Margaret Higson 1825 - 1887

Margaret Higson (1825 - 1887)

Margaret Higson was born in Rumworth in March 1825. She was eighth child and second daughter of James Higson and Mary Pendlebury. She was christened on April 3 1825 at the Deane parish church - St Mary's the Virgin in Rumworth.

At the time of her birth, her father was a Shopkeeper althought he returned to farming and weaving in the years to follow. 

In March 1841 - at the time of the 1841 census - Margaret was living with her parents at Daubhill where she is recorded as working as a hand loom weaver - For more on this trade see on Hand Loom Weaving the 19th Century

Margaret married John Hayes of Ainsworth at the Deane parish church - St Mary the Virgin in Rumworth on 1 October 1848. John was the son of William Hayes and Mary Heaton

Between 1848 and 1873 the Margaret and John had five (5) children (:

• William Hayes Born 1848
• Mary Hayes Born 1851 Married David Yates Died 1929
• Jane Hayes Born 1853
• Elizabeth Hayes Born 1860
• Edith Hayes Born 1873

Margaret and John moved to Bolton after their marriage prove to be quite mobile over the following 30 years

• In 1851 they are living in 111 Burnden Rd, Bolton - where both John and Margaret are cotton hand loom weavers
• In 1861 they are living at 80 Commission St Great Bolton - where again, both John and Margaret are cotton hand loom weavers
• In 1871 they are living at 35 Back Pump St Great Bolton - where John is a Hand Loom Weaver and Margaret is noted as a cloth cooker in Cotton Mill
• In 1881 John is living visiting with his daughter Mary at 149 Morris Green Lane but Margaret is recorded as being at the Police Station, Town Hall, Great Bolton

Further research has identified that the Town Hall lockup  was actually under the town hall at Little Bolton. An 1840 review of the accomodation in Volume 5 of the House of Commons Papers notes:

Little Bolton - six cells ; length 8 feet 1 inch, width 6 feet, height 8 feet 3 inches ; guard beds inside each cell ; ventilated with iron grating over each door, 2 feet 4 inches by 1 foot 2 inches. All the cells heated by one of Dr. Arnots large stoves, which stands in the centre of the lobby that divides the cells. ....

The six cells under the town-hall at Little Bolton are very unfit for the detention of prisoners for the time they are liable to be detained in the in consequence of the magistrates on ly disposing of cases on three days a week. At the time of inspection, there was one female prisoner who had been apprehended on the Monday afternoon.... who would not in the regular course be brought up before the bench until the ensuing Thursday. These cells are quite dark, imperfectly ventilated and have no water closets or other conveniences

Margaret died in 1887