The Addison Family:

The surname Addison was common along the borders of Northern England and the eastern counties of Scotland. In the era known as the Middle Ages, these Addison ancestors migrated south to settle in Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire counties in England.

The progenitor of my family tree is Christopher Addison. The 1851 and 1861 England census records indicate that he was born around 1788 in Bolton, Lancashire, England.

Which Bolton? There is Bolton-le-Sands which is five miles north of Lancaster, Lancashire, England. There is the city of Bolton, then known as Bolton Le Moors, which is 12 miles southeast of Manchester.

Who were Christopher’s parents? I do not know.

From the childrens’ baptism records, we know that Christopher’s family lived in the area of Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire, England. The four oldest children were born in Moon’s Mill which is now Higher Walton. The two youngest children were born in Cuerden. In the 1850s the family moved to Over Darwen. This parish is five miles south of Blackburn, Lancashire, England.

As I searched for more information on the Addisons of Lancashire, England, I found a family tree on Rootweb.  It was created by Timothy Addison. His ancestors lived in the parishes of Kings Meaburn, Morland, Crosthwaite, Beathwaitegreen, and Levens in northwestern England.

I am sure there is a familial connection between Christopher and Timothy. Their relationship may be very distant due to time. Through the years, the descendants of this family grew and migrated around the world.

If you know the answer to this question, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Two Addisons of Interest:

NOTE:  The Dusty Docs website has access to parish registers for Cumbria, Westmorland, and Lancashire, England. The vital statistics for the following individuals came from this website, Timothy’s family tree, and Ancestry.com.

Robert Addison:

The progenitor of Timothy’s family tree was Robert Addeson. He was baptized on 30 NOV 1560 in Morland, Westmorland, England. The entry indicates that Robert was the illegitimate child of John Addeson.

Robert married Agnes Dente on 7 DEC 1589 in Morland, Westmorland, England. One known child was born during their marriage:

John Addeson (1695)

Agnes Dente remains a mystery. There are two baptism records for Agnes Dente in the Morland database. The first entry is for Agnes Dente, daughter of Rowland. She was born in 1562. The second entry is for Agnes Dente, daughter of Henry. She was born in 1568.

What Happened to Robert and Agnes?

I could find no burial records in the Morland database for Robert and Agnes. The index for Morland did not list any other child born to Robert Addeson.

Timothy Addison indicated that Robert’s son was born in 1595 in Crosby Ravensworth, Westmorland, England. This parish is six miles southeast of Morland.

Robert and Agnes may have moved to Crosby Ravensworth. The register for this parish provides the following entries:

Robert Addison was buried on 21 FEB 1596.

Agnes Addison married William Parkin on 15 JUL 1596.

and

Agnes Addison, a widow, was buried on 11 MAY 1733.

The ages of these individuals were not included in the parish registers. The entries also did not indicate that Robert and Agnes had moved from Morland, as shown in the three highlighted examples.

If Robert died in 1596, Agnes may have remarried and moved to another parish. She may also have remained a widow. Robert’s early death might explain why no other children were born during their marriage.

This is pure speculation on my part. Without solid proof, I cannot definitively state that these individuals were Timothy’s direct ancestors.

NOTE:  Timothy’s direct ancestors immigrated to Canada. His family tree, highlighted above, shows that some of his ancestors moved from Westmorland to Lancashire, England. I could not find a link between these individuals and Christopher Addison.

John Addison:

Is this the family with connections to Christopher Addison? As noted above, Christopher was born in Bolton, Lancashire, England. This parish is 20 miles southeast of Preston.

John Addison was born in 1622 in Crosby Ravensworth, Westmorland, England. He died in 1670 in Preston, Lancashire, England.

There is a Find A Grave memorial showing that John was buried in St John’s Churchyard in Preston, Lancashire, England.

Here are some of the male descendants of John Addison of Preston:

  • Thomas Addison was born in 1652 in Preston, Lancashire, England. He died in 1697 in Preston, Lancashire, England.
  • Richard Addison was born in 1692 in Preston, Lancashire, England. He died on 14 JAN 1750 in Preston, Lancashire, England.
  • Richard Addison was born in 1721 in Preston, Lancashire, England. He died in 1781 in Preston, Lancashire, England.
  • John Addison was born in 1755 in Preston, Lancashire, England. He died in 1837 in Preston, Lancashire, England.
  • Thomas Batty Addison was born in 1786 in Preston, Lancashire, England. He died in 1874 in Preston, Lancashire, England.

