Thomas Halliwell

[heywood]

During 1877, Thomas, with deteriorating health, returned to London where he died in hospital on 27 September 1877.

He was buried in Leigh Cemetery on 29 September 1877.

Do you have the death certificate or reference please? I can’t see a death. It looks as though your information is sourced from quotes from the book I linked.

[BelgianAncestry]

BelgianAncestry,
Those are really interesting. Thank you. The dates you give, however, don’t seem right.
Heywood

How don't they seem right?
Note that the registers are kept 10 years and are updated duing that period of time, after which a new register is started, so the 1866 register has events 1866-1875/76. For instance If you check the attached 1866 doc you will see when Halliwell arrived in Brussels: 3 April 1874

[heywood]

Thanks for the explanation.
I saw the 1870s dates but did not realise re 1866.

[heywood]

Would there be any record for Thomas Halliwell if he was in Belgium 1869-1877?

[BelgianAncestry]

Would there be any record for Thomas Halliwell if he was in Belgium 1869-1877?

Not found in Brussels. Maybe in the neighbouring suburbs/villages.

[George Shaw]

During 1877, Thomas, with deteriorating health, returned to London where he died in hospital on 27 September 1877.

He was buried in Leigh Cemetery on 29 September 1877.

Do you have the death certificate or reference please? I can’t see a death. It looks as though your information is sourced from quotes from the book I linked.

The death date I got from the following extract https://www.rootschat.com/links/01qs6/ viz:-

A family history of Richard Rothwell, Rose Blanche Halliwell and their descendants by David Radford, June 2005 (A Small Extract) (https://www.familysearch.org/)

Rose Blanche's father, Thomas Halliwell, was born in Wigan about 1822 to a William Halliwell (labourer) and Ann Laithwaite. He married Ruth Tickle 10 August 1843 in Wigan where he worked as a letterpress printer. In about 1845 the family moved to Pennington, Leigh where Thomas opened a printing and stationary shop.

In 1848 Thomas started a small monthly newspaper called the Leigh Advertiser but was compelled to abandon it on a ruling that monthly as well as weekly papers were subject to duty. In January 1852, following a more satisfactory decision by the law courts, Thomas established the Leigh Chronicle, which continues to publish to this day [Ed. Ceased December 1963]. He was the founder and managing editor and saw the paper through to become a very prosperous and influential weekly.

He himself became a popular man in Leigh serving in numerous public offices, member of the first Pennington local board, Postmaster, and stamp distributor. He was well respected throughout Lancashire. Why Thomas left Leigh is unclear [Ed. Totally clear now, in fact!], but in 1869 he moved without his family to Brussels Belgium where he became editor of the English language paper as well as a correspondent for the London Times.

Rose Blanche and the rest of the family followed her father to Belgium in about 1871/72 when Rose Blanche was about eight. She therefore spent her formative years surrounded by French speaking people. She is believed to have attended a French speaking school and it is known that she spoke fluent French throughout her life. The only story of Rose Blanche during this period is of a social indiscretion. She and her mother were invited out to dine. Rose Blanche was asked if she wanted more and she said, "Oh no, I am full to the bung". Her mother was mortified and later asked her for an explanation. Rose Blanche said she had seen it on the barrels of wine.

In 1877, with the outbreak of the Franco - Prussian war, Thomas returned to London in preparation to go to the front as a war correspondent for the London Times. Unfortunately he fell ill and died there September 26,1877. The family then returned to Pennington, Leigh where they lived in reduced circumstances. By 1881 Rose Blanche is working as a general servant and living at the Thomas Boardman residence in Pennington Leigh. Thomas Boardman may have been a distant relative, as her great grandmother was an Alice Boardman. Her mother and sisters Annie, Elizabeth, and Dora and her brother Herbert were living at this time at 32 Bond St., Pennington, Leigh.

Reply 1/2

[George Shaw]

During 1877, Thomas, with deteriorating health, returned to London where he died in hospital on 27 September 1877.

He was buried in Leigh Cemetery on 29 September 1877.

Do you have the death certificate or reference please? I can’t see a death. It looks as though your information is sourced from quotes from the book I linked.

The burial details I got from a local newpaper article:-

DEATH OF MR. THOMAS HALLIWELL. (Leigh Chronicle, 29 September 1877)

We have to announce the death of Mr. Thomas Halliwell, the founder of the Leigh Chronicle, and up to 1869 its proprietor, which occurred in a London hospital on Wednesday morning. Mr. Halliwell was in his 55th year at the time of his death, which was no doubt hastened by the circumstances of the last few years of his life. A native of Wigan, and a printer by trade, Mr. Halliwell was at first introduced into Leigh as the manager of a stationers shop, and afterwards went into business on his own account, his printing office being behind Mr. Reuben Crompton's workshop in Market-street. He afterwards removed to the premises at present known as "The Chronicle Office," where he remained till he left Leigh, and was succeeded by the present proprietor. In 1848 Mr. Halliwell started a small monthly newspaper called the Leigh Advertiser, but was compelled to abandon it after the first month, the law ruling that monthly as well as weekly and daily papers were subject to duty. In January 1852, a more satisfactory decision having in the meantime been given by the law-courts, Mr. Halliwell published the first number of the Leigh Chronicle which gradually expanded into a weekly paper, and grew with years and increasing prosperity. Mr. Halliwell was an exceedingly popular man in Leigh, held numerous public offices, was member of the first Pennington Local Board, was the Postmaster for the town, and for some time stamp distributor for the district. He was highly respected throughout this part of Lancashire, and his retirement from Leigh was almost universally regretted, and a similar feeling will, we feel sure, be experienced when his death, under painful circumstances, and away from nearly all his relations and friends, becomes known. For the past eight years Mr. Halliwell had been in Belgium, where he became connected with an English newspaper published in that city. He was also a correspondent and frequent contributor to the London Times. Before his visit to England he was contemplating a journey to the seat of war, having made an engagement with the Times, and he only returned to London during his illness, which he from the first anticipated would be his last. At one time Mr. Halliwell appeared to have a long, useful, and honourable career before him. He had his failings; but we rather desire to recall his many good qualities, and to hold in remembrance the substantial benefits which the town received at his hands when he was moving in our midst as a useful and respected citizen. The interment will, we understand, take place this day (Saturday) at the Bedford cemetery.

Official confirmation of both dates (death and burial) would be useful.

Reply 2/2

[heywood]

No sign of the death on Free BMD.

The account may have been embroidered a bit too.