Stansfields

Stansfield Page

My Stansfield Family Ancestors from Waterfoot, Lancashire

Hello, my name is Jack Bayes. This web page is intended to illustrate the many branches of my Grandmother's Stansfield ancestors who lived around Waterfoot. If you see any thing that needs correcting, or have something to add, please contact me using my E Mail address, which you can find at the bottom of the page.

The map on the left shows the traditional boundaries of Lancashire. Waterfoot is a small town in Rossendale, nestling in the Irwell Valley between Rawtenstall and Bacup. To the south is the valley that leads up to Cowpe. Immediately to the north is the older settlement of Newchurch and the road towards Burnley.

My Stansfield ancestors first settled at Clay Roads in Cowpe, then at Holden and then a few hundred yards North at Lowerfold Farm just west of Cowpe Mill. Gradually over the years various members lived in Newchurch, Edgeside, Waterfoot, etc., all peripheral settlements to the valley clutching the sides of the hills.

In years past, the main industry was wool related (though some cotton) and later, slipper making. Felt was the result of waste products of the woollen cloth industry and this proved an ideal material for slippers and there were many manufacturers in the area. You will see below that a few members of the family worked in the Slipper Industry. Recently, the last Mill closed that was working on cloth related processes in the area, (in this case, the dyeing of cloth). This was Cowpe Mill, which has a relevance to our story. There is more information on Cowpe Mill, below.

Above, is a superb photograph of Lowerfold hamlet, taken for the sale of Lowerfold and nearby Old Cowpe Hall, in 2007.
I must express my thanks to the vendors, United Utilities Property Solutions, via Crossley Estates of Rochdale, who were kind enough to let me use these fascinating images on this website and we must assume the photos remain their copyright.
For the above photo, the photographer was facing South-East, hidden behind the trees is Holden, then further back, Cowpe Reservoir, (you can just see the grass covered dam in the upper centre of the photgraph). The hamlet of Higher Boarsgreave can just be seen upper left; Cowpe Mill will be off photo, further to the left.

The hamlet of Lowerfold, sits at about a 1000 ft above sea level and consists of about five dwellings and as you can see, is derelict. The photo on the right, shows the front of the range of buildings in the centre right of the big image.

The buildings look to be late 18thC, or more likely early 19thC, but that is only my guess. The large upper windows suggest that, originally, hand loom weaving was going on here as a supplement to farming. The opening of powered mills like Cowpe Mill, (see below), changed all that.

We can only hope any new owners will be able to bring Lowerfold back to respectability, though according to some requests for planning permission, some of the buildings may well be demolished.

According to the Census returns, my Stansfield ancestors John and Alice were living at Clay Roads in 1841, with 7 children.

His son, Richard married Elizabeth Jane Ashworth in 1850 and were at Coupe [sic] in 1851, Holden Farm in 1861 and 1871 then by 1881, Lower Fold Farm, Cowpe, see the photos (above and below left) and the sketch map (below right). In 1878, Richard Stansfield had died in 1878 so for the 1881 Census, the head of the household was his widow, Elizabeth Jane Stansfield (nee Ashworth). They had married in Bury in 1850.

Cowpe Mill, taken around1955.
Behind us and to the left, up the valley is Cowpe Reservoir. Just above the right of the mill, halfway up the slope is Lowerfold Farm.

Tree 1, below, shows John and Alice, then Richard and Elizabeth Jane, and their children, as well as the children of Giles Stansfield, my Great Grandfather. Other trees follow which show descendants of Giles' siblings.

His Uncle Giles, son of John and Alice, had taken over Clay Roads in 1861. His descendants have recently contacted me.

The sketchmap, (right), gives you idea of the various places described. The Blue line is the River Irwell flowing across the map from East to West. The Whitewell Brook joins it from the North and the Cowpe Brook from the South. Following the Irwell valley is the red line depicting the A681, going from Rawtenstall to Bacup, (built by the Turnpike Trust 1826-28). Also shown is the old railway line, (busy enough to require a second railway tunnel through the Thrutch Gorge in the 1880's). This was closed in 1966 and was later dismantled.

Scale info: The sketch map is about a mile wide.

Cowpe Mill (SD840206)

When I first made this webpage, this was the only mill still standing in the district which has a history dating back to the 18th century. The business was established by James Livesey for finishing wool products from handlooms, and the mill was one of the few in the woollen trade to remain so throughout the last century. James Ashworth and his brother Richard married two of James Livesey’s daughters. and by 1828 Richard Ashworth was partner of his father-in-law, having already started business in 1814 at Holt Mill in partnership with David Ashworth.

About 1830 steam power was introduced, and the work in nearby cottages ended. At the same time the mill was extended and business grew. The raw wool was obtained from Rochdale, and they began to market the finished product independently in Ireland, and as far afield as South America. However only eight years after the improvements there was a disastrous flood. It is perhaps surprising that so high up, the water could have enough force to sweep away part of the mill and several cottages, which it did. By this time James Livesey had died, and the mill was run solely by Richard Ashworth — ‘Owd Dicky’. He ran the mill very successfully for over 40 years. and when he died in 1874 his son, Edward, took over the business at Cowpe and Holt Mills. Only two years later a leakage of gas as Cowpe Mill was being lit up started a fire which burnt the mill to the ground an estimated £20,000 worth of damage. This was one of the worst mill fires there has ever been in the district but the mill was immediately rebuilt, and the present mill dates from that year.

