Ravenscrofts of Nantwich, Wharton & Winsford

[Nantwich-Newsagent]

Following an enquiry within a separate topic I've set up this one to see if there's any interest/follow-up re. the Ravenscrofts of Nantwich, Wharton & Winsford.

"Hi NN - My hubbies rellies came from Nantwich area and I was wondering if there was any connection?  His ggrandad was Edward Ravenscroft who married Elizabeth Merrill.  They had Henry and Frank and another possible son has just appeared but am still checking him out. Edward was born c 1848.

Look forward to hearing from you, Crystal."

Hi Crystal,

I have a Jane Ravenscroft (dob. 1816) and her sister Elizabeth (dob. 1821) both born in Wharton which is just less than 12 miles from Nantwich so it's likely there is some link - you might have to go back a bit, then forward again. Have you tried the IGI at http://www.familysearch.org/ ? I found it great for going beyond the range of the Victorian census data.

I know that the girls mother was called Mary (dob. 1787) and that she came from Over, Winsford.

Jane married William Hall and of their 6 children (that I know of) Annie married Alfred Cooke. They had 11 children - Jessie married (1911) John William Oakes. They had 7 children - Lilian May (dob. 1917) was my grandmother.

Can give you more details if you want them, especially if you make the link before I do as this would certainly be of interest.

Best regards - NN

[crystal lady]

Hi NN

Thanks for the reply and sorry for the delay in replying.

So far the info you gave does not ring any bells but as I have only just started you never know who/what will turn up.  I'll let you know if any links appear.

I think Edwards parents may have been John & Sarah Ravenscroft and John's father may have been Thomas - I have to get these details verified but hopefuly I have worked it out correctly.  Can't see any connection with Over as it looks like they were from the Wilaston area - as I don't know Cheshire, don't know if these areas are near each other.

Will keep in touch.

Crystal.

[Nantwich-Newsagent]

Hi Crystal,

Over (which used to be a borough in its own right) gradually became a part of Winsford in the late 19th century. So along with Wharton it is also about 12 miles away from Willaston.

As there are 'currently' (2001 census) a relatively small number (1797*) adult Ravenscrofts in the UK. I'd be surprised if one of us doesn't eventually find a link. *http://www.yournotme.com/

I think I found your Edward on Rootsweb - http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=teddie&id=I19817

This suggests:

Edward RAVENSCROFT -
DoB: 29 Nov 1847 in Willaston,Cheshire
Christened: 30 Nov 1847 Wybunbury,Cheshire
Father: John RAVENSCROFT b: 1812/1816 in Cheshire
Mother: Sarah ROBINSON b: 1820 in Manchester,Lancs
Married: Elizabeth MERRILL of Wrenbury
Married: 11 May 1870 in Wrenbury,Cheshire,England

That for John:
Married an  Elizabeth b: 1808 in Cheshire first
and that they had two sons:
John RAVENSCROFT b: in Willaston,Cheshire
Edwin RAVENSCROFT b: in Willaston,Cheshire

Then John seems to have married again:
Sarah ROBINSON b: 1820 in Manchester,Lancs
and then had two more children:
Emma RAVENSCROFT b: 1846 in Willaston,Cheshire
and finally your Edward RAVENSCROFT b: 29 Nov 1847 in Willaston,Cheshire

Also that (as you thought) John's father was Thomas RAVENSCROFT. Apologies if you already had most/all of the above already but it might just help me later if a connection can be made.

Anyway whilst I was looking at the long list (http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=teddie&recno=16715)of Ravenscrofts (perhaps I misjudged their number above!) on Rootsweb I've just come across 'my Jane'.
Will investigate this further now and let you know later if I find any link to your Edward/John/Thomas!

Best regards,

NN

[crystal lady]

Hi NN

Good to hear from you & thanks for the links - they were certainly interesting and very informative, found some of the rellies on there.  The info you gave matches what I had found so I am glad that I'm on the right track.  I had been pondering about John's 2 marriages and wondering if it was correct.  The more I look at it and check, the more it seems likely but I will certify it eventually.  It looks like John died a few years after his second marriage and if I'm correct Sarah married again to a William Lovatt.  Found Edward with Sarah and William on the 1861 census and a John Ravenscroft with Sarah and William (no Edward) on the 1871 census and couldn't make out where John had come from but think he may be John Snr's son from his first marriage.  Also learnt of Emma's death and the date, as I had not been able to locate her on any census I had been wondering if something like this had happened but it was sad to see that she died so young. 

