Emma Nix (1855 - 1931)

Born 1855 in Lincolnshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of Greenwood Pickles — married 15 Jul 1876 in Halifax, St. John the Baptist, Yorkshire, England

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Fred Nix [send private message]

Biography

Emma Nix is born in Azeby, Lincolnshire, England in 1855. She is baptised in St Michael church in the village of Heydour on November 2, 1855 [1]. Her parents are George Nix (1823-1891) and Elizabeth Smalley (1821-1909).

Azeby is a small hamlet close to several other hamlets all lying near the village of Heydour (often spelt “Haydor”) where the church is located. And Azeby is variously spelt as “Aseby,” or “Aisby.” The modern spelling is Aisby and it is 12 kilometres southwest of Sleaford.

The five-year old Emma can be found in the 1861 census records living with her parents in “Haydor” parish [2]. In the 1871 census, at the age of 16, Emma is now living in Hebden Bridge in the west riding of Yorkshire [3]. She is a servant in the house of a 79-year-old Sarah Appleyard and a 62-year-old Ann Appelyard [4].

Hebden Bridge is close to 160 kilometres north of Heydour parish where Emma was born. It is about 50 kilometres northeast of Manchester. And, since Emma will spend the rest of her life living in this area, here is a description of Hebden Bridge: “Steep hills with fast-flowing streams and access to major wool markets meant that Hebden Bridge was ideal for water-powered weaving mills and the town developed during the 19th and 20th centuries; at one time Hebden was known as "Trouser Town" because of the large amount of clothing manufacturing” [5].

On July 15, 1876 Emma marries Greenwood Pickles (1855-1931) in St. John the Baptist church in Halifax which is about 12 kilometres east of Hebden Bridge [6][7]. Greenwood was born in 1855 in one of the small hamlets lying on the north side of Hebden Bridge – likely in Wadsworth – and the birth was registered in Todmorden which is 8 kilometres west of Hebden Bridge. Greenwood was working in a cotton mill in Hebdon Bridge prior to 1876 which explains how Emma and Greenwood met. They are married in St John the Baptist Church in Halifax because this church’s territory includes the hamlet of Wadsworth.

Emma and Greenwood have seven children:

• Alice Hannah Pickles 1879-1901

• Ethel Pickles 1881-1882

• Alvan Pickles 1882-1884

• Mabel Pickles 1884- ? + (1911) John W. Whitwell c1881-?

• Lottie Pickles 1885-1960 + (c1922) Reginald J. Lloyd 1877-1955

• May Pickles c1890-?

• Clara Pickles c1891-?

In the 1881 census records, Emma and Greenwood are living in Heptonstall, which is a hamlet just northwest of Hebden Bridge [8]. Greenwood is a cotton weaver and they now have two children: Alice Hannah (2) and Ethel (0). In addition, Greenwood’s 22-year old sister, Hannah, is living with the family. The 1891 census record shows the family living on Burnley Road in Wadsworth, a hamlet just to the east of Heptonstall [9]. (The only “Burnley Road” on Google Maps today is just east of Hebden Bridge, in Mytholmroyd, not Wadsworth?) Greenwood’s occupation is now a cotton weaver and confectioner. To speculate, this perhaps means that Greenwood still works in a mill as a weaver, but he and Emma sell some sort of goods out of their house? They now have five daughters: Alice Hannah (12), Mabel (6), Lottie (5), May (1), and Clara (0). Two of their children, Ethel and Alvan, died as infants before this census was taken.

Emma and Greenwood, at the age of 45, are in the 1901 census records [10]. They live on Windsor Road in Hebden Bridge and Greenwood’s occupation is shown as a cotton weaver. They have four children living with them: Mabel (16); Lottie (15); May (11); and Clara (10). In the 1911 census records Greenwood and Emma are 55 years old and still living in Hebden Bridge [11]. Greenwood’s occupation is now described as a “power loom cotton velvet weaver.” Three daughters live at home: Mabel (26), May (21) and Clara (20).

Greenwood dies in December 1931 and is buried in the Slack Top Baptist cemetery in Heptonstall [12][13]. He dies in Hendon, a suburb of London, so it is speculated Emma and Greenwood moved south to London in their senior years. Emma dies on January 8, 1936 at the age of 80 [13]. She is buried with Greenwood, three of her children (Alice Hannah, Ethel, and Alvan) and one grandchild.

Sources

[1] www.freereg.org.uk: baptism record: Emma Nix baptised 02 Nov 1855 in St Michael, Heydour parish, Lincolnshire. Parents are George & Elizabeth Nix. Abode is Azeby. George Nix is a labourer.

[2] www.freecen.org.uk Piece: RG9/2352 Place: Grantham -Lincolnshire Enumeration District: 16, Civil Parish: Haydor Ecclesiastical Parish: Haydor, Folio: 108 Page: 14 Schedule: 70, Address: 63 Cottage, T Street. The 1861 census record shows George Nix (38) and his wife, Elizabeth (40) living in Haydor, Lincolnshire with 4 children: Sarah (7), Emma (5), Thomas (4) & Alice E. (1). George and all the children were born in Azeby (Aisby), Lincolnshire. Elizabeth was born in Martin, Lincolnshire.

[3] "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBHG-XPN : accessed 10 March 2016), Emma Nix in entry for Sarah Appleyard, 1871. The 1871 census record shows a 16-yr old Emma Nix working as a servant in the household of Sarah Appleyard (79) & Ann Appleyard (62) in Hebden Bridge, Wadsworth, Yorkshire (West Riding), England. Emma is unmarried and was born in Haydon [Heydour], Lincolnshire.

[4] There is a Mary Appleyard born 1899 whose maiden name is Pickles. The “puzzle” is this: is there some connection between Emma Nix who will marry someone with the surname “Pickles” working as a servant for two people with the surname “Appleyard” and this Mary (Pickles) Appleyard?

