Law Marshall and Ellen Priestley

Law Marshall was my maternal great-great grandfather and his occupation, for most of his life, was mill engineer. On July 11th 1863 he married Ellen Priestley at St Paul's, Denholmegate in the county of Yorkshire. They were both of full age, bachelor and spinster. His occupation at that time was weaver; his father James Marshall, labourer. Ellen's father was George Priestley, engineer. The witnesses were John Feather and Sarah Hainsworth (her mark). Ellen also made her mark.

They had seven children that I know of, of whom two died in infancy. They were (all boys):  John, born 1864 Bingley, Yorkshire; James Walter, born 1865, Wilsden, Yorkshire; Moses, born 1866, Walsden; Fairbank, born 1869, died in 1873 aged four, Todmorden; Frank, born 1871 in Todmorden, and died in the September quarter of that year; Fairbank, born 1874, Bacup, Lancashire; George, born 1878, Bacup, Lancashire.

In the 1871 and 1881 censuses they lived in Bacup (see Moses Marshall's entry for details).
In 1891 after Law died, Ellen was recorded as living at 2 George St, Bacup. The entry was: Elllen 48, born Yorkshire, widow; John M [W sic] (26, born Wilsden), cotton mule spinner; Fairbank (17, born Bacup), cotton card room hand; George (14, born Bacup) cotton throstle room hand; and in the same household her eldest son, now married: John (27, born Eastbridge), moulder in the iron trade, married to Clara (27, born Neals?, Norfolk), daughter-in-law; and their children: James L[aw] (2, born Bacup) and Elizabeth J (1, born Bacup).
In the 1901 census is the following: address: 9 East St, Littleborough, Lancashire, Ellen (59, born [Ripon]sic, Yorkshire), retired weaver, living with her son George (23, born Bacup), bleacher's labourer at a print works. 
There are also three boarders at the address: 
John Hardman (34, born Todmorden), fireman at velvet dye works; 
David Butterworth (52, born Littleborough), coal agent and
Alice Scott (26, born Rochdale), cotton winder.


Law died in a tragic accident on the 17th September 1889. His death certificate records that he died in Manchester Royal Infirmary  because: "He, whilst trespassing  on a tramway line at a quarry, was accidentally knocked down and run over by an empty wagon that was being drawn up an incline & died from the injuries". He was 47 years of age. Certficate received from Sidney Smelt, Deputy Coroner, Manchester. Inquest held 18th September. His address was 2 George Street, Bacup. A newspaper article from the time gives greater detail and tells that it was his son who worked at the quarry and whom he had gone to see. His leg was fractured by the wagon which also caused "contusions on either side". The quarry in question was Leewood Quarry owned by Thomas Peel.

This extract is from the local paper

I have not yet been able to find a death record for Ellen, but in 1902 George married Jane Anne Hartley. In the 1911 census they have four children and live at 4 Kitter Street, Rochdale but Ellen is not listed.