Abraham Horsfield (abt. 1760 - bef. 1827)

Born about 1760 in Elland, Yorkshire, England [uncertain]

Husband of Sarah (Jowsey) Horsfield — married 9 Feb 1785 in Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland, England

Descendants

Died before 18 Feb 1827 before about age 67 in Durham, Durham, England, United Kingdom [uncertain]

Biography

Abraham Horsfield was born in Yorkshire, England.

Birth and Baptism

Abraham, son of Joseph Horsfield, was baptised on 8 August 1760 in Elland, near Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England.^[1]

Marriage and children

He married Sarah Joysey at Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland, England on 9 February 1785. They had 6 children, moving first to Morpeth and then later, Durham: ^[2]

• Mary Horsefall was baptised on 29 July 1787 in Morpeth, Northumberland, England.^[3]
• Charlotte was born on 4 June 1789 and baptised on 16 August 1789 in Morpeth, Northumberland, England.^[4]
• Abraham Horsefall was baptised on 14 August 1791 in Morpeth, Northumberland, England.^[5]
• Isaac was born on 11 April 1793 and baptised on 17 April 1793 in Durham, Durham, England.^[6]
• Murdin was born on 29 May 1797 and baptised on 21 June 1797 in Durham, Durham, England.^[7]

Death

Abraham a carpet weaver and was living with Sarah in Back Lane, Durham, very close to St Nicholas Church and the Market Place. He died in 1827 and was buried in Durham. The probate records show a probate bond of £200 being paid on 21 November 1827 by

Sarah Horsfield of the Back Lane in the parish of Saint Nicholas in the City of Durham widow Isaac Horsfield of the same place Carpet Weaver and William Sowerby of the said city of Durham Carpet Weaver.

It names Sarah as the lawful relict and Administratrix of all Abrahams goods, chattels, rights and credits and binds her to making an inventory of them to the court. ^[8][9][10]

Back Lane in Durham was where Walkergate now is as shown on this side-by-side map. The area has been heavily redeveloped with a flyover and the Walkergate shopping centre built to the north of the road, but the south of the road with the buildings associated with the Town Hall, [1] and St Nicholas's Church having been there in some form long before 1827.

Research Notes

Possible baptisms

Burnand-54 18:50, 7 April 2024 (UTC)

The DRO death record gives an estimated birth of 1760 whereas the DRO marriage gives an estimated birth of 1762.

There were two Abrahams born around 1760-2, both were born in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

1. Abraham, child of Abraham Horsfield, was baptised on 8 March 1761 in Birstall, St Peter, West Yorkshire, England.^[11] 2. Abraham, son of Joseph Horsfield, was baptised on 8 August 1760 in Elland, near Calderdate, West Yorkshire, England.^[12]

The closest records either side of those dates are 3. 1750 Abraham Horsfield son of John who was born in Calverley, Yorkshire and died there in 1752 4. 1764 Abraham Horsfall son of George who was born in Rastrick, Elland near Hudderfield. 5. 1766 Abraham Horsfield son of David a Weaver born in Otley or Baildon (near Leeds and Bradford) who died in Otley in 1769

1. 1761 Birstall

There is a single marriage for Abraham Horsfields in the Birstall area: 01 Aug 1783 to Hannah Walker in Hartshead-cum-Clifton. With Abraham and Hannah living in Dewsbury. Abraham and Hannah have children baptised in the area between 1785-95.^[13][14]

There is also a gravestone for him in Hartshead with a death of 24 Jun 1794 on England Billion Graves Cemetery Index. This mentions his wife Hannah and a daughter Hannah.

All this combined makes it seem likely that the 1761 Birstall Abraham married Hannah and stayed local to his birthplace

3 and 5

3 is far too old and has a definite child burial record matching father's name and place to baptism.

5 is quite young, would be only 19 if he married Sarah and there is also a child burial record which matches place and father's name.

2 and 4

That leaves 2 & 4.

