History of George and Nanny (Cuthbert) Howarth
Lancashire, England, 1794 to 1875

According to family records, George Howarth was born 6 November 1794 in "Rosandale," Lancs, England and died in 1875 in "Sweedenborg." After trying for years to find out more about his birth and death, this is still all I have. Since his family later lived in Accrington and Salford, the "Rosandale" (or "Rosendale") of family records is probably Rossendale. Rossendale is a District, not a parish or town. There is a Newchurch-in-Rossendale, and several other places near or in Rossendale, but it would be nice to have a better idea of where he was born. There are quite a few George Howarths christened near his given birth date in the IGI, but no way to know if one of them is him, since we do not have his christening date and George Howarth is a common name in the area. If we could find him in a census, it should list his parish of birth.

Accrington and surrounding towns, Lancashire, England
Modern-day map showing Accrington, Church, nearby towns, and Forest of Rossendale

According to family records, Nanny Cuthbert was born 13 June 1795 in Foxhill Bank, Lancs, Eng. The 1843 Directory of Manchester says Foxhill Bank is a hamlet, the population of which is returned with Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, Eng. Her christening was recorded 4 July 1795 in the nonconformist register for Lower Chapel Baptist Church in Old Accrington, Lancs, Eng. Old Accrington is a chapelry of Whalley, Lancs, Eng. Her parents were Thomas Cuthbert (or Culbert or Cudbert) and Ann Hindle.

George Howarth's marriage to Nanny Cuthbert is found in the parish register of Church, Lancs, Eng, taking place on 16 September 1816. At that time, his residence was listed as "of this parish." Church (or Church Kirk, or Church Town) is also a chapelry in the parish of Whalley, Lancs, Eng. so that could mean he lived in Whalley or in Church.

On 8 Dec 1816, according to family records, George and Nanny's son Joseph was born in Foxhill Bank, Lancs, Eng. I've found Joseph's christening, in the Church parish register, on 27 April 1817. At that time, George and Nanny's residence was given as "of Warren Lane."

Other children of George and Nanny are Thomas, born 8 Jun 1818 in Foxhill Bank, Lancs, Eng and christened 26 Jul 1818 in Church (residence "of Moscow(?)"), Benjamin, born 1 Jul 1820 in Accrington, Lancs, Eng and christened 23 Jul 1820 in Church (residence "of Accrington"), Martha, born 2 Aug 1822 in Accrington and christened 18 Aug 1822 in Church (residence "of Accrington"), Daniel, born 22 Feb 1825 in Accrington and christened 20 Mar 1825 in Church (residence "of Accrington"), Mary Ann born 4 Mar 1827 in Accrington and christened 1 Apr 1827 in Church (residence "of Accrington"), George born 11 Feb 1829 in Plantation Hill, Lancs, and christened 8 Mar 1829 in Accrington, Whalley, Lancs, and Alice born 15 Feb 1831 in Upper Darwin, Lancs. So apparently George and his family lived in Accrington until at least 1829, but may have moved between then and 1831. I could not find a Plantation Hill, but there is an Over Darwen near Accrington, so this is probably what is meant by Upper Darwin.

In 1837 George and Nanny's son Thomas married Charlotte Howarth. This marriage is recorded on Page 103 of the parish register for the Collegiate Parish Church in the Parish of Manchester, Lancs, Eng.

1837, Marriage solemnized at the Collegiate Parish Church in the Parish of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
No.When MarriedName and SurnameAgeConditionRank or ProfessionResidence at the Time of MarriageFather's Name and SurnameRank or Profession of Father
205July Thirty first
with certificate from the parish rector		Thomas Howarth
Charlotte Howarth		Minor
Minor		Bachelor
Spinster		Dyer
---		Pendleton
Wayne's Buildings Salford		George Howarth
Thomas Howarth		Dyer
Weaver
Married in the Collegiate Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after Banns by me, Henry Fielding (?) M.A. Chaplain
This Marriage was solemnized between us,Mark X of Thomas Howarth
Mark X of Charlotte Howarth		In the Presence of us,Benjamin Howarth
Mark X of Catherine Bentley

I don't know if the Benjamin Howarth who signed as witness was Thomas's brother Benjamin, son of George, or another Benjamin Howarth. With both parties to the marriage bearing the Howarth surname, he could be a relative of either family. George Howarth's profession is given here, in 1837, as dyer. His son Thomas's residence was given as Pendleton. If he was still living with George and Nanny at this time, this would be their residence too. I'm not sure yet where Pendleton is.

