Events
Date of Birth: 1806.
Place of Birth: Eccleston (near Prescot), Lancashire, England.
The 1851 census (taken 30 March) gives age 43, born in Eccleston; the 1861 census (taken 7 April) gives age 53, born in Eccleston; the 1871 census (taken 2 April) gives age 64, born in Eccleston. The GRO index gives her age at death as 67.
Date of Baptism: 19 October 1806.
Place of Baptism: St Mary's Lowe House (Catholic), St Helens, Lancashire.
The baptism is recorded in the register.
Date of Death: 17 June 1874.
Place of Death: Carr Bank, Ramsbottom, Lancashire.
The date and place are recorded on the death certificate.
Relationships
Father: William Swift (born about 1775)
Mother: Elizabeth Jump (born about 1779)
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Rodger Eccleston (born 1806). Married 12 December 1824 in Rainford, Lancashire.
The register gives the marriage.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
William Eccleston (born 21 April 1826 in Windle, Lancashire, baptized April 23 in St Mary Lowe House).
Thomas Eccleston (born 1 April 1828, baptized 6 April in St Mary Lowe House).
Elizabeth Eccleston (born 1 March 1831 in Eccleston, baptized 6 March in St Mary Lowe House - died 15 January 1885 in Southport, Lancashire) married (1) Thomas Molineux 22 April 1852 in North Meols, Lancashire; married (2) William Molineux 6 October 1858 in Liverpool.
Ellen Eccleston (born 15 February 1833 in Eccleston, baptized 17 February in St Mary Lowe House) married Thomas Marsh 7 August 1864 in Salford, Lancashire.
Isaac Eccleston (born 15 February 1835, baptized 16 February in St Mary Lowe House) married Mary Lawrenson 29 October 1854 in Prescot (St Mary the Virgin).
Henry Eccleston (born 31 March 1836, baptized 3 April in St Mary Lowe House) married Sarah Mather 3 July 1858 in Prescot (St Mary the Virgin).
Samuel Eccleston (born 20 April 1837, baptized 22 April in St Mary Lowe House - died 1909) married Emily Allen in 1862.
Peter Eccleston (born 16 April 1840, baptized 19 April in St Mary Lowe House)
Annie Mary Agnes Eccleston (born 12 August 1841 in Windle, baptized 15 August in St Mary Lowe House) married Edwin Grasmere Davy.
Thomas Eccleston (born 5 October 1843 in Windle, baptized 6 October in St Mary Lowe House) married Laura Lumbey 17 October 1864 in Farnworth (near Prescot), Lancashire (St Wilfrid’s).
Roger Eccleston (born January 1845 in Windle, baptized 17 January in St Mary Lowe House) married (1) Mary Lumbey 29 August 1864 in Farnworth (near Prescot); married (2) Sarah Williams in 3 November 1872 in Withington.
Evidence
from the registers of St Mary, Lowe House, St Helens:
1806
Oct.r 19; Xened Ann Daugh.r of Wm & Eliz. Swift sprs Joseph Swift Martha Jumpe.
1841 census (Eccleston)
Rodger Eccleston, 35, Engineer, Y [“Y” means born in Lancashire.]
Ann [Eccleston], 35, Y
William [Eccleston], 15, Y
Thomas [Eccleston], 13, Y
Elizabeth [Eccleston], 10, Y
Isice [Eccleston], 6, Y
Henry [Eccleston], 5, Y
//Samuel [Eccleston], 3, Y
1851 census (Eccleston, St Helens)
Ann M Eccleston, Head, Wid, 43, [born] Lancashire Eccleston
William [Eccleston], Son, U, 25, Colliery Engine Tenter, [born Lancashire] Windle
Isaac [Eccleston], Son, U, 16, [Colliery Engine Tenter], [born Lancashire Windle]
Henry [Eccleston], Son, U, 15, drawer at Colliery, [born Lancashire Windle]
Samuel [Eccleston], Son, 14, [drawer at Colliery], [born Lancashire Windle]
Ann [Eccleston], daur, 10, Scholar, [born Lancashire Windle]
Thomas [Eccleston], Son, 8, Scholar, [born Lancashire Windle]
1861 census (St Helens)
Moor Flat
Margaret Westhead, Head, Wid, 42, [born Lancashire] Windle
Samuel [Westhead], Son, Un, 20, Labourer, [born Lancashire Windle]
James [Westhead], Son, Un, 18, Labourer, [born Lancashire Windle]
Catherine [Westhead], Daur, 12, [born Lancashire Windle]
/Ann Eccleston, Lodger, Wid, 53, [born Lancashire] Eccleston
Thomas [Eccleston], Lodger, 17, Painter, [born Lancashire Eccleston]
Rodger [Eccleston], Lodger, 15, Labourer, [born Lancashire] Windle
1871 Census (Tottington Lower End)
1 Carr Bank Cottages:
Edwin Davy, Head, Mar, 32, Woollen Draper, [born] Lanc Accrington
Annie [Davy], Wife, Mar, 26, [born Lanc] St Helens
Robert Harold [Davy], Son, 2, [born Lanc] Tottington
Victor [Davy], Son, 1, [born Lanc Tottington]
Ann Mary Eccleston, Mo in law, Widow, 64, Formerly Farmer, [born Lanc] Eccleston
