Cecily (Highcock) Butterworth (1834 - bef. 1911)

Born 14 Mar 1834 in Parr, St Helens, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Wife of Joseph Butterworth — married 27 Sep 1858 in St Thomas' Church, Eccleston, St Helens

Descendants

Died before 7 Feb 1911 before age 76 in St Helens, Lancashire, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Corinne Morris [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the St Helens, Lancashire One Place Study.

Cecily (or Cicely or Cecilia) Highcock was born March 14th 1834 in Parr, St Helens, Lancashire. She was the daughter and eldest child of Henry Highcock and Rachel (Finney) Highcock. She was christened in 1834 at St Mary Lowe House Church in St Helens (Catholic). ^[1]

Her brother Thomas was born in 1835.

Her sister Mary Ann was born in 1836, and died in 1837.

Her brother James was born in 1837, and died in 1838.

Another brother James was born in 1839.

Her brother William was born in 1840.

By June 6th 1841, Cecily's family were living in Westfield Church Street, Eccleston, St Helens. Her father Henry was working as a coal miner. There were four children - Cecily aged seven, Thomas aged six, James aged two, and William who was only one. There was also a probable boarder, George Holland aged 38, a packer who hadn't been born in Lancashire. ^[2]

Cecily's brother Peter was born in December 1841; he died when he was not quite two.

Cecily's father died in 1843; he was only thirty.

Cecily's brother James died in 1847, aged eight.

Her half-sister Mary Ann was born in 1848, and died in 1850.

Another half-sister Maria was born in 1850, and died in 1851.

By March 30th 1851, Cecily's mother Rachel was earning her living as a washerwoman, and they were living in Ann Street, Eccleston. Cecily at sixteen was also working as a servant, but living at home; her younger brother William was still in school. Thomas was with his grandparents on census night. In addition to taking in other people's laundry, Rachel was supplementing their income by looking after two lodgers - an Irish widow, and a French glass maker named Julie Joseph Loret. The St Helens glass industry was founded on the imported skills of French glassmakers, who were ahead of the English in the field; in the early years, a group of imported Frenchmen occupied the most highly skilled jobs, and guarded their trade secrets jealously. Loret was therefore probably much better off financially than his landlady, and a person of some significance locally. They were probably both Catholic, which may partially account for his choice of her to lodge with. ^[3]

On August 16th 1858, Cecily was one of the witnesses to the marriage at Prescot St Mary of John Butterworth. She made her mark, probably meaning she was illiterate. The other witness was Joseph Butterworth (who signed) - Cecily's future husband. It wasn't unusual for the two witnesses of a marriage to be a courting couple.

Cecily married Joseph Butterworth on September 27th 1858 at St Thomas' Church in Eccleston (Anglican). He was 35 and a collier, and a widower; he was able to sign his name. Cecily was 25 and hadn't been married before, and made her mark. Both were living in Eccleston. The fathers were James Butterworth (collier) and Henry Highcock (collier). The witnesses were Thomas Highcock and Jane Butterworth. Joseph had a ten-year-old son James from his first marriage. ^[4]

By April 7th 1861, Joseph and Cecily were living in John Hills Brow, Parr. Joseph was working as a coal miner, and they appear not to have had any children. They did have three lodgers - Henry Finney (probably a relative of Cecily's mother), a widower, and his two young children. James Butterworth was with his father's parents. ^{[5] [6]}

Joseph and Cecily's one known joint child, Rachel Alice, was born in 1862.

Joseph Butterworth (who signed) & Cecily Butterworth (who made her mark) witnessed the marriage on 25 Feb 1866 at Farnworth near Prescot of James Wiseman & Ellen Byrom.

By April 2nd 1871, Joseph and Cecily were living in Watery Lane, Sutton. Joseph was working as a labourer, and they had one boarder - William Gandy, also a labourer, not known to be a relative. Their daughter Rachel was staying with her granny Rachel Highcock, in Parr Moss. ^[7]

By April 3rd 1881, they were still in Watery Lane. Joseph was working as a copper works labourer. Rachel was back in the household, and working as a fuse works labourer. ^[8]

Rachel was married on 12th June 1881, at St Nicholas' Church in Sutton (Anglican).

By April 5th 1891, they were in Parr Moss - next door to Cecily's sister-in-law Ann Highcock (her brother William's estranged wife). Joseph was working as a labourer, and they had one boarder, Peter Taylor, possibly a distant relative - Cecily's paternal grandmother was a Taylor. ^[9]

Rachel died of tuberculosis on July 21st 1893.

By March 31st 1901, Joseph and Cecily were still in Parr Moss. Joseph was working as a chemical labourer - one of the worst possible jobs. They had one boarder, Cecily's brother William, who was described as single on the census - his estranged wife had died by now. He was a bricklayer's labourer. ^[10]

Joseph died in 1908 in St Helens, aged 84. Cecily died in 1911, aged 77, and was buried on 7 Feb 1911 in an unpurchased grave at St Helens Cemetery. ^[11]

Research Notes

Census

1841: Westfield Church St, Eccleston

  Henry Highcock 28 Coal M Y

  Rachel do 29 Y

  Ceciley do 7 Y

  Thomas do 6 Y

  James do 2 Y

  William do 1 Y

  George Holland 38 Packer no

1851: 2 Ann St Eccleston

  Rachel Highcock H W 38 washerwoman St Helens

  Cecily D U 16 servant St H

  William S 10 scholar St H

  Leatin (?) Brown lodg Widow Ireland

  Julie Joseph Loret lodg U 24 glass maker France

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: St Mary Lowe House church records
2. ↑ 1841 census: "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ2G-RSD : 13 December 2017), Henry Highcock, Prescot, Lancashire, England; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. 1841 piece 516-07 folio 19 page 30
3. ↑ 1851 census: "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGYH-F82 : 20 October 2017), Rachael Highcock, Eccleston, Lancashire, England; citing Eccleston, Lancashire, England, p. 55, 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.
4. ↑ Marriage: listed on Lancashire Online Parish Clerk - Joseph Butterworth & Cecily Highcock. Register: Marriages 1858 - 1865, Page 6, Entry 12. Source: LDS Film 1849656
5. ↑ 1861 census: "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7BN-TTK : 12 December 2017), Cicily Butterworth in household of Joseph Butterworth, Parr, Lancashire, England; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
6. ↑ 1861 census: "England, Scotland and Wales Census" database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/590352cce9379091b15d63de : viewed 9 Jul 2019), Joseph BUTTERWORTH, John Hills Brow, St Helens, Lancashire, England; from 1861 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing PRO RG 9/2752, Folio 48, Page 2, Schedule 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
7. ↑ 1871 census: "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD6X-JQJ : 11 December 2017), Cicily Butterworth in entry for Joseph Butterworth, 1871.
8. ↑ 1881 census: "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27L-YN38 : 13 December 2017), Cicily Butterworth in household of Joseph Butterworth, Parr, Lancashire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 46, Piece/Folio 3738/72, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,077.
9. ↑ 1891 census: "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:778D-VPZ : 10 December 2017), Joseph Butterworth, Parr, Lancashire, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Lancashire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
10. ↑ 1901 census: "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9LV-F4S : 8 April 2016), Sicily Butterworth in household of Joseph Butterworth, St Helens, Lancashire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing St Helens subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
11. ↑ Burial: St Helens Cemetery & Crematorium Online Records - Cecilia Butterworth.

The civil registration index, and the England and Wales censuses, are Crown Copyright.