Roger Eccleston
Roger was an engineer, which in the period in the area probably meant that his job was to keep the pumps ("engines") running in a mine.
Events
Date of Birth: 3 December 1775.
The date of birth is recorded in Roger’s baptism record.
Place of Baptism: Prescot (St Helens), Lancashire, England.
The parish register records the baptism.
Date of Death: 6 January 1849.
The burial record gives the date of death.
Date of Burial: 8 January 1849.
Place of Burial: Ashton in Makerfield, Lancashire (St Thomas).
The burial is recorded in the parish registers and in the bishop's transcripts.
Relationships
Father: Isaac Eccleston (died 1793).
Mother: Ann Naylor (died 1778).
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Ann Williamson (about 1771 - 1847). Married 11 October 1795 in Winwick, Lancashire (St Oswald’s).
The marriage is recorded in the parish register.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Betty Eccleston (born 15 April 1796).
Ellen Eccleston (born 13 August 1797).
Ann Eccleston (born 17 September 1798).
Isaac Eccleston (born 11 May 1800).
Martha Eccleston (born 23 March 1802 - buried 27 May 1813).
Samuel Eccleston (born 13 July 1803 - buried 14 July 1840) married Sarah Grimes 16 March 1823 in Farnworth (near Prescot), Lancashire.
Margaret Eccleston (born 20 November 1804 - buried 31 May 1813).
Rodger Eccleston (born 1 October 1806 - died 1845) married Ann Mary Swift 12 December 1824 in Rainford, Lancashire.
William Eccleston (born 25 January 1808 - buried 31 May 1813).
Thomas Eccleston (born 17 October 1809 - buried 9 June 1813).
John Eccleston (born 28 April 1812).
Thomas Eccleston (baptized 12 June 1814) married Ann.
Margaret Eccleston (baptized 15 June 1817) married Richard Westhead 17 May 1840 in Rainford, Lancashire.
Evidence
Roger Eccleston baptism (Prescot, St Helens, 1775)
Roger Son of Isaac Eccleston Parr Born Dec.r 3rd
Roger Eckleston - Ann Williamson marriage (Winwick)
Banns of Marriage, between Roger Eckleston and Ann Williamson Published July 5.12.19
Roger Eckleston of this Parish and Ann Williamson of this Parish
Married in this Church by Banns this Eleventh Day of October in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety five by me, John Prince, Curate
This Marriage was solemnized between Us
Roger Eckleston his + Mark
Ann + Williamson her Mark
In the Presence of
Robert Cross
Margret Flecher
Baptisms and burials of children:
Baptisms (St Thomas, Ashton-in-Makerfield parish register):
1796
Betty Dr of Roger Eccleston Born April 15 bapd 22
1797
Ellen Dr Roger Eccleston born Augt 13 bapd 20
1798
Ann Dr of Roger Eccleston born Sept. 17 bap.d Oct.r 17
1800
Isaac Son of Roger Eccelston Born May 11th Bapd June 1
1802
Martha Dr of Roger Eccleston born March 23 bap.d April 4
Baptisms (Prescot, St Helens parish register)
1803
Samuel Son of Roger Eccleston Engineer of Windle born July 13 baptizd July 31.
1806
Roger Son of Roger Eccleston Engineer of Windle born October 1 baptiz.d Oct.r 12.
1808
William Son of Roger Eccleston Engineer of Windle born January 25 baptizd Feby 7
1809
Thomas Son of Roger Eccleston Engineer of Windle born October 17 Bzd Octr 29
1812
John Son of Roger Eccleston Engineer of Windle Born April 2[...] B 2[...]
Burial (Prescot, St Helens parish register)
1813
Martha Eccleston, [Abode] Windle. [Buried] 27th May 1813. [Age] 11. [Ceremony performed by] W. Finch.