Still haven't made any connections yet with your line but as you say, with so few Ravenscrofts there has to be a connection somewhere along the line.

Good luck with your Jane, hope you find something.
Speak to you soon.

Crystal.

[Nantwich-Newsagent]

Hi Crystal,

'Good luck with your Jane, hope you find something' ...

Oh, my goodness, C! Since my last post on the 5th I've spent most of the last week's evenings adding over 200 Ravenscroft/Ravenscroft related individuals to my tree. I began to feel a bit silly about my assertion that it was not a common surname but realistically I think it must have actually had a fairly concentrated coverage around the Middlewich area. I have not found a definite link with your tree but bearing in mind 'my' numbers and 'your proximity' I am even more convinced than before that the link does exist, it just needs finding.

The problem (as I'm sure you've found) is that whilst the detail to search on is fairly slight for 1812 John all we know about his father is that he was apparently called Thomas.

I did find that John and Sarah married on 24.08.1845 at Wybunbury, Cheshire if that's of any interest.  Also, and possibly more interesting, some references to John on the web do suggest he was born in somewhere called Newton in 1812. I have emailed one of these sources to clarify where the Newton link comes from. Anyway, Newton is a part of Middlewich and there was a 'suitable' Thomas there in the late 18th century:

Thomas Ravenscroft, christened,10.05.1786, Middlewich
Buried 13.02.1841 again in Middlewich

His father was
Jonathan Ravenscroft, born Stanthorn, christened 8 Jan 1749, Middlewich
mother
Sarah Leigh

Thomas, Jonathan and Sarah are all in my tree so this would be a link if we could be confident with the John-Newton-Middlewich-Thomas link. Some speculation I know but I would be reasonably confident if I knew why the Newton connection had been made to John.

Well whether we ever make the link or not (hope we do!) I've really enjoyed exploring the Ravenscroft tree from 'my Jane' as a starting point. Good luck with your tree.

Best regards,

NN

[JDGen]

Thought I would add my RAVENSCROFT connections to this post.  I have a Thomas  RAVENSCROFT who married Martha WOOD at Over in 1829 - he was born 1792 at Wettenhall and baptised 6 May 1792 at Over.  I'm connected through Martha WOOD.

I have Mary RAVENSCROFT born c1828 who married Samuel BIRCHALL at Tarporley in 1853.  I have a note to say that her father was John RAVENSCROFT of Rushton, Tarporley.  I'm connected through Samuel BIRCHALL.  The BIRCHALL's were from Wybunbury, then Nantwich and Samuel was born Baddiley in 1817.

I then have Mary RAVENSCROFT born 1857 at Lostock, who married James MOORE in 1878 in Manchester - guess what, I'm connected through the MOORE family!!

Happy to hear of any connections, or maybe someone searching will find us all here on Rootschat!! 

Jean

[Nantwich-Newsagent]

Hi Jean,

What a lot of marital connections to the Ravenscrofts -
not just 1 or 2, but 3!!!

Whilst I've 'got' 14 Thomas Ravenscrofts and some Ravenscroft links to Over I can't tie up with #1.

I've 11 Mary Ravenscrofts but as yet no link to a Samuel. Where was your Mary born as I have 3 born around the right time in Leighton, Bostock and Moulton?

I can't find any immediate links with the second Mary.

There's a lot of these Ravenscrofts about aren't there?! But I still believe they must have had quite a high concencentration in this area - so the links are probably there to be found - one day!

Best regards,

NN

[JDGen]

Hi NN,

Mary c1828 was born Rushton Tarporley, father John.  Unfortunately I only have information on the descendants for Mary as she is a "married in"!  I'll post on this thread if I find anything else.

I've just rechecked the marriage date for Thomas RAVENSCROFT and Martha WOOD and have updated the previous post - should be 1829. Children (from census):
Richard born 1831
Thomas born 1836
John born 1839
Jonathan born 1841
Stephen born 1845
George born 1848

Jean

[crystal lady]

Hi JDGen & NN

Nice to hear of your Ravenscroft's JDGen & welcome to the thread - not many of us yet but I bet there's more out there!  Can't see any connection with my Ravenscroft's yet but as NN says I wouldn't be surprised if we eventually find a connection somewhere.

NN - no luck yet with my searching but will keep trying and let you know.  I think I'm what you might call a 'dry spell'!! everything I check/lookup at the moment just leads to either a dead end or is completely wrong.  Oh well, don't suppose it will last forever.

Speak to you both soon.

Crystal