THE RAINFORD SECTION

 

On the 27th.April 1898 George Bates and Margaret Alice Rainford were married at Christ Church Maybel Ave, Blackpool. (Next door to MacFisheries). George was 24 years of age and Margaret Alice 23. They in the course of time had three boys:- Ernest, Harold and George.

 

Margaret Alice was the third eldest child of John Rainford and Alice nee Jackson. John and Alice had five children in all. Thomas Robert who was born in 1879, John James born 1872 and I think died soon after, Margaret Alice born 1875, (our Grandmother), Ernest born 1878 and Edwin who is proving a little difficult to locate birth-wise. He professed to be born on the west side of the tram track and that of course puts him in the flat at the Metropole hotel. It is more than likely that he would then be christened at All Saints church.

 

Ernest married Florence and they had one daughter Dorothy, Dorothy died in 1996. She never married. This branch of the family, are all buried in the one plot in Layton Cemetery.

 

I have found Ernest in various trade directories and he was at different addresses, a gent’s hairdresser, a dealer in jewellery, sweets and tobacco and fancy goods and toys. Culminating with a jeweller’s shop under the Metropole. He also invested in quite a bit of property around the Talbot Road area. He was, according to Ruth; (his niece) articled to an architect in Blackpool and indeed did the plans for his Fathers house at Hardhorn

 

Edwin had a butchers shop in Anchorsholme Lane Cleveleys this was coupled with a livestock transport business. He married Louise Ashton and they had a son Christened Edwin and to avoid confusion was always called little Edwin.

 

Little Edwin went to school at Northlands High School then to Blackpool Grammar School. He obtained a rather good School Certificate, got a good job with Metropolitan Vickers at Manchester. Took an external degree at Salford Technical College as it then was, and the world then seems to have been his oyster.

 

Edwin (father) on retirement moved from Anchorsholme Lane to 140 Bispham Road Greenlands. The funny thing is that I lived at 140 Bispham Road from 1936 to 1939 or thereabouts. My father Ernest Bates and Edwin Rainford used to go on holidays together in the thirties. Leaving their respective wives at home to look after the shops! This would indicate that their ages must have been similar.

 

Thomas Robert Rainford was the brother who continued in his father's footsteps and was a butcher. A T. R. Rainford shop is still in existence and is on Devonshire Road opposite the Devonshire Arms Pub. The shop at Devonshire Square (Number Three) and the shop in town at the junction of Market Street and Cheapside have gone. He was born in Kirkham and when married, had, from what I can find out, sons John James, John, Harry and Robert and the youngest child was a daughter named Ruth.

 

Ruth lived in Marlborough. Road, which is off Whitegate Drive. She on getting married became Ruth Wood and still lives in the same area adjacent to Stanley Park. John was best man at the wedding of my parents, Violet and Ernest Bates at St. Paul’s Marton in I 1927.The whole family was, I do believe, born in Blackpool.

 

As I have already stated Thomas Robert was born in Kirkham. I find that John James also born in Kirkham, died soon after birth; I have found reference to this event in the Kirkham Parish church records.

 

At the time John Rainford our Great Grandfather was a butcher at 3,5 Poulton Street Kirkham. In fact he and his wife Alice (nee Jackson) with Thomas Robert appear in the 1871 Census return for that address. In 1881 however they, as a family moved to Blackpool and to 3 West Cliffe. West Cliffe was the name given to the shops under the Metropole Hotel John Rainford had the next to end shop at the pier (south) side.

 

Funny thing is that when I went to Kirkham Grammar School in 1939, Grandma Bates told me that she was born in Kirkham and even told me that she was born over Jacksons seed shop. That small piece of information proved very valuable.

 

At the time 1939 there was still a Jackson’s seed shop on Poulton Street, it was situated in or on the Market Square opposite the Fish Stones. Grandma said that she was not born at that address. Which in 1939 didn't really matter. Now it of course does. The seed shop, which I saw, was numbered 2 Poulton Street. Grandma was born at 26 Poulton Street.

Again the record of the Jacksons moving down the Street is to be found in the trade directories for that town.

 

So our Great Grandmother went home to mother to have her baby. When you think of how small the place under the Metropole at Blackpool must have been it was possibly not a bad idea. Ernest and Edwin however were both born in Blackpool. Edwin was the one born on the west side of the tram track.

