Stephen Ratcliff

[agi]

Hello, Can anyone help us with tracing the parents and family of Stephen Ratcliff who states on the 1851 census he was born in Windlestone in 1799. We have traced the rest of the family from the present day back to Stephen but can't trace his siblings, parents or extended family.
We all, that is the Ratcliff family since Stephen's marriage to Ann Ogden in Whitefield in 1822, live in the Manchester area. Stephen and Ann were living in Manchester on the 1851 census and remained there until his death in 1865.
Thank you and God bless and hope someone can help as we have hit a brick wall.

[CaroleW]

Hi

You have posted on the Worcester board but the 1851 shows him as Radcliffe and birthplace is Wistanstow in Shropshire

I think Windlestone is in Durham

[Gadget]

Hi Carole

I also read it as Shropshire, Winstanstow


See http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SAL/Wistanstow/index.html


gnu

[agi]

Thank you for your replies but on the census that we have looked at and got copies of it appears to say Windlestone Shropshire. We have been in contact with Shropshire Archives, who have thoroughly checked their records for his birth, baptism or even the Ratcliff family in that area in the late 1790's/early 1800's and there are no records at all of the Ratcliff family for this period and the nearest Windlestone to Shropshire is the one in Worcestershire. As he was supposed to come from approximately that area of England we are now trying to find if there are any records of the Ratcliff family in Windlestone, Worcestershire. That is why we asked on here if anyone had any information about the Ratcliff family there.
We know the are spelling variations of the name Ratcliff on the census depending on the spelling of the census taker. We do know about the Windlestone in Co. Durham though there are no links that we know of between the extended family and that part of the country.
But again, thank you very much for your responses and we hope someone can help as we are hitting a brick wall with Stephen Ratcliff, his parents and siblings and why they were in that part of the country.
Once again, thank you and God bless.

[Gadget]

Hi

Here is a snip which shows his birthplace. I've done a considerable amount of deciphering and no way can I see Windlestone for you - there are not enough letters. Wimtenstew is how I see it written - hence Carole and I homing in on  Winstantow

It could be that the family were non-C of England, etc. I have quite a few ancestors in the Shropshire/West Midlands/Welsh borders area where records have been difficult to find for this reason.

gnu

[jim1212]

1861. Hulme, Manchester.
Stephen Ratcliffe    62. Winstanstone, Shropshire.
Ann Ratcliffe    60.
James Ratcliffe    34.
Joseph Ratcliffe    25.
Stephen Roberts    13.
Ann Jenzen    62.
   
                  

[Gadget]

1861 Ref is RG9/2897/45/30

If you look at the image carefully,  it reads Winstanstowe not the .....stone of the transcription.

gnu

[Gadget]

Hello Again

I looked up the Winstanstow batch number from the Hugh Wallis site and entered it into old family search. There are quite a few Radcliff/Ratcliff and variations coming up.

It might be worth checking through them for possibles based on his children's names, his birthdate, etc. ~

Batch number is P016041

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true


Regards

gnu

[Gadget]

Restricting the search to 1770-1820, I get the following baptisms in Winstantstow  to a Joshua Radcliff and Mary

15 June 1777 Mary
18 Feb 1780 John
24 Feb 1783 Ann
31 Mar 1786 Martha
18 July 1788 Elizabeth
24 Oct 1790 Henry
23 Dec 1792 Sophia
26 July 1795 Thomas

Also, what looks like an illegitimate birth. Mother as Ann Radcliff

27 October 1807 James



gnu