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I found it really interesting, and I was surprised how little certain surnames had moved.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Have now read more of the surname book mentioned in my last posting. The author makes the point that during the 16th century, according to parish registers and manor court rolls, the surname Birtwhistle was numerous at Padiham, Accrington and Burnley but uncommon in Blackburn and Newchurch-in-Rossendale nearby, and there is only a single individual of that name in the Protestant returns for Salford Hundred in 1642.

In another section of the book dealing with people known mostly by nicknames he cites the Burnley registers for 1643 which mention Isabell Whittaker, alias Blackwiddow. I don't know if this was a burial register. If not, I wonder if that nickname stayed with her for the rest of her life. I have Whittakers in my ancestry.

Joan

I wonder how she got that name Joan? Maybe she was like the woman in a news article we had a while again - every man she married died within a short time of marrying her, most of them at war. I wonder if we can find her in the registers?

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

This is really fascinating. I'm sure I've done something similar on another site but had to pay for it.
Our Leavers have spread, but generally outwards from the 1881 area. Apart from one remarkable crop who've appeared in large numbers in Scotland.
I did once find a Briercliffe Leaver on a old census who was a travelling salesman and seemed to be on a Scottish census one year. Wonder whether this crop was down to him?!?

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

I spent a fascinating two hours today at the main Reference Library downtown because I wanted to find out more about Issabell Whittaker, Blackwiddow. This library has a copy of the book of Burnley Parish Registers 1562-1653.

Issabell Whittaker was buried on 16 March 1642. She was the last burial of the year because this was over 100 years before the change to the Gregorian calendar. I checked back over the marriages and the only one I found of an Issabell to a Whittaker in the parish was Issabell Hartley to Roberte Whittaker, 28 January 1607. If this is the right one, it would make Issabell quite old at the time of her death, for this period, and maybe this is where the nickname Blackwiddow came from. I looked also for the burial of Roberte Whittaker soon after the marriage in case there was any suspicion of foul play. There were several burials of that name but the closest was 1628. Still could be suspicious, perhaps. Many women were referred to as widows, but I didn't see any other black widdows.

Not many people had nicknames noted in the burial register, compared with the large number of burials, and those that did were mostly men, but nicknames were obviously in use. Some of the more intriguing were:

Elize sonne of James ffouldes alias Cosh 4 July 1621
Richard Mitchell alias goose hey of Brunleywood 11 February 1622
John Jackson alias two pence of the Ridge 5 March 1623
Richard Blackeburne alias Sturdye 5 March 1623 ( a well-muscled fellow?)
Uxor John Whitaker alias fearebead 19 May 1628
Robert Smith alias lobb 5 April 1624
Thomas Powell alias buttermilke 26 May 1640 (sold buttermilk?)
John sonne of John Hargreaves alias long parker of Burnley 31 May 1640
Anne dau of John Midgley alias Crow 9 May 1642
John Eastwood alias Goodsir 14 July 1642
John Pollard alias old Love 25 April 1649

There were Peter Hitchen of Hackgate (slaine also) buried 6 July 1644, and Bernard Smithe de Brercliffe slaine at Hackgate 8 July 1644. Sounds like a dispute took a tragic turn.

Several people from Cliviger were buried at St. Peter's, and also from Rossendale. There were a number of strangers, including, " A poore las that came from Habergham eves," who was buried on 1 December 1623.

Some of the occupations of the deceased were, plaisterer, linnen webster, scrivener, Clerk, parish clerk, shoomaker, butcher, blacksmith, practitioner of Phisicke, mason, hatter, and this one:

William Crabtrie the mouldwarpe catchar, buried 6 April 1633.

Many of the names were the ones found on the Briercliffe site: Brearley, Hartley, Halsted, Pollard, Parker, Nutter.

Joan

Charles Towneley was killed fighting for King Charles I at the Battle of Marston Moor on 2 July 1644

I wonder if these two were killed at the same battle
http://www.britainexpress.com/History/b ... n-moor.htm

My Joan you have been busy.
The slayings at Hackgate, would have been the Civil War Skirmish where five men died, one of them being a Peter Hitchin. The skirmish is referred to in the Burial Register of St Peter's in Burnley.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Gloria and Kris, thanks for that further piece of information. I'd forgotten about the Battle of Marston Moor. Reading through the registers was so interesting, the time flew.

Joan

There is bit in Roger's book about the skirmish at Haggate and he names Peter Hitchin. So it was the Civil War at Hackgate (as they put it) where he was slain.
Joan, I am terrible when I go to the records office, I have to keep reminding myself what I have gone to look for, and not be side tracked-----still all good fun.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

There is something about it here http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Briercliffe.htm

Haggate was the scene of the Civil war skirmish that was a prelude to the Battle of Marston Moor which took place in 1644. In the skirmish a detachment of the Royalist army under Sir Edward Lucy came into contact with a group of local Parliamentarians. Five were killed and buried at St Peters in Burnley.

I think getting sidetracked is the best bit - until you get home and are frustrated that you didn't get what you went for.

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

It never ceases to amaze me, as I can be trolling through registers, a familiar surname crops up and I make a note of it. Months later whilst looking through one of my notebooks I can often fit this person in. I just go off on tangents when I get in there-------
I must be more methodical
I must be more methodical
I must be more methodical

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

You just carry on as normal Gloria. I've found some really valuable stuff in my sidetracked moments, possibly more successful than the 'organised' stuff I was looking for. After all, the records you're researching aren't always as organised as you might like. When things aren't where they should be you have to rely on luck or lateral thinking.

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

It's very easy to go off on a tangent. I found a few nicknames and just kept on looking for them. It seems some people were known more widely by a nickname than their legal name.

Joan

I think they still are known by nicknames Joan, especially the older ones. My O.H.'s grandad was a Syker and known as Pussick----goodness knows where that came from.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.