marriage certificate
DC       Death certificate
C51     Census of 1851
C61     Census of 1861
bapt.    Baptised
PR       Parish register
 

• 1. Thomas Eastham, husbandman of Dilworth.  It is possible, in view of the age of his children, that he is the Thomas Eastham of Dilworth buried at Ribchester on 19 April 1842 aged 76 (DC) rather than the one buried at Longridge on 16 Feb. 1821, aged 72.  This would make Thomas born about 1766. There are two records for a Thomas Eastham marrying an Ann -  Ann Rhodes in 1783 and Ann Standen in 1791, both at Ribchester.  As children were baptised up to 1813, the 1791 marriage date looks more likely in the absence of other evidence at this stage.
• +     Ann ? (possibly the one buried at Ribchester 1 May 1832, aged 63, who would have been 22 at the time of the 1791 marriage). Their children were baptised at Longridge about 3 miles from Ribchester and except for the first, all are said to have Ann as the mother.
  • 2.     Margaret, 16 Mar 1794, Longridge
  • 2.     William Eastham, 4 June 1797, Longridge which fits birth about 1795/6 from Dutton Census of 1851.  Could be the William buried at Ribchester 9 Feb. 1862, aged 66.  Death Certificate states informant was Thomas Eastham (son?) of Dutton.
  • +     Margaret Lakeland at Ribchester on 9 Aug. 1819. She was the first daughter of Thomas Lakeland, weaver and Mary nee Wilkinson of Bailey, baptised at Mitton on 18 April 1802.  Margaret Eastham of Dutton buried at Ribchester 10 Dec. 1871, aged 70.  Death certificate states she was widow of William Eastham. Their children were baptised at Ribchester when William was a farmer and weaver of the nearby village of Dutton, or are mentioned in the 1851 census for Dutton.  There may have been a further child, Mary, buried at Ribchester as an infant on 13 Apr. 1837.
    • 3.    Ann, bapt. Ribchester, 3 Oct. 1819
    • 3.    Thomas, bapt. Ribchester, 24 Feb. 1822. (There is an MI at Ribchester for a Thomas who died 29 Jan 1883 aged 62 (register says 61) and his wife Susannah who died 9 Sept. 1859 aged 29 (register says buried 11 Sept. 1859 aged 31)
      • 4.    Margaret, born c. 1849 at Hothersall, from C51
      • 4.    John born 1850, Alston from C51
    • 3.    John, bapt. Ribchester, 13 April 1823.  C51 Clitheroe.  Died before 1881. John had various occupations. He worked on the Blackburn to Chatburn Railway as a labourer and became an excavation contractor. He was a butcher and beer seller at the time of Mary Jane's birth in 1858.
    • +     Ellen Seed at Blackburn Cathedral on 8 April 1849, (MC). Ellen was the daughter of John Seed of Clitheroe and his wife Ann Isherwood see Footnote 2.  Ellen was baptised at Waddington on 5 February 1832 and died at Chatburn about 1912. An (undated) copy of her obituary in the Clitheroe Times has been obtained
      • 4.    Margaret Ann Eastham, born 18 April 1850, Clitheroe (BC). She died 20 Nov. 1929 in Colne, Lancashire (DC) obituary Clitheroe Times
      • +     John Thornber on 8 October 1870 at the Independent Chapel in Clitheroe.
      • 4.    Alice, born 3 August 1854, Clitheroe (BC).  She died 16 April 1913 in Clitheroe.
      • +    Willard Richard Dugdale, on 2 April 1874.
      • 4.    Mary Jane born 23 November 1858 at Bawdlands, Clitheroe. (BC & C71 at Clitheroe)
      • 4.    Martha, born abt. 1865 in Haslingden, (C71)
      • 4.    Emmeline, born abt 1872 in Clitheroe, (C81).  She died aged 88 on 13 Jan 1961 and is buried at Chatburn with her husband (MI at Chatburn)
      • +     Walter James Hartley who died aged 82 on 25 July 1953 (MI, Chatburn)
    • 3.    George, bapt. Ribchester, 20 June 1824
    • 3.    Jane, bapt. Ribchester, 5 Feb. 1826, Not in C51 Dutton
    • 3.    William born about 1827, C51 Dutton.
    • 3.    Alice, bapt. Ribchester, 22 June 1828, Not in C51 Dutton
    • 3.    Elizabeth born 27 Feb. 1830, bapt. Ribchester 28 Mar. 1830, not in C51 Dutton.
    • 3.    Margaret, born 27 Feb. 1832, bapt. Ribchester 1 April 1832, buried 19 May 1836 at Ribchester aged 4
    • 3.    Martha, born 27 Oct. 1833, bapt. Ribchester 18 Nov. 1833.
    • 3.    Ellen, born about 1834/5, C51 Dutton. married James Robinson, had a son William Robinson who married Alice Holden.  (Information from Diane Waddington)
    • 3.    James born 1838/9, C51 Dutton and buried Ribchester, 27 Feb. 1853 aged 14.
    • 3.    Margaret, born about 1840/41, C51 Dutton.
  • 2.    Ann, bapt. 2 June 1799, Longridge
  • 2.    Alice,  bapt. 16 Aug. 1801, Longridge
  • 2.    Grace,  born 11 June, bapt. 1 July 1804, Longridge
  • 2.    Thomas,  born 29 June, bapt. 27 July 1806, Longridg
  • 2.    Isabella,  born 9 Sept., bapt. 18 Sept. 1808, Longridge, buried 14 May 1812, aged 3.
  • 2.    Martha, born 26 Feb., bapt. 24 Mar 1811, Longridge
  • 2.    George, bapt. 12 Dec 1813, Longridge.

