The ancestor, James Pilling, in the 1841 census was living in the Village of Tollington Lower End, aged 30 and a coal miner. The census place was Bury, Lancashire.
In the 1851 census, aged 43, he is recorded as Head, Former Coal Miner (Blind), at I think it is Lenton? Field, Bury, A bit hard to read.
In 1861, he has been blind for 16 years.
Would a man born in Bury, and living in Bury most of his life, have worked at Haydock, which seems to be quite some way from Bury, on the other side of Bolton.
Any assistance or ideas would be very gratefully received.
A Chesters
Tottington Lower End was not a village. It was a township which included the villages of Tottington and Holcombe and some other villages and hamlets. The Manor of Tottington had been divided into 2 parts, Tottington Lower End and Tottington Higher End.
In 1841 the family was in Walshaw Lane. Walshaw is south of the village of Tottington, quite close to Bury. West of Walshaw is Harwood, birthplace of James' wife, now incorporated into Bolton.
Their address on 1851 census was Tenters' Field, Bury. A tenters' field was where cloth was stretched out. Bury Grammar School is in Tentersfield. So by 1851 the family had moved into the town of Bury. Judging by POBs of the children on 1851 census the family had moved to Rochdale, East of Bury in the late 1830s and then Bury by mid 1840s. At least that's where Elizabeth was.
1861 they were just in Elton, across the Bolton Road from Tentersfield. POB of son Moses c1835 was Elton.
As others have said there were mines around James' home area. There was another James Pilling from Tottington Lower End who was a coal miner, like his brothers. He lived near Hawkshaw. Neighbours were miners.
There was a coal miner called James Pilling on 1851 & '61 census, born in Bury, resident in West Leigh.
There were several James Pilling, coal miners, living closer to Haydock.