 

This absolute connection with the Jackson family was a great help in that the Fylde Area was full of Rainfords and it was difficult to sort out who was who. Back to the Rainfords. John was at the last count the thirteenth child in a family of fourteen. Their parents were Robert Rainford and his wife Alice nee. Swan. Robert Rainford was born in Weeton in 1789; Alice Swan was born in Wharles in 1801.

 

The Rainfords in Weeton in 1789 appear to be shopkeepers. Remember Weeton? There is still a pub The Eagle and Child and there is a little new development, a listed building or two and that is it. There can only have been the one shop. Up to the moment, I cannot find it! The shop appears to have been a general store from which all the requirements of life could be obtained. What is worse I can remember a shop during the war, and still no bells are ringing as to exactly where.

 

Back to the large family: -

            John was born 1820,

            Thomas 1821,

            Robert 1823,

            Jane 1825,

            Ellen 1827,

Another -   Jane 1829, ~ 1831,

            Robert 1834,

            Richard 1835,

            Alice 1836,

            Nancy1838,

            Elizabeth 1840,

            John (Great Grandpa') 1843,

            Sarah Ann 1847.

 

I have seen the entries for ALL of these births, in the records of St Michael’s Church Kirkham held in the County Records Office, Preston.

 

Ellen born 1827 was married in Kirkham parish church to James Marquis in 1855 and they had at least one daughter called Alice in 1853. This is the start of the Lord Woolton connection. He was Grandma Bates’ cousin.

 

Mary born 1831 married a James Dobson in 1857. Richard born 1835 died in 1846. Alice married a Murray around 1856. Sarah Ann, the youngest child to date, married a Mr. Robert Parkinson at Kirkham in 1871.

 

How, you may say, do we get two members of the family with the same name? From other work in this field there are two possibilities. The first child died before the next one was christened with the same name. I think this happened with the Rainfords. It is an historical fact that where a birth certificate had been purchased for the first child, who for some reason or other passed away. A second child of the same sex was given the first birth certificate; this would save the expense of a new certificate.

 

Now let us go to Robert and Alice (nee Swan) Rainford. They were, you remember shopkeepers in Weeton. From Weeton they moved to Kirkham and I have found them recorded in the various censuses. In 1841 they were Innkeepers in Poulton Street Kirkham. In 1851 Robert and Alice were at the Black Bull Inn Preston Street Kirkham.

 

From this census it is interesting to note that their daughter Ellen was born in Wharles and was now 24 years -of age and a dressmaker Mary a barmaid 20 years old was born in Treales, as was Nancy a twelve-year-old scholar. John (our Great Grandfather) was born in 1843 and believe it or not on the birth certificate Robert and Alice were butchers in Poulton Street.

 

The next census 1861 Alice appears for the first time in the family home. Alice Murray no less again a dressmaker, born in Treales. She must of course been visiting on the night of the 1851 Census and have married in the between time.

 

Another large family of Rainfords has been found in the immediate area of Poulton Street and Preston Street Kirkham. John Rainford (another one) who was born in Ulverston, Broughton-in-Furness in 1806 married Jenny Wilkinson of Roseacre m St. Michaels Church Kirkham on the 3rd July 1825. The witnesses being, Richard Wilkinson and Ann Clark.

 

Again looking through the Census records in 1841 John was a labourer in Wharles. He was similarly employed and at Wharles Green in 1851 and 1861. In 1871 he had retired and was living in Kirbys Yard off Poulton Street Kirkham, which is virtually next to the butcher’s shop where John and Alice were in business before moving to Blackpool. Too much of a coincidence, that they should not be related in some way!

 

John Rainford married Alice Jackson at St. Michaels Kirkham on the 16th December 1868 the witnesses as per the certificate were John Murray and Sarah Anne Rainford. John died at Hardhorn near Blackpool 22nd. January 1914 and was buried at Kirkham parish church. Alice died again in Blackpool on the 25th January 1922 and was also buried at St. Michael’s Kirkham.

 

Now for a load of guff, which in the main is hearsay. I cannot substantiate a word of it. I was told that: - John Rainford on moving to Blackpool and to the shop under the Metropole, with flat of course, kept pigeons in a coup on top of the Metropole. He was a keen fancier and was a member of the local fanciers club. There is an old photograph in a Blackpool paper showing members of the local club.

 

The story goes that John Rainford entered his birds in a long distant race. On the appointed day the birds were released and it was noticed in due time that one of Granddad’s had lighted on the roof of the Princess buildings. It is reported that he became so annoyed that the bird would not enter the coup to be clocked. He took a double barrel shot gun out, and standing on the promenade behind the Metropole tried to shoot it down. I don't know whether he shot and missed or even fired at all, but it is reported that he did not get a prize.

