Lived with William (61) and son William (11) at Church Street, Barrowford in 1871.

Widow at same address 1881, with son William (21) and granddaughter Mary (8yo, born Shipley, Yorks).

Living with granddaughter Polly Pickles (18yo, b. Shipley) in Great Marsden and Little Marsden (nr Colne), 1891 census.

Polly and Mary are surely the same person. "Polly" is often used as a pet form for "Mary" (as is "Molly").

1881 and 1891 censuses give birth place as Winewall (which is near Trawden).

1861 census for Lock House, Gargrave is certainly her.
1851 census for Lock House, Gargrave is probably her (because of birthplace Trawden).

Her name is given as:
Blackburn - marriage to William Pickels, 1842;
Robinson - birth of Matthew Pickels, 1843 (registered by Sarah);
Blackburn - birth of Luke Pickels, 1847 (registered by William);
Blackburn - birth of Mark Pickels, 1845 (registered by Mary);
Robinson - birth of Mary Pickles, 1852 (registered by William);
Robinson - birth of William Pickles, 1859 (registered by Mary).

Found a marriage 1838 Jun Clitheroe 21 179, hoping this would be to William Blackburn. It turns out to be the marriage of Henry Foster, a carpenter, of Chadwick, son of John Foster, a clerk, to Mary Robinson (minor or junior?), of Easington, daughter of Francis Robinson, farmer. In short, not our Mary.

15 Sep 2007

Visited Local Studies centre at Colne Library today, and found a marriage for Sarah Blackburn to Richard Robinson (1816) and a baptism for Mary Blackburn of Trawden, 7 Jan 1816. No father's name is given in the register of baptisms, and mother Sarah Blackburn is a spinster. So we now understand that:
* Mary Blackburn was the illegitimate daughter of Sarah Blackburn, unknown father.
* Sarah married Richard shortly after Mary was baptised. Richard became Mary's stepfather.
* Mary did not generally use her stepfather's surname.
* Sarah, however, used her husband's surname, and generally introduced her eldest daughter as Mary Robinson.

28 Aug 2008

It is not impossible that Richard Robinson was Mary's natural father, but we'll probably never know.