• Son of Jospeh in 1760 Elland
• Son of George in 1766 Rastrick

Elland and Rastrick are very close and as the boys have different father's names they are likely cousins.

There is a burial for an Abraham on the same day as the 1860 baptism in Elland. However there is no father's name given against the record and so it may be for an adult relative, an uncle or grandfather.

• Abraham died in 1760 and was buried on 8 August 1760 in Elland, Yorkshire (West Riding), England.^[15]

There are two marriage records for that area both in 1798

• 16 May 1798 Quaker marriage to Elizabeth Benson in Brighouse for a son of Richard & Elizabeth (so someone completely new!)
• 4 Sep 1798 to Mary Rushworth in St Mary's, Elland, He was recorded as a weaver.

I'm going to discount Richard's child as we know he is marrying someone not Sarah so is irrelevant.

So this means that one of 2 or 4 married Mary Rushworth in Elland and the other married Sarah in Tynemouth. It cannot be the same person as the Elland marriage is later and we know that Sarah outlives her husband.

I don't think there is a way to be 100% sure either way but given the1760 is the better match to the marriage and burial we have to assume that #2 is our guy.

For #4: there is a single burial record for Abraham Horsfield in the area - for a death on 6 Jul 1790, buried in Elland who lived in Rastrick. There is also a probate record for this death.

As both of them were weavers we can assume this must be some kind of family trade.

NB. There are parish records for Elland on the Genealogist website which may give further details

Marriage

Burnand-54 18:50, 7 April 2024 (UTC)

This profile was created for the father of Charlotte (Horsfield) Towers (abt.1789-1871) who has parents named as Abraham and Sarah at her Christening in Morpeth on 16 August 1789.

Out of 18 marriages on FindMyPast for Abraham Horsfield variants between 1869 and 1820 only two are for marriages to Sarahs.

• The original one for this record in Tynemouth on 9 February 1785
• 22 Aug 1795 marriage to Sarah Thornton in Manchester for an Abraham Hurstfield.

Morpeth is 20 miles from Tynemouth and a move from Tynemouth to Morpeth is much more reasonably move than from Manchester to Morpeth.

Also Hurstfield is enough of a difference that it is more likely to be a different person.

Children

Burnand-54 18:50, 7 April 2024 (UTC)

Other than the parents' names there is no definite link between Mary, Charlotte & Abraham born in Morpeth and Isaac & Murdin born in Durham.

However with consistent 2 year gaps between the first 4 children and no others with the same parent names being born in the north east a move from Morpeth seems more likely than a second Abraham - Sarah pairing suddenly appearing in Durham.

Death

Burnand-54 18:50, 7 April 2024 (UTC)

Durham Probate bonds for this record name Sarah as executor and also mention an Isaac Horsfield, which match to Abraham's wife and son Isaac, who would have been an adult (age 34) in 1820.

I am confident of the death record of 1827 in Durham because of:

• Isaac & Mardin's births put the family in Durham
• the probate bonds give names that match his wife and son