Footnote 1.

It was important to distinguish between William Eastham, baptised at Mitton on 24 April 1796 the 5th son of  John Eastham, and William Eastham, baptised 4 June 1797 at Longridge.  The 1851 census shows the two William Easthams and their families as follows:

Census of 1851 Great Mitton in the Clitheroe District.
HO 107/2256, Enumeration Districts 4 & 5, folio 462 page 9.  At High House

Census of Ribchester area, Township of Dutton
HO 107/2268, Enumeration District 6, folio 353, page 18

At property number 59, Lane Ends

Footnote 2.

John Seed appears to have married three times. He married Ann Isherwood on 7 August 1823 at Waddington and is shown with her in the census of 1841 when he was manager of the Gas Works in Clitheroe. However Ann Seed, aged 41, wife of John Seed, manager of gas works, died aged 41 of consumption on the 6 October 1841 in Clitheroe as shown on her death certificate. In the 1851 census for Clitheroe, John Seed aged 54 was shown with a wife named Ellen who was 50. In the census of 1861 for Clitheroe he is shown with Ellen and a son John, aged 12, who must have been born about 1847/8. When John died in 1870 the administration of his will showed that he had married a third time.

"Admon: John Seed, late of Clitheroe in the County of Lancashire, Waterworks Manager, who died 25 December 1870 at Clitheroe, granted to Sarah Seed of Clitheroe, widow the relict. Effects under £200."

Lancashire Wills Proved at Richmond

Lancashire wills in the southern part of the county were proved at Chester but those on the eastern side north of the Ribble were proved at Richmond. In the period from 1761 to 1837 there are no obvious Eastham wills proved at Chester relating to the families near Ribchester. Wills from the area around Ribchester and Alston went to Richmond. The following have been identified in the indices held at Lancashire County Record Office and genealogical details from several have been transcribed.

1. Robert Eastham of Alston, Ribchester, yeoman, 17 July 1764, WRW/A. Edmund Eastham and John Blanchard were joint executors. Robert's wife was Ann and three sons are mentioned: Edward, Edmund and Thomas. However, contact with Thomas had been lost. Will was made 8 July 1764 and witnesses were James Parkinson and Jno Graveston

