Tag Archives: Leah Ashforth

Leah Sarah Ashwork: Leah Sarah Ashforth: England and Wales Census 1881

Published: February 15, 2017    Last modified: February 16, 2017

I traced Leah ASHFORTH (née Leah WEBB 1816-1901), my ggg grandmother, through the England and Wales Censuses of 1851, 1861, 1871, 1891 and 1901, the exception being 1881.

Unable to find any record of her in the 1881 census was somewhat exasperating, so I set to with a few wild card searches. It is the case quite often that Ashforth becomes Ashworth, or Ashcroft or as I recall in one census, Ashforth becomes Ashford; I was not expecting Ashwork! So the mystery is solved eventually and I can complete the sequence of census returns.

Leah has now become Leah Sarah, changed her place of birth to Sheffield and taken a lodger, one William ROYSTON. Son William Henry ASHFORTH 1851-1899 has married Ellen TOMLINSON 1855-1943 and left home finally.

FHJ Ref: 045
Census: England and Wales Census 1881
Place: Cromwell Street, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Household: Leah Sarah Ashwork

SURNAMEFIRST NAME(S)RELSEXAGEOCCUPATIONWHERE BORNREMARKS
Ashwork *Leah SarahHeadF65Lodging House KeeperSheffield, Yorkshire
RoystonWilliam LodgerM22Sheffield, Yorkshire
Note: Transcription error: for Ashwork read Ashforth

To view this table full width please click here.

Ellen Ashforth (née Ellen Tomlinson 1855-1943): A brick wall

Published: January 24, 2010    Last modified: January 12, 2017

Ellen Ashforth (née Ellen Tomlinson 1855-1943)
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Ellen Ashforth (née Ellen Tomlinson 1855-1943)

My gg grandmother Ellen ASHFORTH (née Ellen TOMLINSON 1855-1943) is at this moment the family history proverbial 'brick wall'. A quick scan of the 1841, 1851 and 1861 England and Wales censuses for the Sheffield region reveal little more than I know already. According to my mother her grandmother Ellen lived into her nineties and so probably died in the early 1940's. My mother knew her as Leah, yet in various documents she is also known as Eleanor, Ellenor and Helena.

Before I obtained her marriage certificate I carried out some rudimentary research documented in this article, this seemed to indicate her father's name would be William TOMLINSON. When I received her marriage certificate I was surprised, as expressed in this article, to see that her father's name was Samuel TOMLINSON 1826-1854. At the time I didn't give this too much thought since my paternal grandmother's marriage certificate gives her father's name as George DIXON when quite clearly it was Samuel DIXON. It was only when, in 2009, I was contacted by KW in response to this article regarding Clara ASHFORTH 1895-1932 and Jessie RENWICK 1908-1982 that I took a more in-depth look at the facts.

Though conjecture never seems to be far away when researching Ellen ASHFORTH (née Ellen TOMLINSON 1855-1943) KW puts forward a strong case for following another line of research and having spent some time considering his reasoning, I believe, unless we make some major discovery, this line (as put forward by KW) is the more likely to be correct.

The marriage certificate for William Henry ASHFORTH 1851-1899 and Ellen TOMLINSON 1855-1943 records:

Registration District: Sheffield
Date: 1876
Marriage solemnized at: St Stephens Church in the Parish of St Stephen, Sheffield in the County of York
No.: 191
When Married: 15th January
Name and Surname: William Ashforth, Ellen Tomlinson Age: 24, 21
Condition: Batchelor, Spinster
Rank or Profession: File Cutter, _____
Residence at the time of Marriage: Bellefield St, Hammond St
Father's Name and Surname: George Ashforth, Samuel Tomlinson
Rank or Profession of Father: File Cutter, Sawmaker
Married in the: Church of St Stephen according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church, by____or after Banns by me ????
This marriage was solemnized between us: William Ashforth, Ellen Tomlinson her X mark in the Presence of us, Thomas Mars??? Sanders, Sarah H??????? her X mark

This would suggest Ellen TOMLINSON 1855-1943 was born about 1855 and at the time of the England and Wales Census 1861 would be about 6 years of age. Ellen's father should be Samuel TOMLINSON, a saw maker by occupation.

During this period almost all of my ASHFORTH line resided in an area west of Saint Phillips Road, Sheffield and as far as Burton Street and Cuthbert Bank Road. Thus I have always been apprehensive regarding Norton as Ellen's place of birth, even though Norton falls under the administrative region of Ecclesall Bierlow. The following tables transcribed by me from the England and Wales Census 1861 outline this issue:

FHJ Ref: 016
Census: England and Wales Census 1861
Place: Norton, Derbyshire, England
Household: William Tomlinson

SURNAMEFIRST NAME(S)RELSTATUSAGEOCCUPATIONWHERE BORNREMARKS
TomlinsonWilliam HeadMarried43Derbyshire, Dronfield
TomlinsonRebeccaWifeMarried41Derbyshire, Totley
TomlinsonElizabethDaughter12Derbyshire, Norton
TomlinsonWilliamSon9Derbyshire, Norton
TomlinsonEllenDaughter7Derbyshire, Norton
TomlinsonJosephSon3Derbyshire, Norton
TomlinsonJaneDaughter1Derbyshire, Norton
NewboldJohnBoarder71Derbyshire, Holmesfield

To view this table full width please click here.