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   Original data: England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013; FHL Film Number: 1542243
   Ancestry uk Record 9841 #188254246 (accessed 5 April 2024)
   Abraham Horsfield baptism on 8 Aug 1760, son of Joseph Horsfield, in Elland, England.
2. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVJM-ZZS : 11 March 2020), Abraham Horsfall, 1785.
3. ↑ Baptism of daughter Mary Horsefall: "England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 004006401_002_M9SM-Y1Z; Image number: 34
   FamilySearch Record: QGK1-9HK7 (accessed 7 April 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: 939N-FW8H-8
   Abraham Horsefall's daughter Mary Horsefall baptism on 29 Jul 1787 in Morpeth, Northumberland, England.
4. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 008054629; FHL microfilm: 415391
   FamilySearch Record: JM4F-7JZ (accessed 7 April 2024)
   Charlotte Horsefall baptism on 16 Aug 1789 (born 4 Jun 1789), daughter of Abraham Horsefall & Sarah, in Morpeth, Northumberland, England.
5. ↑ Baptism of son Abraham Horsefall: "England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 103211220; Image number: 60
   FamilySearch Record: QGNM-D2JW (accessed 7 April 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSNH-BPMC
   Abraham Horsefall's son Abraham Horsefall baptism on 14 Aug 1791 in Morpeth, Northumberland, England.
6. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 008037218; FHL microfilm: 90788
   FamilySearch Record: J3XB-VLV (accessed 7 April 2024)
   Isaac Horsfall baptism on 17 Apr 1793 (born 11 Apr 1793), son of Abraham Horsfall & Sarah, in Durham, Durham, England.
7. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 008037218; FHL microfilm: 90788
   FamilySearch Record: J3XB-JM3 (accessed 7 April 2024)
   Murdin Horsefall baptism on 21 Jun 1797 (born 29 May 1797), son of Abraham Horsefall & Sarah, in Durham, Durham, England.
8. ↑ Cemetery Registers Index: Durham; Durham Records Online
   Durham Records Online (accessed 05/04/2024)
   Cemetery Registers; Durham; year of burial: 1827; Abraham Horsefield; birth: abt 1760; residence: Back Lane
9. ↑ North East Inheritance database (pre-1858 Durham Probate Records): (DPR/I/3/1827/A113)
   Durham University Library Abraham HORSFIELD, carpet weaver, of Back Lane in the parish of Saint Nicholas in the county of Durham [Durham St Nicholas, County Durham] Date of probate: 21 November 1827 administration bond, penal sum £200, 21 November 1827 (DPR/I/3/1827/A113)
10. ↑ England, Durham Probate Bonds, 1556-1858 : "England, Durham Probate Bonds, 1556-1858"
    Catalog: England, Durham, Peculiar Courts of the Bishop of Durham and of the Dean in Allerton and Allertonshire, original wills, inventories and bonds, probate records, surname A Probate records, DPR/I/3/1827/A, 1827
    Image path: England, Durham Probate Bonds, 1556-1858 > DPRI/3/1827/A > image 164 of 201
    FamilySearch Image: S3HT-673X-T5 (accessed 7 April 2024)
11. ↑ Baptism: "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812"
    West Yorkshire Archive Service; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England; Yorkshire Parish Records; New Reference Number: WDP5/1/1/8
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 2256 #10462651 (accessed 5 April 2024)
    Abraham Horsfield baptism on 8 Mar 1761, child of Abraham Horsfield, in Birstall, St Peter, Yorkshire, England.
12. ↑ Baptism: "England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
    Original data: England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013; FHL Film Number: 1542243
    Ancestry uk Record 9841 #188254246 (accessed 5 April 2024)
    Abraham Horsfield baptism on 8 Aug 1760, son of Joseph Horsfield, in Elland, England.
13. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
    citing Digital film/folder number: 007587951; FHL microfilm: 990526
    FamilySearch Record: J93T-TQK (accessed 7 April 2024)
    Martha Horsfield baptism on 3 Jul 1785, daughter of Abraham Horsfield, in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, England.
14. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
    citing Digital film/folder number: 007566830; FHL microfilm: 1542089; Record number: 303; Packet letter: O
    FamilySearch Record: NF34-MH9 (accessed 7 April 2024)
    Nanney Horsfall baptism on 12 Apr 1795, daughter of Abraham Horsfall, in Hartshead, Yorkshire, England.
15. ↑ Burial: "National Burial Index For England & Wales"
    FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 5 April 2024)
    Abraham Horsfield burial (died in 1760) on 8 Aug 1760 in Elland, Yorkshire (West Riding), England.

Acknowledgements

This profile was started by Nigel Clark.

Click the “Changes” TAB for the details of contributions by Nigel and others. Please feel free to add/change any relevant information and sources to improve this biography.