When my great grandfather William Critchley (birth name maybe John William Critchley) was born in August 1853 in Bedford (near Westleigh), Lancashire, England, his father, John Critchley, was 27 and his mother, Mary (Shannon) Critchley, was 28.
Later, Bedford was unincorporated and
redistricted into Greater Manchester.
He married Ann Ellen Thompson in 1875 in England. They had 12 children in 26 years. They are: Thomas Critchley, Alfred Critchley, John Critchley, Ellen Critchley, Joseph Critchley (my maternal grandfather), (all previous born in England); and then born in the United States (Paterson,New Jersey) was Mary "Mamie" Critchley, Ann Critchley, Martha Critchley, Margaret "Maggie" Critchley, Ellen "Nellie" Critchley, Thomas Critchley, and Elizabeth "Betty" Critchley.
Often we ask ourselves, "Gee, I wonder why my [e.g.] this relative or that relative decided to immigrate to the United States?"
Well, I had that same question about my grandparents and I just recently discovered what I believe WHY my great grandfather William, wife, and four children, decided to immigrate to America:
According to my research, the Westleigh-Bedford, Lancashire county area had more then 17 coal mines (colleries) and many often had cave-ins and/or gas explosions. The one that I believe specifically affected my Critchley relatives decision to immigrate was called the "Bedford [Leigh] Colliery disaster [which] occurred on Friday 13 August 1886"*.
The Bedford Colliery mine had one of the worst gas explosions in England's history causing a cave in, with at least 17 fatalities and many more injuries. The list of those that died did not include any Critchleys, but the family's friends may have victims, and maybe some relatives were among the many injured. This I think was the primary reason for "getting the Heck out of Dodge, errr, England. According to my Ancestry.com census reports, early in my great grandpa's William Critchley life, he worked in the coal mines (he later worked in cotton mills).
Also, there were other extenuating factors that my relatives got out of England:
terrible air pollution - from burning coal -(air pollution including sulfur dioxide, which turns into sulfuric acid when it gets wet, in other words, acid rain) filth and the probability of disease (typhus, typhoid, cholera) from inappropriate disposal of horse and human waste/manure. Add the big decline of cotton mills ever since the American Civil War cotton embargo/blockade and export to England; '80% of England's cotton came from the Confederate State'**. These all inclined my great grandparents and family and many more Critchleys to leave England. Many went to the United States, others to Australia, and some to Canada.
*[information from Wikipedia.com:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_Colliery_disaster, **Confederate cotton and England also from Wikipedia].
Anyway, on the steam ship Gallia was my Great Grandpa William Critchley, great grandma Ellen Anna (Thompson) Critchley, brother Thomas, sister Ellen, and brothers John and Joseph. At ship's crossing (my Grandpa) Joseph was the youngest (age 2) to see the brand new Statue of Liberty (actual name "Liberty Enlightening the World"). They must have disembarked somewhere in New York harbor, as Ellis Island was not completed and ready for immigrants until January 1, 1891.
[Information above from Gallia's ship's June 29,1888 passenger manifest from Ancestry.com
After the death of his wife Anna Ellen (Thompson) Critchley and until his own death, my great grandpa lived with his daughter Ellen (Critchley) Duffield.
My great grandpa William went to Heaven on January 19, 1948, in Paterson, Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA at the age of 93, 4 mos, and 19 days.
He is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery, Paterson,Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA. FindAGrave Memorial # is 175557215.
~~~~~~~~~💜~~~~~~~~~
Edited and posted on 21 January 2017 by William Critchley's maternal great grandson Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren. My grandpa (William's son) was Joseph Critchley. My mother was Georgina Mae Critchley (1919-1996) who married William "Bill" Van Duren (1919-2003). I have a sister Jacquie (Van Duren) Simmons living in Florida.
**THIS MEMORIAL IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS**
***More family links coming soon***
Later, Bedford was unincorporated and
redistricted into Greater Manchester.
He married Ann Ellen Thompson in 1875 in England. They had 12 children in 26 years. They are: Thomas Critchley, Alfred Critchley, John Critchley, Ellen Critchley, Joseph Critchley (my maternal grandfather), (all previous born in England); and then born in the United States (Paterson,New Jersey) was Mary "Mamie" Critchley, Ann Critchley, Martha Critchley, Margaret "Maggie" Critchley, Ellen "Nellie" Critchley, Thomas Critchley, and Elizabeth "Betty" Critchley.
Often we ask ourselves, "Gee, I wonder why my [e.g.] this relative or that relative decided to immigrate to the United States?"
Well, I had that same question about my grandparents and I just recently discovered what I believe WHY my great grandfather William, wife, and four children, decided to immigrate to America:
According to my research, the Westleigh-Bedford, Lancashire county area had more then 17 coal mines (colleries) and many often had cave-ins and/or gas explosions. The one that I believe specifically affected my Critchley relatives decision to immigrate was called the "Bedford [Leigh] Colliery disaster [which] occurred on Friday 13 August 1886"*.
