Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

Hi I'm new to the forum and trying to fill some gaps in my family tree.

I'm Steven Thornton, I live in Thornton (Yes really!) but I'm descended from the Thornton family who resided at 18 Queen Street, Harle Syke. My father Derek Thornton (80yrs) is still alive and lives in Blackpool. We are as far as I know the last descendants of the 18 Queen Street Thornton's, but I'm hoping to expand the family tree. Most of my family worked at Queen Street Mill and I've really enjoyed seeing some of the photos and stories connected to them - my great aunties Janey, Betty & Clara even get a mention in one of the articles by the Th'Owd Syker.

The family tree I have so far is as follows.

I have a marriage jug passed down through the family, it belonged to Richard & Mary Thornton and dated 1835.
Following the 1851 and 1861 Census the Richard on the pot appears to have resided at Lane Bottom where at least one family of Thornton's lived, In the 1861 Richard is the head of the family and Mary his wife. Four sons are mentioned, Richard, James, William & Robert. I believe that the son Richard is the one that then moves to 18 Queen Street according to the 1901 census and marries and has a son called John, I cannot find out what his first wife was called or what happened to her, but Richard then married Merinda and had three daughters, Janey, Betty and later Clara. They also had a son Thomas and my granddad Walter. Thomas died in 1918 in France, John died in 1962, Walter my granddad died in 1960 before I was born, all three daughters died spinsters (my great auntie Clara lived to 101, my father is still going strong and I have a sister called Kim.

That's where I think I am so far, I hope to tie up some of the loose ends and create a more graphical tree, but I wanted to trace the family from the marriage jug I have on my kitchen shelf.

Many thanks for reading.

Hi Steven,
I am a direct descendant of your Richards brother Thomas.
Thomas was my grandad's grandad. My grandad was Rowland Denis Kippax known locally as Th'Owd Syker.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Hi Gloria, thanks very much for your reply.

From some pictures my sister had we've also found that my great grandmother, was a Leaver and her sister Alice married a Harry or Henry Shoesmith, I had found some mention of the Kippax family, so any extra info would be greatly appreciated. I enjoyed reading the Th'owd Syker articles. I have some really old pictures I'm going to upload soon, we have one of the Leaver ladies smoking a clay pipe. My only holidays I had as a child was to stay at Queen Street with my great aunts, they would always take me to feed the chickens at the top of Harrison Street, wonderful memories.

Best regards
Steven

If you go on the home page, then into family trees you will find some of my trees....Kippax and Thornton. There are also some Leaver trees on there.
Feel free to ask any questions.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Thank you, I will.

Steven