Samuel Kershaw
Born c. 1843, died 1904. With his wife Rachel
Kershaw nee Beswick, produced at least 4 children: Robert
Kershaw,
Thamar Kershaw (married name Rouse),
Annie
Kershaw, and Claira Kershaw. His parents
are unknown.
The 1901 census records
him living with Rachel Kershaw nee Beswick in 68 Spring Garden street Royton
as a tailor and draper.
There are a couple of interesting american connections in the family that may as well go here, until more can be discovered (if ever?).
First, there were 3 sisters called Morton, all unmarried teachers, who
lived in Kansas, USA. The last is know to have died in th 2nd WW, beacuse
she left a significant sum of money to her living cousins Robert and Claira
(c. £4000 - in those days a serious sum) but the transfer was halted
until after the end of the second WW. There are postcards from the Mortons
to their cousin Robert, and one story of them encountering hostile indians
at some stage (?being held up?). The question is: where do they come from?
To be cousins but with a new surname, their mother must have been another
sibling of Samuel's. Mum assures me that they were Beswicks, as Aunt Nacy
went out out to the USA twice to see them (this is pre-1st WW).
The Morton sisters in
Kansas August 1928.
Mystery 2. We have a cutting of an article recording the greeting given by Mr George Kershaw in Conneticut (nr New York) to his English cousing Mr Robert Kershaw, when Robert went over in 1932?. This can only make sense if the George in question had a father who was a sibling of Samuel Kershaw. Hence it looks as though 2 siblings of Samuel Kershaw, one male and one female, must have set off from Royton to the USA around 1850?? (based on Morton death dates). Older sibs that Samuel never met, maybe never heard much about, so never passed the information to his children? And maybe somewhere in New York (or elsewhere) there is a Kershaw family?
Again indicating lost American connections, there are photos and invitatations
for 2 parties (an arrival party in June, a farewell in September) given
in Royton in 1908 to celebrate the visit to the UK of some Kershaw relatives.
Who?
Tha family bonds had certainly weakened by the 1930s; Robert Kershaw never visited his Kansas cousins due to the 2 day travel involved, but probably regretted this decision afterwards?
Navigation: To return to Peter / Cathy, select his child Robert.