William Austin

William Austin.

born 1841 in Napley Heath.

died September 1903 in Bolton, Lancs.

married 1873 in St Peter's Bolton.

Maria Webster.

born 1851 in Bolton.

William was named after his father William his mother being Mary, and he was their second child he was born in Napley Heath and was christened at St Mary's Church in Mucklestone on the 14th November 1841.William at some point after 1861 and before 1873 moved to Bolton and married Maria Webster and they had at least seven children five girls and two boys.

William and Maria's children.

Mary Elizabeth Austin born in Bolton in 1874.
Ellen Austin born in Bolton in 1876.
Annie Austin born in Bolton in 1878.
Ada Austin born in Bolton in 1879.
Beatrice Austin born in Bolton in 1881.
Ethel Austin born in Bolton in 1885.
William Austin born in Bolton in 1890. Died 26th September 1918 in Boisleux - St - Marc. France.
Evelyn Austin born in Bolton in 1895.
Stanley Austin born in Bolton in 1900.

Census records.

1851 Census records

1851 Census records
Name Age Occupation Where born
William Austin 38 Labourer Muxton
Mary Austin 40 0 Muxton
Ellen Austin 11 Scholar Muxton
William Austin 9 Scholar Muxton
John Austin 7 Scholar Muxton
Henry Austin 5 Scholar Muxton
Edward Austin 3 0 Muxton
James Austin 1 0 Muxton

1861 Census record

1861, Knighton:

William Austin, servant, U, 18, cordwainer's apprentice, b Muxton in the house of John Stocton, cordwainer and methodist preacher.


Note :-

A cordwainer (or cordovan) is somebody who makes shoes and other articles from fine soft leather. Historically, there was a distinction between a cordwainer, who made shoes, and a cobbler, who repaired them. However, this distinction gradually weakened, particularly during the twentieth century, with the predominance of shoe retailers who neither made nor repaired the shoes themselves.

1881 Census record

1881 Census record Dwelling: 13 Woods Ct Bolton
Name Relation Age Occupation Place of birth
William Austin Head 39 Bootmaker Mudestone, Staffs
Maria Austin Wife 30 0 Bolton, Lancs
Mary E Austin Dau 7 Scholar Bolton, Lancs
Ellen Austin Dau 5 Scholar Bolton, Lancs
Annie Austin Dau 3 0 Bolton, Lancs
Ada Austin Dau 2 0 Bolton, Lancs
Beatrice Austin Dau 1 m 0 Bolton, Lancs

Note :-

Place of birth states Mudestone, no place by this name exists in Staffordshire and I feel certain that a transcribing error has occurred and this should read Mucklestone. His profession of Bootmaker is in line with the 1861 census records.

1891 Census record

1891 Census record Dwelling : 13 Woods Court Bolton
Name Relation Age Occupation Place of birth
William Austin Head 49 Boot and Shoe maker Staffordshire, Mucklestone
Mary Austin Wife 40 0 Lancashire, Bolton
Mary E Austin Dau 17 Cotton Operative Lancashire, Bolton
Ellen Austin Dau 15 Cotton Operative Lancashire, Bolton
Annie Austin Dau 13 Cotton Operative Lancashire, Bolton
Ada Austin Dau 12 Scholar Lancashire, Bolton
Ethel Austin Dau 6 Scholar Lancashire, Bolton
William Austin Son 1 0 Lancashire, Bolton
George Crook Border 25 Labourer Lancashire, Bolton

Note :-

Maria's name has changed to Mary ?

1901 Census record

1901 Census record Dwelling 13 Woods Court Bolton
Name Relation Age Occupation Place of birth
William Austin Head 59 Cobbler, Bootmaker Napley Heath
Maria Austin Wife 50 0 Lancashire, Bolton
Ellen Austin Dau 25 Guilt Weaver Lancashire, Bolton
Annie Austin Dau 23 Guilt Weaver Lancashire, Bolton
Ada Austin Dau 22 Jumbo Winder Lancashire, Bolton
Ethel Austin Dau 16 Guilt Weaver Lancashire, Bolton
William Austin Son 11 0 Lancashire, Bolton
Evelyn Austin Dau 6 0 Lancashire, Bolton
Stanley Austin Son 1 0 Lancashire, Bolton
Annie Austin Cousin 18 ? Winder Lancashire. Ince

Note :-

Annie Austin was William's niece (not cousin) and was the daughter of Edward Austin, who had died in 1900 in Ince.

1911 Census record. Dwelling : 79 Commission Street , Bolton
Name Relation Age 0 Occupation Place of Birth
Maria Austin Head 60 Widow 0 Lancs Bolton
William Austin Single 21 Single Gas Fitter Lancs Bolton
Evelyn Austin Single 16 Single ??? Spinning Mill Lancs Bolton
Stanley Austin Holden Visitor 11 Single School Lancs Bolton
William Holden Visitor 1 Single 0 Lancs Bolton

Notes :-

Maria had moved from Woods court to Commission Street.
From the above census but not included William and Maria were married for 38 years and had 10 children, 7 were still alive and 3 had died.
Why had Stanley assumed the surname Holden ? His father died soon after he was born, so maybe his sister Ellen brought him up and he used her married name .
The census had been filled in wrongly with single placed twice on the form.
Evelyn's job title is unclear on the census form.

