Miles Aspden (abt. 1561 - aft. 1604)

Born about 1561 in Burnley, Lancashire, England

Husband of Issabel (Roberte) Aspden — married 16 Jan 1586 in Burnley, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Biography

Miles was born about 1561 in the chapelry of Burnley. The parish register began April 1562.

In addition to Burnley and Habergham Eaves - always closely associated - the chapelry of Burnley included Briercliffe, Worsthorne and Cliviger, while the adjacent extra-parochial places of Ightenhill Park and Reedley Hallows were practically attached to it.^[1]

He married Issabel Roberte in Jan 1586 at Burnley. ^[2]

The couple probably lived in Habergham Eaves where their son William the Elder lived. More specifically it may have been at Oakeneaves in that ward where their grandson William the Younger lived.

Habergham Eaves - Habringham, 1241 and commonly; Habercham, 1269; Habringgeham, 1296; Habringham Evez (or Eves), 1526. (The g is hard). This township is not distinguished from Burnley proper in the more ancient records, (fn. 1) while in recent times, as the town grew, the mills and dwellinghouses extended across the Calder, which was in general the township boundary, and the northern part of Habergham Eaves became part of the town, and was recognized as such under the Improvement Acts and in the borough charter.^[3]

Children (bapt Burnley:

1587 William;

1590/91 John - (no further record found);

1593 Steaven - (no further record found);

1595/96 (Jan) Thomas - died Jan 1595/96 (s/o Miles);

1597 (Apr) Thomas - died July 1618 (s/o Miles);

1599 Anthonie - died 1599/1600 (s/o Miles);

Miles' wife Isabel, passed away in 1599, presumably in childbirth.

Miles was a churchwarden at Burnley in 1603/04. ^[4]

No death for Miles has been found in parish records.

Research Notes

1/ Miles may be younger brother of Thomas Aspden (c1550->1609) who also appears to have lived at Habergham Eaves.

2/ The early Aspden families around Burnley fall into four main areas: central Burnley in and around the town; Habergham Eaves to the west and south-west; Cliviger a few miles south-east, and Marsden to the north-east.

Early Aspden men rarely paid to have their marriage recorded. Women faired better. In particular the people in Cliviger which was further from the town seemed to avoid registration of births, deaths and marriages.

The following are found in parish records and will be related at least distantly:

Burnley Town:

John Aspden (c1505-1567) - Curate of Burnley

Miles Aspden (c1539-1588)

Habergham Eaves:

Thomas Aspden (c1550->1609) - Thomas the Elder

Cliviger:

William Aspden (c1540-1609) - William of Clyviger

John Aspden (c1560-1602) - John of Stonehowse in Clyviger

Marsden:

John Aspden (c1560-1608) - John of Marsden

3/ Origin of Aspden - surname and place - There is good reason to believe that all Aspdens are descended from a single location, even a single family. Aspden is the historic name of a valley a mile west of Church and a mile north of Oswaldtwistle, between Accrington and Blackburn. The placename derives from the Old English pre 7th Century "aespe", meaning "aspen", and "denu", valley. See attached map. ^[5]

Adam de Aspden is seen witnessing charters through a period beginning in 1262. By the 1380s the Aspden estate (inherited by Elizabeth, daughter of Roger de Aspden and wife of John Grimshaw) amounted to some 400 acres (1.6 km2), of which 40 was (arable) land, 40 was meadow, 20 was wood and 200 was pasture. A brief timeline of records found for the family from 13th to 16th centuries is found in the record of Robert Aspden.

The valley, now called 'Aspen', is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal (circa 1800), and on the fourth by a high railway embankment (Aspen Viaduct c1850). Coal mining at Aspen commenced in 1810 and continued until the Aspen colliery closed in 1930. Nine coke ovens converted the coal from the adjacent colliery into coke for the steelworks (via the canal) as a smokeless fuel. By 1990, there were three houses there: Aspen Cottage, a large ruinous farm, and a large house (Elizabethan), which has a small plain house in its grounds, said to be older.^{[6] [7]}

Oswaldtwistle has a rich industrial heritage, being home to James Hargreaves, inventor of the spinning jenny and Sir Robert Peel of Calico Printing fame.^[8]

C. L'Estrange Ewen, in his book A History of Surnames of the British Isles says, 'In some parts of England and Scotland where there is little variety in the surnames, nicknames attain to an added importance, and are officially noticed. In Lancashire parish registers, for instance, entries such as the following from Blackburn Parish registers were formerly not uncommon: Thomas Aynsworthe - alias Lucke (17 Mar 1624); John Aspden - Thicke skin (4 Nov 1640); Thomas Obaldeston - Ould nibb sone (22 Dec 1648).'

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp441-454
2. ↑ "England, Lancashire, Parish Registers 1538-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJD8-4QCD : 13 October 2017), Miles As*Den and Issabell Robte, 16 Jan 1586; citing Marriage, St Peter's Church, Burnley, Lancashire, England, volume , Lancashire Record Office, Preston; FHL microfilm 1,517,689.
3. ↑ https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol6/pp454-468
4. ↑ https://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/eng-parish-burnley/the-registers-of-the-parish-church-of-burnley-in-the-county-of-lancaster-christ-nru.shtml
5. ↑ https://maps.nls.uk/view/102343952
6. ↑ https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/aspden/56/
7. ↑ https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Aspden#ixzz6tgvLm3Aj
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswaldtwistle