BLACKBURN's of Ovenden and Thornton

In 1830, John and Hannah (Wilson) Blackburn lived at Soil Hill, Ovenden. John was a tenant farmer of 10 acres, weaver and woolcomber. Nonetheless, by 1840 they couldn't pay the Poor Rate of Ł1 2s 9d. The Poor Law Records show that a summons 2s, warrant 1s, and constable fee of 3s were added but the amount "cannot be got." John and family had skipped town. In 1841, they showed up nearby at Wellheads, Thornton. Their financial woes continued and the Overseers of Thornton ordered them removed back to Ovenden. The Ovenden Overseers didn't want them either as the following appeal shows:


To the Overseers of  the  poor of  the  Township of Thornton
in  the  West   Riding  of  the County  of  York

Gentlemen

I do hereby for and on behalf of the Overseers of the poor of the Township of Ovenden in the West Riding of the County of York give you and every of you Notice that they do intend at the next General quarter Sessions of the peace to be holden at Pontefract for the said Riding to commence an appeal against a certain order of John Garnett Horsfall and Joshua Pollard Esquire two of Her Majestys Justices of the peace for the said Riding bearing date the twenty eighth of January last for the removal of John Blackburn his Wife and five Children to the said Township of Ovenden and that an application will be made at the said Sessions to get the said appeal respited to the then next General quarter Sessions for the said Riding.

                 Dated the seventeenth day of February 1846.
            Yours Etc
                         Chas Barstow.
                     Attorney on this case for
                     the Overseers of Ovenden
                     aforesaid

The appeal was successful. In 1851 they were still living in Old WellHeads with their 6 children and 6 boarders,all of them woolcombers.

While living at Soil Hill, the Blackburns attended the Zion Methodist New Connexion Chapel, Ovenden. Their daughter Mary was baptised there in 1837. This is a view of the Mt. Zion Chapel from the gravesite of Timothy Bancroft (another ancestor not related to the Blackburns).

related web sites:

Mount Zion Chapel
Bancroft's from Yorkshire