The Bedford Colliery mine had one of the worst gas explosions in England's history causing a cave in, with at least 17 fatalities and many more injuries. The list of those that died did not include any Critchleys, but the family's friends may have victims, and maybe some relatives were among the many injured. This I think was the primary reason for "getting the Heck out of Dodge, errr, England. According to my Ancestry.com census reports, early in my great grandpa's William Critchley life, he worked in the coal mines (he later worked in cotton mills).
Also, there were other extenuating factors that my relatives got out of England:
terrible air pollution - from burning coal -(air pollution including sulfur dioxide, which turns into sulfuric acid when it gets wet, in other words, acid rain) filth and the probability of disease (typhus, typhoid, cholera) from inappropriate disposal of horse and human waste/manure. Add the big decline of cotton mills ever since the American Civil War cotton embargo/blockade and export to England; '80% of England's cotton came from the Confederate State'**. These all inclined my great grandparents and family and many more Critchleys to leave England. Many went to the United States, others to Australia, and some to Canada.
*[information from Wikipedia.com:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_Colliery_disaster, **Confederate cotton and England also from Wikipedia].
Anyway, on the steam ship Gallia was my Great Grandpa William Critchley, great grandma Ellen Anna (Thompson) Critchley, brother Thomas, sister Ellen, and brothers John and Joseph. At ship's crossing (my Grandpa) Joseph was the youngest (age 2) to see the brand new Statue of Liberty (actual name "Liberty Enlightening the World"). They must have disembarked somewhere in New York harbor, as Ellis Island was not completed and ready for immigrants until January 1, 1891.
[Information above from Gallia's ship's June 29,1888 passenger manifest from Ancestry.com
After the death of his wife Anna Ellen (Thompson) Critchley and until his own death, my great grandpa lived with his daughter Ellen (Critchley) Duffield.
My great grandpa William went to Heaven on January 19, 1948, in Paterson, Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA at the age of 93, 4 mos, and 19 days.
He is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery, Paterson,Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA. FindAGrave Memorial # is 175557215.
~~~~~~~~~💜~~~~~~~~~
Edited and posted on 21 January 2017 by William Critchley's maternal great grandson Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren. My grandpa (William's son) was Joseph Critchley. My mother was Georgina Mae Critchley (1919-1996) who married William "Bill" Van Duren (1919-2003). I have a sister Jacquie (Van Duren) Simmons living in Florida.
**THIS MEMORIAL IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS**
***More family links coming soon***
When my great grandfather William Critchley (birth name maybe John William Critchley) was born in August 1853 in Bedford (near Westleigh), Lancashire, England, his father, John Critchley, was 27 and his mother, Mary (Shannon) Critchley, was 28.
Later, Bedford was unincorporated and
redistricted into Greater Manchester.
He married Ann Ellen Thompson in 1875 in England. They had 12 children in 26 years. They are: Thomas Critchley, Alfred Critchley, John Critchley, Ellen Critchley, Joseph Critchley (my maternal grandfather), (all previous born in England); and then born in the United States (Paterson,New Jersey) was Mary "Mamie" Critchley, Ann Critchley, Martha Critchley, Margaret "Maggie" Critchley, Ellen "Nellie" Critchley, Thomas Critchley, and Elizabeth "Betty" Critchley.
Often we ask ourselves, "Gee, I wonder why my [e.g.] this relative or that relative decided to immigrate to the United States?"
Well, I had that same question about my grandparents and I just recently discovered what I believe WHY my great grandfather William, wife, and four children, decided to immigrate to America:
According to my research, the Westleigh-Bedford, Lancashire county area had more then 17 coal mines (colleries) and many often had cave-ins and/or gas explosions. The one that I believe specifically affected my Critchley relatives decision to immigrate was called the "Bedford [Leigh] Colliery disaster [which] occurred on Friday 13 August 1886"*.
The Bedford Colliery mine had one of the worst gas explosions in England's history causing a cave in, with at least 17 fatalities and many more injuries. The list of those that died did not include any Critchleys, but the family's friends may have victims, and maybe some relatives were among the many injured. This I think was the primary reason for "getting the Heck out of Dodge, errr, England. According to my Ancestry.com census reports, early in my great grandpa's William Critchley life, he worked in the coal mines (he later worked in cotton mills).
Also, there were other extenuating factors that my relatives got out of England:
terrible air pollution - from burning coal -(air pollution including sulfur dioxide, which turns into sulfuric acid when it gets wet, in other words, acid rain) filth and the probability of disease (typhus, typhoid, cholera) from inappropriate disposal of horse and human waste/manure. Add the big decline of cotton mills ever since the American Civil War cotton embargo/blockade and export to England; '80% of England's cotton came from the Confederate State'**. These all inclined my great grandparents and family and many more Critchleys to leave England. Many went to the United States, others to Australia, and some to Canada.
*[information from Wikipedia.com:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_Colliery_disaster, **Confederate cotton and England also from Wikipedia].