Burials (St Thomas, Ashton-in-Makerfield parish register):
1813
William Eccleston. Son of Roger & Ann Eccleston of Windle Engineer. [Buried] 31.st May Scarlet Fever. [Age] 5. [Ceremony performed by] Edmund Sibson Curate of Ashton
Margaret Eccleston. Daughter of Roger & Ann Eccleston of Windle Engineer. [Buried] 31.st May Scarlet Fever. [Age] 8. [Ceremony performed by] Edmund Sibson Curate of Ashton
Thomas Eccleston. Son of Roger & Ann Eccleston of Windle Engineer. [Buried] 9.th June Scarlet Fever. [Age] 3. [Ceremony performed by] Edmund Sibson Curate of Ashton
Baptisms (Prescot, St Helens parish register)
1814
June 12th Thomas Son of; Roger Ann Eccleston; Windle; Engineer; [ceremony performed by] W. Finch
1817
June 15th Margaret daughter of; Roger Ann Eccleston; Windle; Engineer; [ceremony performed by] W. Finch
1841 Census (Lancashire, Prescot, St Helen, District 9). Candey Lane, Windle.
Roger Eccleston, 65, Labourer, y [born in Lancashire]
Ann do, 65, y
Richard Westhead, 20, Coal Miner, y
Margaret do, 20, y
Samuel do 7 month, y
Charles Eccleston, 4, y
Roger Eccleston burial (Ashton-in-Makerfield Parish Register, 1849)
Name: Roger Eccleston
Abode: of Windle Engineer
When buried: 8 Jany. died 6 Jany Decline
Age: 73
By whom the Ceremony was performed: E. Pigot Vicar
from the bishop’s transcripts:
Name: Roger Eccleston
Abode: Windle, Engineer
When buried: 8 Jany Died Jany 6 (Decline)
Age: 73
By whom the Ceremony was performed: E. Pigot Vicar
Commentary
Roger’s parentage:
Roger’s burial record gives his age at his death on 8 January 1849 as 73.
The 1841 census (taken 6 June) records Roger’s age as 65 and his birthplace as Lancashire. Ages in this census were rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5. Roger was the probable informant in this census.
Because Roger Eccleston was not a common name, it is straightforward to identify his baptism in Prescot. The baptism record records his birth on 3 December 1775, which is consistent with the above information. It also records his father as Isaac Eccleston. Since Roger named his eldest son Isaac, we can be confident we have located the correct baptism.
Isaac Eccleston married Ann Naylor in Winwick three years before he began having children baptized in Winwick. Isaac probably had a son, John, born in the interim, whose baptism has not turned up. Ann’s 1778 burial record in Prescot records that she was the wife of Isaac Eccleston.
Thus, there is sufficient documentary evidence to establish Roger’s parentage.
There is some additional DNA evidence. I am a paper-trail descendant of Roger. A paper-trail descendant of Roger’s brother William (my paper-trail sixth cousin) has a 10 cM DNA match with me over 1 segment, and a descendant of Roger’s brother John (my paper-trail sixth cousin) has a 14 cM match over 1 segment. I have checked both paper-trails, and they are sound. (AncestryDNA Thrulines incorrectly shows the descendant of John as being descended from William. It also shows an additional descendant of William who is not in fact an Eccleston descendant at all.)
My tree and the tree of the descendant of John are complete enough to see that the common descent from Isaac Eccleston and Ann Naylor is the only plausible path for the shared DNA within the last 250 years or so, although with a match of this length it is possible that the common ancestors lived farther back in the past.
The Ancestry "Thrulines" for Roger Eccleston shows a descent from an Isaac Eccleston who is given as a son of Roger, but is in fact a son of Roger’s brother William. The two descendants in this line who share DNA with me (8 cM over 1 segment and 10 cM over 1 segment) thus provide additional support for Roger and William as sons of Isaac.
References
1841 UK Census (Lancashire, Prescot, St Helen, District 9). Digital images on Ancestry.com.
“AncestryDNA ThruLines for Isaac Eccleston database report, AncestryDNA. Accessed 20 February 2025.
“AncestryDNA ThruLines for Roger Eccleston database report, AncestryDNA. Accessed 22 February 2025.
Parish registers of Winwick, Lancashire. Digital images on FamilySearch.org.
Prescot, St Helens parish registers. Digital images on Ancestry.com, citing Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England: Lancashire Archives. Accessed 16 January 2016.
Roger Eccleston baptism, Prescot, St Helens parish register (18 December 1775); digital image on Ancestry.com (accessed 7 April 2014), citing Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England: Lancashire Archives.
Roger Eccleston burial, Ashton in Makerfield, St Thomas bishop’s transcripts (8 January 1849, no. 865); digital image on Ancestry.com (accessed 7 December 2014), citing Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England: Lancashire Archives.
St Thomas, Ashton-in-Makerfield parish registers. Digital copies on Ancestry.com, citing Wigan Archive Services. Accessed 16 January 2016.