James (Holmes) Haywood (1818 - 1854)

Born 12 Jan 1818 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Agnes (Brookfield) Haywood — married 28 Dec 1840 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England

Descendants

Died 9 Mar 1854 at age 36 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

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The birth of James Haywood Holmes on 12 Jan 1818 and his baptism on 11 Mar 1818 were recorded in the register of the Roman Catholic Parish of Worksop Manor. A reproduction of a 1920 transcript of this register is held in the library of the Society of Genealogists. The same register recorded the baptism of James' half-sister Elizabeth in 1824 and of James' son, Henry William Haywood, in 1842. James' parents, William Holmes and Sarah Haywood, were both from Catholic families but they were not married. James' baptism with his mother's surname indicates that there was no intention to marry and that James was expected from birth to use the Haywood surname instead of his father's surname. When James was three, his mother married George May, a farmer in Fanfield, Anston, just over the Yorkshire border. His half-sister, Elizabeth, was born there in 1824, and her mother's maternal aunt, Elizabeth Hobson, was one of her god-parents as she had been for James. James' fictitious origins as shown on his marriage certificate (the farming father, John Haywood) and 1851 census birthplace (Fanfield, Anston) may have been invented by his mother to make him unaware of his illegitimacy, or may have been his own invention to disguise his illegitimacy from wider society. The latter seems more likely as his son's godmother 1842 was Sarah Haywood (nee Holmes), the elder sister of James' father and the wife of his uncle Robert Haywood. The marriage certificate recorded: James Haywood, a bachelor of full age, a gentleman of St Philips Street, Derby ( non-existent, probably St Peters St), son of John Haywood, farmer, married Mary Brookfield, a spinster of full age, of High Pavement, daughter of John Brookfield, a hatter, in Chesterfield in 1840 ^[1][2]

In addition to the children shown above, James and Mary had another daughter, Harriet Mary, whose birth has GRO ref 1851 March qr, Vol 2 p677 and whose death has GRO ref 1851 March qr Vol 22 p447.

In 1851 James was recorded as being Professor of Chemistry, living at 238 Brook Hill in Sheffield with his wife Mary and three sons. He is said to have been born in Fanfield, Anston, Yorkshire (which is just outside Worksop) ^[3]

Event

Professor of chemistry, Sheffield He was a notable figure in Sheffield. As well as being a college lecturer, he was co-author of an 1848 “Report on the Sanatory Condition of the Borough of Sheffield”, author of “letters to farmers” about crop fertilisation, and a supporter of the People’s College and of the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society.

He dropped a large container of sulphuric acid and died ^[4] because of the fumes he inhaled. This was on 9th March 1854. The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent carried a report headlined “Shocking death of Mr James Haywood” on March 11th and had a detailed report of the inquest on 18th March.

He had bought a substantial life insurance policy not long before his death, so his wife and children were reasonably provided for.

Sources

1. ↑ Parish Register, ancestry.com
2. ↑ England and Wales Civil Registration Index, Chesterfield, Q4 1840, Vol 19 Page 19
3. ↑ 1851 Census Sheffield, Yorkshire HO107/2339/941/7, aged 33
4. ↑ England and Wales Civil Registration Index, 1854 J Quarter in SHEFFIELD Volume 09C Page 145, aged 36

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Holmes-1801 created through the import of HWVHeywoodAncestors.ged on Jan 22, 2012 by Simon Heywood. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Simon and others.