Advice kindly supplied by Bolton Museum.

Woods Court, which was located adjacent to the east of what was in recent times Bolton’s Woolworths store (store situated at the east side of the junction of Deansgate and Bridge Street) was privately rented tenement-type accommodation. As you mention that Mr. William Austin was a boot and shoe maker, this explains why they were not living in mill-housing. Therefore it is not possible to state with any certainty which mill or mills his children were working at. The two closest were Bridge Street Mill and Stone Mill, however, there were a very large number of mills within easy walking distance at that time.
With regard to their individual job titles, unfortunately, many mills used their own terminology for individual workers’ jobs. A winder was generally responsible for winding cotton thread onto bobbins, and jumbo may distinguish winding large bobbins (for industrial use) as opposed to smaller bobbins (for domestic / private use). Guilt weaver, I can only imagine as being working with gilded thread (i.e. spelling error in the census). Alternatively, it could imply that she was a Guild Weaver (i.e. a qualified weaver associated to the Guild of Weavers and Spinners). Neither of these specific terms appear in any of the indexes of old occupations.

Some Marriages for William and Maria's children.

Mary Elizabeth Austin.

15 May 1897 Bolton Parish Church.
Frederick Howarth, 24 Bachelor, Labourer of 41 Leach St
Mary Elizabeth Austin, 23 Spinster, of 13 Woods Court
His father, Joseph Howarth (deceased), Labourer.
Her father, William Austin, Boot maker.
Witnesses, David Cordingley, Annie Austin.
Note :- Annie Austin is probably her sister.

Census record for 1901 for Mary Howarth nee Austin.

1901 census records dwelling : 12 Woods Court Bolton
Name Relation Age Occupation Where Born
Fredrick Howarth Head 28 Lathe Turner Labourer Bolton
Mary E Howarth Wife 27 0 Bolton
Joseph Howarth Son 3 0 Bolton
William Howarth Son 2 0 Bolton
John Howarth Son 5 mnths 0 Bolton

Mary and her family are living next to her parents at 12 Woods Court.


1911 census records dwelling : 42 Gurth Street Bolton
Name Relation Age Status Occupation Where Born
Fredrick Howarth Head 38 married Cotton Mixer in Cardroom Bolton Lancs
Mary Elizabeth Howarth Wife 37 married 0 Bolton Lancs
Joseph Howarth Son 13 0 Wet Croft Lad Plater Down Bolton Lancs
William Howarth Son 12 0 School Bolton Lancs
John Howarth Son 10 0 School Bolton Lancs
Ethel Howarth Dau 6 0 School Bolton Lancs
Fredrick Son 3 0 0 Bolton Lancs

The family have moved from Woods Court to Gurth Street.




Ellen Austin

30th Aug 1902 Christ Church Bolton.
George Bury Holden, 23 Bachelor, Porter of 34 Kirk Street.
Ellen Austin, 27 Spinster, of 34 Kirk St.
His father, John Holden (deceased), Paper maker.
Hers, William Austin, shoe maker.
Witnesses, Ernest Bromiley, Mary Alice Timmins.

Note :- Ellen and George were living at the same address.



Annie Austin

28th Jun 1905 Christ Church Bolton.
John Howarth, 27 Bachelor, Teacher of Music of 106 Rushton Lane.
Annie Austin, 27 Spinster, of 70 Commission St.
His father, Joseph Howarth (deceased), Minder.
Hers, William Austin, shoe maker.
Witnesses, Dan Ainsworth, Amy Howarth.

Note :- there is no Rushton Lane in Bolton, but we do have a Rishton Lane. I wonder what job a minder was.

1911 Census record

1911 Census Record.Dwelling : 70 Clarence Street Bolton.
Name Relation Age Occupation Where born
John Howarth Head 33 Steward club Lancs Ainsworth
Annie Howarth Wife 33 Stewardess club Lancs Bolton

1911 Annie and John had no children.

Were John Howarth and Fredrick Howarth brothers ?


Ada Austin

Married 1904 in Christ Church Bolton.

James William Weston.

The 1911 census records have Ada and James living 181 Back Lane, Bolton. James is a Blacksmith's Striker and Ada is a Cotton Winder. There are no children.



Ethel Austin

There is also a marriage at St Lukes, Halliwell
between Dan Ainsworth and Ethel Austin in 1910,
Unfortuantely the records are not available for this.

Note :- Dan Ainsworth seems to be the same person who was witness at Annie's wedding.

1911 Census record


1911 Census Record. Dwelling : 71 Musgrave Road. Bolton.
Name Relation Age Occupation Where born
Dan Ainsworth Head 31 Foreman Clogger Bolton Lancashire
Ethel Ainsworth Wife 26 Guilt Weaver Bolton Lancashire


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