Re: George Hird Born C.1815 Keighley, Yorkshire
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In reply to:
George Hird Born C.1815 Keighley, Yorkshire
Kerrie Williams 3/21/05
Dear Kerrie
I have a George Hird of Keighley who married a Hannah Simpson in my family tree, one of whose children went to Australia, but other details you give (and in Robert Welbourn’s response) differ from my sources. There seems to have been more than one contemporary George Hird [indeed in IGII found another George Hird who married a Mary Sunderland in Bradford parish in Feb.1828, and also a younger George Hird, son of John and Ellen, who was christened in Keighley in 1815]. Is it possible that some of the associated details have become confused across different family lines?Where do you derive your information?It might be useful to share key details, so here goes with what I know.
My George is recorded as b. Cottingley, nr.Bingley on 17th Dec.1804 the eldest of the 10 children of Timothy Hird and Sarah (neé Binns). My gr.gr.grandfather was Isaac, George’s next oldest brother. There is a record for all but two of the children to these parents being christened at the Old Independent or Presbyterian Church, in Bingley (but my George’s christening c.1805 I've not yet discovered).
My ancestor Timothy Hird, wife and family moved from Cottingley in 1813 to nearby Micklethwaite, where he was manager of Holroyd Mill (wool spinning), and then in 1834 to Keighley where the firm of Timothy Hird and Sons was established at Acres Mill, with father Timothy and sons George and Isaac, and later Abraham, as partners. I have a copy of the agreement which sets out the financial basis of the business at George’s death (the original is with a cousin in Canada!). There is a history of the early days of the firm in John Hodgson’s “Textile Manufacture in Keighley” (1879, also available in modern facsimile), and for the firm’s centenary in 1932 in typescript. I have photos, and have researched quite a lot about the family (particularly Isaac and Abraham, wives and children) and Keighley of the time. Not being direct ancestors, I admit that George and Hannah have been of less interest, other than in completing the “tree”.
As you say, a George Hird married Hannah Simpson at Bradford (in Bradford Parish, not necessarily Bradford Parish Church) on 26th Oct. 1834. It would seem this George married to Hannah is “my George”, living next door to the family business when they appear in the 1841 Census, as follows:
George Hird, Club (aka Brick) Houses, age 35, worsted spinner
Hannah, wife, age 35
Eliza, daughter, age 5
Henry, son, age 5
Thomas, son, age 1
[NB. Ages are rounded in the 1841 Census].
.
This/my George died on 4th Jan.1847.The gravestone in (or as recorded in) Ingrow churchyard, Keighley has the following inscription:
“In Memory of George Hird of Keighley who died Jany 4th 1847 aged 42 years; also of Hannah his widow who died October 20th 1859 in the 57th year of her age; also of Mathew Henry and Charles Naylor, grand children of the above, who lost their lives at the National School, Bingley through the fearful boiler explosion on June 9th 1869, aged 6 years and 3 years.
They were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death, were not divided, 2 Psalm 23;
Also of George Naylor, brother of the above who died August 20th 1879 in the 19th year of his age.”
[Eliza married Matthew Naylor in 1860, and settled in Bingley].
The church burial register gives George’s address as Acre[s] Mill.
It is said that after George’s deathHannah and family were forced out of the “tied” house provided by the firm. Hannah Hird, aged 46, housekeeper, and son Henry, aged 15, employed as a wool comber, (but no other children) are found living together at Victoria Terrace, Keighley in the 1851 Census.
Among the “family history” papers passed down to me is a long letter dated 12.2.1951, from an Arthur S.Hird of “Butybach”, Yandoit, Victoria, Australia [Henry’s eldest son] to Mrs.M.Spacie (Mary E.Hird, my great aunt, deceased) (I could e-mail a transcript if I knew your e-mail address and you care to read it), that suggests Henry left for Australia in 1855 – though 1857 you give would better tie in with his mother’s death.From the letter, and further research by American relatives (again available in transcript), it would seem Henry married a Kate McArthur, and they had 8 children (3 of whom died young) - 4 sons (Arthur S., George, Henry and John) and 4 daughters (Jessie, Cathie, Flora and Hannah).Kate died in 1895; Henry in 1928.Arthur S’s daughter(?), Olga, visited
Keighley c.1950/1.
Hope that’s sufficient to whet your appetite!
Where do you fit in?
Best wishes
Richard Hird
www.duresme.org.uk
> His parents were John Hird and Ellen Unknown.
>They had 4 children that I know of:
> Eliza Born about 1835
> Henry born about 1836
> Thomas born about 1839
> and Sarah born 1842.
> Both Henry and Thomas came out to Australia in 1857 and
> married here.
> I believe George died in 1847 but I would love to know> what happened to Hannah, Eliza and Sarah. I think Eliza
> became a nurse.
> I would also like to know if George had any brothers or
> sisters and follow those lines as well.
> If you have any info on this family (or the Simpson
> family), or you are connected in any way I would love to > hear from you.
> Thanks Heaps
> Kez
More Replies:
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Re: George Hird Born C.1815 Keighley, Yorkshire
Kerrie Williams 6/29/05