[5] Wikipedia – March 2019 “Hebden Bridge is a market town in the Upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire, England. It is 8 miles (13 km) west of Halifax and 14 miles (21 km) north-east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the Hebden Water. The town is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Hebden Royd. . . . The original settlement was the hilltop village of Heptonstall. Hebden Bridge (Heptenbryge) started as a settlement where the Halifax to Burnley packhorse route dropped into the valley and crossed the River Hebden where the old bridge (from which it gets its name) stands. The name Hebden comes from the Anglo-Saxon Heopa Denu, 'Bramble (or possibly Wild Rose) Valley'. Steep hills with fast-flowing streams and access to major wool markets meant that Hebden Bridge was ideal for water-powered weaving mills and the town developed during the 19th and 20th centuries; at one time Hebden was known as "Trouser Town" because of the large amount of clothing manufacturing. Drainage of the marshland, which covered much of the Upper Calder Valley before the Industrial Revolution, enabled construction of the road which runs through the valley. Before it was built, travel was only possible via the ancient packhorse route which ran along the hilltop, dropping into the valleys wherever necessary. The wool trade was served by the Rochdale Canal (running from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester) and the Manchester & Leeds Railway (later the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway) (running from Leeds to Manchester and Burnley). “

[6] "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DP5-RVX : 13 December 2014), Emma Nix, 1876; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1876, quarter 3, vol. 9A, p. 604, Halifax, Yorkshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. The record shows that Emma Nix was married in the 3rd quarter of 1876 in Halifax. It gives 3 possible names for the spouse: Charles Barrett, Mary Halliday and Greenwood Pickles.

[7] West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935: Reference Number: WDP53/1/3/90 Emma Nix and Greenwood Pickles married in St. John the Baptist church on July 15, 1876. [thanks to “Anonymous Woody”]

[8] "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27R-FC85 : 11 December 2017), Greenwood Pickles, Heptonstall, Yorkshire,Yorkshire West Riding, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 17, Piece/Folio 4355/128, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,221. The 1881 census record shows Greenwood Pickles (25) living in Heptonstall, Yorkshire. His occupation is a cotton weaver. The record shows that he was born in Heptonstall. His wife is Emma (26) and she was born in Haydon, Lincolnshire. They have two children: Alice H. (2) and Ethel (0). Both children were born in Heptonstall. In addition, Greenwood’s sister, Hannah (22) is living with the family.

[9] "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7GGR-Y3Z : 10 December 2017), Greenwood Pickles, Wadsworth, Yorkshire, Yorkshire (West Riding), England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Yorkshire, Yorkshire (West Riding) county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey. The 1891 census record shows Greenwood Pickles (35) living on Burnley Road in Wadsworth. His occupation is shown as a “cotton weaver & confectioner.” His birth year is estimated as 1856. His wife is Emma (36) and she was born in Lincolnshire. They have five daughters: Alice Hannah (12); Mabel (6); Lattie (sic) (5); May (1); and Clara (0).

[10] “England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9RL-4XG : 8 April 2016), Greenwood Pickles, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire (West Riding), England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Hebden Bridge subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. The 1901 census record shows Greenwood Pickles (45) living in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire (west riding). He lives on Windsor Road and his occupation is a cotton weaver. His birth year is estimated as 1856 and his birth place is shown as Wadsworth, Yorkshire. His wife is Emma (45) who was born in Haydor, Lincolnshire. They have 4 children living with them: Mabel (16); Lottie (15); May (11); and Clara (10). The first 3 children were born in Heptonstall and Clara was born in Wadsworth. Heptonstall and Wadsworth are hamlets lying on the north side of Hebden Bridge. The family lives on Windsor Road.

[11] "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWNR-H36 : 21 December 2018), Emma Pickles in household of Greenwood Pickles, Hebden Bridge, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire (West Riding), England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey. The 1911 census record shows Greenwood Pickles (55) living in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire (west riding). His occupation is a “power loom cotton velvet weaver.” His estimated birth year is 1856 and he was born in Wadsworth. His wife, Emma (55) was born in Haydor, Lincolnshire. They have three daughters living with them: Mabel (26), May (21) and Clara (20). The first two were born in Heptonstall (a hamlet just northwest of Hebden Bridge) and the third daughter was born in Mytholmroyd (a hamlet just east of Hebden Bridge).

[12] "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVH2-S4VW : 4 September 2014), Greenwood Pickles, 1931; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Hendon, Middlesex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. Greenwood Pickles died in the 4th quarter of 1931 and this death is registered in Hendon, Middlesex. He was 76 years old.

[13] headstone in Slack Top Heptonstall Baptist cemetery (thanks to Stewart Grant for the photo): “In Loving Memory of / Ethel / daughter of / Greenwood & Emma Pickles / who died Sept 10, 1882 / aged 1 year & 7 months / Also of Alvan, their son / who died October ?? 1884 / aged 1 year & 8 months / Also of Alice Hannah their / daughter who died May 8th 1901 / aged 22 years / interred at ???? shire / also of the ???love / Greenwood Pickles / who died December 1?th 1931 / aged 76 years / also of the above named / Emma Pickles / who died January 8th 1936 / aged 80 years / also Roderick Greenwood Whitwell / who died February 7th 1939 / aged 14 years” [note: some of the inscriptions are difficult to read and there may be errors in the above transcription] Heptonsall is a hamlet just north of Hebdon Bridge. Roderick Greenwood Whitwell is a grandson, the son of Mabel Pickles & John W. Whitwell.

Acknowledgements

This biography was prepared by Fred Nix, originally in 2019 with revisions in 2023. Fred and Emma are first cousins, three times removed.