Brown/Montran/Barber/Blackhurst
By Don Taylor

UPDATED 25 April 2019

During the NERGC conference in Manchester, NH, one of the speakers talked about “Circles in Family Tree Citations.” That is to say, a fact in a person’s tree is based upon another tree, and that tree is based upon another tree, and that tree is based upon another tree and so forth until that first tree is the source for the last tree. I find it even more disturbing when several of the trees cite another record as a second source and that record conflicts with the cited fact.

According to over a dozen trees I found on Ancestry and elsewhere, Stephen Blackhurst was born 26 December 1775 in Derbyshire, England. All of these trees cite another Ancestry Family Tree as their source. Several of those trees do cite the 1841 England Census which indicates that Stephen Blackhurst was 60 years old in 1841, suggesting his birth in 1781; however they still cling to the 1775 birthdate.  Even Family Search’s Family Tree indicates the 1775 date and cites the 1841 Census as the source and a person’s Ancestry Tree as the as a reason for the I’ve emailed a couple of the individuals to see if they might have a more definitive source but all have either responded with “don’t know, it’s from another person’s tree” or had no response.

Brown Research 2019 – Ancestor #124

List of Grandparents

• Grandmother:  Madonna Mae Montran
• 1^st Great-grandmother:  Ida Mae Barber (1874-1953)
• 2^nd Great-grandmother:  Sarah H Blackhurst (1848-1929)
• 3^rd Great-grandfather: Stephen Blackhurst (1801-1869)
• 4^th Great-grandfather: Stephen Blackhurst (c. 1779-1847)
• 5^th Great-grandfather: Stephen Blackhurst

Birth

The 1841 England Census indicates that Stephen Blackhurst was 60-years-old at census time.  That suggests his birth year was 1780 or 1781. It appears he was born in Derby in Derbyshire as it was the location for his marriage and the christening of several of his children. Also, the 1841 census indicates he was not born in Yorkshire.

His death register entry indicates that he was 70 years old when he died on 8 March 1847 suggesting a birth of 1776 or 1777.  So, I really don’t know when he was born but am confident it was between 1776 and 1781, so I’ll use “circa. 1779” until I find a better record. 

I know nothing about his childhood, but across the Atlantic in 1781, Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown and England had a period of relative peace. It wasn’t until after his marriage that the Napoleonic Wars kicked into full gear.

Marriage

St. Peter’s Church, Derby, where Stephen and Lydia were married in 1802. (Photo by Jerry Evans)

On 14 June 1802, Stephen married Lydia Ellen Cockram at the Church of St. Peter in Derby, Derbyshire by N Baylor, the vicar of Saint Michaels, Derby. The witnesses were Geo Tunnecht and Rebecca Bull. St. Peter is still standing. The church building dates back to the 11^th century and is now over 950 years old.

Marriage Registration: Stephen Blackhurst & Lydia Cockram – Source: Derbyshire England, Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754-1932 – (Via Ancestry)

Adult

Stephen and Lydia had nine children.

In July 1806, the first daughter of Stephen and Lydia died.

In 1820*, their 8-year-old son, Francis died.

On 5 May 1827*, Stephen’s wife Lydia Ellen (Cockram) Blackhurst died in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

In 1833, Stephen had a shoe maker’s shop at the Old Workhouse in Pitsmoor (Sheffield).

In 1839, Stephen was a boot and shoemaker at 57 Pye Bank in Sheffield.

The 1841 Census indicates that Stephen is a 60-year-old shoemaker living at Pye Bank in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. The Census notes that he was not born in the county, but all the others in the household were.[2] Living with him are:

•       Matthew – Age 30     Shoemaker
•       Mary – Age 30            Dressmaker[3]
•       William – Age 25       Shoemaker[4]
•       Ellen – Age 20
•       John – Age 21             (Table? ????? Maker?)[5]

1841 England Census showing the household of Stephen Blackhurst (Via Ancestry.Com)

In 1844*, Stephen’s son John died at the age of 27.

In 1846*, Stephen’s son Matthew died at the age of 35.

In 1847 Stephen was a shoemaker at 24 Chapel St., Bridge houses.

Death

Stephen Blackhurst died on the 8th of March 1847. in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.[6] About five days before his death, he was mortally injured when a cart ran over him. He was 70 years old. 

