CROASDELL FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY

 

CROASDELL FAMILY - POTTED HISTORY - BRANCHLINES

James Croasdell and Eleanor Coward

 

 

James Croasdell

James Croasdell 1828 - 1906 was the only one of 3 brothers, sons of Isaac Croasdell and Mary Cummings, to survive beyond his mid twenties and to marry and produce a family to carry on the family name (His sister Elizabeth had 4 children but died relatively early at 37) James was born near Kendal in Westmoreland when his parents were living at Sizergh Cottages and he was baptised at Helsington Chapel on 2 November 1828. He moved with the family to Furness in the early 1830s where they settled at Bridge End, Low Wood, Haverthwaite in the parish of Colton.

 

Eleanor Coward

On 20 May 1858 at Colton, James married Eleanor Coward who had been born at Lowick, Lancashire, in June 1833, daughter of James Coward a farmer. But she was described as "of Bouth" on her wedding certificate. George Cummings, possibly a cousin of James, was one of the witnesses.

Before his marriage James worked as a hoopmaker but by the time of his wedding his occupation was a woodmonger. Three years later in the 1861 census James & Eleanor were living at Tom Cragg, Finsthwaite (Colton parish) and James was described as a Hoopmaker and Farmer. By this time, 2 year old Isaac and 8 month old Mary Agnes had arrived and Cousin Elizabeth Hetherington was staying with them. There were also 5 servants, 2 men who were farm servants and a 20 year old girl who was a house servant - so the family were becoming quite well established. They continued to prosper and in 1871 were living at Farm House, Haverthwaite, where James was farming 100 acres and also continued the business of hoopmaker. He employed 5 men and the census shows there were 5 farm labourers and a domestic servant plus three boarders who were hoopmakers. All the children were listed except Thomas Henry. The census was taken on April 2nd that year and Thomas was born 13 days later - so he just missed being counted!

In 1881 the family were still at Farm House where the acreage had increased to 140 acres. James was described as a farmer, employing 4 men, and a woodmonger. Mary Agnes and Hannah/Annabelle were both away from home - Mary Agnes at her grandmother's but so far no trace of Hannah has been found. Two more cousins were visiting, Annie and Thomas Cummings aged 7 and 5. There was a wood hoop maker, an indoor farm servant, a carter & waggoner and a 15 year old girl who was a general domestic servant. By the time James was 62 in 1891 he was described as a timber merchant and farmer (no acreage given) The family's address was Haverthwaite Farm (probably the same place as in previous censuses) The children still, living at home were Elizabeth, Hannah I, George C and Thomas H. Grandson Henry Kirkby was also with his grandparents as he had been orphaned by this time and cousin Thomas Cummings was working as a farm labourer. The domestic servant was aged 17 and there were 3 labourer carters, 2 agricultural labourers and one joiner.

Ten years later, in 1901 James remained at Haverthwaite Farm, described as a Farmer and Timber merchant. With him were Eleanor, who was to die a few months later, and daughter Hannah I and son Thomas Henry. The six servants consisted of a domestic servant, a farm labourer, a farm horseman, a farm cowman, a wood carter and an assistant cowman. Sons George and James had married and set up home elsewhere with their own families. It looks as though the hoopmaking side of the business had declined and farming and timber were James's priorities.

Further details of James's occupation have been added by Tom Park - James ran the business of timber merchants from Bridge End, Haverthwaite. They would fell timber for sale to industry (pit props etc) Coppice wood would be an important part of their trade, supplying the many bobbin mills, charcoal burners and basketmakers in south Lakeland. He kept a boat on the River Leven at Haverthwaite and journeyed on it into various parts of Lancashire doing business and transporting goods. The Coward family owned and ran the bobbin mill at Stott Park near Finsthwaite but it isn't known if James's wife, Eleanor was a member of that particular Coward family.

Eleanor died on 11 August 1901 and was buried on the 14th at Haverthwaite

James died on 25 June 1906 at Bury, Lancashire according to the Probate index which lists the initial value of his will at £4709 7s 5d. This was later revised to £5041 9s 5d. The index refers, however, to his residence as being in Haverthwaite and indeed he was buried at St Anne's Haverthwaite on June 26th. Probably he died when he was visiting his son and family who had moved to Bury a few years earlier. James's will, made on 24 July 1904, names four executors - John Coward, Farmer, and his three sons George Cummings Croasdale, Thomas Henry Croasdale, Woodmonger and James Coward Croasdale, Chemist. His estate included properties at Bridge End and land at Little Mill Head and Ford Island. There was also an estate near Burton in Kendal called Church Bank Estate belonging to an uncle, Joseph Wynne.

The year after his death, in 1907, James's portrait was published in the Ulverston Year Book

James and Eleanor's children were

 

 

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