In the 1841 census for Woodhouse, Normanton he is recorded as Joseph Midgley, farmer, 65 years old, his wife Susannah 50, daughter Susannah 25, Elizabeth 20, Joseph 20, Susannah 4. Others present in the household were: Mary Righton 10 and Joseph Righton 15 [M.S.] = man servant? It appears that Joseph and Susannah were housing Mary and Joseph after their mother, Sarah Midgley, died prematurely and their father had remarried.

On the 1851 census, Joseph recorded his birth as being at Hambleton. According to his headstone in Normanton parish churchyard, Joseph died in 1851. In the census of April 30th 1851 he was recorded as aged 80 years.¹ Joseph may have had older siblings as nine years elapsed between his father's marriage and Joseph's birth, but these siblings have not yet been totally identified.
Later Joseph became a farmer of 106 acres at Woodhouse, Normanton near Wakefield [1851 census], where he was married to Susannah Cheesbrough of Kirk Smeaton on the 17th December 1799 at the age of 28. The 1851 census shows Joseph's son, also Joseph and two labourers were employed.⁴² According to his headstone in Normanton churchyard, Susannah died about six years before Joseph on the 26th June 1845 aged 68 years. For the origins of Joseph's parents see Midgley's of Selby. 

                                            Previous- Midgley of  Selby Area

                                                                      |

                                                           Joseph Midgley====m : 17th December 1799======Susannah Cheesbrough
                                                           b. 1771 Hambleton                                                     b 1777 Kirk Smeaton
                                                           ch 15 Oct 1771 Brayton          |                                   ch ___
                                                           d   30 or 13  April 1851 Woodhouse, Normanton       d  26 June 1845 or 13 Ap 1851 Woodhouse, Normanton

                                                                                                                                             |
          ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
          |                     |                     |                                             |                                                              |                      |                                  |                                                      |                             |
Caroline              Mary           Sarah===Wm. Righton    William Walter ====Sarah               Joseph              Susannah*          David* ====Elizabeth*           Elizabeth               Joseph             
b_____              b_______    b_________                     b_____          |        Peace                  b1813                  b _____                               |    Crowther              b____                   b1820
ch 7 Sep 1800   15 Sep 1805    ch 16 May 1802                ch 3 Nov 1808    ch 3 Feb 1811    ch 12 Feb 1813    ch 6 Aug 1815                         ch 15 Mar 1818   ch 17 Sep 1820   
                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                |
                                                    ____________________________ |   
               ________________|__________                             _____________All probably born Woodhouse and ch. at Normanton except Thomas________________________
               |                            |                               |                             |                             |                                                 |                                 |                          |                       |                  |                         |
     Midgley                See  Midgley          Susannah                 Ann                  William======Susannah      John                       Jane                 Joseph            Seth         Henry               Thomas*
of Bolton, Lancs.     Of  Cawthorne, Yorks.                             b 1838               b 1840         |      Worsham       b~1843               b 1845                  b___          b ___            b_____    b 1853 Warmfield
                                                                                                       ch 25 Dec 1838   ch 29 Mar 1840  -Wyatt        ch 13 Aug 1843    ch 2 Feb 1845  both ch 2 May 1847    ch 4 Nov 1849   ch______
                                                                                                                                     d 1874 Ledston
                                                                                                                                                        |
                                                                     ___________________________________________________________________________
                                                                    |                                                       |                                       |                                     |                                          |                                                    
                                                 Frederick William* =====Elva Anna    Annie                             Emily                              Clara ==Valentine            Walter Edward*
                                                 b 14 Mar 1867 Woodhouse   Sanford     Elizabeth                       Dora                               Jane                                   b 1873 Ledston Mill
                                                ch 14 Ap 1867 Normanton                         b 1868  Ripley               b 1870 Ripley               b 1871 Spofforth              ch 1 Feb 1874 Ledsham

                                                                                       |
                                                                Midgley of California U.S.A.