2. Adam Eastham of Preston, yeoman, 8 June 1779. WRW/A. The will was made on 15 May 1779. First grant 1779 and second grant 15 August 1816. This will was challenge 37 years after the first grant. It mentions Adam's daughter Elizabeth then under 21. If she died before inheriting the property went to the children of two unnamed sisters and two unnamed brother of Adam. Executors were Thomas Clayton of Walton, yeoman and Thomas Marsden of Wray Green, brother-in-law and John Whittle of Penwortham, brother-in-law. Witnesses were Willm Aspinall, Elizabeth Aspinall and Margt Parker. Subsequent papers show that the administration of the will was challenged by Thomas Blackburn, son of grandson of Alice Eastham, deceased, intestate widow of Adam Eastham. He claimed the will was wrongfully proved at Lancaster. An administration was produced in which Thomas Blackburn, shopkeeper and Jonathan Lodge of Preston, gentleman and William Ashcroft of Preston, innkeeper were to administer the estate. Adam died in 1779.

3. Henry Eastham of Marton, husbandman, 1783, Admon

4. William Eastham of Goosnargh, husbandman, 2 June 1798. WRW/A. The will made on 9 March 1795 shows that he had a wife Betty, son John and daughter Mary. The will then claims he had six other children but mentions only five viz. Edward, Ann wife of John Seed, Mary Betty wife of William Preston, Peggy wife of Thomas Clarkson and Sally wife of Luke Simpson. Executors were Edward Eastham and John Seed. Witnesses were Thomas Parkinson the elder and Thomas Parkinson the younger.

5. Henry Eastham of Dilworth, weaver, 12 May 1802, WRW/A. The will was made on 9 December 1801. Henry mentions six sons: Richard; John; Thomas; Henry; James; and Joseph. Executors were John Wharton of Dilworth, yeoman and Joshua Walmsley, auctioneer. The witnesses were Thomas Wilcock and Alexander Duxbury. Effects under £100
 
6. Thomas Eastham of Dilworth, yeoman, 13 August 1821. His wife Mary received freehold messuages and dwelling houses. Two houses were in the occupation of James Goss and Richard Shuttleworth. Two cottages in Dilworth were in the occupation of Thomas Cowell and the testator. Thomas Eastham had sons Richard, Thomas, Edmund, John and William and and a daughter, Betty, the wife of William Hodkinson. The executors were Richard Eccles of Whinney Clough in Goosnargh, yeoman and John Eastham, son of the testator. The will was made on 7 February 1819 when Thomas made his mark and the witnesses were Robert Parkinson and Thos Cowell. Thomas dies on 14 February 1821. Other papers with the will indicate that John Eastham was a "serjeant". Dilworth was in the Parish of Ribchester, County of Lancashire, Archdeaconry of Richmond and Diocese of Chester. When the will was proved the personal property was less than £20.

From these details we can identify Thomas as the one buried at Longridge on 16 Feb. 1821 aged 72 and described as "a papist". The age indicates birth around 1748/49  

7. John Eastham of Dilworth, weaver, 25 September 1826. WRW/A. The will was made on 14 February 1826. John mentions his wife Ellen and his late father, Thomas Eastham. John's mother was still alive. Also mentioned are John the son of his brother Richard and Mary the daughter of my brother Edmund. Executors were Wm. Seed of Dilworth and John Hayhurst of Alston. Witnesses were Robert Parkinson, Robert Watson and Edward Lonsdale. Effects under £20.

8. Edmund Eastham of Alston, Ribchester, yeoman, 18 January 1832. WRW/A. This will was made on 16 April 1831. He mentions four children: John Eastham; George Eastham; Nancy the wife of Peter Jump; Ellen the wife of Thomas Kay. Executors were John Francis Clarkson of Grimsargh and Edmund Sager of Alston. Witnesses were Thomas Wilcock, Ralph Charnley and Joseph Fowler

9. Margaret Eastham of Dilworth, spinster, 14 April 1834. The will was made 22 June 1832 and mentions Margaret's daughter Ann Eastham who was under 21. If Ann died before inheriting at the age of 21 the estate was to go to Margaret's unnamed brothers and sisters. Executors were Richard Parkinson of Longridge, a spirit merchant and Dennis Ormerod of Longridge a grocer. Witnesses were Thomas Eastham and Thomas Wilcock. She died 29 October 1833. Thomas Eastham may have been a brother. Effects under £50.