Kelsall Village Family Stories

Whilst researching a local family living in Ashton Hayes, as part of my son’s partner’s family tree, I learned that historically Ashton Hayes had boasted two public houses back in the 1800s and two family members I was studying had run one of them. I had been studying a child called Richard, who had been baptised by his parents Edwin and Sarah in Weaverham in 1834. Strangely, Richard wasn’t listed with his parents in the first census in 1841, although he would have been only seven.  I eventually found him living on a farm in Ashton with a couple called Jim and Emma. Why, I wondered? Had his parents died?  But no, Richard’s parents were still living in Ashton with three very small children in 1841.  Some deeper delving into records showed that Emma was Edwin’s sister, so in fact Richard was living with his aunt and uncle, presumably to lend a hand around the farm.  Maybe his mother was struggling to feed and look after three pre-school age children? By 1851 Richar...

MEMORIES OF KELSALL AS A 10 YEAR OLD (1964ish) THE ADVENTURES OF HERBERT, TOM, DICK & HARRY   Names anonymised (to avoid prosecution) –   ‘Elf & Safety are advised NOT to review these Blogs! Blog #1 – Playing in Harry’s Barn.  Harry lived in a small holding, where they also had some cows and chickens. There were various barns, the biggest of which was often our playground. The barn had cross beams in the rafters, but this attic space had no floor. We would scramble up the walls to get on the beams and then if you were feeling brave, you would walk along the beams (probably a fifteen-foot drop to the floor); the less brave would still crawl along the beams. ‘Elf and Safety eat your heart out! Harry’s mum would often provide refreshments.   Blog #2 – Visiting Tom.  Tom lived out in the sticks, so to visit him was a bit of a trek; probably a 3-mile round trip. It was worth it though as his house was surrounded by farmers’ fields where y...