This page last updated 15 February 2010
6. Richard (early 19th century) of Leyland. More
5. Thomas and Isabella (both b abt 1830 - living in 1881) of Ormskirk and Skelmersdale. Isabella had been a WRIGHT of Preston. More
4. Richard (b abt 1859 - d between 1891 and 1915) and Elizabeth Ann (b abt 1862 - living 1891) of Skelmersdale. Elizabeth had been a WEBSTER of Rainford. More
3. James (b 1885 - living 1966) and Alice (b 1888 - living 1966) of Skelmersdale. Alice had been a WATKINSON, also of Skelmersdale. More
For research notes click here.
Richard RIGBY was a labourer and the father of Thomas RIGBY, born about 1830 in Leyland, Lancashire.
For research notes click here.
Thomas was no stranger to getting his hands dirty - his occupations include labourer (1854 and 1882), 'bricklayer (slaker lab)' (1861) and collier or labourer in coal mine (1871-81).
He married Isabella WRIGHT on 3 December 1854 in Preston (a town not far from Leyland). Isabella was about his age, the daughter of a labourer from Warton (another nearby village), and they both gave addresses in Preston (Thomas's was Grimshaw Street). At this stage they already had two daughters – Frances (Fanny), daughter of Isabella (father not stated) born 1853; and Margaret, born that year or the year after, reportedly in Ormskirk (also in Lancashire but further south), her parentage not yet established. Both these girls were subsequently borught up as the couple's children with the surname RIGBY.
They lived after their marriage at Ormskirk, north of Liverpool in south Lancashire (in 1861 at Cason's Yard, Burscough Street, which may be near the modern Burscough Road the B5319 near the rail station). Here they had:
Elizabeth (1856)
Richard (1859 - see below)
Robert (1862)
Then they moved to nearby Skelmersdale (in 1871 at 32 Knoll Brow or Knowe Brow, which may be around WN8 8BX on Liverpool Road the B5312) and had:
Thomas (1865)
Isabella (1868)
Catherine (1871)
Emma Jane (1874-probably 1894)
In 1881 they are listed at 108 Liverpool Road in Skelmersdale, which is presumably close to the above address. At this point the older daughters are no longer at home, but Richard and Robert are still there, listed as coal miners, and Thomas jnr as an assistant coal miner. I haven't yet found a mention of Thomas or Isabella after 1881, but for their son Richard see below.
For research notes click here.
As noted above, Richard was living with his parents in 1881, working as a coal miner. On 29 April 1882 he married Elizabeth Ann WEBSTER (a couple of years younger than him I think, and also daughter of a labourer) in Liverpool. They both gave Liverpool addresses a few doors apart (in Birchfield Street - now in central Liverpool, in what looks like a pedestrianised precinct north of New Islington the A580, near Lime Street station) and he gave his occupation as labourer.
After their marriage and up to 1891 they lived in Skelmersdale and Richard worked as a collier again. They had two boys in Skelmersdale - William (about 1882) and James (16 July 1885). In 1885 they lived in the High Street (which is now to the west of the New Town centre) and by 1891 they were in Ormskirk Road (now to the south-east of the town centre). It isn't clear what became of them after that but Richard had died by 1915 when his son James married.
For research notes click here.
James RIGBY married Alice WATKINSON in the Primitive Methodist Church in Skelmersdale on 27 December 1915; he was 30, she was 27. They were close neighbours, both living in the High Street (where Alice's parents had a dairy). At this time (and for at least a few years afterwards) James was a colliery engine winder. They lived in married life at Coronation Cottages in the High Street, and had a family but I won't detail the next generation as some members of that generation in my family are living. By 1945 James was a haulage contractor. I'm told the business was bought out by the Skelmersdale new town corporation in the post-war years. They both lived until at least 1966 I believe.
For research notes click here.
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