Crop (portion) of Stephen Blackhurst’s Death Register entry.

Obituary

Stephen Blackhurst was born about 1780, probably in Derby, Derbyshire, England. He was preceded in death by his wife, the former Lydia Ellen Cockram, three sons, and a daughter. He was survived by three sons; Stephen, William, and Adamson and two daughters, Mary and Lydia Ellen.

Events by Location

Derby, Derbyshire, England       1780-1805     Birth, Marriage, Birth of two children – 25 years.

Sheffield, Yorkshire, England     1806-1847     Birth of seven children, Death – 41 years.

Further Actions / Follow-up

• Confirm Birth, Marriage, and Death information for Stephen’s wife Lydia and all of his children.

Sources

• 1841 England Census, Ancestry.com, Stephen Blackhurst (Sr.) – Sheffield Parish, Stattforth & Tickhill, Yorkshire, England. Class: HO107; Piece: 1329; Book: 3; Civil Parish: Sheffield; County: Yorkshire; Enumeration District: 9; Folio: 40; Page: 4; Line: 8; GSU roll: 46427
• City Directory (A), Ancestry.com, 1841 – Sheffield, England – Page 324 – Blackhurst – 57 Pye Bank. 1841 Pigot & Co’s Royal National and Commercial Directory; Publisher: J. Pigot & Co.
• City Directory (A), Ancestry.com, 1847 – Sheffield, England – Sheffield and its Vicinity, Page 3 – Boot and Shoe Makers – Blackhurst – 24 Chapel St, Bridge-houses. 1847 Slater’s Directories of Important English Towns; Publisher: Isaac Slater.
• City Directory (UL) (Various), University of Leicester, https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4, 1839 – Birmingham and Sheffield
  • Page 28 – Blackhurst, Eliza
  • Page 210 – Blackhurst, Eliza
  • Page 219 – Blackhurst, Eliza
  • Page 721 – Blackhurst, Steph
  • Page 772 – Blackhurst, Stephen
• England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007, Family Search, Stephen Blackhurst – 1847. “England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2JMT-SSC : 31 December 2014), citing Death, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Family Search, Eliza Blackhurst. “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NGNQ-4MJ : 11 February 2018, Stephen Blackhurst in an entry for Eliza Blackhurst, 09 Mar 1805); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 422,207, 422,208, 498,068, 498,069.
• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Family Search, Francis Blackhurst. “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JWN1-3XC : 11 February 2018, Stephen Blackhurst in an entry for Francis Blackhurst, 06 Jan 1812); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 919,327.
• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Family Search, John Blackhurst. “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5JT-7LB : 11 February 2018, Stephen Blackhurst in entry for John Blackhurst, 26 Oct 1817); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 919,328, 919,329, 919,360, 919,361, 919,362.
• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Family Search, Mary Blackhurst. “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5JL-8PD : 11 February 2018, Stephen Blackhurst in an entry for Mary Blackhurst, 06 Oct 1806); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 919,327.
• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Family Search, Stephen Blackhurst. “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NV78-7MZ : 11 February 2018, Stephen Blackhurst in an entry for Stephen Blackhurst, 13 Jul); citing yr 1662-1810, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 422,208.
• England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918, Family Search, Stephen Blackhurst & Lydia Cockran – 14 Jun 1802.
• White, 1833 History & Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham (Publisher: R. Leader), Ancestry.Com, Stephen Blackhurst – Yorkshire, England – Shoe Maker, Old workhouse, Pitsmoor. 1833 History & Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham; Publisher: R. Leader for W. White.

————–  Disclaimer  ————–

Endnotes

[1] All dates marked with “*” are speculative dates based upon the information from others.  I have NOT confirmed these dates with personal research. Instead, I consider them clues for further investigation.

[2] The 1841 Census refutes claims that Stephen was born in Yorkshire and confirmed that all of the children in this census were born in Yorkshire County.

[3] The 1849 Sheffield City Directory lists Mary as a dressmaker at 19 Chapel street.

[4] The 1852 Sheffield City Directory lists William as a shoemaker at 24 Chapel St., confirming the 1841 Census occupation for William.

[5] The occupation of Jno (John) is close to illegible. The

[6] It appears that Stephen died on 8 March 1847. I have ordered a copy of his death registry entry.