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 the family are not together
- John is living visiting with his daughter Mary at 149 Morris Green Lane (and is still recorded as a Cotton Hand Loom Weaver);
- Margaret and her daughter Jane are recorded as being an Institutional Prisoners at the Police Station, Town Hall, Great Bolton (she is recorded as being a Char Woman and Jane a Cotton Weaver)

The lock up under the Bolton Town Hall was built as part of the broader Town Hall project. The new Bolton Town Hall was opened in 1873 by the Prince of Wales. The Police quarter took up half of the floor area of the basement, the magistrates courts were housed on the first floor, directly above the cells. The police offices opened on to Howell Croft, and moved from the Town Hall in 1936 when it was extended

Further research has identified that on Friday April 1st Margaret, her daughter Jane and a William Whalley of 9 Regent St were remanded until Monday 4th on the charge of Alleged Concealment of Birth

Bolton Evening News - April 2 1881

Alleged concealment of birth - the defendants in this case - Margaret Heyes (mother), Jane Heyes (daughter), and William Whalley, of 9 Regent Street were again before the magistrates and formally remanded until Monday.

This explains why are they being held in the prison on the night of the census - 3 April 1881.

There is a further story on the case in the Bolton Journal on the 9th April 1881. According to the article Jane - who was aged 27 at the time - became pregnant. William Whalley helped with the birth - which occurred on the 5th March - but (it is claimed) the baby was born dead. Whalley took the child's body away and buried it in the cemetery. Margaret - then aged 57 - was discharged from custody to act as a witness on behalf of the prosecution. It was decided that it was for a jury to decide whether Jane was working with William Whalley to keep the birth a secret. Jane and William were committed to the assizes with a bail of £10.

Jane and William were found Not Guilty on 13 July 1881

It is suspected that Margaret died in 1887