Whittaker, Kathleen, Jimmie

[rtbarton]

Anybody know anything about a Whittaker c1936 family that had a couple of siblings called Kathleen and Jimmy? I think their mother may have been a widow.

[cashman]

Very common name around this way, doubt if yeh left enough info?

[rtbarton]

I realise that - It's really confusing because a lot of them give their father's first names to their sons.

The spelling of Jimmie is correct in the title by the way.

They may have connections with Owen Street and the Fylde coast.

This may, or may not, be a photo of them

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[Bob Dobson]

There are no Whittakers in Owen St in the 1952 directory, but lots in the town. If from the families of the Pioneer lot, or the Dowrty St lot, I can put you in touch with a researcher.

[rtbarton]

Hi Bob,

I'm not sure where they originate from. It's just that my g-grandfather's sister married a Whittaker.

The names appear in the list of people who sent flowers in my g-grandmother's funeral notice in the Accrington Observer.

I found "my" Whittakers on Owen St. in the 1911 census and my g-grandfather mentions a Whittaker in his will, but I can't find any reference to Jimmie or Kathleen in any Whittaker's I've researched.

I'll bear your kind offer in mind, but at this stage I'll carry on correlating what information I've already got.

Some of "my" Whittakers were involved with laundry machine manufacture and one was a Wringing Machine Manager and another a laundress - possibly at the laundry on Back Owen St.

All the best,

Roger

[Bob Dobson]

Laundry machines ? Then I think they are the Pioneer lot. Send me an email and I'll send it to a pal whose mum was from this lot. See essay in my book 'An Accrington Mixture' Owen St was a well-heeled street. Back Owen St was the Co-op laundry. The Whittaker from the Dowry St works was a top man in the Co-=op Soc.

[rtbarton]

I've sent you an Email.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

There are no Whittakers in Owen St in the 1952 directory, but lots in the town. If from the families of the Pioneer lot, or the Dowrty St lot, I can put you in touch with a researcher.

Was Whittakers Foundry on Dowry st, Also a family of Whittakers at 56 Dowry, Those uns bought the off licence on Burnley Rd, The daughter was in my class at St Johns n lived next door to me,she died though years ago, atarah may know the year,

[rtbarton]

I'm getting somewhere slowly, not with my original question though!

In 1841 a George & Mary Whittaker had 12 kids. If this level of fertility applied to previous and subsequent generations that will explain why Accrington is inundated with 'em!

In 1891 I have a William Whittaker living on Burnley Rd, near Dowry St, who was a "Wringing Machine Manager." One son was a "mechanic, wringing machines", other son a "clerk at machine works."

1901 William is "Laundry machine maker", No2 son is "Clerk at ironwork company." They still live on Burnley Rd

No1 son is "foreman, wringing machine shop" he now lives on Owen Street.

I haven't found anything on the 1911 census yet.

I'm putting all this together in a website, I'll post the URL in due course.

[rtbarton]

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

......... Back Owen St was the Co-op laundry. The Whittaker from the Dowry St works was a top man in the Co-=op Soc.

Not any more it isn't!

Laundry Edit.jpg

My Gran's house on Whalley Rd. backed onto the laundry and when I was a nipper I used to "help" the stoker put coal on the boiler. Happy days.

[Bob Dobson]

It won't be on the 1951 census, but I can tell you that one of the Co-op Laundry hortses was called Blossom. Their stable was at the bottom of Marlborough Rd near the Iron Bridge. At that time there were two Whittaker families at the bottom end of Burnley Rd. One was next door to the off-licence near the Boar's Head (No 47) and one opposite at 42.They were lower down the social scale than they business-owning families, as were most Whittakers

[rtbarton]

My Whittakers were at 83 Burnley Rd in 1891 and 81 in 1901 (They may have moved next door, but the houses may have been renumbered). In 1901 they appeared to have a servant, would this have been consistent with the type of house?

I'm 99% sure my Whittakers worked at the Dowry St foundry, but haven't found any link with the owners. I have however just found two more male members of the family in the 1841 census (John & James - they're going to take some tracing!) who were hitherto hidden due to their parents getting their own ages wrong on the census form.