A Few Clues:

Ancestry.com’s database “Lancashire, England, Quarter Session Records and Petitions, 1648-1908” has an entry for Christopher Addison. On 25 FEB 1826, the court ordered the “poor” family removed from Walton le Dale and placed in the township of Little Bolton.

The entry directly above this order includes the name Thomas Batty Addison. He was a barrister and the Recorder for the city of Preston. As shown above, Thomas Batty Addison, was the great-great-great-grandson of John Addison.

NOTE:  The River Ribble separates the larger parish of Preston from Walton le Dale. Could Christopher’s parents have moved back from Bolton to be closer to their kin?

Another clue can be found in the England census records:

The 1841 England Census shows that Christopher was living on Bashall’s Row in Walton le Dale, Lancashire, England. A few doors down was a woman named Mary Addison, a cotton reeler. Her age was listed as 55 years old.  This would mean she was born in 1786.

The 1851 England Census shows that Christopher’s son, John, was living at 76 Bashall’s Row. Included in the household was his aunt, Mary Addison. She was widowed. Her age was listed as 76 years old. That would mean she was born in 1775. Her birthplace was listed as Bolton.

Are these two entries for the same woman? I believe so.

The problem with the 1841 England Census is that it did not include a column for relationships or marital statuses. It also allowed the census takers to “guess” at a person’s approximate age.

The information in the 1851 England Census indicates that Mary wed Christopher’s brother. Who was he? I am still trying to answer that question.

The English Naming Tradition:

Could the names of Christopher’s children provide a clue? For centuries, England has followed a traditional naming process. Although not “set in stone“, most people named their children after close relatives:

First son – named after the father’s father
Second son – named after the mother’s father
Third son – named after the father
Fourth son – named after the father’s eldest brother

First daughter – named after the mother’s mother
Second daughter – named after the father’s mother
Third daughter – named after the mother
Fourth daughter – named after the mother’s eldest sister

If Christopher and Ann followed the English naming tradition, their children were named after the following individuals:

John would be Christopher’s father.
George would be Ann’s father.
Nancy would be Ann’s mother.
Christopher would be named after his father, Christopher.
William would be Christopher’s oldest brother.
Thomas would be either Christopher’s second oldest brother or Ann’s oldest brother.

Was Christopher born out of wedlock?

It could also be assumed that Christopher’s mother gave birth before she married a man named Addison. That would mean his birth record would be under his mother’s maiden name.

One day, hopefully, a descendant will read this post and be the one to answer these questions. For now, my search continues . . .

Creating Your Family Tree:

 

Are you interested in building a great family tree? Do you want to preserve your family history? Here are some tips on how to become a family genealogist.

Genealogy:

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” You start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add parents, grandparents, etc., and continue down the line. Your family tree will grow when you add your ancestors’ descendants, their children, their grandchildren, etc.

Choose a Family Tree Website:

There are family tree websites that require paid memberships. These include Ancestry, My Heritage, and Find My Past. If you want a family tree website that is free of charge, you can try FamilySearch. These family tree websites allow you to search millions of records and build your family tree.

WikiTree is another family tree website that is free of charge. This site does not have searchable databases.

Add Photographs and Documents:

Have you heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words“? All of these family tree websites allow you to upload photographs and scanned documents to your family tree.

Ask your parents, grandparents, and cousins for copies of their family photos. They may also have documents such as letters, diaries, family bibles, and newspaper articles. These are all excellent sources of vital records.

Create Family Stories:

Every family has a story to tell! Did you have an ancestor who served in the military? Did your ancestor become a doctor, lawyer, or well-known actor? Did your ancestor have a “skeleton in the closet“? These stories can be uploaded to your family tree website.

What’s In A Name?

Have you ever wondered what your last name means? The SurnameDB.com is a great website for finding the origins of English surnames. There are also websites for other parts of the world like Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

Thank You!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Family Tree Insider. If you notice an error or want to comment on a post, please contact me. I appreciate any feedback that will improve your experience on this website.