© 2016 David E. Spencer
When I first started delving into my family history in the 1980's my dad asked me to spend some time concentrating on our immediate family and said that he would like me to find out what became of William's descendants. These pages are a summary of my efforts in this particular quest.
William and his wife Jane Paley were married at St. Peter's Church in Burnley in May 1837 - just before the introduction of civil registration in England. The 1841 census revealed that William was a blacksmith living and working in Dawson Square, Burnley - across the road from St. Peter's. The main page of my website includes a picture taken by family member Sheila Hobson of St. Peter's seen from the site of his forge. Although the forge has long since disappeared the horse shoeing floor still exists within the garage that has replaced the forge.
William and Jane had a total of ten children but three of the boys died in infancy.Of this large family they only had one daughter - their firstborn child Mary Ann.
At some time in the 1850's the family moved from central Burnley into the Padiham Road area of Burnley. The locations of their homes in the area are now within the area occupied by the M65 motorway. The houses they occupied were all still standing throughout my childhood and youth but I was then unaware of the family connection.
Although he later again described himself as a blacksmith, the 1871 census records William as a tea dealer on Padiham Road near the road junction still known as "The Mitre". At this time family events such as weddings took place at the nearby Holy Trinity Church. The building of Holy Trinity still stands but is now converted into flats. Holy Trinity was one of two (later three) Anglican churches serving the expanding western suburbs of what was to become modern Burnley. William and his family were buried at the other main church of All Saints, Habergham - burial space was at a premium in this area in the middle to late nineteenth century!.
Jane died in 1874 and was buried at All Saints. William lived another 13 years - for this time he was accompanied by his daughter Mary Ann and his youngest son Joshua. When he died he owned six small terraced houses in the same area. His will is interesting in that he insists that his eldest son James should make good some family debts before he can inherit his share of William's estate.