Ada Jane [Eccleston], Niece, 7, Scholar, [born] Wales
Birth Entry for Thomas Eccleston
Where and when born: Fifth of October 1843 at Windle
Name, if any: Thomas
Sex: Boy
Name and surname of father: Roger Eccleston
Name, surname, and maiden surname of mother: Ann Eccleston formerly Swift
Occupation of father: Engineer at a Colliery
Signature, description and residence of informant: The mark of X Ann Eccleston mother Windle Smithy Windle
When registered: Tenth of November 1843
Ann’s death certificate:
no. 475
Seventeeth June 1874 Carr Bank Ramsbottom
Ann Eccleston
Female
67 years
Widow of Roger Eccleston An Engineer
Paralysis of the left side 5 years a second attack 2 years Apoplexy a short time Certified
Edwin Davy Present at the death Carr Bank Ramsbottom
Seventeetch June 1874
James Spencer Registrar
Commentary
Ann’s parentage:
Ann’s 1874 death record gives her age as 67.
1841 (taken 6 June): age 35, born in Lancashire. [Ages in this census were rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5.]
1851 (taken 30 March): age 43, born Lancashire, Eccleston.
1861 (taken 7 April): age 53, born Lancashire Eccleston.
1871 (taken 2 April): age 64, born Lancashire Eccleston.
The informant in 1841 was probably Ann’s husband Roger. The informant in 1851 was probably Ann herself. The informant in 1861 was probably Ann’s sister-in-law Margaret Westhead. The informant in 1871 was probably Ann’s son-in-law Edwin Davy.
The evidence above suggests that Ann was born about 1805-1808 in Eccleston.
This points to Ann’s baptism at St Mary Lowe House (Catholic), St Helens, 19 Ocober 1806. The place of baptism makes sense. Eccleston forms part of St Helens, and all of Ann’s children were baptized at St Mary Lowe House.
The baptism record names her parents William and Elizabeth Swift. Elizabeth’s marriage record gives her surname as Jump. One of the witnesses to Ann’s baptism was Martha Jumpe.
There is also DNA evidence that Ann was the daughter of William and Elizabeth. I am a paper trail descendant of Ann and I share DNA with two paper trail descendants of Ann’s brother William Swift (16 cM over 1 segment and 10 cM over 1 segment).
Taken together, the evidence is satisfactory that Ann’s parents were William Swift and Elizabeth Jump.
References
Rodger Eccleston - Anne Swift marriage, register of the Chapelry of Rainford, Lancashire, page 103, no. 307; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 7 April 2014), citing Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England: Lancashire Archives.
William Swift household, 1841 census of England. Lancashire, Prescot, Prescot, Prescot, piece 516, book 5, folio 43, page 11, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1841; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 7 April 2014).
Elizabeth Swift household, 1851 census of England. Lancashire, Prescot, Farnworth, Eccleston, ED 4c, piece 2194, folio 509, page 18, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1851; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 8 April 2014).
Rodger Eccleston household, 1841 census of England. Lancashire, Prescot, Prescot, Prescot, piece 516, book 6, folio 5, page 2, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1841; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 7 April 2014).
Ann M Eccleston household, 1851 census of England. Lancashire, Prescot, Prescot, Prescot, ED 1a, piece 2195, folio 9, page 10, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1851; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 8 April 2014).
Margaret Westhead household, 1861 census of England. Lancashire, Prescot, Prescot, Prescot, ED 8f, piece 2749, folio 45, page 18, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 8 April 2014).
Edwin Davy household, 1871 census of England. Lancashire, Bury, Holcombe, Tottington Lower End, ED 4, piece 3946, folio 100, page 31, in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 8 April 2014).
GRO index, Deaths Jun 1874, Bury, Volume 8c, page 310. General Register Office. England and Wales. Civil Registration Certificates. (London, United Kingdom: General Register Office). An digital image of the index entry can be accessed from the FreeBMD page.
Thomas Eccleston entry of birth, (certified copy). General Register Office. England and Wales. Civil Registration Certificates. (London, United Kingdom: General Register Office).