HIGHAM
X3 GRANDPARENTS
38. PETER HIGHAM was born in 1831 at Westhoughton. Aged 20 he was working as a Carter and by the 1861 census he was married to Martha and employed as a grocer shop worker and living at Hart Common Westhoughton. By the 1871 census he was employed as a Railway Labourer. His death is likely to have been in 1874.
Hart Common was once one of the most rural and least populated hamlets which made up the township of Westhoughton.
Children all born at Westhoughton
Joseph Higham b. 1857 working as a cotton operator aged 13. .
Richard Higham b. 1859
Elizabeth Higham b. 1861
Mary Higham b. 1864
39. MARTHA born in 1829 at Westhoughton was a widow by 1881 and staying at 182 Hindley Road, Westhoughton with Mary.
The new Railway lines cutting through Westhoughton
These are the houses built at Hart Common for the incomming mine workers
X4 GRANDPARENTS
76. RICHARD HIGHAM was born in 1802 at Westhoughton. In the 1841 and 1851 census he is recorded as staying with his mother working as a farm servant at Hart Common Westhoughton. By the following census he is a farmer of 12 3/4 acres of Baldwins Farm. The other half of the farm owned by Mary is mother is likely to have been given to a brother.
Children
38. Peter Higham b. 1831
Ann Higham b. 1836 a nurse in 1851
Mary Higham b. 1838 a nurse in 1851
Elizabeth Higham b. 1840
Joseph Higham b. 1842
Richard Higham b. 1844
William Higham b. 1850
77. ELLEN was born in 1808 at Westhoughton
Baldwins Farm and Old Fold Farm surrounded by railway lines.
X5 GRANDPARENTS
152. JOSEPH HIGHAM was born in 1770 at Westhoughton Lancashire and married Mary on 13th December 1795. He died some time before 1841. He was a farmer at Baldwins farm West Houghton.
153. MARY HOLDEN was born on 16th May 1767 at Westhoughton. to Joseph and Mary Holden. The census report of 1851 show her widowed and a farmer of 30 acres staying at Baldwins Houghton West with her son and his family. It also shows a grand daughter Elizabeth born 1825 and her son Richard born 1849 staying with them. Elizabeth was working as a Silk Handloom Weaver at the time. She died sometime between 1851 and 1861.
Children
Samuel Higham b. 1796
Ann Higham b. 1797
Margaret Higham b. 1799
Mary Higham b. 1799
76. Richard Higham b. 1801
Rebecca Higham b. 1803
Richard Higham b. 1804
James Higham b. 1806
Noah Higham b. 1810
Betty Higham b. 1813
There's still a farm up the Old Fold Lane.