My Shackletons at Widdop 1580-1841 ------ and to-date
The link below is my attempt to track continuation of ALL Shackleton tenancies within ALL of Wadsworth including Widdop.
I've started from the tenancies of 1572-1610 and then looked at those between 1625- 1680. The 15 year gap between 1610 and 1625 was initially a problem but fortunately---- A/ the rental amounts did not alter, B/ most surnames continued --and thus by the process of elimination the only 'anomaly' was solved.
The gap between 1675 and 1680 has caused more problems. I have not been able to prove ALL progressions due to --
a. changes in rental amounts
b. lack of information on farm names
c. the number of 'new' tenaments from 1680 onwards
-- HOWEVER, from 1680 ONWARDS the progressions ARE accurate.
[Insert boxes show Court Rolls information and any possibly appropriate burials]
'Widdop Farm 1' [Higher Houses] Wadsworth
The various documents indicate that the tenancy of ''Widdop Farm 1'', Wadsworth continued through family members. My ancestors MAY have been the early tenants-it's unclear which property they were at in Widdop. Henry 1580-1637 followed, jointly, by his sons Joseph + Samuel.[Samuel died in 1641; Joseph was tenant until his death in 1666/7]
My 8th great grandfather William, in his will of 1668 DID pass his tenants rights of a farm in Wadsworth to his youngest son Joseph listed as tenant at 'Widdop Farm 1', Wadsworth 1701-1716 [Joseph died in 1716-not my direct ancestor] [SEE LINK' Adjusted subsiduary my '1st' tree']. A son of Joseph, Henry, became next tenant ; he took out a lease in 1715 and remained tenant until his death in 1738. He was a bachelor and passed his 'tenants rights' to one of his nephews, Solomon Crabtree who was 'usurped' by another nephew, Abraham Utley, who remained tenant after a dispute which went to the Savile Lords of the Manor. Though Abraham died in 1761 his name remained on the tenants list until 1778. In his will of 1752 he passed his tenants rights to his 2nd son, William, who appears not to have taken it up possibly due to continuing dispute?
The tenancy holders were-
1604-1637 [possibly earlier from 1580 when a lease to Henry at Widdop exists?]
1. Henry Shackleton [my 9x gr.grandad] -[buried 1637]
1637-1667 2. Joseph and Samuel Shackleton [2nd + 3rd sons of Henry ]-[there's a burial for Samuel in 1641 and one for Joseph in 1666/7 ]
1667-1668 3. William Shackleton [ my 8x gr. grandad; in his will of 1668 leaves 'Widdop, Wadsworth tenement' to youngest son, Joseph, and 'half-share tenants rights of Lathmans Farm, Widdop, Heptonstall' to son Henry]
1672-1680? 4. 'a' John is mentioned preceding Joseph sometime --unless an error?
1680-1690 5. Joseph Shackleton
1690-1697 6. 'a' John is listed ?
1697-1716 7. Joseph Shackleton [same as No.5?]
1715-1738 8. Henry Shackleton
9.[Solomon Crabtree Jnr; Uncle Henry Shackletons will of 1738 passed his tenancy rights to him BUT the farm was 'siezed' by cousin Abram Utley. A subsequent petition of 1741 went directly to the Saviles who appear to have done nothing about his claim]
1740-1778 10. Abram Utley Jnr. [dec 1761 but his name remained as tenant until 1778]
1779-1809 11. William and 12. James Shackleton [elder brothers of Joseph my 4x gr.grand]
1809-1817 12. James and 13.Joseph Shackleton [my 4th great grandad]
1817-1841 13.Joseph Shackleton [my 4th great grandad]
Lathmans Farm, Heptonstall
My more recent ancestors
The Shackleton surname derives from- 'Old English' ----
--- Scacol ---and---ton evolving to Shackle --and ---ton
The Old English word ''scacol'' derives from'tongue shaped piece of land' which is the shape of this hill.
History of
Widdop
A farm settlement with an enclosure, in Old English-- ''tonstall'' or ''ton'' was established on the lower slopes of the hill.