George's son Benjamin was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or "Mormon" church) on 6 November 1842, and at that time gave his residence as 1 Boundary Street, Salford. Since Benjamin didn't marry until 1843, he was probably still living with his parents at this time.

An interesting quote on the cover sheet of the 1851 Census Surname Index for Salford, prepared by the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society, says, "If we cross the Irwell to Salford we find a peninsula formed by the river, a town of eighty thousand inhabitants, which properly speaking, is one large working-men's quarter, penetrated by a single wide avenue. Salford, once more important than Manchester, was then the leading town of the surrounding district to which it still gives its name, Salford Hundred.

". . . All Salford is built in courts or narrow lanes, so narrow, that they remind me of the narrowest I have ever seen, the little lanes of Genoa. The average construction of Salford is in this respect much worse than that of Manchester, and so too, in respect of cleanliness." Frederick Engels, 1844.

Slater's Directory of Manchester and Salford for 1845 lists (page 170) a George Howarth, dyer, living at Ford Lane, Adelphi, Salford. This may be my George Howarth, as in 1851 his son Joseph is listed in LDS records as living at No. 5 Hill Street, Shaw(?) Brow, Adelphi, Salford when he was baptized into the LDS church 11 Nov 1851 at the age of 34. Of course Joseph had a family of his own by then.

Map of Salford, Manchester, and environs
Modern map of Manchester, Salford, and environs

George's wife Nanny died 9 March 1870, and a record of her death was found in the Salford District, Lancs civil registration. British Civil Registration Index listed Nannie Howarth, age 74, died in Salford Dist., Vol. 8D Page 50. We still have not obtained this certificate, which should give us more good information.

George's son Benjamin emigrated to Utah, and in 1873 he baptized George for the dead in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. In Endowment House baptisms for the dead, Book F page 97, it has #4534, George Howarth, born 6 Nov 1794 in Rosedale, Lancs, Eng, bapt. 4 Aug 1873 in SLC. Proxy Benjamin Howarth, son. This is interesting, since family records list George as having died in 1875, yet his own son is having him baptized for the dead--intimating that he's dead!--in 1873. This certainly bears further research.

The TIB card for George Howarth, from the Manti temple records, No. 19774, Book R-2, Page 717 has George Howarth, born 6 Nov 1794 in Rosandale, Lancs, Eng and died in 1875, married to Nancy Cuthbert. The heir is Benjamin Howarth, son. He was baptized 24 April 1937 and endowed 28 April 1937.

George Howarth's death is still pretty much a mystery. I could not find a place in England or America named "Sweedenborg." I could not find a George Howarth (or any other variation of spelling of the surname) age about 81 in the British Civil Registration for 1875. If he was born in 1794 he would be 81 in 1875. The only Georges in the index close to this were age 63, 65, 75, and 94. Unless the birth date is wrong, his death year is wrong or the age as reported in the death entry is wrong, none of these is this George Howarth. I checked Civil Registration (all but Oct-Dec 1873) for 1873, 1872, and 1871 and found no George Howarth (or Howorth/Haworth/Howerth/Howard) of an appropriate age. In 1873 There's a George 83 in Rochdale; in 1872 there's a George Howard age 77 in Ludlow and one age 75 in Warwick. In 1871 there's a George Howard age 75 in Oldham and a George Howard age 77 in Boston.

One thing I did learn is that there was a Swedenborgian Chapel in Accrington, Lancs, Eng. Could this have something to do with the "Sweedenborg" listed as his death place? This will definitely require more research.

Family group sheet of George and Nanny (Cuthbert) Howarth.

Pedigrees of George Howarth and Nanny Cuthbert

Research compiled by Julia Howarth West

Last update 30 August 1998