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Archiver > WEST-RIDING > 1999-12 > 0944213070


From: "Rob Stephens" <>
Subject: Barraclough - Holmfirth - Huddersfield library
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 09:24:30 -0000


Derek,

Can I add a small personal addendum to Chris' very full answer :

We had a similar problem, trying to track relatives who, in censuses had
described themselves as born in Holmfirth. However, there are chapels,
especially the non-conformist ones, which are actually in adjacent
villages -- examples, Hepworth, Jackson Bridge, New Mill, Lydgate. They can
all be found, under the Holmfirth entry, in the SoG index described below.
They are also mostly available in Huddersfield Library, on microfiche or
microfilm, and presumably elsewhere as well.

Also a tip for those visiting Huddersfield library -- they have a very
comprehensive list of fiche and films which they have available. However,
they also have ANOTHER list, which is material that is the property of the
archive service (also available in the library.

Regards, Rob

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
Sent: 02 December 1999 12:46
To:
Subject: Re: Barraclough - Holmfirth


Thanks for your message, Derek:

> Having traced, without help, my unusual name, to about 1640, and my
> wife did the same for hers to 1550, we are both well stuck for
> Barraclough (wife's maternal line) at c1800, Holmfirth. Swallowing
> pride we wonder if you could let us know where parish registers, the
> originals, might be. They were Wesleyan Methodists, and had a family
> quirk of producing the first born before marrying from that generation
> onwards, perhaps before!
>
> Holmfirth, a chapel of ease for a long time, had Almondbury and
> Kirkburton as parishes, but Huddersfield and Bradford Libraries only
> have what appear to be the remnants of Bish Transc. or an index
> transcribed. I can only spend fleeting visits from Northumberland.
> From your expertise, do you know the best place for better originals,
> if any, for non-conformist records, parish marriages etc in Yorkshire?
> Borthwick or Wakefield? It's Joseph born Feb 8th 1804 to Mary
> Butterworth, and by Bibles and censuses they were Holmfirth and
> environs.

Advising someone who's got back to 1550 is about on a level with teaching my
grandmother to suck eggs! You must know a lot more about it than I do.
However, just in case you've overlooked something, here goes. I'll copy this
to the West Riding mailing list in case it may help someone else.

Whatever help I've been able to give on the List is mostly based on the West
Riding volume of the National Index of Parish Registers, published by the
Society of Genealogists (you can buy it from their website, www.sog.org.uk
for about £15). This really is a mine of information and no-one interested
in
West Riding genealogy should be without it. As well as listing, for all
known
churches, chapels, meeting houses and cemeteries, the whereabouts and
(approximate) extent of the registers, it also lists printed transcripts -
which you may be able to borrow from your local library through the
inter-library loan service - and MIs. It also shows the dates of each church
etc. and any relationship with others (e.g. parish formed from part of
another). This volume was published in 1998 so it's up-to-date.

The NIPR also includes several introductory volumes which you can also get
from the SOG though you might prefer to try your library. The volumes which
would interest you most would be volume 1, covering Anglican registers
before
1837, and volume 2, covering nonconformist (including Catholic) registers
before 1837. Both by Don Steel, and now 20 - 30 years old but well worth
reading. And there's the classic 'The Parish Chest' by W E Tate, last
revised
1969 but still very useful and easy reading. And whilst we're on books, 'The
Family Tree Detective' by Colin Rogers is good at suggesting alternative
lines of research when the obvious ones fail.

So you can see that most of my advice is second-hand!

Coming to your specific questions, you obviously know that Holmfirth was a
chapelry of Kirkburton and over a long period Holmfirth events were covered
by the Kirkburton registers: you have to be careful not to get confused over
dates and places because of the way they are mixed in. Unfortunately some of
the early Kirkburton registers are badly damaged and there are gaps,
including about 30 years early in the 17th century. The original registers
for All Hallows, Kirkburton, and also Holy Trinity, Holmfirth are at the
West
Yorkshire Archive Service at Wakefield and there are microfiche copies at
all
the WYAS branches. Frances Collins, around the turn of the century,
transcribed the registers up to 1711 in two volumes (1887 and 1902) which I
have been able to borrow through the local library, so no doubt you could
too. Each volume is indexed, which is very helpful, and she seems to have
used BTs at York as well as the registers at Kirkburton, but I think the
latter must have already been in a poor state because she doesn't fill most
of the gaps which I find in the microfiche version. Of particular interest
is
an appendix to Volume 1 in which she gives a potted history of many of the
local families: she only got as far as 'B' but that should cover your
Barracloughs.

The Huddersfield and District Family History Society has published a series
of booklets covering Kirkburton baptisms: see their website
www.hdfhs.demon.co.uk

As regards early nonconformist registers, you will know that the government
called all these in around 1837 so in theory all the originals should be at
the PRO at Kew, although not all of them actually got there. I believe the
WYAS has microfiche copies of all that are relevant to West Yorkshire,
including Holmfirth. The NIPR lists all these chapels and there are two
pages
of them for Kirkburton, including Holmfirth Wesleyan founded in 1787, for
which the registers are at the PRO with copies at WYAS as above. However
these appear to be covered by the IGI so if you've not found anything there
the original registers may take you no further.

If this fails I'm afraid you're down to the many sources which might
possibly
help but probably will not, such as quarter sessions, militia lists and so
forth. Around 1800 you are in the period of Land Tax returns and the West
Riding Registry of Deeds, both at WYAS at Wakefield: I have had some success
with the former (which cover tenants, of cottages as well as farms, as well
as owners) but they do take quite a lot of time. If they held copyhold land
(which may be mentioned in wills) the Wakefield Manor Rolls should help, but
I've not dared tackle them yet myself.

As a matter of interest, a Barraclough was Rector of Kirkburton when I was
in
touch a few years ago (to get permission to buy PRs on microfiche) but
although he was helpful he didn't suggest that he was interested in family
history himself.

That's about all I can suggest. I don't think the habit of getting married
after the birth of the first child was confined to your family, I've got
couple of those around the same period so it sems to have been a local, or
perhaps more widespread, custom. I might say that at least one couple went
to
some trouble to hide the fact; it took me a while to sort out.

I'd better stop rambling now - let me know if I can be any further help.

Chris Bradley

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