175 years of Barstow Family in Manchester

Bastow and Barstow Family history (South Lancs, England)

These pages contain our family history dating from the mid 1700's in South Lancashire and Manchester.
Descendants of which can be found all over the world from America, Canada to Australia, New Zealand and even Yorkshire!

Here is My Family Tree as html. If you've found yourself or someone you know on it, send me an email - corrections and source information queries welcome!

Myths, mysteries and legends

The family legend of Uncle Alf Eastwood uncovered.

Or look at the Barstow Siamese twin mystery web page.

Family Occupations

Perhaps the only decent thing to come out of Stockport is the Hat Works Museum which is at the bottom of the massive town centre chimney on Wellington road. You can learn about the Hatting process and such terms as Planking, both manual and industrialised. I have also prepared a page of hatting artefacts related to Audenenshaw and Denton.

For those not employed locally in the apparel industries of Hatting or Cotton spinning/weaving, then the railway engineering companies
of Beyer Peacock or next door at Gorton Tank (GCR works Gorton) proved poplar employers in Manchester.
For those who remember Dinting railway centre near Glossop, I've scanned publicity information from 1973.
Some history of factories and industry can be found at Grace's Guide To British Industrial History.

Celebrity family members

I have researched the late Victorian children's author and poet Charles H Barstow who is my great uncle x3 Charles Henry Barstow
b.1856. Despite being a published author of many works, he is totally unknown within the family.

Family role in Chartism

Details of how Abraham Mosley Bastow was involved in Chartism while living in Droylsden in the 1830's.

Local history - Audenshaw and Denton reservoir history

The History of Audenshaw reservoir including Manchester Corporations protracted litigation against New Moss Colliery for causing subsidence
due to coal mine workings under Audenshaw No.1 reservoir with potential fatal consequences to Audenshaw residents.
Shown through a timeline of construction and operation.

Local building history research

The house called Hermon Hall on Shepley Lane which is now The Mount, Shepley Road, Audenshaw and it's connection with the Arundale family.

Coming soon - The Arundel mistake

Clearing up the errors surrounding the spelling of Arundale which have been carried down through generations of Barstow descendants
and even made it on to buildings.

Family history resources

For family historians, some top links for research websites (some are Manchester / Ashton specific)

CheshireBMD - Cheshire Birth, Marriage and Death (BMD) record indices - covering Tameside plus multi-region Local BMD search

FreeBMD - England and Wales GRO records on the internet 1837 - 1983 indices images and transcriptions.

1921 Census free access - England and Wales census available from any Manchester library computer including local libraries and at the central library, your own device over library wifi (ESSID LibraryWiFi, not _BusybeeMcr). As of 2024, working on PC's at the central library, New Moston and Newton Heath libraries.

IGI from the Mormons - free census and BMD records (now called familysearch).

GENUKI - genealogy, UK, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland,

Tameside MBC are recognised pioneers in e-government. For example, take a look at the cemeteries online grave search (formaly web.tameside.gov.uk/BACAS).
An Audenshaw Cemetery plan / map is (Cemetery Road, M34 5AH next to Cemetery park) available from me here and Google maps
aerial view for comparison or the online photo repository at the local studies library.

For those interested in the contemporary registration system, Handbook for Registration Officers Births and Deaths for England and Wales (PDF, scanned) by GRO from www.shipman-inquiry.org.uk plus other SR operational information

Audenshaw Local History Society, or try and have a glance at my Audenshaw images for all those who remember the 70's phase III improvement scheme (slum clearance) and earlier - all that's missing is the smell of brick dust!

Or follow this link if you want to know about Hooley Hill railway station in Audenshaw.

Daves guide on how to trace living people for Family history (also applicable for identity theft) in England.

Stored here but a little old now are the Bairstow/Barstow/Bastow IGI indices for England (zip file, May 2002 800kb).

And here are GRO Barstow Births, Marriages and Deaths for England and Wales 1837-1980 (Incomplete).

Can you help me?

I am trying to locate descendants or Information regarding Annie Florence Davis (Barstow/Hallewell) who married Henry Williamson (linked to Hamilton or Brantford Ontario Canada - issue Hannah Williamson married Henry Reavette - had a daugter Dolores Reavette who also lived in Michigan, USA - Married Benjamin F Wilkes). Also her sister Elsie Maud Barstow 'aunt Maud' (married Thomas Evans) and died in Sydney, Australia. Frederick Charles Barstow and his wife Jane Helen Gow who died in Bristol in the 1950's. Their Daughter Lillian, married Joseph Howard Barker, Ontario, February 1928 (Hamilton, Wentworth). The Davis - Barstow branch of the family emigrated to Canada after 1912 but the majority came back by the end of the 1st world war, if not before.

If thats too taxing, take a quick look to see if you can see one of your relatives outside the Railway Inn (The Boundary), Guide Bridge 100 years ago or identify the mystery girl here.

Last updated 11 June 2024

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