SHAW the Most Recent Shaw with Whom We Are Concerned Is Margaret Shaw (1836–1868), Born at Downholland (In Halsall Parish
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SHAW The most recent Shaw with whom we are concerned is Margaret Shaw (1836–1868), born at Downholland (in Halsall parish, south-west Lancashire) and wife of Daniel Ledson (1835–1895). Margaret Shaw was the illegitimate daughter of Ellen Shaw (born 1814) of Downholland. Ellen Shaw was a daughter of George Shaw (1768–1857), labourer of Downholland and of his wife Margaret Lea (1771–1855). George Shaw was probably a son of William Shaw (born 1740) of the adjacent parish of Altcar and of his wife Alice Cross. William Shaw was probably a son of Richard Shaw (1703–1744) of Downholland. Richard Shaw was a son of George Shaw of Haskayne, Downholland (died 1724). Downholland The Shaw family are found from earliest times in the parish registers of Halsall, in which parish the township of Downholland lay.1 The name is a simple locative one meaning ‘at the shaw/small wood’. Downholland township was formed of the three small villages of Downholland, Haskayne and Barton, each set on slightly higher ground than the predominantly marshy ground, barely above sea level. The ground had long been made fertile by drainage ditches, but There is a natural dearth of plantations and hedgerow trees in a district swept continually by sea-breezes, and what trees there are are stunted and bent by the prevalent westerly winds, whilst the many picturesque thatched cottages in the villages also seem to turn their backs to the west. The principal crops … grown on the sandy soil, are potatoes, cabbages, wheat, and oats.2 Origins: Edward Shaw [In 1664 and 1666 at Downholland Edward Shaw and Margerie Shaw, widow each had one hearth: in 1666 Edward’s was shared with John Shaw.]3 There were at least two George Shaws living at Downholland in the early 1700s, each of whom had a wife named Elizabeth and a daughter Alice at the time of his death. One of them was probably a son of Edward Shaw, blacksmith of Downholland, who made his will on 24 December 1670. He left his smithy to his son George, but certain blacksmith’s equipment ‛at the west end of the smithy’ to his son Thomas. There was provision for his wife Ann and for his daughters Mary Shaw and Margaret, wife of Henry Goore of Lydiate, husbandman. Edward disposed of a lease from Gerrard and asked to be interred in ‛our usual burial place’ in Halsall church. Edward died at Haskayne and was buried at Halsall on 27 December 1671: his will was proved on 29 April 1672. George Shaw (died 1721/2) and Elizabeth George Shaw, a blacksmith of Haskayne, Downholland (probably Edward’s son) first married Elin Birch of Birkdale at Halsall on 26 August 1674. Ellen was the only surviving child of James Birch and when James died in 1685, the couple took over his Birkdale farm. George also paid the large annual sum of 13s 4d for the lease of part of the Downholland moss, just across the Birkdale brook.4 George and Ellen had children Edward (baptised on 11 July 1675, buried 27 December 1735), Ann (29 June 1679), Alice (25 December 1681) and Elizabeth 17 July 1687). George’s wife Ellen died in the same year as her father and was buried on 5 January 1685/6: George subsequently married Elizabeth. George’s son Edward married Alice Harker (buried 12 January 1709/10) on 2 December 1697 and Ellin Fazakerley on 30 May 1710. 1 George Shaw, ‛blacksmith’ made his will on 22 October 1721 , leaving his estate at Birkdale and Halsall to his eldest son Edward and his smithy and stable to his daughter Elizabeth. There was further provision for his wife Elizabeth and his other daughters Ann, wife of Henry Harker (married 9 April 1705 at Halsall) and Alice, wife of Richard Pye. The executors were to be his daughter Elizabeth, Gilbert Rimmer of Birkdale and Henry Holland of Downholland and the witnesses were William Willcock, Thomas Ashcroft and Robert Molineux. George Shaw ‛blacksmith’ was buried at Halsall on 26 January 1721/2. An inventory in the sum of £61 was taken on 2 February by William Blundell and William Mandersley [?Mawdesley] and the will was proved on 6 April 1722. Many details of the Birkdale estate of this first George Shaw are contained in Harrop’s Families and Cottages of Old Birkdale and Ainsdale, but unfortunately she has confused the issue by assigning the death date of the second George to the first.5 George Shaw (died 1724) and Elizabeth Of the two Georges the more likely to have been the forebear of Margaret Ledson had sons John (baptised at Halsall on 31 July 1698), Richard (4 April 1703) and a daughter Alice (15 