Anyway, on the steam ship Gallia was my Great Grandpa William Critchley, great grandma Ellen Anna (Thompson) Critchley, brother Thomas, sister Ellen, and brothers John and Joseph. At ship's crossing (my Grandpa) Joseph was the youngest (age 2) to see the brand new Statue of Liberty (actual name "Liberty Enlightening the World"). They must have disembarked somewhere in New York harbor, as Ellis Island was not completed and ready for immigrants until January 1, 1891.
[Information above from Gallia's ship's June 29,1888 passenger manifest from Ancestry.com
After the death of his wife Anna Ellen (Thompson) Critchley and until his own death, my great grandpa lived with his daughter Ellen (Critchley) Duffield.
My great grandpa William went to Heaven on January 19, 1948, in Paterson, Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA at the age of 93, 4 mos, and 19 days.
He is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery, Paterson,Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA. FindAGrave Memorial # is 175557215.
~~~~~~~~~💜~~~~~~~~~
Edited and posted on 21 January 2017 by William Critchley's maternal great grandson Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren. My grandpa (William's son) was Joseph Critchley. My mother was Georgina Mae Critchley (1919-1996) who married William "Bill" Van Duren (1919-2003). I have a sister Jacquie (Van Duren) Simmons living in Florida.
**THIS MEMORIAL IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS**
***More family links coming soon***
Later, Bedford was unincorporated and
redistricted into Greater Manchester.
He married Ann Ellen Thompson in 1875 in England. They had 12 children in 26 years. They are: Thomas Critchley, Alfred Critchley, John Critchley, Ellen Critchley, Joseph Critchley (my maternal grandfather), (all previous born in England); and then born in the United States (Paterson,New Jersey) was Mary "Mamie" Critchley, Ann Critchley, Martha Critchley, Margaret "Maggie" Critchley, Ellen "Nellie" Critchley, Thomas Critchley, and Elizabeth "Betty" Critchley.
Often we ask ourselves, "Gee, I wonder why my [e.g.] this relative or that relative decided to immigrate to the United States?"
Well, I had that same question about my grandparents and I just recently discovered what I believe WHY my great grandfather William, wife, and four children, decided to immigrate to America:
According to my research, the Westleigh-Bedford, Lancashire county area had more then 17 coal mines (colleries) and many often had cave-ins and/or gas explosions. The one that I believe specifically affected my Critchley relatives decision to immigrate was called the "Bedford [Leigh] Colliery disaster [which] occurred on Friday 13 August 1886"*.
The Bedford Colliery mine had one of the worst gas explosions in England's history causing a cave in, with at least 17 fatalities and many more injuries. The list of those that died did not include any Critchleys, but the family's friends may have victims, and maybe some relatives were among the many injured. This I think was the primary reason for "getting the Heck out of Dodge, errr, England. According to my Ancestry.com census reports, early in my great grandpa's William Critchley life, he worked in the coal mines (he later worked in cotton mills).
Also, there were other extenuating factors that my relatives got out of England:
terrible air pollution - from burning coal -(air pollution including sulfur dioxide, which turns into sulfuric acid when it gets wet, in other words, acid rain) filth and the probability of disease (typhus, typhoid, cholera) from inappropriate disposal of horse and human waste/manure. Add the big decline of cotton mills ever since the American Civil War cotton embargo/blockade and export to England; '80% of England's cotton came from the Confederate State'**. These all inclined my great grandparents and family and many more Critchleys to leave England. Many went to the United States, others to Australia, and some to Canada.
*[information from Wikipedia.com:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_Colliery_disaster, **Confederate cotton and England also from Wikipedia].
Anyway, on the steam ship Gallia was my Great Grandpa William Critchley, great grandma Ellen Anna (Thompson) Critchley, brother Thomas, sister Ellen, and brothers John and Joseph. At ship's crossing (my Grandpa) Joseph was the youngest (age 2) to see the brand new Statue of Liberty (actual name "Liberty Enlightening the World"). They must have disembarked somewhere in New York harbor, as Ellis Island was not completed and ready for immigrants until January 1, 1891.
[Information above from Gallia's ship's June 29,1888 passenger manifest from Ancestry.com
After the death of his wife Anna Ellen (Thompson) Critchley and until his own death, my great grandpa lived with his daughter Ellen (Critchley) Duffield.
My great grandpa William went to Heaven on January 19, 1948, in Paterson, Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA at the age of 93, 4 mos, and 19 days.
He is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery, Paterson,Totowa, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA. FindAGrave Memorial # is 175557215.
~~~~~~~~~💜~~~~~~~~~
Edited and posted on 21 January 2017 by William Critchley's maternal great grandson Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren. My grandpa (William's son) was Joseph Critchley. My mother was Georgina Mae Critchley (1919-1996) who married William "Bill" Van Duren (1919-2003). I have a sister Jacquie (Van Duren) Simmons living in Florida.
**THIS MEMORIAL IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS**
***More family links coming soon***
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