LUKE [Walsh] OF THE CROSS Ossie

[Dave Walsh]

I'm Dave Walsh and I originate from Bury [see my comments in the Introduce Yourself thread].

My father Alan Walsh died in 1979 at the age of 53. I'd known little about his family background. His father James died at Cannon Street Bury in the year 1953 aged 56. I lived there until 1958 when we moved to the Sunny Bank Estate in south Bury, near Unsworth. As Cannon Street is in a part of Bury known as "Freetown" that was reputed to have been a bit wild I'd always thought there was a possibility of an Irish Heritage [ie itinerant worker camps] but no apparent links emerged.

After speculating about Ireland for years, some recent research in a disused Methodist churchyard at Unsworth [less than a mile from my home address until 1969] meant I found [uncovered] the grave of my GGGrandfather [also a James]. The subsequent trail has taken us to the Church District in Accrington and the records at Church Kirk. There are Walsh's buried there [it's sometimes spelt Walch] but not linked so far.
I understand that Accrington has a substantial Irish Community itself.

We are currently looking at "Luke of the Cross", living at Oswaldtwistle, near the cross, in the seventeenth century when it was just a few dwellings and possibly with a brother [Peter] close by. Despite some visits and a consultation with helpfull staff at Accy Library we have not come accross a direct reference to Luke Walsh. This is therefore just a general request aimed at seeing if his name rings a bell with anyone local or indeed any Wash's near or far? All contributions welcome!!!
Dave

Also, as a "related" [pun intended] aside-
This could all be a much longer tale and there are a number of odd quirks and coincidences but particularly for Bob Dobsons interest, I'll mention briefly the water link. During the Walsh research, a "one off" reference to the Haslingden Canal Project led to us establishing that [had it actually been built] it would have run from Bury Basin, through Ramsbottom to Haslingden and then joining on to the Leeds Liverpool Canal at Church! We dug out the original 1793 plans which stated that it would terminate at the home of Mr Jon Peel at Church [near his works]. I live just near the Grants Arms in Rammy and the canal would, in fact, have run behind it!

[MargaretR]

There is still a Walsh family living in Church - two brothers and their sister.

Two of them are members on here but neither has posted for several years.

[Bob Dobson]

My understanding is that the Haslingden Canal was planned but never started on. Peel did have input into the line of the Leeds-Liverpool

I advise that you join the Lancashire Family History Society and align yourself to the Hyndburn branch, even if for one year only. This will, for £12, enable you to attend monthly meetings in Acc Library, get your name and interests in the society's magazine which goes to 2,000 members, allow you to attend the Research Room in The Straits, off Union Rd, Ossie where you will get one-to-one tuition, and allow you access to a Yahoo forum which gets your problems looked into by very experienced people who want to help you. Look at the Society's website. PM me your email address and I will get the mem sec to send you details. I don't think Acc has had a huge number of Irish

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Dave Walsh

I'm Dave Walsh and I originate from Bury [see my comments in the Introduce Yourself thread].

My father Alan Walsh died in 1979 at the age of 53. I'd known little about his family background. His father James died at Cannon Street Bury in the year 1953 aged 56. I lived there until 1958 when we moved to the Sunny Bank Estate in south Bury, near Unsworth. As Cannon Street is in a part of Bury known as "Freetown" that was reputed to have been a bit wild I'd always thought there was a possibility of an Irish Heritage [ie itinerant worker camps] but no apparent links emerged.

After speculating about Ireland for years, some recent research in a disused Methodist churchyard at Unsworth [less than a mile from my home address until 1969] meant I found [uncovered] the grave of my GGGrandfather [also a James]. The subsequent trail has taken us to the Church District in Accrington and the records at Church Kirk. There are Walsh's buried there [it's sometimes spelt Walch] but not linked so far.
I understand that Accrington has a substantial Irish Community itself.

