Faith & Betrayal, Part II
(go to Part I here)
As I mentioned, Faith & Betrayal was particularly interesting to me because of a family connection. While researching my father's line, I made contact with a very distant cousin, who has provided me with additional information regarding the Walsh family, some of which is included below.
James Walsh was born on July 31, 1806 in Over Darwen, Blackburn, Lancashire, England. This area is known for its textile production, an occupation that James Walsh and other family members pursued as well. Typically, the textiles would have been cotton or calico.
Born as the golden age for handweavers was ending, James Walsh would probably have spent most or all of his career in factories, even if he had started in a handweaving family. By the 1830s, steam power had made large-scale industrialization of textile factories possible, largely destroying the handweaving industry. Working and living conditions for these workers were typically abysmal, but a large-scale work force was needed and readily available in the young who had been pushed out of other more agrarian pursuits.
Of the Walsh hometown in Blackburn, I found this piece of information regarding the handweavers:
It is entirely possible that the Walsh family moved to Tottington as a result of the poverty affecting handweavers in Blackburn. Tottington was experiencing a population explosion as the cotton factories expanded production. This website notes that Tottington-Lower End had a "population in 1801 of 4,314, which in 1841 had increased to 9,929, and in 1851 to 10,685 souls".
James Walsh and his family are again mentioned in Tottington-Lower End in 1851. By this time, nine children are living at home, in addition to James and Betty. Since the last census, the family has been enlarged by Susannah (b. 1842), Emma (b. 1845), Joseph Cornelius (b. 1847), and James (b. 1849). Hannah Marie would be born later that year, and Betty's final child Amelia Jane would be born in 1853. Mary Ann is not living at home.
In both the 1841 and 1851 censuses, James is listed as a "machine printer". In all probability, this means that he worked with calicos, using an automated process to apply the colors or dyes to the cloth. It is quite likely that this was done using a roller or cylinder machine, such as the one discussed here. In 1851, several of James' sons are also listed as working as "machine engravers". This was a relatively skilled job, so the family may have been slightly better off than many.
In 1861, the family is still in Tottington. James, age 53, is a calico machine printer. Betty died in 1855, and James had married Sarah Penwright. James and Betty's youngest daughter Amelia Jane also died in 1858. She and Betty were buried in Tottington, Lancashire, England. Seven other children are still living at home, as is Betty's father, Richard Cranshaw, who at age 83 is still working in the mills as a madder dyer. Joseph, age 14, is also working in the mills. For the first time, the girls are also employed. The family seems to have more economic concerns than in years past, based on these factors.
The Walsh family was among the first wave of Britons to be exposed to the Latter Day Saints missionaries. The first LDS missionaries didn't even enter England until 1837. However, they converted many in a short time; by 1852, more than 30 thousand had converted in the United Kingdom alone. James Walsh and his family were among this early wave.
James was ordained Teacher on July 8, 1841/2 in Tottington, Lancashire, just 4 years after LDS missionaries arrived in England. He was ordained Priest (a fully functional LDS church member) on 7 May 1848. He was also president of the Bury District [LDS Church] for a time. Other family members, including the Cranshaws, also joined the church and held positions of authority.
The cotton industry was once again struck a severe economic blow in the 1860s:
James emigrated to the U.S. in 1863. Both religious persecution and economic concerns may have played a role. James brought his wife Sarah and children, Mary Ann 26, Ellen 21, Susannah 19, Emma 16, Joseph 14, James 12, Hannah 10. James was 49 and Sarah was 44.
They sailed on the ship "Antarctic" the 23 May 1863 and arrived the 10 Jul 1863 in New York. They resided on the "Poop" deck as they sailed the ocean. Other friends sailed with them, including John Snowcroft who later became successful in Ogden and Duckworth Grimshaw who was also successful in the valley. Their sons, Richard and Thomas, came to America in 1853/4 and were living in Brooklyn, NY when the rest of the family immigrated. Elizabeth never came to the US.
It is unclear if the Walsh family took advantage of the revolving fund that enabled new Mormon immigrants to come to the United States. If so, they would have had to repay these funds.
The story is told that the Walshes were persuaded to stay on the east coast rather than coming west. James is found in the 1864-92 Directories for Lawrence, MA.
Lawrence, MA also has a strong history of textile industry, being one of the first locations to industrialize textile production in the U.S. Although the area has a stronger connection to wool than cotton, calico printing did apparently exist in the city and the textile factories did well into the 1900s.
