Pritchard and Edmunds Family History
Hatton Family of Lightcliffe
Caroline Hatton married Henry Edmunds,snr. on the 26 th July 1849 at St.Paul's Parish church, Islington. They lived for a few years in Banbury but moved to Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1852. Henry Edmunds junior, their first child, was born on the 19th March 1853. Less than ten weeks later, at the age of 29, Caroline died and was buried in Lister Lane Cemetery, Halifax. Henry was subsequently remarried to Sarah Hannah Walker in June 1854.
I have traced Caroline's ancestors back to John Hatton of Lightcliffe (1724-1792). He was pioneer of Wesleyan Methodism in the area. In ‘ Halifax Worthies ' by J.Turner Horsfall, the author quotes from an obituary in the Wesleyan magazine for 1794,
‘…..When Hatton was in the seventeenth year of his age, Mr.John Nelson came northwards to his native place from London, and began to preach at Birstall…(Hatton) became a constant hearer. Hatton's conscience was truly awakened and from that day on dated his salvation. . He shook off his old companions and joined the first Methodist Society in the district …'
He became a leader of Methodist classes in the area for 30 years and despite being crippled by rheumatism continued to attend services and preacher meetings. He died on Sunday evening, Nov.4 th . 1792 at the age of 69.
His son, William, ‘became a pillar of the Halifax circuit' like his father and found time to preach and write as well as run a business in Halifax. So far I have managed to discover four sons born to William Hatton.
• William Hatton born 1789 , married Mary Ann Rigg.
• Joseph Hatton, baptized 23/12/1790, married Sarah Sherwin. (Caroline's parents)
• John Hatton, baptized 21/1/1792, died 19/7/1792
• John Hatton, baptised 2/7/1793.
The first son William was a woollen manufacturer and merchant whose business was at Woolshops, Halifax . By the time of the 1851 census William seems to have prospered and was an employer of 28 men, 15 women, 11 boys and eight girls. William Hatton was very active in his support of the Wesleyan ministry. In the archives at Halifax Central Library there are numerous leaflets detailing contributions to the Methodist Missionary Society from 1814.This was the first year of the society. Wm.Hatton senior gave £2.12s.0d. Wm.Hatton,jun gave £1.1s and Mr.Hatton (Joseph maybe?) also gave £0.8s. In 1816 the donations from the family were just W.Hatton £1.11s and 6d.
William and Mary Hatton had a large family of ten children. They chose to show their admiration of great figures by naming two of the children as Charles Wesley Hatton and William Wilberforce Hatton.
It was Caroline's own family that were to cause me problems with research. I was unable to find a record of her birth or marriage for several years. The WEST-RIDING-L at rootsweb.com mail list was to prove a godsend. I pieced together clues and hints from the list and Joseph's will and eventually found that Joseph Hatton, whom I had assumed to be a wool merchant in the family business, was actually a china dealer with business links and a residence in Poseldorf, Germany. I requested a search to be made in the Staatsarchiv at Hamburg and they were able to send me photocopies and details of the birth of Joseph's children and the death of his wife, Sarah Hatton(nee Sherwin).
Joseph and Sarah Hatton's children are:
• William Hatton born 15/1/1821, 11am, baptized 12/12/1821,St.Petrikirche, Hamburg
• Caroline Hatton born 25/5/1823, baptized 23/11/1823, St Petrikirche, Hamburg
Sarah Hatton died in Germany on the 7/8/1824 and her burial was on 11/8/1824 in grave no. 347, St Nikolikirche, Hamburg.
The Registers in Germany seem much more detailed than our own and the burial entry for Sarah includes her age, 38 ½ , her parents names (John and Mary Sherwin) and her place of birth, Burslem, Staffordshire.
Joseph married again to Mary Marshall. A daughter Mary was born in May 1831 in Hamburg. The will held another surprise. In a codicil dated 4/4/1836 Joseph adds another child, Phoebe Ann. The will runs to eight pages and details a trust that is set up for his children and their descendants. This trust was only finally wound up in 1933 .
Joseph finally returned to Halifax and all four of his children were baptized, the eldest three for the second time on the 13/7/1835 at St.James Parish Church, Halifax. The parents names were given as Joseph and Mary Hatton. Josephs business prospered with premises in Kings Cross Lane. He died at the comparatively young age of 55 'of natural causes' in 1845. His second wife Mary returned to London to live and eventually died in 1884 at 8, Northampton Park, Islington. Caroline Hatton was living with her stepmother when she met and married Henry Edmunds senior four years later.
It is not known how the couple met but I think it is likely that there must have been a meeting through their strong links with the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Henry and Caroline moved to Halifax to open their new ironmongery business in Silver Street. Henry may have been advised by his wife's family that it might be a good business venture in a thriving town. Within four short years of the marriage Caroline was dead.
Caroline was buried in Lister Lane Cemetery, Halifax.
Halifax Worthies , J.Turner Horsfall.
Ibid, and calculated from 1851 census
1834 Pigots Directory and 1837 Whites Directory of Halifax.
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Catherine Pritchard
East Barn, White Farm,Leckwith, Cardiff. UK. CF11 8AS.
Updated: 23/04/2007
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