This profile is a good example of how things can quickly become confusing when lots of people have the same surname.
We begin with the birth of Rachel Priestley in 1781, daughter of James Priestley of Ovenden, a shallooner (maker of closely woven lining cloth).
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Rachel grows up and marries Samuel Blagbrough in 1803. He is a machine maker, and she the daughter of a worsted manufacturer, in the local newspaper announcement. He is listed as an engineer/machine maker but seems to shift profession to be a joiner in the future (this is confusing and I hope I follow the right track from now on); both are from Ovenden. Sadly, Rachel Blagbrough nee Priestley dies in 1806 at age 25.
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Samuel Blagbrough marries a Hannah Priestley in Bradford in 1807. However, I’m unsure this is entirely correct, he is listed as a carpenter this time and why not Halifax? Maybe she was born in Bradford, but she is still a Priestley? As you can tell, there are some confusing records and we can’t always tell if we are following the correct line.
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Samuel and Hannah Blagbrough lived in Ovenden and they had their first child, Thomas Blagbrough in 1807, sadly he only lived for four months. Their second son, Samuel, was born in 1809. In 1810, their daughter Elizabeth was born but lived only five months. At the end of 1813, their son James was born but only lived five months too. In 1816 Samuel's wife Hannah died. She was buried with Samuel's first wife, and his children Thomas, Elizabeth and James at the Square Chapel, Halifax.
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Samuel's only surviving child, Samuel, grew up and married Martha Hitchen in 1837. In the records he is a linen draper and his father Samuel Blagbrough was a joiner.
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In the 1841 Census, Samuel (father) is aged 62 and is living with Anna (27) Sarah (20) and Ann (19) in Moor Side, Ovenden; he is a joiner. I can find no record of when Samuel Blagbrough (father) died, but it could possibly be in 1847, and I can find no record of where he was buried.
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And what happened to Samuel and Martha Blagbrough? They do incredibly well for themselves. In the 1841 Census Samuel Jnr and Martha are living in Crown Street, Halifax and he is a linen draper.
Illustration of Crown Street by J R Smith. Calderdale Libraries
In the 1851 Census they are at 20 Crown Street and he is a Master Linen Draper who is living with Martha, their only son Walter (9), two assistant linen drapers, three apprentices, and two servants. By 1861 Census they are at St. Johns Lane and Samuel is a linen draper employing six men, living with Martha, Walter (19, wool-stapler), and two servants.
In the 1871 Census they are at St. Johns Lane and Samuel is still a linen and woollen draper, living with his wife Martha. They are also living with a widowed sister called Jane Matthews of Halifax (59) and their niece Jane Matthews (30) of Limerick, Ireland, and a servant.
Samuel dies in 1875 and leaves effects under £7000 to Martha and his son Walter, a wool stapler. Walter goes on to marry and move to Bradford where he ran a successful woollen business too.
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​​​Researched by Anna Roe