Mary Earnshaw 1824-1907

January 2, 2022 by Clare Hopkins

Mary EARNSHAW (the mother of my 3rd great grandmother Jane BEET), spent most of her life living in Thurgoland, Yorkshire. Thurgoland is a village which was known for its wire making trade in the 19th century.

Mary was born on 13th November 1824 at Langsett, South Yorkshire (near Penistone). She was baptised on 27th December 1824, and the parish register for St John the Baptist Church in Penistone shows she is the daughter of William EARNSHAW, a carpenter, and Ann WOODCOCK¹.

1841 Census

In 1841, Mary EARNSHAW was no longer living at home with her family in Langsett, and she and her future husband John BEET were living in Deepcar in the house of Thomas HAIGH, a publican². It doesn’t give the exact residence on the census, but it appears that they were resident in a pub where Mary EARNSHAW was working as a female servant at the age of 15. This could be where John and Mary first met!

I had previously written that I didn’t know which pub this census record related to. Thankfully Claire Pearson from the Stocksbridge and District Family History Group had thoroughly researched the pubs in the area for her book: A Drink With Our Ancestors: A Pub Crawl Through History. She told me that Thomas HAIGH was the landlord at the King & Miller pub in Deepcar, Yorkshire. I am thrilled to have this extra piece of the puzzle.

Further research on this (and a DNA match) shows that I might be related to Ellen WOODCOCK, the wife of the publican at the King & Miller. Mary EARNSHAW’s mother is Ann WOODCOCK, who is the daughter of Thomas WOODCOCK & Mary SHAW.

Thomas WOODCOCK and Ellen WOODCOCK were born 6 years apart and both baptised at St John the Baptist Church at Penistone. Thomas’ father’s name is given as Jonⁿ WOODCOCK, and Ellen’s father’s name given as John WOODCOCK. Unfortunately more detail is not given on the baptism records, so this is currently a theory that needs more evidence.

Marriage

Mary EARNSHAW and John BEET were married at the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul in Sheffield on 19 September 1842³. The marriage certificate confirms that Mary’s father was William EARNSHAW, a joiner (who has also been referred to as a carpenter and a wheelwright). Mary didn’t give a residence, I also think she might have been lying about her age which she said was 19 – the previous year in the 1841 census she was 15.

Today I took Samuel & Max into Sheffield to see the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, which is the cathedral where John BEET and Mary EARNSHAW were married. I have wanted to visit for a while now, so the Christmas break was the perfect opportunity. It was especially beautiful this season as the cathedral was full of Christmas trees.

Mary’s parents would move across the Peak District towards Glossop at some point during the following decade along with all of Mary’s siblings, and leave Mary in Thurgoland with her husband and growing family.

1851 Census

In 1851, John and Mary BEET had moved to Ramsden Row in Thurgoland⁴, presumably between the birth of their children William, who was born in Deepcar (abt. 1843) and Jane, who was born in Thurgoland (abt. 1846). The other children they have listed on the census are Hannah (born abt. 1848), and Sarah (born abt. 1850). John had been a Wire Drawer at the last census and at the time of his marriage, so it would be fair to assume that they moved to Thurgoland so that John could work in one of the 3 wire mills.

1861 Census

In 1861 John and Mary BEET were still living at Ramsden Row, Thurgoland⁵. They had 3 more children by the time the 1861 census was taken: Mary Ann (born abt. 1855), Joseph (born abt. 1858), and John (born abt. 1860).

Ramsden Row doesn’t exist anymore, the houses have been demolished to build newer houses along Mill Lane, Thurgoland. There is a row of houses there now called “New Ramsden Row”, which stands the opposite side of the road from where Ramsden Row would have been.

1871 Census

In 1871, John and Mary BEET were still living at Ramsden Row, Thurgoland⁶. Their eldest son William BEET, his wife Emma, and their 3 boys John (aged 6), William (aged 4) and Horatio (aged 3 months), lived in the household next to theirs on the census.

John and Mary had 2 more children since the 1861 census: Elizabeth (born abt. 1863), and Christopher (born abt. 1866).

1881 Census

In 1881, John and Mary BEET were still living at Ramsden Row, Thurgoland⁷, with 3 of their children: Joseph, John, and Christopher, who were now employed in various labouring positions.

1891 Census

In 1891, Mary EARNSHAW (BEET) was a widow and she was still living at Ramsden Row, Thurgoland⁸. She had her son John and her grandson Fred HART living with her (Fred HART was John’s illegitimate son with Harriet HART, who was born in Ramsden Row, Thurgoland on 09 June 1887⁹).

On the same page of the census living on Ramsden Row, her son Joseph BEET is living with his wife Harriet and their 2 daughters Mary (aged 6) and Floria (aged 1). Further down the same page is Mary’s daughter Elizabeth, with her husband William and their 3 children Newton (aged 7), Annie (aged 3), and Christopher (aged 2).

I like the fact that Mary found a husband who gave her a steady life after her parents moved away, and that she lived the rest of her life surrounded by family.

1901 Census

In 1901, Mary EARNSHAW (BEET) was living at the Tilt Mill, Thurgoland¹⁰ with her son John BEET and her grandson Fred BEET (who was previously known as Fred HART).

Death

Mary EARNSHAW (BEET) died on 20 October 1907. She was buried with her husband John BEET at the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church, Thurgoland¹¹.

I know I look too happy in this photo to be standing by a headstone of my deceased ancestors – we had recently moved to Thurgoland and I had just realised that my ancestors had been here before me, so I was delighted by this discovery! We found the headstone in the corner of the churchyard, under a tree, covered in ivy.

Family Members:

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Sources:

1. Baptisms (PR) England. Penistone, Yorkshire. 27 December 1824. EARNSHAW, Mary. Collection: West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 04 December 2021.
2. Census Records. England. Bradfield, Yorkshire. 06 June 1841. HAIGH, Thomas (head). ED 19. FN 26. p. 10. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 27 November 2020.
3. Marriages (CR) England. RD Sheffield, [Yorkshire]. 19 September 1842. BEET, John and EARNSHAW, Mary. Entry no. 350.
4. Census Records. England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 30 March 1851. BEET, John (head). ED 1a. SN 90. PN 2334. p. 24. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 20 September 2021.
5. Census Records. England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 7 April 1861. BEET, John (head). ED 1. SN 88. PN 3453. p. 12. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 20 September 2021.
6. Census Records. England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 02 April 1871. BEET, John (head). Ed 1. SN 81. PN 4652. p. 18. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 20 September 2021.
7. Census Records. England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 03 April 1881. BEET, John (head). ED 3. PN 4611. FN 43. p. 15. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 20 September 2021.
8. Census Records. England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 05 April 1891. BEET, Mary (head). ED 4. PN 3783. FN 51. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 17 December 2021
9. Baptisms (PR) England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 09 June 1887. HART, Frederick. Collection: West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 17 December 2021
10. Census Records. England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 01 April 1901. BEET, Mary (head). ED 4. PN 4325. FN 27. p. 15. SN 105. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 17 December 2021.
11. Burials (PR) England. Thurgoland, Yorkshire. 23 October 1907. BEET, Mary. Collection: West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 17 December 2021.