FHJ Ref: 017
Census: England and Wales Census 1861
Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Household: Rhoda Tomlinson

SURNAMEFIRST NAME(S)RELSTATUSSEXAGEOCCUPATIONWHERE BORNREMARKS
TomlinsonRhodaHeadWidowMale34Sheffield, Yorkshire
TomlinsonSarah AnnDaughterFemale15Sheffield, Yorkshire
TomlinsonFanny DaughterFemale14Sheffield, Yorkshire
TomlinsonAnneDaughterFemale11Sheffield, Yorkshire
TomlinsonJane DaughterFemale9Sheffield, Yorkshire
TomlinsonEllenor DaughterFemale5Sheffield, Yorkshire

To view this table full width please click here.

With reference to William and Ellen's marriage certificate the only census data that 'fits' is the names Ellen and Ellenor and the ages 7 and 5. If names are anything to go by then I am inclined to favour Ellenor, my reasoning for this is Ellen's mother-in-law was Leah ASHFORTH (née Leah WEBB) 1816-1901 and my mother's name is a variant of Leonora and as I have stated before my mother always refers to Ellen as Leah. I think the way forward is to take a chance on some more certificates, the problem is knowing which ones. I think an educated guess is in order.

Updates:
2010-01-24 Regarding the Marriage Certificate for William Henry ASHFORTH and Ellen TOMLINSON. After some online research I am certain 'Thomas Mars??? Sanders is in fact Thomas Marsden Landers. Please click here to read more.

George Ashforth 1814-Deceased and Leah Webb 1816-1901

Published: August 31, 2008    Last modified: February 15, 2017

A couple of days ago I recieved an email from a gentleman researching George ASHFORTH 1814-Deceased and Leah ASHFORTH (née Leah WEBB 1816-1901).

This aroused my curiosity and I decided it was about time I updated this site and provided a few more articles.

Looking at my research notes for my ASHFORTH line I am acutely aware that for the time being at least I have gone no further back than George ASHFORTH 1814-Deceased and Leah ASHFORTH (née Leah WEBB 1816-1901).

According to my research George and Leah raised 5 children:

Sophia ASHFORTH born abt. 1841 Manchester, Lancashire, England.
John ASHFORTH born abt. 1843 Salford, Manchester, Lancashire, England.
Emma ASHFORTH born abt. 1845 Salford, Manchester, Lancashire, England.
Susannah ASHFORTH born abt. 1849 Stalybridge, Cheshire, England.
William Henry ASHFORTH born 20th February 1851 Bacon Island, Nether Hallam, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

This is confirmed by the England and Wales Census 1861:

FHJ Ref: 030
Census: England and Wales Census 1861
Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Household: George Ashforth

SURNAMEFIRST NAME(SRELSTATUSSEXAGEOCCUPATIONWHERE BORNREMARKS
AshforthGeorgeHeadMarriedMale47Bradfield, Yorkshire
AshforthLeahWifeMarriedFemale45Kingswinford, Staffordshire
AshforthSophiaDaughterFemale20Manchester, Lancashire
AshforthJohnSonMale18Manchester, Lancashire
AshforthEmmaDaughterFemale16Manchester, Lancashire
AshforthSusannaDaughterFemale12Stalybridge, Cheshire
AshforthWilliam HSonMale10Sheffield, Yorkshire

To view this table full width please click here.

My interest is in my gg grandfather William Henry ASHFORTH 1851-1899 and I have already obtained his birth certificate in order to establish the maiden surname of his mother. I carried out further research and discovered the following marriages:

ASHFORTH, Sophia (Spinster, age Full, residing at Cromwell St).
Married James CASSON, on September 5, 1863, by Chas Sisum Wright (Banns) at
St Philips Church, Shalesmoor. Father's name is George ASHFORTH (Filesmith).
Married in the presence of Thomas J YATES, Mary Ann YATES.

ASHFORTH, Harriet (Spinster, age 18, residing at Penistone Rd).
Married Herbert WOODCOCK, on December 24, 1876, by C R Killick (Banns) at
St Philips Church, Shalesmoor. Father's name is John ASHFORTH (Metal Smith).
Married in the presence of Joseph BAILEY (mark), Betsy MORTON (mark).

ASHFORTH, Emma (Spinster, age Minor, residing at Cromwell St).
Married William BRAMELD, on February 21, 1864, by F. Williams (Banns) at
St Philips Church, Shalesmoor. Father's name is George ASHFORTH (File Smith).
Married in the presence of George ASHFORTH, Susannah ASHFORTH.

ASHFORTH, William Henry (Batchelor, age 23, File Cutter, residing at 172 Cuthbert Bank Road).
Married Florence FLOWERS, on December 25, 1895, by H.A. Goodwin (Banns) at
St John the Baptist Church, Owlerton. Father's name is William Henry ASHFORTH (File Cutter).
Married in the presence of Charles Henry STEVENSON, Mary REVINGTON. (Note: This is REMINGTON on the actual marriage certificate).

