John Kay (abt. 1803 - 1877)

Born about 1803 in Eccles, Lancashire, England

Husband of Keziah (Chilvers) Kay — married 26 Jun 1825 in Mary St. Saviour, Norfolk, England

Husband of Alice (Gooden) Kay — married 31 Jul 1848 in St Peter, Bolton, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died 6 Aug 1877 at about age 74 in Darwen, Lancashire, England

Biography

John Kay was base born to Ann Kay and Henry Marsh in Eccles Lancashire in 1803 and christened at St Mary the Virgin, Eccles, Lancashire on 10 Jul 1803. Henry Marsh was a weaver.

John also worked as a weaver and moved from Lancashire to Sprowston. Norfolk prior to 1826 and there married Keziah Chilvers whilst in his early 20's. The family lived in Sprowston until some time between 1841 and 1846, where a decline in the Norfolk textile industry likely prompted a move back to John's home county of Lancashire, specifically the village of Turton near Bolton. Lancashire was by this time becoming the textile centre of the world and no doubt the family was hopeful of a more prosperous living.

However Keziah contracted and subsequently died of 'Consumption' (TB) in 1847, and John remarried just over a year later to Alice Gooden who had two illegitimate daughters of her own.

Research Notes

The 1851 Census lists John's birthplace as Eccles, Lancashire about 1803. John Kay's second marriage to Alice yields a marriage certificate, which lists him as 'illegitmate'. There is a John Kay born in 1803 in Eccles listed as a Bastard to Henry Marsh and Ann Kay. Population of Eccles was only small in 1800, so almost certain to be him.

Now Alice had children of her own prior to marrying John, but on the marriage registration she is listed as a spinster and her father's name is also Gooden, which would seem to indicate her children were also illegitimate.

Occupation

Weaver

Sources

• Baptisms at St Mary the Virgin in the Parish of Eccles; Baptisms recorded in the Register for 1800 - 1805; Baptisms for 1802 - 1803 [1]
• Norfolk marriages.
• Marriages at St Peter in the Parish of Bolton le Moors; Marriages recorded in the Register for the years 1848 - 1849; Register: Marriages 1848 - 1849, Page 80, Entry 160

Source: Microfilm of register at Manchester Library

• "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGPY-G2Q : 2 November 2017), John Kay, Turton, Lancashire, England; citing Turton, Lancashire, England, p. 23, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Terence Richard Ashton for his contributions to the Chilvers family genealogy in his "A Genealogy Report For JAMES CHILVERS" shared in April 2016 this information was possible.