The business was continued by Edward Ashworth until 1897, when the mill, with land and water rights, was sold to Bacup Corporation for the construction of a reservoir, largely at the instigation of Henry Maden. Nevertheless the mill stayed in the textile trade, and has been run for most of the present century by Kearns, a firm specialising in dyeing. The Mill has now closed and awaits redevelopement. A revised scheme recently approved will now see 19 new apartments created in the original mill building and 20 big family houses on reclaimed parts of the site. Some demolition has taken place, but since then, the developers have pulled out and the old mill has been left in the state it is today. See the pictures below for the latest developments.

(I'd acknowledge the source of 99% of above information on Cowpe Mill, if I could only remember where I got it from!)


I am grateful to Paul Anderson who has allowed me to use his November 2007 images of Cowpe Mill*. (He sent some photos to the excellent Geograph site). As you can see there has been a lot of demolition work, prior to redevelopment, which appears to have stalled.	On the right hand picture, Lowerfold Farm can be seen halfway up the slope. * We must assume that Paul Anderson retains the copyright of these photographs.

In the 1851 Census Richard (aged 22 born Tottington Higher, which is North of Bury) and Elizabeth Jane (aged 18 born Coupe Lench) are at Coupe [sic] with just the one child, Jane aged 8 months born in Coupe Lench. Richard is a Labourer.

In the 1861 Census, the family are living at Holden, just South of Lowerfold. Richard Stansfield is 30, a Farmer and Quarryman, born at Tottington. His wife, Elizabeth Jane, 28, is down as being born in Coupe [sic]. The children are
     Jane (10), Woollen Piecer and Scholar, born Coupe
     John (9) Woollen Throstle Spinner born Coupe
     Joseph (5) Scholar born Coupe
     Giles (3). Scholar born Coupe
     Margaret Ann (10 months) born Coupe.

In 1871, at Holden Farm, Richard now says he was born at Crown Hill Lane, and Elizabeth Jane at Cagemill Lane. (Cage Mill was at OS Grid Ref. SD833214).
The children's details are as follows:
     Jane (20) Woollen Weaver, born Lower Tipet Lane, (Lower Tippett is about half a mile North of Holden at SD832210)
     John (19) Quarryman, born Lower Tipet Lane
     Joseph (15) Quarryman, born Holden
     Giles (13) Joiner, born Holden
     Margaret Ann (10) Scholar, born Holden
     James (9) Tearer for Woollen printer, born Holden
     Betsy (4) Scholar born Holden and finally
     George (2) born Holden.

     As stated above, in 1881 the family were then living at Lower Fold Farm, (SD836205), which is 400 metres, (a quarter of a mile), west of Cowpe Mill. Elizabeth Jane is described as a Widow and a Farmer of 14 acres. So on Census day, 3rd April 1881, all the children, apart from Jane, John and Rachael, are living there and are unmarried.

     Joseph (aged 25), is a Stone Quarryman, (there is a quarry called Cragg Quarry on top of the moor above them).
     Giles (23) is a Carpenter,
     Margaret Ann (20) a Woollen Weaver,
     James (18) a Dyer,
     Betsy (15) a Farm Servant (Ag Lab) and finally
     George (aged 12), a Scholar.

Later in 1881, Giles married Sarah Alice Buckley. She was the daughter of the then Night Watchman of Cowpe Mill, Edmund Buckley and his wife Anne. Edmund was born in 1826 in Saddleworth, East of Oldham and over the county boundary in Yorkshire. Ann was born in Cowpe, I now believe her maiden name was Collinge.

By 1883, Giles and Sarah were at Edgeside Farm, which must have been on Edgeside, about 2 km (1¼ Miles) North of Cowpe, high on the ridge to the East of Newchurch. On the 1901 census they were at 171 Edgeside Lane,Waterfoot, (which could be Edgeside Farm). I am indebted to Mark Trickett, who tells me that the building that he thinks was Edgeside Farm, still exists at the junction of Edgeside Lane and Park Road, (at approx. SD841223).

They had eight children. We know they were scholars in 1891 and their jobs in 1901 from the Census returns. Giles is recorded as a Farmer & Joiner in 1891 and a Carpenter in 1901.

     Richard, (known as Dick), was a Slipper Finisher in 1901, (later a Coal Merchant), see Tree 2.
     Edmund was also a Slipper Finisher in 1901, see Tree 3.
     Bertha, my Grandmother, was a Slipper Machinist in 1901 and 1913, see Tree 4.
     Harold was another Slipper Finisher.
     The younger children would have been Scholars on 1901.

(I am in contact with the daughter of Mary Stansfield).

Bertha Stansfield married John (Jack) Platt on August 4th, 1913. Jack also hailed from Waterfoot, being born at Lench View, Miller Barn. Jack was also in the Slipper Industry, he later described himself as a Slipper Works Mechanic. They were living at Bridleway House, (Grid Ref: SD836226), when my Mother, Joan Platt, was born. Mum was to be their only child. They later moved to Lytham, I guess for the sea air as Jack Platt was an asthmatic, and then to South Shore, Blackpool, where my Mum grew up. Jack died in 1941, Bertha had a stroke in 1960 and died a few weeks later at Wesham Hospital. They are buried together at Lytham Cemetary.

My Mum, Joan Platt, had a voice, and sang for many years on the Variety Theatre circuit, under the stage name of Joan Amber. She first married RAF Sergeant Charles Frost. They had a son, my big brother, Tony. Sadly, not long after Tony was born, Charles Frost was killed when a tail end gunner in a Vickers Wellington Bomber in North Africa and was buried at El Alemain. Mum married again in 1948, to my Dad, former RAF Sergeant, Leonard Bayes. They had two children, me and my sister Jennifer. Dad died in 1989 and Mum died the year after.

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Compiled by Jack Bayes
Last amended 5th August 2008