A SEED FAMILY IN THE CLITHEROE AREA &
CONNECTION TO THE ISHERWOOD FAMILY

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This family was researched in connection with Ellen Seed who married John Eastham on 8th April 1849 at Blackburn Cathedral.  Ellen was the daughter of John Seed of Clitheroe and his wife Ann Isherwood.  Ellen was baptised at Waddington on 5 February 1832 and died at Chatburn about 1912. A parish record was found for the marriage of John Seed and Ann Isherwood:

John Seed of Slaidburn married Ann Isherwood of this chapelry by banns on 7 August 1823 at Waddington.  Witn. William Wadsworth and Robt Seed. 

John Seed appears to have married three times. First he married Ann Isherwood in 1823 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."

I have an unusual copy of a birth record for Ellen Seed produced in connection with a legal dispute over her grandfather's will. It relates to a baptism and pre-dates General Registration. It is on notepaper headed "Appleton, Chatburn, near Clitheroe" and dated 1868. It states:

"In Chancery between Richard Wilson the Elder and others, Plaintiffs and John Isherwood and other defendants. This is paper writing or certificate marked S9, produced and shewn to John Standen at the time of swearing his affidavit in this cause. Sworn before me this 8th day of April 1872."

"Dixon Robinson, A Commissioner to Administer Oaths in Chancery in England"

"Baptisms solemnised in the Chapelry of Waddington in the County of York in the year 1832"

No. 922. 4 February 1832, Ellen daughter of John and Anne Seed, of Goosebutts, Clitheroe, farmer, baptised by P. Dent"

"I certify that the above is a true and faithful copy transcribed from the Register of Baptisms in Waddington Church as witnessing hand this 23 day of September one thousand eight hundred and sevent. Edward Parker, Minister of Waddington"

1841 Census Clitheroe: Folio No. 29:  page 11. Gas Works House
Name Status Occupation Born in Lancashire
John Seed head, m, 44 Gas maker No
Ann Seed wife, m, 40   Yes
William Seed son, unm, 17   No
John Seed son, 14   No
Ellen Seed dau, 10   Yes

Note that the 1851 Census shows John was born in Slaidburn.  Ann was John's first wife, and presumably is the mother of the three children still at home.   John would be about 26 in 1823.  The first child in the census, William would be born about 1823/4.

Census of 1851, Clitheroe: HO/07/2256 Folio No. 345: Clitheroe, Gas House
Name Status Occupation Where Born
John Seed head, m. 54 Gas maker Slaidburn
Ellen Seed wife, m. 50   Slaidburn

This is the John Seed was known from the report of his grand-daughter, Margaret Ann Eastham, later Thornber, to be a gas maker and the manager of Clitheroe Gas Works.  It is important in establishing his birth in Slaidburn in about 1796 or 1797.

THE FAMILY OF JOHN ISHERWOOD (died 1846)

I am grateful to Colin Brown for information on our common ancestors in the Isherwood family. Colin obtained from Thelma Rading in Australia a legal document prepared in connection with a dispute over a will. It is a chart showing details of the progeny of John and Mary Isherwood with dates for births, deaths and marriages but few placenames. It should be possible now to fill in some of the missing information from census returns and where necessary obtain additional parish records or appropriate certificates of births, marriages and deaths. However, in the meantime, I set out below the main features of the tree in case other researchers can either benefit from it or add to it. The details of the six children of John and Mary Isherwood were shown in six columns. The first four were from an affidavit sworn by by John Standen, husband of Betty Isherwood. The fifth was from an affidavit of John Isherwood, himself the fifth child and the sixth by Richard Wilson, husband of the sixth child, Ellen Isherwood. The case was being pursued in 1872, some 27 years after the death of John Isherwood in 1846. I have added the the ages and places of death for John and Mary Isherwood.

In Chancery. Wilson versus Isherwood. Draft Pedigree of the Family of the Settlor, John Isherwood who died 30 November 1846 and Mary Isherwood, his wife who died 22 January 1858. They had issue six children - five daughters and one son namely:

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