November 1678 or Christmas Day 1681). Alice ‛daughter of George Shaw, Downholland’ was buried on 30 July 1686. This second George made his will on 16 May 1724, leaving £2 per annum to his wife Elizabeth; his house to his eldest son John; his cow Tadge to his daughter Alice; and £3 to his other son Richard, in whom our interest lies. John was to be the executor and the witnesses were James Weatherby and William and Thomas Blundell. George marked his signature: he died at Haskayne, Downholland and was buried at Halsall on 3 June. The burial register describes this George as a ‛blacksmith’, like his namesake and contemporary, but this may be the clerk’s confusion, as the bishop’s transcript calls him ‛husbandman’ and the inventory of ‘George Shaw, husbandman’ (taken on 8 June by William Blundell and Richard Watkinson, in the sum of £40) shows no sign of a blacksmith’s trade. The will was eventually proved on 1 May 1725. George’s son John Shaw of Downholland married Anne Jump, also of Downholland by banns on 8 April 1727: their son George was baptised on 4 January 1727/8, but buried on 14 February. It may well have been John who died at Downholland and was buried at Halsall on 12 March 1728/9. It is not possible to distinguish between the widows of the two Georges. Elizabeth Shaw of Downholland was buried on 19 August 1727; and another on 21 January 1735/6. Edward and Elin Shaw We have seen that the first George Shaw’s son Edward made a second marriage in 1710 to Elin Fazakerley. Edward and Elin went on to have eight children, of whom the eldest sons were George (baptised on 28 November 1712) and James (28 February 1719). Edward Shaw was buried at Halsall on 27 December 1735. Richard and Alice Shaw The second George Shaw’s son Richard was probably the husbandman of that name who married Alice by 1724. Their eldest children were George (25 April 1724); Jane (1 May 1726): she perhaps married Peter Denton on 8 December 1752; and John (13 April 1729–16 October 1730). Further children of ‘Richard Shaw, Downholland’ were baptised at Halsall: Margaret (18 October 1730); Henry (5 November 1732); John (20 April 1735); Ann (16 April 1738); William (4 June 1740); and James (25 October 1741). Richard died at Downholland in 1744/5 and was buried on 15 February. His widow Alice and three of her children then died within three months of one another in 1746. James was buried on 7 June; Henry on 21 June; Ann on 21 August; and their mother Alice on 2 September. 2 This probably left as orphans at Downholland George (22); Jane (20); Margaret (16); John (11); and William (6). The Shaw family were to feature regularly in lists of poor Downholland householders who received twice-yearly payments from the township charities throughout the period for which records survive (1744—1861 and beyond). These provided relief chiefly to ‘needy and impotent persons in Downholland...so that they should not be enforced to stray and wander abroad, but live amongst their friends. Payments went chiefly to those not already receiving relief and once ‘appointed to the charity’ recipients generall received it for life. Some payments went to the wives of the poorest householders and supplementary amounts from Edward Eccleston’s charity were usually termed ‘sacrament money’.6 It seems very likely that George Shaw’s suggested grandfather Richard Shaw, who died in 1744/5 was Richard Shaw who received a 1s payment in 1744 (the first year for which records survive) and not afterwards and that it was his widow as ‘Alice Shaw’ who received payments at Easter and Christmas 1745 and not afterwards.7 On 1 August 1753 there was a lease of land at Downholland to George Shaw, yeoman of Downholland.8 William Shaw and Alice Cross We make the assumption that it was our William Shaw (youngest son of Richard) who married Alice Cross at Altcar on 16 July 1764. We should note however the burial of one Richard Shaw of Altcar at Halsall on 19 November 1761. Ann Shaw, daughter of William was baptised at Altcar on 16 June 1765. George Shaw, son of William was born at Altcar and baptised there on 1 May 1768. Neither William nor Alice Shaw received charity payments during the recorded period. George Shaw and Margaret Lea Ellen ‘spurious daughter of Margaret Lea, Barton’ was baptised at Halsall on 14 April 1793. George Shaw, ‘husbandman’ and Margaret Lea, ‘spinster’ were married at Halsall after banns on 17 February 1794. Both were said to be of Halsall parish (although Margaret had been born at Scarisbrick); both of them marked and the witnesses were James Rigby and William Smith. George and Margaret were to have eleven children, of whom nine probably survived infancy.