I posted a photo last week of Rothwell’s market cross – a replica of the medieval one, which originally was close to the current site. I have several census returns where the address is simply “Near Crop” or “New Cross”, or maybe they are the same? In the following instances, they look quite distinct:
1861 England census, Rothwell – detail
1871 England census, Rothwell – detail
In fact, the second one may even be “Near Cross”.
Samuel Nunns and his wife Sarah, my Elsie‘s great grandparents, were living at “Near Crop”, Rothwell at the time of the 1861 census.1 Their children were Henry 9, William 8, Thomas 6, Joseph 5, and Sarah 1. Ten years later, the family are at “New Cross”, Rothwell, and with two more children: John 7 and Charles 6. Sarah is not listed this time. The four older boys are now working in the coal mine along with their father.2
By 1881, Sarah is widowed and living at 12 Cross Street with sons William, Joseph, John and Charles.3 Meanwhile, her eldest son Henry has married Tamar Dickinson and is living at 21 Cross Street along with children Sam 7, Elizabeth 5, John 4 and Joseph 1.4
At Rothwell Library, a helpful staff member pointed out the “new cross” on an old map, and mentioned how her family had lived near there. Perhaps this is the area of “New Cross”? I was looking for Cross Street which is still there, though most (if not all) of the old houses seem to have gone. Cross Terrace is also there – did the old houses on Cross Street look similar to these?
Cross Terrace, looking down Cross Street, Rothwell – August 2011
By 1891, both households had moved from Cross Street, to other streets in Rothwell that I failed to locate during the summer.
This week I discovered a fascinating document – Rothwell Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan – which details the town’s historic areas, one of which is Cross Terrace. Apparently all round that area is the “historic core” of Rothwell. There’s a whole heap of information about the history of the town and its architecture. On the Leeds City Council website, there are similar Conservation Area appraisals for other towns, including Oulton. The references at the end of each document are definitely worth a look, if you’re interested in the local history.
- “1861 England Census, Samuel Nunns (35) household, Rothwell, Yorkshire,” Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.co.uk/, accessed 30 Dec 2010, digital image, citing PRO RG9/3359, folio 6, page 5, GSU roll: 543120, Hunslet registration district, Rothwell sub-registration district, household 22, 07 April 1861.
- “1871 England Census, Samuel Nunns (44) household, Rothwell, Yorkshire,” Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.co.uk/, accessed 30 Dec 2006, digital image, citing PRO RG10/4517, folio 6, page 5, household 26, GSU roll: 848472, Hunslet registration district, Rothwell sub-registration district, 02 Apr 1871.
- “1881 England Census, Sarah Nunns (56) household, Rothwell, Yorkshire,” Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.co.uk/, accessed 05 Aug 2011, digital image, citing PRO RG11/4494, folio 5, page 3, GSU roll: 1342076, Hunslet registration district, Rothwell sub registration district, ED 1, 03 Apr 1881.
- “1881 England Census, Henry Nunns (29) household, Rothwell, Yorkshire,” Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.co.uk/, accessed 30 Dec 2006, digital image, citing PRO RG11/4494, folio 5, pp 4-5, GSU roll: 1342076, Hunslet registration district, Rothwell sub-registration district, ED 1, household 21, 03 Apr 1881.
Shaun Howard
Hi
Fascinated by your West Yorkshire Research Trip. I now live in Kettering (near the other Rothwell, but my maternal family come from Rothwell, Nr Leeds and it seems we have a bit of a family connection as follows;
Following the death of his first wife Tamar Dickenson in August 1894 Henry Nunns remarried in the October of that year to Jane Star ( my great grand aunt -Jane’s sister being Emma May Star, my great grandmother who married John Hallas Smith) Henry and Jane are shown in the 1911 census with their children Sydney and Harold and Henry’s son from his first marriage, Dickinson Nunns. The Smiths continued living in Rothwell and both John Hallas and Emma May are buried in Rothwell Churchyard. The Star family mainly settled in Stutton near Tadcaster, but originated from Great Dunmow ,Essex.
Maggie
Hi Shaun – thanks for your comment. I think I came across a reference to Henry remarrying, but it’s great to get more information! Have you visited Rothwell yourself?
Gillian Dobson
Hi,
Came across your site by accident and the more I read the more I became interested because some of the name seemed familiar to me, and the reason why is because Sam Nunns was my great uncle, his youngest brother Dickinson, was my grandad, my mums dad.
I have’t had the chance or money to research like you but did manage to get the 1891 census list for the Nunns family, at that time they had moved to 2 Melbourne Yard.
Hope this is of use to you.
Regards Gill
Maggie
Hi Gill
Thanks for your comment, and lovely to hear from you! I couldn’t find Melbourne Yard when I was in Rothwell last summer – perhaps it was renamed, or the buildings demolished. My great grandmother, Sam’s daughter, was born in Bath Terrace, Carlton Lane, and I couldn’t pinpoint that either. I’m guessing it was a row of terraced houses on Carlton Lane that have now been demolished.
Relatives in New Zealand are currently writing a history of the Nunns family, and I’m sure they would be just as interested as I am in any information about your side of the family!
Kim Simmonds
Hi
I came across your website while searching for Samuel Nunns. It turns out your Samuel Nunns and mine are not the same person. The one I was researching married firstly Elizabeth then secondly the widow Hannah Brown (nee Crosby.)
I think I have the answer to the Near Crop and Near Cross. The old style of writing an “s” looked more like an “f”. It is referred to as a long “s”. I have seen numerous occasions when a double “s” is written the first “s” is a long “s” and the second “s” is a short “s”. I am reasonably certain the enumerator in the 1861 census wrote it “Near Crofs” and the enumerator in the 1871 census wrote “Near Cross”. An example of this is shown on the wikipedia page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_s
I hope this helps you with your research.
Maggie
Thanks for your comment, Kim! Yes, I think you are absolutely on the money there. Always seems so obvious after someone else points it out! 😀