It seems plausible that the Walsh family opted to stay in Lawrence, at least in part, due to the economic opportunities. This, in conjunction with the rising disillusionment with the Mormon church by both converts and the general public, may have induced the Walshes to remain in the east.
Disillusionment with the church may also have played a role, however. None of the Walsh children who remained in the East seem to have been in the LDS Church at the time of their deaths. So complete was the erasure of this period of time that I was, in fact, completely unaware of its existence until relatively recently. Certainly, therefore, the Walsh children and future descendants did not mention religion as a reason for immigration, possibly because they were ashamed of their conversion.
Regardless of the reasons, James Walsh did stay in Lawrence, MA until his death. City Directories for Lawrence list James Walsh:
James died at age 85 years, 2 months, 25 days of General Debility and Paralysis. His obituary on 19 Mar 1892 read:
As I mentioned, Faith & Betrayal was particularly interesting to me because of a family connection. While researching my father's line, I made contact with a very distant cousin, who has provided me with additional information regarding the Walsh family, some of which is included below.
James Walsh was born on July 31, 1806 in Over Darwen, Blackburn, Lancashire, England. This area is known for its textile production, an occupation that James Walsh and other family members pursued as well. Typically, the textiles would have been cotton or calico.
Born as the golden age for handweavers was ending, James Walsh would probably have spent most or all of his career in factories, even if he had started in a handweaving family. By the 1830s, steam power had made large-scale industrialization of textile factories possible, largely destroying the handweaving industry. Working and living conditions for these workers were typically abysmal, but a large-scale work force was needed and readily available in the young who had been pushed out of other more agrarian pursuits.
Of the Walsh hometown in Blackburn, I found this piece of information regarding the handweavers:
By 1841, we find James Walsh, age 30, married to Elizabeth (Betty) Cranshaw (m. 18 Jan 1828 in Blackburn) and the father of six young children: Richard (b. 1829), Thomas (b. 1831), Elizabeth (b. 1833), Mary Ann (b. 1835), Sarah (b. 1838), and Ellen (b. 1840). They lived in the lower end of Tottington Mills, parish of St. Anne's Church of England."The 1830s were a miserable time for the handloom weavers as more types of cloth were woven by power looms, and this caused a reduction in the handloom price for the same type of cloth; there was also a general downward trend over the decade and in 1837, wages were reduced 25% in a single year. There was widespread distress among the handloom weavers in Blackburn.
In the winter of 1841 to 1842 a Committee was formed to administer relief, and their report issued in December 1841 makes gloomy reading. 7,000 people in Blackburn were having to exist off 2s. 8d per week. The section of the Report on Lammack states : 'Most of the cottages in this district are handloom weavers. They were, consequently, found generally employed, but receiving very scanty remuneration for their labour, and the scanty pittance exhibiting an almost weekly reduction. The majority of persons visited were found to be hardworking, clean, managing and patient under their many and great privations. Their principal food is oatmeal porridge, with either churned or sweet milk, and potatoes stewed with a little water, salt and an onion or two for dinner'."
It is entirely possible that the Walsh family moved to Tottington as a result of the poverty affecting handweavers in Blackburn. Tottington was experiencing a population explosion as the cotton factories expanded production. This website notes that Tottington-Lower End had a "population in 1801 of 4,314, which in 1841 had increased to 9,929, and in 1851 to 10,685 souls".
James Walsh and his family are again mentioned in Tottington-Lower End in 1851. By this time, nine children are living at home, in addition to James and Betty. Since the last census, the family has been enlarged by Susannah (b. 1842), Emma (b. 1845), Joseph Cornelius (b. 1847), and James (b. 1849). Hannah Marie would be born later that year, and Betty's final child Amelia Jane would be born in 1853. Mary Ann is not living at home.
In both the 1841 and 1851 censuses, James is listed as a "machine printer". In all probability, this means that he worked with calicos, using an automated process to apply the colors or dyes to the cloth. It is quite likely that this was done using a roller or cylinder machine, such as the one discussed here. In 1851, several of James' sons are also listed as working as "machine engravers". This was a relatively skilled job, so the family may have been slightly better off than many.
