Finding manor house staff

[annajane]

I believe an ancestor was born at Duxbury Hall in Lancashire to a maid or other house staff member.

Where would I find a list of the people who worked in the house? The year is 1809.

[Ruskie]

Tragically, the house itself is long gone. I’m not sure if family papers exist, but if they do they are possibly in an archives somewhere. A little information and list of owners here:
https://www.thedicamillo.com/house/duxbury-hall-duxbury-park/
Some detective work will be needed to try to track any papers down and even then they may not contain employee records.

What leads you to believe that your ancestor was born at Duxbury Hall?

Have you found a record of the baby’s birth or baptism?

How is it that you know about the baby but not the mother’s name?
Sounds like there might be a bit of a back story. 

Would a pregnant servant have been kept on and allowed to give birth in “the big house”? Seems unlikely, but you never know. 

[annajane]

Hi Ruskie,
Thanks for the link. There are some nice pictures there. I have some information from a website about Myles Standish and a document by somebody Walsh. I can get links for you if you don’t have this info.

The person I am looking into is Betty Bolton who lived in Coppull. Recently I found an order of removal for a Betty Bolton from Coppull to Duxbury. Duxbury is always written on the censuses and we found it interesting.

I’m pretty sure her mum is Ann Boulton as she lived with her in Coppull for a while. And there is a record of Elizabeth born to Ann and William Boulton.

Because of the slight name change and lack of real connection, I wondered if I could find proof of Elizabeth or Betty being born at Duxbury Hall.

The Hall changed hands in 1812 with violent consequences. If you have any more info, we’d appreciate it.
Best AJ

[StevieSteve]

Standish documents seem to be at Lancashire Archives but it'll be a job to plough through the catalogue to find anything that might be of interest

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ryl/

[garstonite]

possibility ?

Baptism: 7 May 1809 St Laurence, Chorley, Lancashire, England
Elisabeth Boulton - Daughter of William Boulton & Ann
    Born: 4 Mar 1809
    Abode: Duxbury
    Register: Baptisms 1798 - 1812, Page 57, Entry 37
    Source: LDS Film 93703
...............
if it is the right couple
Baptism: 3 May 1807 St Laurence, Chorley, Lancashire, England
James Bolton - Son of William Bolton & Ann
    Born: 12 Apr 1807
    Abode: Duxbury
    Register: Baptisms 1798 - 1812, Page 47, Entry 20
    Source: LDS Film 93703
Baptism: 23 Dec 1810 St Laurence, Chorley, Lancashire, England
Thomas Boulton - Son of William Boulton & Ann
    Born: 4 Dec 1810
    Abode: Coppul
    Register: Baptisms 1798 - 1812, Page 64, Entry 47
    Source: LDS Film 93703
Baptism: 17 Jan 1813 St Laurence, Chorley, Lancashire, England
Mary Boulton - Daughter of William Boulton & Ann
    Abode: Coppul
    Occupation: Collier
    Baptised by: O. Cooper
    Register: Baptisms 1813 - 1821, Page 2, Entry 16
    Source: LDS Film 93703
Baptism: 5 Feb 1815 St Laurence, Chorley, Lancashire, England
Ann Bolton - Daughter of William Bolton & Ann
    Abode: Coppul
    Occupation: Collier
    Baptised by: O. Cooper
    Register: Baptisms 1813 - 1821, Page 10, Entry 555
    Source: LDS Film 93703
Baptism: 6 Oct 1816 St Laurence, Chorley, Lancashire, England
William Bolton - Son of William Bolton & Ann
    Abode: Coppul
    Occupation: Collier
    Baptised by: Richard Hodgson
    Register: Baptisms 1813 - 1821, Page 10, Entry 1059
    Source: LDS Film 93703
.................................................
abode Duxbury then Coppul ?   looks probable - if it is them they had moved from Duxbury to Coppul by 1810
 
on the other hand - William a Collier - Coal Miner - doesn't tie in with living at Duxbury Hall ?? - then again - we don't see William as a Collier until 1813 - a year after you say the Hall changed hands - so - was William in service at Duxbury Hall until 1812 ...sorry if it makes it MORE confusing 


ADDED - 5 miles from Duxbury Hall

Marriage: 15 Dec 1806 St Wilfrid, Standish, Lancashire, England
William Bolton - (X), This Parish
Ann Halton - (X), The said Parish
    Witness: John Smith; Peter Turner
    Married by Banns by: John Price, Curate
    Register: Marriages 1792 - 1812, Page 165, Entry 493
    Source: LDS Film 1526141

[Ruskie]

Nice finds garstonite. That all looks very promising.

Might their abode of “Duxbury” be Duxbury the parish, rather than Duxbury Hall itself?:

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Duxbury

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.1&lat=53.62840&lon=-2.62765&layers=6&right=ESRIWorld

Wondering if you may be over complicating it by assuming a birth at the Hall? Suppose it is possible the family lived in accomodation and worked on the estate, though with a child unlikely to have been in the Hall proper. Sadly William’s occupation not noted on the three pre 1813 births. Would any records from the Hall include births? I doubt it.

[annajane]

Standish documents seem to be at Lancashire Archives but it'll be a job to plough through the catalogue to find anything that might be of interest

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ryl/

Thank you for this. It looks promising. Next time I'm in Lancashire I'll spend a day or two looking through it. I'm looking forward to it!

[annajane]

Garstonite - those are all names I have in my folder of "maybes and probablys" but I really want more concrete proof. The spelling of the name changes, and I suppose that depends on who is writing it, but I'd like to be sure.

It is possible that the family lived on Duxbury Hall grounds. There were a few cottages there. I would like to find this information in the records somewhere.

Was Duxbury really a parish or a town? It looks more like a Hall with some surrounding buildings. I always thought it was in the Parish of Chorley.

[annajane]

Wondering if you may be over complicating it by assuming a birth at the Hall? Suppose it is possible the family lived in accomodation and worked on the estate, though with a child unlikely to have been in the Hall proper. Sadly William’s occupation not noted on the three pre 1813 births. Would any records from the Hall include births? I doubt it.

I probably am over complicating things. I'd like to make sure of who is who.

Thanks for the links. I love that map. I know what I'm doing this afternoon!