 

He had a dog that travelled with him all over the place in particular from Hardhorn to Blackpool and the return. I think (according to Edwin Rainford his son) that the dog was named Jess and had a great will to fight, which he did whenever he met another dog. Unfortunately he had been trained to bite at the others privates if it were also a dog (I don't think he accosted bitches) Uncle Edwin Rainford reported that the screams from the poor unfortunate opponents were horrendous.

 

Whichever mode of transport Grandfather selected to get back home to Hardhorn did not matter to Jess. Sometimes it was by pony and trap sometimes by train, always by the same train on Saturday nights after picking up the shop takings. Jess always travelled back by train! The story goes the station porters let him on the train at Talbot Road and looked for him at Poulton. I reckon that is a tall story but having said that I heard it on numerous occasions.

 

Remember the Grandpa Bates Friday country round serving meat to the Fylde and buying rabbits, eggs and poultry from the various farmers. It is said that Thomas Rainford (our Great Great Grandfather) used to go to the Out Rawcliffe area serving meat etc. and history has it that he never ever sorted out the road system, he was always getting lost.

 

However lets get to the River Wyre, which in those days had a ford across it. This was situated adjacent to Mains Hall and east of Skipool where the river was becoming narrower. Shard Bridge was built (cc 1864) and the then company wanted payment for the use of their bridge.

 

Thomas Rainford refused, steered pony and governors cart into the river, to cross as he had always done, and for nothing. The Shard Bridge Company had in their wisdom foreseen this eventuality and had placed large stones on the route of the old ford. The governors cart upturned the pony broke loose and the various cuts of meat and groceries finished up in the river.

 

It is recorded that Great Grandfather Rainford paid to cross via the bridge from that day on, and I believe, quite willingly. I repeat, the stories cannot be substantiated. Never the less they tend to humanise the family a little. It is interesting to note that the year 1993 saw the replacement of the old Shard Bridge crossing of the Wyre. The Lancashire County Council has now erected a new bridge, which does not incur any toll.

 

As far as the Rainfords are concerned the above both answers many questions and leaves us with many queries. My father spent a holiday when he was very young at an Uncles home in School Lane Bamber Bridge. You would never believe it, at yet another butchers. I, in absolute error, assumed that this person must have been a Bates! But no, it was from the trade directory a William Rainford. Great but where the devil did he come from? I have no record of John Rainford having a brother William (as yet).

 

Who was the John Rainford born in Ulverston in 1806 who came to live in the Fylde and who married Jenny Wilkinson from Treales? He was listed as both a labourer and a cow keeper. There was such a job in those days as a cow keeper. If he was not related to our Rainfords it appears a little funny that he lived at Kirbys Yard off Poulton Street Kirkham and was a neighbour of John Rainford our great Grandfather.

 

The next is even more amazing. He had a son called William born at Treales in 1846. That would make him 54 to 64 years of age between 1900 and 1910, which would tie up with the Rainford dad visited in Bamber Bridge. This would certainly give us a missing link, and would also point us in the direction of Barrow in Furness where I am sure there was another family connection.

 

Assuming what we have surmised so far is some bit correct then; Great grandfather Rainford and the William found in Bamber Bridge may be cousins and, if that is so, John R. born in Ulverstone was a brother to Robert R. born in Weeton. I have searched through the Barrow area without any luck. It is before Census, and the International Genealogical Index created by the Mormons, at this moment in time is not much help.

 

There is also a problem of a similar name cropping up. Railsford appears to be creeping into the Fylde area when you go back beyond 1750 Now, if you look at St. Michaels Kirkham parish records, Rainford and Railsford are the same family. Even Weeton appears as Wooton. So much for the educated clergy.

 

The middle 1700's sees about a dozen Rainfords registered as buried in Kirkham parish according to the Bishops Transcripts, all of who are from the Weeton area. This again is unbelievable, there were not that many dwellings in Weeton even before the last war, let alone so many years ago, so it follows that Weeton must have been over-run with Rainfords.

 

Another question, which crops up from time to time is, who is Walter Edmundson? Has he a Rainford or perhaps a Bates connection. George and Margaret Alice visited him on several occasions.

 

 

A POTTED HISTORY OF THE BATES FAMILY

 

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