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Bottomley
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James Bottomley was born 21st February 1819 in Southowram, Halifax. His father was William Bottomley and his mother was Rachel Crossley. On 2nd July 1843 he married Elizabeth Shillito in Elland. They were both born in Brighouse. James was described as a Water Man and his father William as a Slubber. A Slubber is a worker in the textile industry who separates the fibres ensuring that no dirt or rubbish moves forward to the next process.
By 1851 James and Elizabeth lived at Park Street, Hipperholme, Brighouse. James was working as a Woollen Spinner. They had four children:-
Rachel (Shillito) (1842) William (1845) Tom (1847) Mary (1849)
Lydia (1851) Emily (1856) John R (1867) Elizabeth (1859) Lucy Jane (1865)
I was unable to find any trace of the family in the 1861 census but by 1871 they were living at Brookfoot, Brighouse and James was working in the chemical industry. By this time they had six of their nine children still living at home. These were Tom and his wife Jane, Lydia, Emily, John R, Elizabeth and Lucy Jane. Nancy Bennett (nee Shillito) the mother of James’ wife Elizabeth was also living with them, her husband Abel Bennett having died in 1870.
Tom married Jane Spencer at the Halifax Parish Church on 20th February 1871. A witness to the marriage was John Shillitoe, possibly Tom’s uncle. By 1881 they lived at 7 Albion Place which is on the A644 between Hipperholme and Brighouse. Tom was a silk dresser and he and Jane had nine children.
Eliza (1872) Benjamin (1874) Ellen (1876) Samuel (1879) Ann (1882) Emma (1884) Edith (1886) Martha (1887) Thomas H (1889).
Jane died in 1889 aged 38 possibly in childbirth.
In 1890 Tom remarried. In 1891 Tom and his new wife, Harriet Nicholson lived at 8 The Crescent, Hipperholme with eight of Tom’s nine children and Harriet’s four sons. Eliza having married James Holt on 29th March 1890. Tom died in 1896 aged 51. In 1901 Ann, Edith, Emma, Martha and Thomas H. were living at 21 Beech Hill Terrace, Halifax with their sister Eliza and her husband James Holt. James was a French Polisher who lived at Clarence Street Halifax at the time of the marriage. His father, William Holt was a Chair Maker. There is no trace of Benjamin Bottomley at this time. Is it possible he was doing military service? (Boar War 1899 – 1909)
In 1896 Ellen married Hartley Ogden. He was a farmer at Clifton near Brighouse. In 1905 Ann married Wilfred Cragg who was a Baker and they lived 1A Oates Street, Brighouse. In 1906 Emma married James Percy Cragg who was a compositor and they also lived at 1A Oates Street. In 1909 Martha married Harry Kershaw who was a Stone Dresser. They lived at 142 Hill Crest, Brighouse. In 1911 Edith married Arnold Blackburn who was a Quarry Worker.
On 14th September 1904 Benjamin Bottomley married Alice Stott at St Stephens Church, Copley. They were both 31 years old. Benjamin is described as a Labourer and his father Thomas (deceased) a Silk Dresser. Benjamin was living in Lightcliffe and Alice was living in Copley. It is interesting to note that one of the witnesses to their marriage was Natalia Greenwood. The Greenwoods lived in Copley, as did Alice. Natalia was an elder sister of Lucy Ellen Greenwood who was the mother of Doris Schofield. Doris later became Benjamin’s daughter-in-law when she married Hubert the son of Benjamin and Alice. Benjamin and Alice had three sons.
Selwyn (1905) Hubert (10.10.1909) Cyril born 21.08.1907 babtised 15.09.1907. I could find no further record other than a death of a very young Cyril Bottomley in the spring of 1908.
Hubert was a Moquet Weaver all his life at J Holdsworth & Sons, Shaw Lodge Mills, Halifax. He was a valued employee and became a qualified instructor in the Weaving Department. As a young man Hubert was a keen footballer and played on the Holdsworth team. Hubert is fourth from left on the standing row.
The silver medal on the left was presented to Hubert in 1933. He played Left Wing on the Holdsworth football team when they won the cup in the Halifax Workshop Competition.
Hubert married Doris May Schofield at St Stephens Church Copley on 8th June 1935. They lived at 72 Gibraltar Avenue, Halifax all their married life and had two sons.