The Hawksley sisters of Beauchief, Derbyshire

[Annie65115]

Joseph Hawksley and his wife Martha (nee Machen) had 13 daughters and 2 sons between 1788 - 1814. The family lived at Beauchief (then Derbyshire, now Sheffield) and their children were baptised at Beauchief Abbey.

I can't find the majority of the sisters after baptism. Obvs there is more than one possible spelling of the surname. But also, one of the sisters was assaulted in 1825; the story was syndicated to newspapers across the country, and although her assailant was found guilty and hanged, there was no such thing as vicitim anonymity then and I wonder if, after this, the still unmarried sisters changed their name (I'm grasping at straws!)

Details: Joseph (father) b around 1769, buried at Beauchief in 1836. Martha (mother) b 1769, buried at Beauchief 1840. Two children died young and buried at Beauchief - John (dates not known) and Emley (1807 -1809). Another daughter, Margaret died in her teens and is buried there. No other Hawksley burials at Beauchief. Joseph's will only names a few of his offspring so what happened to the rest?

Other daughters, with avail info where found (all born Beauchief)
Mary b 1788
Hariot 1790 (m Thomas Dyson, was living in the area in 1825) (named in Joseph's will, widowed by then, but I can't find her in censuses etc)
Elizabeth 1791 (named in J's will; poss burial 1848 in Sheffield)
Sarah b 1794
Hannah b 1798 (m Edward Gilbee, d 1878, I have info on her)
Margaret b 1799    d 1816
Ann b 1802
Jane b 1803 (poss burial in 1848, Ecclesall - however she was not named in her father's will)
Eliza 1805 - 1971 (m Thomas Renshaw, named in father's will, I have info on her)
Emley/Emma 1807 - 1809
Martha b 1809. Alive in 1825 when she was victim of assault. No further info.
Agness b 1812 - alive in 1825, she was with Martha when Martha was assaulted.
Selena b 1814.

(There was also another son called Joseph b 1796, I have his details).

The names in bold are the ones I can't trace. That's a lot of missing children with no burials to account for them! Any ideas?

[Cas (stallc)]

There is this marriage?

Name:   Selina Hawksley
Marriage Date:   29 Apr 1840
Parish:   Manchester, St Mary, St Denys and St George
Father's Name:   Joseph Hawksley
Spouse's Name:   Frederick Radford
Spouse's Father's Name:   Joseph Radford
Archive Roll:   705

1841 Civil parish:   Leeds Town, Yorkshire
Piece:   1349, Book:   1, Folio:   11, Page number:   17

Fredrick Radford 25
Selina Radford   25 (1816) not born in county
Joseph Radford 3mth

Possible
RADFORD, JOSEPH    mmn   HAWKSBY 
GRO Reference: 1841  M Quarter in LEEDS  Volume 23  Page 435

Added - online tree has 2 more children for couple and Frederick transported to Tasmania for larceny in 1844, no idea if correct.

Cas

[Annie65115]

Thanks, Cas. That looks a possibility. The Ancestry tree has a copy of the marriage cert which shows that Frederick lived in Sheffield (Selina was at Vernon St, presumably in Manchester since that's where they married).

I see that Selina signed her name; I don't know how literate the Beauchief Hawksleys were,but Joseph (father) was a farmer but signed off the poor rates book, (can't think of the proper name for that atm!) so he, at least, was literate. He could have encouarged his girls to be the same.

Unfortunately I can't find Selina after this in any censuses to see where she was born! Looking at the resources quoted on the Ancestry family tree, I'd guess she was in a workhouse somewhere by the mid 1850s.

Added - I've found Selina's death in Islington in 1872, so she's there somewhere. The informant was her son in law Henry Wimble, but she's not in that household in 1871.

[trish1120]

A MARTHA Hawksley a spinster married 27 Mar 1827 Duffield to John MARSHALL
Bride signed x
(FreeREG)

Anc has a burial for Martha Marshall 1 Jul 1832 Derbyshire, age 23 (1809)

[Annie65115]

A MARTHA Hawksley a spinster married 27 Mar 1827 Duffield to John MARSHALL
Bride signed x
(FreeREG)

Anc has a burial for Martha Marshall 1 Jul 1832 Derbyshire, age 23 (1809)

Thanks for looking, Trish. However, following up on your suggestion, I found this marriage on Ancestry, where you can view the certificate -- and I think the groom's name is john THORNHILL, it doesn't look a bit like Marshall to me! And it's written three times - twice by the officiating minister, twice when the groom signed his name and So maybe Freereg has this wrong?

-- Added - John and Martha Thornhill are in the 1851 census in Derby, and that gives Martha's age as 44 (so slightly older than "my" Martha) and all born in Belper. So sadly, it looks as though this isn't her. But thanks again for the suggestion, happy to follow up any others!

[Cas (stallc)]

Hi Annie, don't know if connected but there is a marriage that's a possible

Marriages Jun Q 1851   
Radford    Selina        Lichfield    17   117   

Few different spouses

With her husband never to be seen again it is quite possible she remarried?

Added - just read your add on to post about her death so discount

Cas

[Mabel Bagshawe]

INteresting pair of baptisms on 11 Jul 1847 at  Old Church,Saint Pancras. Both with father  Frederick Radford (deceased) and mother Selina

Elizabeth Radford
Birth     22 May 1842

Hannah Radford
Birth    24 Mar 1844

I can find a birth reg for an Elizabeth in Manchester with mmn Hawksley

[trish1120]

Yes I just looked at the Marriage on Anc and you are correct!

[Annie65115]

Oof. Not getting anywhere fast here though I really do appreciate the suggestions.

That number of people all from one family can't just disappear, can they?!