In 1861, the family is still in Tottington. James, age 53, is a calico machine printer. Betty died in 1855, and James had married Sarah Penwright. James and Betty's youngest daughter Amelia Jane also died in 1858. She and Betty were buried in Tottington, Lancashire, England. Seven other children are still living at home, as is Betty's father, Richard Cranshaw, who at age 83 is still working in the mills as a madder dyer. Joseph, age 14, is also working in the mills. For the first time, the girls are also employed. The family seems to have more economic concerns than in years past, based on these factors.
The Walsh family was among the first wave of Britons to be exposed to the Latter Day Saints missionaries. The first LDS missionaries didn't even enter England until 1837. However, they converted many in a short time; by 1852, more than 30 thousand had converted in the United Kingdom alone. James Walsh and his family were among this early wave.
James was ordained Teacher on July 8, 1841/2 in Tottington, Lancashire, just 4 years after LDS missionaries arrived in England. He was ordained Priest (a fully functional LDS church member) on 7 May 1848. He was also president of the Bury District [LDS Church] for a time. Other family members, including the Cranshaws, also joined the church and held positions of authority.
The cotton industry was once again struck a severe economic blow in the 1860s:
"The American Civil War from 1861-65 dealt all the cotton industry a severe blow. It almost decimated the handloom branch, cutting off the market in the rest of America as well as cotton supplies from the South."In addition to this economic blow, the Walsh family had suffered a personal one, when James lost his leg in the mills in the early 1860s. While not uncommon for mill workers, this disability would have been economically devastating for the family.
James emigrated to the U.S. in 1863. Both religious persecution and economic concerns may have played a role. James brought his wife Sarah and children, Mary Ann 26, Ellen 21, Susannah 19, Emma 16, Joseph 14, James 12, Hannah 10. James was 49 and Sarah was 44.
They sailed on the ship "Antarctic" the 23 May 1863 and arrived the 10 Jul 1863 in New York. They resided on the "Poop" deck as they sailed the ocean. Other friends sailed with them, including John Snowcroft who later became successful in Ogden and Duckworth Grimshaw who was also successful in the valley. Their sons, Richard and Thomas, came to America in 1853/4 and were living in Brooklyn, NY when the rest of the family immigrated. Elizabeth never came to the US.
It is unclear if the Walsh family took advantage of the revolving fund that enabled new Mormon immigrants to come to the United States. If so, they would have had to repay these funds.
The story is told that the Walshes were persuaded to stay on the east coast rather than coming west. James is found in the 1864-92 Directories for Lawrence, MA.
Lawrence, MA also has a strong history of textile industry, being one of the first locations to industrialize textile production in the U.S. Although the area has a stronger connection to wool than cotton, calico printing did apparently exist in the city and the textile factories did well into the 1900s.
It seems plausible that the Walsh family opted to stay in Lawrence, at least in part, due to the economic opportunities. This, in conjunction with the rising disillusionment with the Mormon church by both converts and the general public, may have induced the Walshes to remain in the east.
Disillusionment with the church may also have played a role, however. None of the Walsh children who remained in the East seem to have been in the LDS Church at the time of their deaths. So complete was the erasure of this period of time that I was, in fact, completely unaware of its existence until relatively recently. Certainly, therefore, the Walsh children and future descendants did not mention religion as a reason for immigration, possibly because they were ashamed of their conversion.
Regardless of the reasons, James Walsh did stay in Lawrence, MA until his death. City Directories for Lawrence list James Walsh:
- 1864 printer, house Sutton, near Turnpike s.s.
- 1866 printer h 45 Pacific corp.
- 1868 house 207 Lowell
- 1871-1878 207 Lowell
- 1879-1892 B.S. appears 207 Lowell
- 1892 James B.S. died March 19, 1892
- 1892 Sarah, widow of James B.S. house 207 Lowell
- 1894-1898 Sarah, widow, house 126 Broadway
James died at age 85 years, 2 months, 25 days of General Debility and Paralysis. His obituary on 19 Mar 1892 read:
"James Walsh died last night at his residence, 207 Lowell Street, aged 86 years. Deceased was born in Darwin, Lancashire, England and came to this country in 1862. Deceased was one of the oldest calico printers in this country. He was the father of 13 [12 is the accurate number] children. One of whom, A.G. [Alonzo was a grandson] was president of the Lowell Common Council and another, Thomas, is manager of the Hamilton print works, Lowell. In 1860, he lost his leg while at work on a calico printing machine. "
Labels: books, family history, Walsh
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