Finding my Family: The History of the Entwistles of Wardle

As a favour for my grandmother I helped her finish part of her family tree of our British ancestors while I worked at the National Archives in London. The farthest you can go back in the census records is 1841, anything prior to that was a male/female head count; no names, address, or age. 

I was able to trace back our family to James (born 1800) and his wife Ann (born 1802) Entwistle who are my great great great great grandparents. I found this information this past March 2009.

The earliest census of the family, 1841, in the very bottom right corner reads James Entwistle

In August 2005, my grandmother and I went to London and travelled up to Wardle, just outside Rochdale, greater Manchester. We knew the name of the church her grandparents were married at and we explored it. The church, St. James, was under reconstruction, so we went through the graveyard. I was taking random pictures of headstones of names that could possibly be our family. But had no idea if any of them were.

The picture I took 4 yrs ago, having no idea it was my ancestors

Today I sat with my grandmother and we talked about everything I had found. I then asked her to get her copy of these pictures (they were film, not digital) and we started looking through them. Then I came across the first picture above and it HIT ME like a BRICK! I had, 4 YEARS AGO taken the picture of my great great great great grandparents, and just found out today!!!! OMG!!! I actually started crying! It was an amazing feeling to know that I had actually found them! Not just their records in a database, but their actual bones! I know that sounds crazy, but whatever.

I’m so stoked to get back to Britain and plan a trip back to Wardle, go back to St. James and look through that graveyard with a fine tooth comb! I also need to find out what the rest of the headstone says, because after listing James’ death, it lists their eldest son William below, but the picture is cut off so I don’t know what it says. From what the census records show William never married and continued to live with his father until James died. I can’t wait to get back their and find out more about my family. The church will have their death certificates, I’ll even be able to take a picture of the house my great great great grandparents, Jonathan and Rachel lived in across the street from the same church and perhaps they’re buried inthe graveyard as well.

I’m stunned, shocked, giddy, thrilled and ANXIOUS!!! I wish I could fly back now to investigate. People who hear that I’m a historian always joke that I should be a female version of Indiana Jones and even though family history isn’t as grand as finding the Holy Grail, I understand the thrill of adventure and not knowing what you find.

Squeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

Advertisement

~ by Emily Kathryn Salcedo on August 3, 2009.