Wagstaffe Family from Droylsden

[irene41]

My grandmother, Eliza Wagstaffe was born in 1880 in Droylsden. Her parents were, Sarah Kenworthy and William Wagstaffe.

Eliza married Thomas Rigby in 1900.

Children were Alice, May, Lissetta, Hannah, Jessie, Thomas, Arthur, David and Kenneth.

I would like to get in touch with any desendants of these people.

Thankyou. Irene

[stan]

there is a large family of wagstaffs that live in mossley ,you could maybe do a search on bt or the electrol roll.

Regards

[irene41]

Thankyou Stan for your reply.

I live in Australia, so all my information has to come from sites like these. I was hoping some one knew of any members of the family who still lived locally.

I will find out the married names of Eliza and Thomas`s children and post them on here. That may help me in my search.

Thanks once again. Irene

[Woody]

Tracing Thomas Rigby and Eliza Wagstaff's ancestry is relatively straightforward.

Thomas was born at Altofts, Normanton, South Yorkshire but his parents were from the Wolverhampton area of Staffordshire. The Wagstaff line stretches back into the Peak Forest area of Derbyshire, but there are an equal number in Droylsden around the 1900s.

The details of their children would be very helpful. This is what I've discovered so far:

Thomas Rigby was born 1879 in Normanton, South Yorkshire. His father was Enoch Rigby (b 1850, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire) whose first wife, Mary Watkins died aged 33 at Wolverhampton in 1880. I’d lay odds that Enoch Rigby was quickly remarried to 19 year-old Lisetta Wadeley at Cannock, Staffordshire in 1881 and I think Lisetta died at Stockport, Cheshire 1941, aged 80.

1901 Census: 3 Bright Street, Droylsden, Lancashire (St Mary)

Thomas Rigby, coal miner b 1879, Normanton, Yorkshire.
Eliza Wagstaff, b 1880 Droylsden, Lancashire

1911 Census: 282 Market Street, Droylsden, Lancashire

Thomas (b 1879)
Eliza (b 1881)
Alice Ann (b 1902, Altofts, Normanton, Yorkshire)
May (b 1904)
Lisetta (b 1905)
Hannah (b 1906)
Jessie (b 1909, Droylsden, Lancashire)

Marriages (not verified)

Alice Ann (b 1902, Altofts, Normanton, Yorkshire) possibly married Harry Lomas (1931)
May (b 1904)
Lisetta (b 1905) probably married Reginald P Crew (Manchester, 1945)
Hannah (b 1906)
Jessie (b 1909, Droylsden, Lancashire) probably married Edward Hodkinson (1933)
Thomas William (b 1912) married Winifred Elizabeth Taplin at Gloucester
Arthur (b 1918)
David Wilfred (b 1919) probably married Ivy May Hatchett (1943)
Kenneth (1925) probably married Vivian Taylor 1961

Are we on the right track ?

[irene41]

Hello Woody,
Thankyou for taking the time to post the information.
I do have much of the older information on the Rigby family. I would love to find if there are any of Elizas childrens families still around the district.

I believe Jessie and Edward Hodkinson still lived in the Droylsden area in the 50s.
Alice married Frank Blanchard in 1921.
Thomas was my father.

Our family wasn`t very close, so that is why I would like to know a bit more about my ancesters.

Elizas father, William Alexander Wagstaffe died in 1887 aged 31. I think Eliza was an only child.

Thanks once again.
Irene

[Woody]

Hi Irene

It’s probably just as important to know who doesn’t still live in Droylsden so that you don’t waste a lot of time on searches that will never get you very far. I think I can tell you about 70% of the Rigby marriages and the subsequent descendents, although I don’t think many are still living in this area. I’ve sent you a private message with the details so that we’re not publicly identifying living people.

You’ll find the burial details of Thomas Rigby and Eliza Wagstaff on-line – just Google 'Tameside burials' and then follow the instructions. There are probably many more of your Rigby and Wagstaff ancestors listed on that website so it's well worth looking yourself.

As you rightly say, Alice Mary Rigby married Frank Blanchard in 1931. They had four surviving children, all of whom married. Grand children can be traced to Lincoln and to thingyermouth, Cumbria, and there are great grandchildren in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The latest birth I found in the Rigby/Blanchard line was in Hampshire, 2005.

May Rigby married James Williamson in 1930. I couldn’t find any children in the records

Lisetta Rigby married Reginald P Crew and is buried in the same grave as her parents. However, her married name in the death record transcription is ‘Brew’.

Hannah Rigby, so far as I can determine, remained unmarried and died in a nursing home local to Droylsden, 1993

As you say, Jessie Rigby married Edward Hodkinson in 1933 and have both died. They had one son, born 1936, Droylsden, for whom I can find no UK record other than a birth registration. There are several possible marriages but I can’t determine which of these might be correct.

Thomas Rigby migrated to the Bristol area of Gloucestershire and you already know about his descendents.

Arthur Rigby possibly married Marion Adern in 1938 at Stockport, Cheshire and, if so, there are three children, each born in a different area of Stockport between 1939 – 1946.

David Wilfred Rigby married Ivy May Hatchett in 1943 and migrated to the Salisbury area of Wiltshire. I found one daughter born 1943.

Kenneth Rigby might have married Vivian Taylor at Hyde in 1961. There is a possible child born 1963, Ashton under Lyne but I have found no further records about this family. They might have emigrated.

I don't think there's much more I can do without becoming a private detective but this information might get you a bit further with your search

Look at your messages when you sign in.