Key:

*       = migrated to Nova Scotia in 1882 then California, Susannah [Worsham-Wyatt] joined the family there later.
xxxx  = evidence of twinning

"In 1848, the opening of the Wakefield, Pontefract and Goole railway line through Featherstone, provided the basis for large scale coal mining in Featherstone, by opening up new markets in the south of England and Europe. Coal had been mined at Featherstone since the 13th century and remains of bell pits can still be seen to the north of Park Lane at North Featherstone.Ackton Hall and its Featherstone estates, previously the home of the Lords of the Manor, was sold in 1865 and from that time mining developments were rapid, and the population boomed. The completion of the railway encouraged exploratory boreholes to be drilled to discover deeper coal seams.
In 1866, when George Bradley, an entrepeneur from Boston, Lincolnshire, bought the Ackton Hall estates, he leased land to John Shaw who opened a new colliery called Featherstone Main. Seeing the possibilities, George Bradley opened another called Manor Colliery. Shaw was successful at Featherstone Main, once the largest colliery in England, but Bradley, through lack of funds, and misfortune, failed with four collieries in the area.
Lord Masham, a successful mill owner from Bradford, bought the estates and provided money for development. Ackton Hall Colliery (Masham's) was a success and he began to provide social facilities such as housing for the new community.
The new town of Featherstone was developed in the field between Ackton and Purston as a mining town with good quality housing and social services."
"This is Featherstone". -Thanks go to local historian, Tony Lumb and the  Featherstone Local History Society

In the 1881 census Annie, Emily and Clara are shown living separately from their two brothers with their mother Susannah W. Midgley at a cottage at Ledsham. Susannah described herself in the 1881 census as an annuitant and dress-maker., her three daughters were 12, 11, and 9 year old scholars. 

Andrew Wyatt reports that Susannah Wyatt had a sister Mary and brother Thomas. Susannah's grandfather was William Cooper Wyatt, whose father was George Wyatt, d. 1792 in Islip. George's brother was William. The Wyatts were farmers and butchers, this family can be traced back to 1426 in Charlton on Otmoor near Oxford

Elizabeth Crowther, wife of David Midgley was born at Fixby⁴²/Greenstyle in 1818.⁴⁴. In the 1851 census described as wife to David Midgley, married 33 years old living at Woodhouse near Normanton. In the 1881 census, described as a 63 year old married farmer's wife, to David Midgley.⁴⁴ In the 1881 census David and Elizabeth had living with them their son Thomas Midgley and their grandsons Frederick and Walter at the farm at Ledstone. The parents (William Midgley and Susannah Worsham) of these last two were not present in the household at Ledstone, William had died and Susannah had migrated with the rest of the family.
William [b.1840] died at a relatively young age in 1874. As a consequence of his early death the girls lived on with their mother whilst the two boys went to live with their grandparents, David and Elizabeth. In 1882 David and his wife Elizabeth, Thomas his son, David's sister, Susannah and David's grandsons Frederick and Walter migrated to Nova Scotia, Canada and later re-migrated to California, USA.Susannah, mother of William and Frederick later followed them to California. Susannah arrived in or before 1895, presumably after her daughters were married, Susannah married  a second time to Michael Hefferen, he died shortly after, Susannah then went to reside with Frederick and his family until her death in 1905.²
See Midgley Gedcom download page
                                                               

8. Elizabeth Midgley

The headstone for Susannah nee Cheesbrough and Joseph Midgley born Hambleton 1771 "Sacred to the memory of Sussana Midgley, wife of Joseph Midgley of Woodhouse who departed this life, June 26th 1845 aged 68 years. Also to the said Joseph Midgley who died April 30th 1851 aged 80 years"	.                   .                                      The headstone is worn and flaking but still legible [1997]
Headstone of Joseph Midgley d. 1873, now laid as part of a path outside the entrance to Normanton Church. "Joseph Midgley who died May 4th 1873 aged 56* years In the midst of life there is death" * Thus born ~ 1817, this could be Joseph and Susannah's youngest son.
Headstone for : John Henry the beloved son of John Henry and Edith Midgley died __ January 11th 188_ aged 2 years and three months. Also John Henry Midgley, father of the above  died August 31st? 1865? aged  73? years also Edith Midgley the most beloved wife of  John Henry Midgley died_______       18__ aged 72? years Re-united. Also Edith Maud dearly beloved daughter of the above died___     18_ aged __"

                                            . 
                                                                                                 Normanton Parish Church and cemetery

Susannah Worsham-Wyatt A copy of a photograph of Sussanah [sic] Worsham Wyatt, wife of William Midgley.  Born 1838 Steeple Barton, Oxfordshire, died 1905 Sheridan, Placer County, California, USA. Susannah was a servant at the time of her marriage to William. After William's death, Susannah looked after her girls whilst the two boys stayed with William's parents. Later she followed the other members of  the family  to California. She also appears in the 1901 census at Ripon, Yorkshire as Susannah Heferen. Susannah travelled back to England and then returned  to the USA.

