Hargreaves Gill

Pudwoppa · 08-02-2011, 14:07

I was trawling t'interweb and found this bit of info attached to an 'Angel Harp'.

"An instrument like this was sometimes called an Angel Harp but this one is known as The Fairy Bells and was manufactured solely by R. Cook & Co. in the mid 1800's.

In March 1878, a certain Mr. Hargreaves Gill of Accrington, who was said to be unequalled as a performer on this instrument, performed before the then Prince of Wales at a concert at Croxteth Hall in Liverpool. The Prince was so impressed that he granted Mr. Gill use of his Coat of Arms. After this honour Mr. Gill, who was originally a mill worker in Accrington, "attained a tolerably good position" - Accrington Times, 1st January, 1881."

Personally I'd never heard of him. I normally search Accy Web first to reference but found no mention of him, so I thought I'd post this to see if anyone can provide more info. Apologies if he's been mentioned before; but I did look :|

Retlaw · 08-02-2011, 14:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pudwoppa

I was trawling t'interweb and found this bit of info attached to an 'Angel Harp'.

"An instrument like this was sometimes called an Angel Harp but this one is known as The Fairy Bells and was manufactured solely by R. Cook & Co. in the mid 1800's.

In March 1878, a certain Mr. Hargreaves Gill of Accrington, who was said to be unequalled as a performer on this instrument, performed before the then Prince of Wales at a concert at Croxteth Hall in Liverpool. The Prince was so impressed that he granted Mr. Gill use of his Coat of Arms. After this honour Mr. Gill, who was originally a mill worker in Accrington, "attained a tolerably good position" - Accrington Times, 1st January, 1881."

Personally I'd never heard of him. I normally search Accy Web first to reference but found no mention of him, so I thought I'd post this to see if anyone can provide more info. Apologies if he's been mentioned before; but I did look :|

Lived in Warner St at one time. some of his descendants now live in Australia.
Retlaw

garinda · 08-02-2011, 17:42

Thank you.

Interesting, and no, I'd never heard of him either.

Quick search revealed this, which has his ancestry on, and a photograph of his Angel Harp/Fairy Bells.

Hargreaves Gill Family History Local History

Retlaw · 08-02-2011, 17:46

[quote=Pudwoppa;881716]I was trawling t'interweb and found this bit of info attached to an 'Angel Harp'.

"An instrument like this was sometimes called an Angel Harp but this one is known as The Fairy Bells and was manufactured solely by R. Cook & Co. in the mid 1800's.

In March 1878, a certain Mr. Hargreaves Gill of Accrington, who was said to be unequalled as a performer on this instrument, performed before the then Prince of Wales at a concert at Croxteth Hall in Liverpool. The Prince was so impressed that he granted Mr. Gill use of his Coat of Arms. After this honour Mr. Gill, who was originally a mill worker in Accrington, "attained a tolerably good position" - Accrington Times, 1st January, 1881."
Just had a reply to an email from one of his descendants.
He did live in Accrington, in the Plantation Mill St area as well as for a short time in Warner St with one of his close relatives. He then moved to Liverpool. His original set of Fairy Bells is with a descendant of his family who now resides in America.
There are also branches of Hargreaves Gill's family in Australia & Canada.
Retlaw

Rosgreave · 09-02-2011, 10:43

Hargreaves Gill was the only boy out of the 4 children born born in Accrington in March 1845 to Thomas Gill of Accrington and his wife Elizabeth Hargreaves who was born in Halifax. Hargreaves Gill married Ann Halstead, of Salterforth and they had 8 children. The first child was born in Accrington and died as a baby, the next five were born in Liverpool and the last two were born in Blackburn.

Various occupations are listed for him in census and other records. He was a weaver in 1861 whilst still living with his parents in Plantation Mill Street, Accrington, but by the time of his marriage in 1871 he was a Book Keeper and living in Liverpool. In 1881 his occupation is stated as 'Patent Boiler Manufacturers' in Liverpool and in 1879 an existing partnership between Hargreaves another man under the name of Hargreaves Gill & Co was dissolved, with Hargreaves carrying on singly as a Patent Boiler Composition Manufacturer. In 1891 census he is a 'manufacturing chemist living on his own means'.

In 1891 the entire family relocated to Pawtucket, Rhode Island and in the 1900 US census Hargreaves is a Chemist. He died in Rhode Island sometime before 1910. There are many of his descendants living in the US today.

During his time in Liverpool he was indeed a talented performer of the 'Fairy Bells', which I understand he invented, and he did indeed perform before the Prince of Wales at Croxteth Hall.

I'm a great grand-daughter of a sister of Hargreaves Gill. He was my great grand uncle.

Rosgreave

garinda · 09-02-2011, 10:55

Fascinating.

Thanks for that information Rosgreave.

You're obviously proud of him, and we can be as well now.

Rosgreave · 09-02-2011, 11:03

The boy did good, didn't he Garinda?

