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Going off son Elijah's birth, the mother's maiden name was BURY

Co-incidence that William married Ann BERRY sometimes transcribed as BURY !!!

Maybe Ann Eckersley had a fling with her brother-in-law???
Which would account for the child living with Ann - and William.



(Good night, Mike - I've been staring at this screen for far too long!)

Must admit that thought crossed my mind too.

Continuation of that speculation -
maybe the 9 year gap between the births of son Timothy and daughter Martha was because of some rift or drifting apart of Ann & William - unless there were children who were born and died during that period.
Therefore a fling with James, birth and death of Abram/Elijah, followed by reconciliation with William.

Ah, well, we will never know!

If the birth cert shows Ann as mother I would be inclined to go with that speculation.

The date of the 1841 census was the night of 6 June 1841
therefore the baby Abram would have been born 3rd June

Wonder if that date corresponds with Elijah's birth ?


Ahh .. but ...

Burial: 6 Apr 1842 aged 11 months.

Abram would only have been 10 months old in April

Back to the drawing board

Unless the death record's not totally accurate.

I still think it's a good theory, with the James Eckersley and Bury/Berry links.
Also, there's no sign of Abram otherwise.


Re other children born/died 1837-46:
William Eckersley, mms Berry, born & died Sharples, Bolton, 1839. (as originally mentioned by Potty on page 1, I now see)

So, just a 7 year gap, punctuated by Abram.

Or else he's the unnamed child whose birth & death you posted earlier, Mike, with mms Eckersley.

Wonder if William (senior) had any sisters?

Although as Abram had a name in the census, I wouldn't have thought he would be unnamed in the death record.

Wow, Mike & ArgyllGran. You have spent a lot of time on this which I really appreciate.

I'm liking your 'off the wall" theory Mike.

Can't see Elijah on the 1841 census index and he should be there if he was 11 months old in April 1842, so perhaps they did change his name.

Even though Eckersley seems to have been a very common name in that area, there can't have been many Eckersley/Bury marriages....so perhaps 2 brothers married 2 sisters?

And if Abram/Elijah's mother died in childbirth, that would explain why he is with his grandparents and aunt & uncle at only 3 days old.......father James may have had older children to care for at home.

I think I need a cert and am plumping for Elijah's birth cert.

Loving your idea of Ann having a fling with her brother-in-law, ArgyllGran, but wouldn't she just have tried to pass the child off as her husband's?........unless he'd been working away! ;-)

Thank you both very much. :-)

I'd be inclined to ask at the Lancashire records office if Elijah was born first week in June 1841.
If not then you don't need the cert

To further the fantasy, Christina, William could well have been away, in view of that 7-year gap in children!

I did think of the 2 sisters marrying two brothers idea, (as did Mike) but can't find a marriage between James and a Bury/Berry. Of course, they may not have been married, in which case Abram/Elijah could still have been taken on by Ann & William.

Mike, I didn't know you could do that and have already ordered the cert. Never mind, I'm sure he must belong to the family somewhere.

For future reference, if I just send an e-mail to the Lancashire Records Office would they tell me which week/month a child was born?



Oh, ArgyllGran, I'm well into the fantasy now. My ancestors had such ordinary jobs that I have to spice up their lives somehow. Ann may well have been a very loose woman, popping out sproggs to all and sundry whilst her husband toiled away in distant lands to earn an honest crust. ;-)

They won't give you any info from the cert but if you give certain criteria such as must have mother Jane, or must be born in Sept etc. they will tell you that there is no such match therefore you don't buy the cert.

I used this method when looking for my Gt Grandfather's birth cert. I had 4 possibles and none of them matched my details therefore I still don't have one.

Thanks Mike. That's a really useful thing to know.

Not sure if it works in any other local office but the Lancashire office is very accommodating ( I can virtually see the building from my house so it's handy for me to pop in and ask in person)

Do let us know what Elijah's birth cert says, would love a bit of scandal !! ;-)

I'll let you know the outcome, scandalous or not. :-)

Well, received Elijah's birth certificate today and you are spot on with your theory Mike.



When and where born: Fourth of June 1841 at Great Bolton.

Name: Elijah

Name and surname of father: William Eckersley

Name, surname and maiden name of mother: Ann Eckersley formerly Bury

Occupation of father: Blacksmith

Signature, description and residence of informant: X the mark of Ann Eckersley, Mather? Park Field, Great Bolton

When registered: Twenty first of June 1841




So they did change their minds about Abram's name and decided on Elijah instead.


His burial record showing father as James must be a mistake.


Thank you so much for your great detective work. :-D

Thanks for letting us know, Christina.

What a fascinating search this has been - aren't they all?!

Well done, Mike, with your lateral thinking.
And apologies to Ann Bury / Eckersley for doubting her virtue!

Oh I love it when a speculation comes together !!

They tried to fool us but our suspicious natures sussed them out.
So glad you didn't waste money on a fruitless cert.
Thanks for coming back to let us know the outcome.

Made my day !

Trying to go further back with Ann & this may be her baptism. Possibly the illegitimate daughter of Eleanor Bury....

Baptisms: 5 Jun 1814 St James, Altham, Lancashire, England
Ann Bury - Daughter of Eleanor Bury
Abode: Churchkirk
Occupation: Spinster
Baptised by: J. Adamson Incumbent
Register: Baptisms 1813 - 1832, Page 14, Entry 108
Source: LDS Film 1278856


Wondered about this as a possible marriage for Eleanor Bury...

Marriage: 8 Apr 1822 St James, Accrington, Lancashire, England
William Don - Church Kirk
Ellen Bury - (X), Accrington
Witness: Daniel Cavanagh; John Barlow
Married by Banns by: Jno. Hopwood, Minister
Notes: [Groom's surname was entered as Dean then changed. Note in left hand margin]
altered before Marriage by J. Hopwood
Register: Marriages 1813 - 1829, Page 108, Entry 323
Source: LDS Film 1278944

Could someone please see if they can find Eleanor
(Ellen) in the 1841 or 1851 census?