Holt of Tottington - Family Bible

Family Bible of James Holt of Greenhalgh Moss

The information below was published in the Journal of Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society, vol. 10 (1989) pp28-29.  It was contributed by Constance Burrows of Burnley.  Comments in red have been added me and did not appear in the original article.

I enclose a detailed copy of the HOLT tree which I have taken from the James HOLT family bible which was handed down to me.  The Bible in very fragile now but complete.  It is three books in one - Prayer Book, Bible and the book of Psalms with music.  The Frontispiece says 'Imprinted at London by the deputies of Christopher BARKER, printer to the Queen's most excellent Majesty 1599'

A pedigree is also included in the journal, converted here to text:-

1. JAMES HOLT (d. 1780) of Greenhalgh Moss in Tottington.  He died 7 Feb 1780.  Will 1780.  Married JANE CROMPTON on the 1 Nov 1716.  She died 29 Jan 1776. Children of James and Jane were:

• 1.1 John (b. 30 Sep 1717, d. 10 Feb 1742)
• 1.2 Olive (b. 26 Nov 1719, d. 15 Oct 1720)
• 1.3 George (b. 07 Sep 1721, d. 07 Oct 1767)
• 1.4 James (b. 09 Jan 1723)
• 1.5 Thomas (b. 14 Aug 1726)
• 1.6 Samuel (b. 10 Feb 1728)
• 1.7 Mary (b. 30 Jul 1731, d. 5 Dec 1736)
• 1.8 Elizabeth (b. 12 Dec 1733, d. 9 Jan 1780)
• 1.9 William (b. 15 Mar 1736)
• 1.10 Richard (b. 19 Mar 1739, d. 21 Apr 1817)
• 1.11 Mary (b. 21 Jun 1741, d. 22 Jun 1765)

1.10 RICHARD HOLT (1739 - 1817).  Born 19th March 1739.  Died 21st Apr 1817 aged 78. Will 1817 'of Bolholt'.  Exors Thomas Holt of Greenhalgh Moss and William Holt of Elton, both Fustian Manufacturers.  Married Richmel.  She died 30th Oct 1810, aged 73. Children of Richard and Richmel were:

• 1.10.1 Joseph (b. 2 Dec 1763, d. 28 Sep 1785)
• 1.10.2 Thomas (b. 3 Apr 1768, d. 19 Jun 1771)
• 1.10.3 Edmund (d. 25 Feb 1772, d. 3 Jun 1773)
• 1.10.4 Robert (b. 23 Feb 1770, d. 22 Jun 1771)
• 1.10.5 Adam (b. 22 Jan 1766, d. 14 Dec 1808)

1.10.5 ADAM HOLT (1766 - 1808).  Born 22 Jan 1766.  Died 14 Dec 1806, aged 42.  Married ANNE PILKINGTON in 1794 at Bury.  She was born 17 Oct 1774 and died 10 Nov 1808, aged 34.  Children of Adam and Ann were:

• 1.10.5.1 Betty (b. 4 May 1795, 10 Sep 1812)
• 1.10.5.2 Richmel (b. 6 Feb 1797)
• 1.10.5.3 Mary (b. 2 Nov 1799)
• 1.10.5.4 Edmund (b. 9 Feb 1803)
• 1.10.5.5 Richard (b. 4 Dec 1805, d. 24 May 1837).  Married (1) Mary Wolfenden at Prestwich on 22 Mar 1829

1.10.5.5 RICHARD HOLT (b. 4 Dec 1805, d. 24 May 1837).  Married (1) MARY WOLFENDEN at Prestwich on 22 Mar 1829.  Children of Richard and Mary were:

• 1.10.5.5.1 Edmund (b. 2 Dec 1829, d. 28 Jun 1833)
• 1.10.5.5.2 Alice (b. 23 Jun 1831)
• 1.10.5.5.3 Ann (b. 16 Dec 1832)
• 1.10.5.5.4 Richmel (b. 16 Dec 1833)
• 1.10.5.5.5 Richard (b. 6 Jan 1836, d. 19 May 1874) married Hannah Roscow in 1859 at Holcombe

Plus three more generations shown in the pedigree not reproduced here.

Thomas Holt of Tottington (1726 - 1810)

I am trying to establish whether this Thomas Holt is the same person listed above as reference 1.5.