You are right - I am proud. I would imagine the name of Hargreaves originated from the maiden name of his mother. My grandfather also had the christian name of Hargreaves and was quite possibly called after him. Also the name has been used in all successive generations of our family. However until I became interested in family research I knew nothing at all about Hargreaves Gill.

garinda · 09-02-2011, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosgreave

The boy did good, didn't he Garinda?

You are right - I am proud. I would imagine the name of Hargreaves originated from the maiden name of his mother. My grandfather also had the christian name of Hargreaves and was quite possibly called after him. Also the name has been used in all successive generations of our family. However until I became interested in family research I knew nothing at all about Hargreaves Gill.

There are still a lot of Hargreaves in this area.

Some were mill owners, and are descendents of James Hargreaves, the inventor of the Spinning Jenny. A machine which helped the industrial revolution flourish, and made this area, at that time, the world centre for cotton cloth production.

There's some info about that branch of Hargreaves on this link.

Oswaldtwistle Mills - Shopping Centres / Shopping Outlets & Tourist Attractions in England, Days Out In The UK

Rosgreave · 09-02-2011, 11:40

My branch of the Hargreaves family are firmly based around Halifax until the arrival in Accrington of several ancestors in the mid 19th century. I have researched way back before James Hargreaves of Spinning Jenny fame and cannot find any connection to him, despite the fact that as a child I was told my grandfather was called after this famous James 'because we were related'. I do not think we are!!

It was the GILL side of that branch family who were Accringtonians.

garinda · 09-02-2011, 11:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosgreave

My branch of the Hargreaves family are firmly based around Halifax until the arrival in Accrington of several ancestors in the mid 19th century. I have researched way back before James Hargreaves of Spinning Jenny fame and cannot find any connection to him, despite the fact that as a child I was told my grandfather was called after this famous James 'because we were related'. I do not think we are!!

It was the GILL side of that branch family who were Accringtonians.

You never know. Sometimes these old tales have a grain of truth. Might be through marriage, the connection, and not your Hargreaves line.

I can go back to ancient Babylon, through apparently being a direct descendent of John o' Gaunt, yet I'm still trying to find any link to Hogarth, who my late granny insisted she was descended from.

It is fascinating, though you are left with the feeling we are very lucky to be here. Being a result of such a massive gene pool.

garinda · 09-02-2011, 12:00

If you go back a thousand years, and take into account the then relatively tiny population of the British Isles, and the fact that we all have literally hundred of thousands of great-grandparents, many times removed, it's a wonder we all haven't got six fingers on each hand, and the hat size of John Merrick.

Rosgreave · 09-02-2011, 12:11

That's so true

Re: spinning jenny connection though - I have everybody very well accounted for so I cannot see where I would be able to slot in James Hargreaves, whether through marriage or not.

Before knowing different, being able to say 'James Hargreaves was my ancestor' got me lots of brownie points at school though

garinda · 09-02-2011, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosgreave

That's so true

Re: spinning jenny connection though - I have everybody very well accounted for so I cannot see where I would be able to slot in James Hargreaves, whether through marriage or not.

Before knowing different, being able to say 'James Hargreaves was my ancestor' got me lots of brownie points at school though

He invented it in what was Stanhill post office, which was very near to where I lived as a child, and the place I went to post my letters to Santa.

Retlaw · 09-02-2011, 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosgreave

My branch of the Hargreaves family are firmly based around Halifax until the arrival in Accrington of several ancestors in the mid 19th century. I have researched way back before James Hargreaves of Spinning Jenny fame and cannot find any connection to him, despite the fact that as a child I was told my grandfather was called after this famous James 'because we were related'. I do not think we are!!

It was the GILL side of that branch family who were Accringtonians.

I've already contacted the Gill's & Hargreaves's in Australia & Lancashire, about this thread & the link to the Fairy Bells. I met them both for the 1st time last October, when the Australian came over for a visit. I have helped both of them over several years in tracing their ancestors.

One of theirs was a Jonas Hargreaves who originated in Yorkshire, fought in the Penisular Wars at Talivera. He was buried in Accrington.
They have no link to the Spinning Jenny Hargreaves line.

Retlaw.

Retlaw · 09-02-2011, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

You never know. Sometimes these old tales have a grain of truth. Might be through marriage, the connection, and not your Hargreaves line.

I can go back to ancient Babylon, through apparently being a direct descendent of John o' Gaunt, yet I'm still trying to find any link to Hogarth, who my late granny insisted she was descended from.

It is fascinating, though you are left with the feeling we are very lucky to be here. Being a result of such a massive gene pool.

Gi oer Garry, before the Norman invasion very few people in this country had a surname, those that had were like one you mention John O Gaunt. It was only a decree by a King that brought about the use of surnames, that was so his tax collectors knew who they were dealing with, many took their surname from the place they were living in, others used the name of their trade or occupation, thats why we have so many Smiths.
Then along came parish registers, and cloth eared clerics who did'nt understand local dialects, and wrote what they heard in the parish registers.
After that the variations became endless. Just take the example of Whosnam, its now Wolstenholme, & John the Zitherator became John Harper. Any body outside of royalty & the nobility, who claims they can traced their ancestry back to the 1400, has been taking lessons from Baron Munchausen.
Retlaw.