We are currently looking at "Luke of the Cross", living at Oswaldtwistle, near the cross, in the seventeenth century when it was just a few dwellings and possibly with a brother [Peter] close by. Despite some visits and a consultation with helpfull staff at Accy Library we have not come accross a direct reference to Luke Walsh. This is therefore just a general request aimed at seeing if his name rings a bell with anyone local or indeed any Wash's near or far? All contributions welcome!!!
Dave

Also, as a "related" [pun intended] aside-
This could all be a much longer tale and there are a number of odd quirks and coincidences but particularly for Bob Dobsons interest, I'll mention briefly the water link. During the Walsh research, a "one off" reference to the Haslingden Canal Project led to us establishing that [had it actually been built] it would have run from Bury Basin, through Ramsbottom to Haslingden and then joining on to the Leeds Liverpool Canal at Church! We dug out the original 1793 plans which stated that it would terminate at the home of Mr Jon Peel at Church [near his works]. I live just near the Grants Arms in Rammy and the canal would, in fact, have run behind it!

There are several referencs to Luke Walsh from Cross in the Church Kirk registers going back to 1766. The name Walsh dates back to 1639 at Church Kirk. What you need to do is go back to Accy Library and ask to see Jack Brodericks books on the Churck Kirk Registers or my indexes, its so long since I did those indexes I'm not sure what year I got up too but they should cover the time period you are interested in

[Dave Walsh]

Thanks all for these quick responses!

Margaret. It is interesting that you identify at least one Walsh family in Church. I think I've looked at details re a Building Firm with that name originating in Church but premises in Ossie. I think they sold out in the late fifties?

Bob. I will put your recommendations into practise and send you my e-mail address. It's all a bit slow because I'm domiciled in Rammy but spend a lot of time [like you] beside the sea, only on the south coast which is quite a bit further from Church. Your comment about the Irish population is interesting. I used to go to the Irish Club [Coulters is it?] years ago and I thought that was somewhere in Accy but I could be mistaken.

Re the Haslingden Canal, we did find some more info later. You are right, it never happened. It would have used Inclined Planes and been very expensive. Despite "not a spade entering the ground" as one book puts it, the route was on some maps for over thirty years and I suspect that monies were raised on the back of it's proposal. The initial survey is very detailed and lists the property owners that were involved-like the HS2 nowadays. These Railway and Canal start ups are very reminiscent of the rush to create internet companies a few years ago ie not all of them happened and few were that successfull. It's not clear but quite a few sources suggest that Jon Peel's company had enough clout to force the right angled diversion of the Leeds Liverpool at Church as it was feared there could be intereference with the water supply to his Mill using the original route! It is somewhat ironic that another Company with a similar title [but no connection to the Peel family] enjoys a similar staus today in Salford and Liverpool and elsewhere.

Retlaw. Many thanks to you in particular,l for your detailed direct reference points and advice. We clearly didn't have the time or ability to spot this when we were on site at Churck Kirk. You have immediately led us in the right direction. I will now get my friend Mike to take a look here as well and we will report any progress.

Any further comment from the Forum will always be very welcome.

Dave W

[cashman]

Only Irish Club i remember Dave was the "Irish League" which was union rd ossy. just past library on other side, used to go in wed nights when groups were on. its now a doctors i think.

[walkinman221]

The leeds liverpool has got an arm at the back of Emerson and renwick it is known as the Peel arm and i believe was the proposed route to take the L & L into Accrington also possibly connecting to the non starting Haslingden canal.

[Dave Walsh]

It would be nice to think that Luke Walsh or his successors were involved in the Canal or the associated industries. Thanks for input WMan. If that is the branch off to the East, near the road, we thought it went to Peel's factory! May have to open a seperate thread on this to avoid going OT. Don't want to be in trouble with the Mods having just arrived.
Dave

[walkinman221]

Originally Posted by Dave Walsh

It would be nice to think that Luke Walsh or his successors were involved in the Canal or the associated industries. Thanks for input WMan. If that is the branch off to the East, near the road, we thought it went to Peel's factory! May have to open a seperate thread on this to avoid going OT. Don't want to be in trouble with the Mods having just arrived.
Dave

Thats the one, and it was started for the proposed route into accrington but never completed.