The researcher I mentioned at the beginning of this article is interested in the descendants of John ASHFORTH and hopefully we may be able to help one another with our research.

Updates:
2017-02-15 At the time of writing this article I was not aware of the family being in the England and Wales Census 1851. The census of 1851 shows the eldest child being Joseph ASHFORTH 1837-Deceased born at Birmingham, Warwickshire. To view the England and Wales Census 1851 for the household of George ASHFORTH 1814-Deceased please click here.

William Henry Ashforth 1851-1899: Birth Certificate

Published: December 8, 2007    Last modified: February 4, 2017

Certificates

I have received the birth certificate of William Henry ASHFORTH 1851-1899 from Sheffield Register Office. The maiden surname of Leah ASHFORTH 1816-1901 the mother of William Henry is shown to be WEBB and she is living at Bacon Island, Nether Hallam, Sheffield.

Bacon Island was one of the areas of Sheffield affected by the great flood of 1864, when the Dale Dyke reservoir burst its banks.

To view my transcription of the birth certificate for William Henry ASHFORTH 1851-1899 please click here.

Leah Ashforth (née Leah Webb 1816-1901)

Published: November 25, 2007    Last modified: May 22, 2022

Ellen Ashforth (née Ellen Tomlinson 1855-1943)
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Ellen Ashforth (née Ellen Tomlinson 1855-1943)

For some time now the name Leah ASHFORTH (née Leah WEBB 1816-1901) has been niggling away at my mind. Each time I chat with my mother regarding the ASHFORTH line, and I mention Ellen ASHFORTH (née Ellen TOMLINSON 1855-1943), my mother reminds me she thought her forename was Leah.

With this in mind and thinking we may be talking about different generations I decided to carry out some serious research. Several hours later I seem to have established a number of leads worth following.

Some time ago while searching online I came across the death of one Leah ASHFORTH aged 85 years in the district of Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield.

Leah ASHFORTH is not a terribly common name, on the one hand this limits the number of results but on the other hand Ashforth is often interchanged with Ashford, Ashcroft, sometimes Ashworth and possibly other connotations.

George ASHFORTH 1814-Deceased and Leah ASHFORTH (née Leah WEBB 1816-1901) first appear as a family in the England and Wales Census 1861:

FHJ Ref: 030
Census: England and Wales Census 1861
Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Household: George Ashforth

SURNAMEFIRST NAME(SRELSTATUSSEXAGEOCCUPATIONWHERE BORNREMARKS
AshforthGeorgeHeadMarriedMale47Bradfield, Yorkshire
AshforthLeahWifeMarriedFemale45Kingswinford, Staffordshire
AshforthSophiaDaughterFemale20Manchester, Lancashire
AshforthJohnSonMale18Manchester, Lancashire
AshforthEmmaDaughterFemale16Manchester, Lancashire
AshforthSusannaDaughterFemale12Stalybridge, Cheshire
AshforthWilliam HSonMale10Sheffield, Yorkshire

To view this table full width please click here.

Almost certainly 'William H ASHFORTH' is my gg grandfather William Henry ASHFORTH 1851-1899. The other children have proved more difficult to research since these are the first individuals in my ASHFORTH line to be born outside of Sheffield.

Come the England and Wales Census 1871 and now only Leah and William Henry are listed:

FHJ Ref: 031
Census: England and Wales Census 1871
Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Household: Leah Ashforth

SURNAMEFIRST NAME(S)RELSTATUSSEXAGEOCCUPATIONWHERE BORNREMARKS
AshforthLeahHeadWidowedFemale54SeamstressStaffordshire
AshforthWilliam HenrySonMale20Sheffield, Yorkshire

To view this table full width please click here.

There is no record of Leah ASHFORTH in the England and Wales Census 1881 and 1891 but she reappears in the England and Wales Census 1901:

FHJ Ref: 032
Census: England and Wales Census 1901
Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Household: Leah Ashforth

SURNAMEFIRST NAME(S)RELSTATUSSEXAGEOCCUPATIONWHERE BORNREMARKS
AshforthLeahHeadFemale87Living on own meansKingswinford, Staffordshire

To view this table full width please click here.

Only to die shortly afterwards age 85 years abt. June 1901.

It would appear George ASHFORTH 1814-Deceased travelled around the Sheffield, Manchester and West Midland regions of England before possibly settling back at Sheffield, Yorkshire. I have established Leah ASHFORTH (née Leah WEBB 1816-1901) was born at Kingswinford, Staffordshire, England but despite all my research I am still missing Leah's maiden surname.

Updates:
2007-12-02 Once again I have spoken with my mother regarding Leah ASHFORTH. My mother definitely recalls Leah being around in her (my mother's) childhood, which means it cannot be the Leah of this article since she passed away in 1901. My mother recalls 'her' Leah being into her nineties before she passed away. I seem to be going round in circles on this one; who is this mysterious Leah ASHFORTH?