Thomas Holt Gravestone at Tottington

The inscription reads:-

This Stone is placed here to the memory of Thomas Holt, shopkeeper of Tottington, who departed this life the 50th day of January 1810 in the 84th year of his age.  Also here resteth the Body of William Holt of Breigtmet (the Son of the aforesaid Thomas Holt) who departed this Life the 25th Day of January 1812 in the 57th Year of His Age

Thomas left a will which gives us the following genealogical information:-

1.5 THOMAS HOLT (c1726 - 1810) of Tottington.  Children of Thomas are:

• 1.5.1 Samuel.  Bap. 1750. Two daughters Ann and Frances.
• 1.5.2 Olive (1752 - 1797).  Bap. 1752. Married Richard Taylor in 1776 at Bury
• 1.5.3. Alice. Died 1791.  Married John Cooper in 1776 at Bury
• 1.5.4 William (1754 -1812) [of Breightmet].  Bap. 1754
• 1.5.5 Elizabeth. Died 1789.  Married John Gorton in 1786 at Bury
• 1.5.6 Frances. Bap. 1769. Married Matthew Standish in 1792 at Bury
• 1.5.7 Thomas

One of the executors appointed in his will was Adam Holt of Bolholt in Bury, fustian manufacturer.  The will was written in 1795, and when it was proved in 1810, Adam Holt was already dead, which is consistent with him being the Adam Holt above (reference 1.10.5).

There is a marriage of Thomas Holt and Ann Medowcroft at Bolton Parish Church (both recorded as of Bury Parish) on 5th Feb 1748/9.   In the will of Thomas Meadowcroft of Woolfold in Tottington (1778), he mentions his daughter Ann, the wife of Thomas Holt (also his daughter Jane, wife of James Holt, and his daughter Alice, wife of William Holt).

Tottington Lower End
Highlighting the proximity of Greenhalgh Moss, Bolholt and Woolfold

Grave inscription of Olive Taylor nee Holt

This monumental inscription is recorded at Saint Mary in Bury [No 424]:

Here resteth the body of OLIVE wife of RICHARD TAYLOR of Tottington who departed this life Jan 17th 1797 in the 46th year of her age.  Also of the above RICHARD TAYLOR who departed this life Sept 18th 1827 aged 75 years.  Also NANCY daughter of SAMUEL and ANN TAYLOR of Unsworth who departed this life Nov 19th 1827 aged 12 years.

Holt Family of Greenhalgh Moss Newspaper Article

The following newspaper article was published in the The Bury Times on 9 Feb 1907, on the death of Alderman Thomas Holt of Stoneholme, Walshaw.

The branch of the family to which Alderman Holt belonged have been attached to the Non conformist cause for at least two hundred years, and they have been association with the Bury Presbyterian Church (first in Silver-street and afterwards in  Bank-street) ever since its foundation in 1719.  One of the subscribers to the building fund was John Holt who lived at and owned Greenhalgh Moss Farm, Tottington Lower End (the site of which is now occupied by Beechwood, the residence of Mr James Smethurst).  John Holt's son James (born in 1692) married Jane Chompton [sic], and this James's second son James was the first child christened in the new Bury Chapel, the date of the christening begin December 12th, 1723.  When he arrived at man's estate this James Holt who inherited the Greenhalgh Moss estate, became a woollen dyer, and had a small works on the brook at Greenhalgh Moss.  He married Jane Meadowcroft, and left several children, the eldest of whom, Thomas, succeeded to Greenhalgh Moss.  He kept it during his life, but his son James disposed of it to Mr Charles Lomax, Bleacher, of Dunsters, who built the house in which Mr Smethurst lives.  The last named Thomas Holt and his brother William were living in the village of Walshaw-lane during the last decade of the eighteenth century.  They engaged in  partnership as fustian manufacturers, beginning with a few hand-looms, and carried on business at Walshaw-lane until their deaths.  William, the grandfather of Mr. Thomas Holt, died in 1820, and Thomas in 1824.  For twelve years after the death of their uncle Thomas, the two sons of William - Joseph and William - continued the business: but about the time when the power-loom began to drive out the hand-loom the two brothers dissolved partnership.

The article contains another couple of paragraphs containing details of more recent generations of the family, not reproduced here.   A similar article was published in 1897, the full text of which is reproduced here The History of William Holt and Sons.  Below is a family tree based on the article above.

Holt of Greenhalgh Moss in Tottington
Family tree based on 1907 newspaper article