William Midgley A copy of a painting of William Midgley corn miller and farmer copies provided by Jane Paskowitz Born 1840, Woodhouse, Normanton, Yorkshire, died 1874 Ledston, Yorkshire. William married in Oxford whilst working as a butcher, he returned to Normanton where his eldest child, Frederick William was born. William, like his father David, was a farmer and corn miller. The corn mill was at Ledston Mill, West Yorkshire, William's yougest son, Walter Edward was born at Ledston Mill.     The headstone of William Midgley at Ledsham Parish Church: "Sacred to the memory of William Midgley of Ledstone Mill, born March 1st 1840 died May 23rd 1874."    William died of the water borne disease,              typhoid, which often infected well water

Clara Jane Midgley  Born 1871, Spofforth, West Yorkshire.	Clara Jane Midgley

Sources/References:
  1. E-mail from Mrs Ann Heany of Bispham, Lancashire (x3 grand-daughter to Sarah Midgley/Righton)
  2. Information supplied by Jane Paskowitz of California, U.S.A
  3. Field Work

 
  6. I.G.I. DO769 or DO768 Yorkshire.
  7. Cawthorne Centenary Booklet (1980) Barry Jackson churchwarden.
  8. pers. comm. Gillian McDougall  nee Midgley of Springwood, N.S.W.
  9. Letter to Sarah Wemyss from brother James C. Wemyss 28/6/1916
10. Letter from Anthony Hindley of Cawthorne containing pedigrees drawn up by Henry Milnes Walker(1989)
11. Letter from Charles Brian Midgley.
12. “History of Cawthorne” C.T. Pratt (1880)
13. Letters from Lt. Col. Charles Crossland (1983,1984)
14. Letter from the late Ronald T. Midgley (1982)
15. Letter from the late Roy Wemyss Milnes of Cawthorne.
16. Copy of Mildred Holroyd’s letter to Charles Crossland.
17. I.G.I. CO668 Northumberland (batch M109171, serial sheet 0594)
18. “Cawthorne 1790-1990, a South Yorkshire Village Remembers Its past”, Barry Jackson June 1990
19. Letter from Anthony Hindley March 1992
20.Letter from Audrey Town, 33, New Lane, Skelmanthorpe, July 1992
21. Census returns for 1881 (RG11/4611 Ed. 2, folio 30, p.20) and 1891 (RG12/) held at the Wakefield Local Studies Library and Barnsley Local Studies Library.
22. Taken from videotape made by Peter Arnold in Cawthorne late 1980’s
23 I.G.I. DO583 Yorkshire
24. English Parish Records, State Archives, Kingswood, Sydney, N.S.W.
25. Church of Latter Day saints (Mormons) I.G.I. Centre, Ryde, Sydney, N.S.W.
26. The Letterbag of Lady Spencer-Stanhope ed. by Anna Stirling pub. 1913 compiled from The Cannon Hall Papers 1806-1873 2 volumes, published by John Lane, London, Bell & Cockburn, printers, Toronto 1913.
27. I.G.I. Ayrshire
28. Letter from Dyone Dodson (nee Midgley) 11th May 1993.
29. Organic Chemistry p.109 Morrison and Boyd.
30. Huddersfield Examiner article 1993.
31.”Country Eye” Geoffrey Young p.99
32. Biographical Encyclopaedia of Science  Asimov pp930-1
33. Thomas Moules maps of Old England  printed 1930
34. Pedigree drawn up by solicitors for Ina Hepworth Estate in 1950’s
35. Letter from C.B. Midgley June 1995
36. Dictionary of English Place Names”  A.D. Mills  O.U.P. 1997
37. Internet resource: Cities & Towns of the West Riding
38. According to Jens Raunkjaer Graungaard, Parkvej 63, DK 4140  Borup, +45 57 52 2181      jensg@centrum.dk, https://www.danbbs.dk/~jensg/
39. Survey & Depth A. Barcan Griffin Press 1972.
40. The First World War, John Keegan, Hutchinson 1998.
41. E-mail communication with David Midgley of Tasmania.
42. Census 1851 for Wakefield district.
43. Census 1881 for Cawthorne, South Yorkshire.
44. Census 31st March 1881 for England.
45. Dictionary of English Place-Names, A.D. Mills, O.U.P.
46. L.D.S. on-line I.G.I.

Also see 1851 census for Midgleys of Wakefield district

Home                             Previous page                           Next Page- Midgley of Cawthorne