My ancestors inherited the leasehold rights of Lathmans in 1650, initially a half share, from William Shackleton's father-in-law, Simeon Crabtree.William was occupant from 1629 after his marriage to Simeon's daughter Mary.His will of 1668 refers to 'his farm in Wadsworth' and 'half share of Lathman's in Widdop, Heptonstall'. His elder son, Henry, obtained the full leasehold from 1669 and probably lived there as all his children, 1662-1678, were baptised 'of Henry of Heptonstall'
Henry's son, William, DID occupy, as when he died in 1720, IN Heptonstall, he referred to his farm as 'Lathmans', Heptonstall. William's only son, William, DID occupy too; on selling his leasehold ownership in 1763, he immediately took out a sub-let lease for himself, presumably until his death in 1777. His eldest son, John remained at Lathmans and was asked to terminate his tenancy in 1790. Two younger sons, William and James, then took on the tenancy of 'Widdop 1 Farm' on the Wadsworth side of Widdop. The adjacent link-'Tracking my Shackletons whereabouts'--seeks to explain their movement from one side of the valley to the other!
The '2nd' Shackleton tree began at Widdop; Wadsworth--------------------
----one branch remained at 'Pastures House',Widdop, Wadsworth
--- one moved to Alcomden, Wadsworth
----one to 'The Hollin[g]s, Heptonstall
Often tenancies were 'passed' to youngest sons in order to reduce the number of times a tenancy renewal had to be paid for; as long as someone in the family held the 'rights' it didn't matter who! It was known as 'Borough English'.
My searches discovered another LARGE Shackleton family tree which I've termed the '2nd' tree!
My 4th great grandad;Joseph Shackleton, weaver, of Widdop, Wadsworth [1760-1841]-youngest son of William Shackleton[1713-1777;-my 5th great grandad]; married Susannah Greenwood 1795; 3 children--Jimmy[1797], Grace[1800] and William [1802]
My 3rd great grandad; ''Jimmy'' [James] Shackleton, weaver, of Widdop, Wadsworth [1797-1836]-eldest son of Joseph Shackleton; married Sarah Harroad 1822; 4 children--John[1822], James[1824], Mary[1826-1838] and Joseph[1828-1908]
['Jimmy's siblings --- Grace [1800-1854] married John Shackleton [1800-1848]-this family later resided at Halifax, then Upper Horley Green Farm, Northowram, Halifax.
William [1802-1835] married Mary Shackleton [1803-1875]-sister of above John--they lived at the Widdop farm; after Williams death in 1835, widow Mary remained there with their five children, later marrying John Hargreaves in 1851]. [John and Grace were a brother and sister of the Shackletons living at Alcomden descending from -------- John Shackleton[1669-1735] and Sarah Drapper in the 2nd Shackleton family tree, shown in The Pastures section].
My great, great grandad; Joseph Shackleton, weaver then farmer, of Widdop, Wadsworth [born 1828 Widdop-died 1908]; then Stiperden Farm, Cliviger, Burnley; then Brimrod Farm, Sudden, Rochdale; married Elizabeth Rawsthorn 1856; 10 children--Fred, Sarah, Frank, Tom, Willy, John [ my great grandad], Sam, Alice, Harry and Joseph-mainly all born Stiperden and thereafter residing in Rochdale area.
My great grandad; John Shackleton, draper,[born Stiperden Farm 1866-died 1940] of Tweedale Street, Rochdale and Brimrod Lane, Sudden, Castleton, Rochdale ; married Elizabeth Greenwood 1895; 2 children--Bernard [1896] and John [1904]
My grandad; Bernard Shackleton, draper,[born Rochdale 1896-died 1960] of Nantwich, Cheshire; married Constance Jackson 1917; 1 child John -always known as ''Jack'' [1918]
My dad; John ['Jack'] Shackleton, draper, of Nantwich, Cheshire [1918-1972]; married Lillian Baddeley 1939; 2 children--Barbara [1940] and John [1950]
John Shackleton, teacher, of Nantwich[born 1950] then Farnborough[Hants], thereafter Crewe Cheshire; married Clarissa Crawford 1971; 2 children --Rachael [1973] and [John] Christopher [1976]. Rachael married Nick Buck 1996; 1 child-----------
Alfie [2001]
Christopher Shackleton, debt counsellor, of Farnborough [born 1976], then Crewe; married Kate Atkinson 2007; 2 sons------
Thomas [2011] and Aidan [2015]
View across to Shackleton Hill
Today Shackleton 'hamlet' consists of several farms