98 Bastardry in Hoscar Moss – Part 6, What Happened Later: 18 November 2024
It became a very bad idea for James to continue working
the Hankin farm at Burscough.
Catherine’s closest relatives and his repudiated daughter Mary Culshaw all
lived at Burscough.
Probably before the Court Orders were made, James
ceased working at Burscough. For his own
protection, James stayed in Hoscar Moss and avoided Burscough as much as
possible.
By no later than 5 February 1781, my five times great grandfather Thomas Hankin had died at age 59. This was not an early age in 1781 at which to die, but his life was certainly shortened by the actions of his son James. His death occurred almost precisely five years after the birth of his granddaughter Mary Culshaw. The Court Orders were made against James Hankin less than three years before he died.
Thomas might have had a longer life if James
had not treated Catherine Culshaw the way he did.
****
There is a very strong indication that Thomas was significantly alienated from his son James when he died.
Thomas died without having
made a Will (“intestate”).
For aristocrats,
this would not have been a significant issue.
English law said “real property” went to the oldest son unless the Will
directed otherwise. Aristocrats had
“freehold” title to their lands and “freehold” land was definitely “real
property”. If there was no Will, land
ownership simply transmitted to the oldest son.
But Thomas did
not have “real property”. His farms were located on leased land – and
leased land did not count as “real property”.
Leased land counted as “personal property” and had to be distributed under
a 1671 statute “for the Better Settling of Intestates Estates”. This meant that by doing nothing, Thomas
stripped his son James of most of the inheritance he probably expected to get.
The statute required the estate to be divided into thirds – one third going to Thomas’s widow Elizabeth, and the other two thirds had to be distributed among his children. When Thomas died in 1781, his surviving children were James, Jane, Nanny and Thomas. Instead of getting 100% of his father’s estate, James received ¼ of 2/3rds – or 16.67% - of the estate.
This was a
severe blow.
****
After Thomas died, James was allowed to farm one
property at Hoscar Moss.
The 1798 Land Tax Redemptions for the Parish of Lathom
record that Mr W Bootle, through someone called “Harrison” was the owner of a
block of land in Lathom which was occupied by James Hankin. The land tax assessment for this land was one
pound, one shilling, nine and a quarter of a penny or 261.25 pence.
Another reference in the Land Tax Return records an
additional block of land at Lathom which was leased by “Hankins” and occupied
by someone called Benson. This is a
reference to other unnamed members of the Hankin family, not to James Hankin. This was probably a reference to Thomas
Hankin, my four times great grandfather.
****
James married Susan Ellison on 23 July 1781. Susan was not from Ormskirk Parish and had no
prior knowledge of Catherine Culshaw and her baby. The story of Catherine and James was notorious
to Lathom and Hoscar Moss natives. This meant no local females were
interested in marrying James and he had
to marry someone from outside the local area.
His reputation made marrying a local girl impossible.
Susan had been baptised in Huyton on 12 February
1758. Huyton is near Knowsley and about
24 kilometres (14.9 miles) from Ormskirk.
Susan’s family had moved around before settling in the
Ormskirk district.
Susan’s parents were John Ellison and Mary Allin; they
married on 21 April 1752 at Flixton and Susan’s older brother Joseph was baptised
on 29 August 1752 in Flixton. Flixton is
now part of Greater Manchester and about 56 kilometres (35 miles) from
Ormskirk.
Susan’s brother William was baptised on 14 March 1756
at Huyton.
Her brother James had been baptised on 21 November
1762 in Warrington, about 34 kilometres (21.1 miles) from Ormskirk.
Susan’s family moved around a lot for that era and
they certainly had no knowledge of the scandal involving James when Susan
married James.
James and Susan did not have any children. The irony of this is unmistakable. James had been the father of Mary Culshaw but had denied being her father. Not having any children was a great burden
for James and Susan. Without children,
they had no close family members who would be obligated to care for them in old
age. The lack of children was surely seen as a punishment for the way James had treated Catherine. Because James had denied being the father of
his own daughter, he was denied the blessing of having children of his own children later
on when he most definitely must have wanted them.
James was buried on 4 September 1815 at age 67.
Susan Ellison was buried on 28 April 1826 at age 68.
****
James
Hankin certainly lived in Hoscar Moss Road.
This is Sandyways Farm, one of the houses on Hoscar Moss Road in which he
might have lived. The other house in
which he might have lived is the farmhouse of the farm now operated by WP Hodge & Son; it is
about 100 metres west of Sandyways Farm and also on Hoscar Moss Road.
Notice the white square in the middle and near the top of this photo. The next photo shows a blow up of the white square.
This is a closeup photo of the white square near the roof of Sandyways
Farm. It was put there by my four times
great grandfather Thomas Hankin. Although
his father had died intestate, in practical terms Thomas inherited the farms that
had been operated by his father Thomas.
Thomas my four times great grandfather prospered and created a small farming empire.
The “T” was Thomas Hankin; the “E” was his wife Ellen Bretherton and the “H” was for Hankin.
Thomas Hankin was
everything that his brother James was not. He was a decent, hard working intelligent
man who did not cheat those around him.
Several houses in Hoscar Moss Road have similar white squares that differ from each other only
in the year shown on the square.
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