Hertfordshire to Yorkshire

John and I have just had the BEST couple of days with a surprise meeting yesterday by one of John’s second cousins and his wife, who we had presumed were hard at work in Orange, NSW.  But first we’d better catch up with our travels since London.

After taking delivery of the Fiat Doblo (petrol manual wheelchair accessible van), we drove to Hoddesdon which is a mere 20 miles north of London, but could easily be another world.  Some of John’s ancestors lived there between 1700s and 1860s.  There was no suitable accommodation there, so we had booked another Holiday Inn Express at Harlow, a British “new town” built in the 50s and 60s for the large numbers of households who were forced out of London during the Blitz.  Harlow is a very different town from Hoddesdon, the latter being a very old town.

Hailey Hall School, formerly a large farm

Just out of Hoddesdon is a property called Hailey Hall, now a state boarding school for boys who have emotional behaviour challenges.  It was once in the hands of John’s 3 x grandfather George Cheffins and later one of his bachelor sons, one Peter Cheffins.  John’s great grandmother Louisa Mary Wilkinson was living there with her uncle and other relations in 1861 when she was 16 years old.  Peter Cheffins gave up the tenancy in 1862 and died the following year in Hoddesdon.  It is a beautiful property, but sadly the old building which was formerly the Manor was replaced by other buildings about 100 years ago.

The school staff were very helpful and provided John with photocopies and digital images of the original Hailey Hall, which goes back a few centuries.

Carole and Margaret at Coventry

After two nights at Harlow, we travelled on to Coventry where we stayed at the Premier Inn, caught up for dinner with my long time friend Carole and her family. Carole and I were friends in Sydney in 1972 prior to her returning to Coventry later that year.  A Coventry Moxon connection tracked her down for me in 2008.

Three generations of Coventry girls and us

We had a delightful time.  Young granddaughter Eve is an enthusiastic soccer player, the only girl in the under 14 school soccer team, and the goalie for a weekend team.  The next day we heard the weekend team won the final.  We were so pleased for her, a tiny but obviously talented 12 year old.

Carole’s daughter was also able to find a launderette for us – badly needed after not being able to do any washing since Southampton.

Then it was on to Barnsley via the M1 – by this time it was Saturday.  We are currently staying five nights at the Premier Inn and leave tomorrow for Manchester. 

A wonderful museum at Barnsley

The hotel is high above the town and has a very friendly atmosphere. We are very close to the Barnsley Archives which are located at the Civic Centre within a stunning new Museum which has only been open for a few months.

On Sunday we walked down town to the shops – all the usual like Marks & Spencers, but many one pound shops as well.  Barnsley has a lot of character, but is very depressed even now that the worst of the GFC is over. 

Dodworth Green

We then drove out to Dodworth, two miles from Barnsley where many of the Moxons lived from the 1790s prior to moving into the main town.

The Moxons had been well to do farmers, but by the 19^th century they became masons, joiners and builders, and one notably became an architect and built a number of churches in the town.  Some of course, including John’s 2x great-grandfather were very poor and in 1841 his family was living with extended family members in Barnsley itself.

On Monday we explored the Museum which had a wonderful temporary exhibition about the Miners’ Strike of 1984, including the women’s perspective.  There are also very well done permanent displays.  We also chatted to archivists about our research needs. 

Parish accounts from Hunshelf

We were particularly interested in finding out more about Sarah Middleton who married Isaac Moakson/Moxon (John’s gg grandparents).  She was a bit of a mystery woman.

So on Tuesday (yesterday) we walked into the Archives, and John thought, gee that guy looks like my cousin John Moxon from Orange.  And I saw a woman I thought was the archivist and said to John – doesn’t she look like Heather Moxon!  And it was! 

Two John Moxons and their wives

We had no idea they were overseas.  They had been tracking us, and intended to ring the hotel that day.  So we spent the best part of two days together and had a great time. We clicked with that couple the first time we met them only three years ago, and have seen them a few times since then.

Heather and John Moxon using the microfiche

We had lunch and dinner together yesterday, and this morning met them at Silkstone where we spent a very interesting morning looking at the church and meeting members of the Silkstone Heritage group which meets monthly at the church. 

Silkstone Heritage group with John & Heather

And what an interesting and talented group of (mostly) seniors they were, educated obviously and very friendly and hospitable.  They were very pleased to meet us too, both Johns being descended from a long line of Moaksons who were baptised, married and buried at that church.

After lunch at the Silkstone Pottery nearby

Lunch at the Pottery at Silkstone

we went our separate ways, with John and Heather heading south – and able to be flexible about where they stay, unlike us - and John and I keen to visit Hoylandswaine (a nearby village where Moaksons were tenant farmers) and St Mary’s Church, Ecclesfield (north of Sheffield) where Joshua Middleton Moxon was baptised in 1840.

St Mary's, Ecclesfield

John and I had returned to the Archives yesterday afternoon, and we think we’ve cracked a brick wall with Sarah Middleton. She stated on the census records that she was born at Hunshelf which is between Wortley and Penistone and largely owned by the Wortley family.  There is a large family of Middletons with many baptisms on the Wortley parish church records.  I found the record for a Sarah Midleton, daughter of William Midleton, labourer 24/10/1805, a sibling Ann born to same man in 1803, also a George in 1809. 

Hard to read, but here is Sarah "Midleton"

And then, I found a Mary (1813), James (1815) and Amelia (1819) children of William Middleton and his wife Mary, a shepherd of Wharmscliffe Lodge.  Further investigations showed that the Lodge, owned by the Wortley family was 3.4 miles from Hunshelf in one direction and 3.4 miles from Grenoside in the other direction.  Sarah and Isaac later lived in Grenoside where the latter was described as an innkeeper on Joshua’s birth certificate.

Now we cannot prove that this is our Sarah Middleton, but there is a good chance it is.  The dates and location seem right.

Whilst at Silkstone, John from Orange had a go at fixing John's wheelchair footplates and tightened all the bolts - a real handyman.

The two Johns