Where is Langfield?

[Althea7]

1851 census gives place of birth for both my ancestors Robert and Grace Smith (born Nowell) as Langfield, Yorkshire, a township in Heptonstall chapelry, Halifax parish, W. R. Yorkshire; near the river Calder, the Rochdale canal,  1 mile South of Todmorden.

Google maps can't find Langfield.

Robert Smith was born about 1777 in Langfield.

I am puzzling over him a lot at the moment.  It looks as though he married his wife Grace Nowell in Burnley, and his son William's baptism in Heptonstall says that the parents are of Hag Gate, Brierfield, which is just west of Burnley.  Their first child was baptised in Burnley, then most of their children were baptised in Heptonstall, then they settled in Todmorden, actually Knowlwood, Walsden, where their youngest child was born.

I think both Robert and Grace Smith died in December 1858, together by the looks of things, in Walsden.  There is a burial for Robert Smith in Walsden in January 1859.

My main question is where is Langfield?  It would tie together the apparent discrepancies of locations given for Robert Smith.  Also it looks as though maybe when Halifax is given as a birth place, in those days Halifax covered a bigger area than now, as did Heptonstall?  It seems a long way between Halifax which some records give as the birth place for Grace Nowell, and Burnley, where they were married and according to their son William's baptism where they lived (Hag Gate, Brierfield).

[iluleah]

LANGFIELD is a 'township' on the border of Lancashire, in the chapelry of Cross Stone and parish of Halifax, one mile south-east from Todmorden, 3 miles south-west from Hebden Bridge, and 10 west-south-west from Halifax
Historically, Langfield was in the ecclesiastical parish of Halifax in the Morley

[Althea7]

LANGFIELD is a 'township' on the border of Lancashire, in the chapelry of Cross Stone and parish of Halifax, one mile south-east from Todmorden, 3 miles south-west from Hebden Bridge, and 10 west-south-west from Halifax

Thanks for this information.  The picture is getting clearer of where these ancestors lived, and why Grace Nowell is shown on some records to have been born in Halifax, which seemed confusing as it is a long way away, whilst the 1851 census shows both Robert Smith and Grace Nowell as born in Langfield, Yorkshire.

Cross Stone is a place that keeps coming up for these ancestors too.

[Althea7]

1841 census, Robert Smith age 65 labourer, wife Grace age 55, daughters Jane 20 cotton spinner, Grace 15 cotton spinner, Mary 9, and Peggy Tattersall 60.  Abode:   Knowlwood, Walsden.

1851 census,Relationship: Head.  With wife Grace and Mary Ann Ogden, 18, granddaughter born Walsden, labourer in cotton mill.  Robert Labourer all work.  Abode:  128 Knowlwood, Walsden.  Both Robert and Grace born Langfield, Yorkshire.

[iluleah]

Census is secondary information, so who gave the information the person, head of house, next door neighbour or an assumption by the enumerator, each census could be different........ I have one ancestor whose age ranged by 30 yrs, claimed to be born in one county, then the next census claimed another county and another claimed to be born in the county she lived in at the time.... so census info you take it as a pinch of salt...then find other records like baptism to prove/disprove.

Also 'historically' Langfield was in the ecclesiastical parish of Halifax, so either written are correct

[Sandblown]

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Place:Langfield%2C_West_Riding_of_Yorkshire%2C_England

The above link will take You there.

[josey]

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=14&lat=53.70236&lon=-2.06868&layers=1&b=1
The above ca 1900 map has Langfield; you can zoom out to see Todmorden to N & Burnley to NW Heptonstall to NE.

[Althea7]

Census is secondary information, so who gave the information the person, head of house, next door neighbour or an assumption by the enumerator, each census could be different........ I have one ancestor whose age ranged by 30 yrs, claimed to be born in one county, then the next census claimed another county and another claimed to be born in the county she lived in at the time.... so census info you take it as a pinch of salt...then find other records like baptism to prove/disprove.

Also 'historically' Langfield was in the ecclesiastical parish of Halifax, so either written are correct

Thanks, this is very helpful as I have often noticed discrepancies of age between censuses and between censuses and other records, including Grace's age which is confusing.  I did recently notice that one census' information was given by the teenage grandson, who might not know how old his grandparents were and may have been asked to estimate.

And yes, seeing Halifax given as a birth place seems out of place at first, until I realise that Langfield was in the historical ecclesiastical parish of Halifax.

[Althea7]

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Place:Langfield%2C_West_Riding_of_Yorkshire%2C_England

The above link will take You there.

Is Langfield another name for Mankinholes?

Interesting map, thanks.