1 FIRTH PLACE PADDINGTON

[Pat]

Is it possible for someone to tell me what was at 1 Firth Place Paddington at the time of the 1871 census.
Paddington was a part of Lancashire at that time, but I believe it is now classed as being in Cheshire.

Cheers,

Pat.

[LizzieW]

Not so far, but I found this info from 1893

Granny Lightfoot's Rocking Chair - Firth Place 1893


ANOTHER intriguing and interesting story to come out of Warrington takes us back to the old cottages of Firth Place, of Froghall Lane in 1893.
Jenny Lightfoot was an old cotton mill girl who lived to be a great age. She loved her old rocking chair which had been made by her there, a carpenter and furniture maker. Just as long as the neighbors could hear the creaking of Jenny Lightfoot's rocking chair moving backwards and forwards, they knew Jenny was fine.
She was a strange old lady. She hardly spoke to anyone, but was always humming to herself while she knitted. her death no one would enter the cottage as all the neighbors said they could hear the rocking chair squeaking. Eventually, next-door neighbor, a Mr. Stanton took the rocking chair to the local pawnbroker on Sankey Green and sold it for half-a-crown (I 2'/2). The pawnbroker put the rocking chair in the shop window. Then one evening when the shop was closed a group of passers-by coming home from church actually saw the rocking chair swaying back and forth. The story soon got around the area; then to cap it the entire pawnbroker actually heard the humming of a tune when the shop was empty. He gave the rocking chair away to a lady named Mrs. Seed who did not believe in ghosts - until then.
Mrs. Seed lived in a rambling old house on [Lovley Lane. She traced the rocking chair back to the cottage - in Firth Place then tried to sell it, but found she couldn't
The story then goes that Mrs. Seed told a neighbor she was gypping to throw it on the bonfire and at that precise moment the chair begin to bounce up and down all over the room Mrs. Seed fled the house obviously Granny Lightfoot was upset Eventually the chair was put outdoors, and a coal merchant spotted it and asked Mrs. Seed for it in return for a bag of coal. Mr. Seed readily accepted. The coal merchant in turn sold it to a Penketh farmer. So if you live in an old farmhouse up Penketh and you hear creaking and humming coming from the rocking chair - treat it with respect.


Lizzie

[Pat]

Hi Lizzie,

What a wonderful story.  I loved it.  I wonder if it was No. 1 Firth Place. 

Cheers,

Pat.

[LizzieW]

Hi Again

I've done an address search, but can't find any Firth Places in 1871, (or 1861) however, if you go to RG11/ piece 3794/ folio 16 /page 25 you will find who was living at 1 Firth Place in 1881.  I wonder if that means the cottages were built after 1871.

Lizzie

[Pat]

Hi Lizzie,

The reason I was wondering what type of a place No. 1 Firth Place was is because I have a marriage cert. with that address for the two who were married.

It appeared strange to me that in 1869 John Edwards (19) and Josephine Smith (17) were living at the same address.

The marriage took place after Banns, so it would seem they lived there for a little while.

thanks for your help.

Pat.

[LizzieW]

Hi Pat

Does the marriage cert give their occupation.  I see that by 1871 they were living in Pendleton, Salford, which is where Josephine was born, and John was a coalminer.

Lizzie

[Pat]

Hi Lizzie,

Sorry to be a few days behind.  John Edwards and Josephine's 1869 marriage says John was a Collier. He appears to have given this occupation on all the census.
Josephine gave no occupation at the time of the marriage, which is why I was surprised she was living with John.
They were both very young. He was 19 and she was 17. Even so, they don't appear to have run away to get married, as it was after Banns and not licence.
Strange there was no family members as witnesses, as surely someone would have give permission for Josephine to marry at that age.  Of course that may have happened earlier.
All very strange.  All of this is why I was wondering what was at the address at the time.

Cheers,

Pat.

[LizzieW]

I did wonder if Josephine was a servant or similar staying at the address and John just decided to give it as his too.  I thought I'd found the address on the 1861 census on RG09 piece 2926 folio 51 page 27, but although I searched on Paddington, it came back as Salford!

Lizzie

[Pat]

Thanks Lizzie,  I can't seem to bring up the address on anything either.

Cheers,

Pat.