Daniel Wood (b.1791) Jeannette Lowden (b. 1801) Online link: Danie l ’ s F ami lySear ch on l ine Deta i l s and Memor ies

See Appendix: Photographs, Records, Censuses,

Dan iel W ood

Our earliest, verif ied, ancestor is Daniel Wood, born 1791; in Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire, England.

Possible parents of Daniel could be Joseph Wood & Margaret Lees.

Ashton under Lyne seems to be the ancestral home of the Wood Family. If Joseph & Margaret are Daniel’s parents, then our roots in Aston under Lyne goes back another 4 or more generations.

Daniel’s f irst son, Daniel, was not born in Ashton under Lyne, but in the harbour town of Portsmouth. However, all of the

O nl ine l i n k : h t tps : / / goo .g l /G ec tMh

other children are born in Ashton under Lyne. The obvious reason for Daniel being born in Portsmouth would be a military connection, since we have now learned that Daniel was in the 13th Royal Veteran Battalion, during the Napoleonic Wars. The Portsmouth Harbour & Navelyard was vital in sending the troops across the English Channel, and into their areas of battle.

1841 Engl i sh Census Onl ine l ink: h t tps : / /goo .g l / l r fRUa

In the 1841 Census, Daniel (age 50) was l isted as the “Town Cryer”.

“In England, town criers were the means of communication with the people of the town, since many people could not read or write. Proclamations, local bylaws, market days, adverts, were all proclaimed by a bellman or crier.

Criers often dress elaborately, by a tradition dating to the 18th century, in a red and gold coat, white breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat.

They carry a handbell to attract people's attention, as they shout the words "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" before making their announcements. The word "Oyez" means "hear ye," which is a call for silence and attention.”

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In that same 1841 English Census, the two older children worked at the cotton mill .

Young Daniel (age 15) was a “cotton piecer”, which meant pieced together any threads which broke, and Young Mary (age 14) was a “cotton weaver”, which meant she produced cloth by use of a loom.

The 1841 Census also showed 7 children living with Daniel and Jeanette: Daniel, Mary, Maria, John, Jennet, Herbert, and Duncan.

1851 Engl i sh Census

Online link: https://goo.gl/UywkXw

In the 1851 Census, Daniel (age 60) is l isted as a “Chelsea Pensioner”, and a widower.

Young John (age 18) is a “shoemaker”, most l ikely an “apprentice shoemaker”

.

During the 19th century, the children of the poor didn’t have to go to school, but many went to work instead. The

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Industrial Revolution saw Britain’s huge factories produce goods to be traded across Britain and the world. Jobs were plentiful but workers' wages were extremely low, so every member of the family was expected to work in order to support each other.

Young James (age 16) and Herbert (age 14) worked at the cotton mill as “cotton weavers”.

Factor ies and T ex t i l e M i l l s – V ictor i an Chi ld Labour

Victorian Children at work-Factory Victorian Child Labour was nothing new for Britain or all of Europe for that matter. Children had been used for labour for centuries. It was expected of them to help support their families. During the 1800’s awareness began to grow toward the il ls of child labour in factories and elsewhere. Laws were passed and then amendments to those laws were passed until the use of children under the age of 16 years of age was prohibited for full-t ime work.

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But up until these laws were passed child labour in Victorian times was rampant. Factory and mill owners saw children as cheap effective labour. They worked for a mere fraction of what an adult earned. And girls were even cheaper.

Because of their size and youthful energy there were jobs that children performed as good, or even better than adults. Sometimes you would find more children than adults working at a factory.

At the factories children had no rights. The dirtiest jobs were given to the children. Many times a child would be told to clean under machines even while they were running. There were litt le or no safety measures put in place in Victorian times so the occurrence of an injury and even death was not uncommon. Victorian child labour consisted of very long working hours. The normal work week would be Monday thru Saturday from 6 A.M. to 8 P.M. Children would be beaten or f ined for fall ing asleep, making a mistake or being late.

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Daniel W ood, a Veteran of the Napoleon ic W ar s ; 1793-1815 , Onl ine l ink: h t tps : / /goo .g l /RJ jY t f

See Appendix: Records & documents

Europe Regiment: 13th Royal Veteran Battal ion

It was in the 1851 English Census, that Daniel (age 60) was l isted as a “Chelsea Pensioner”.

“Chelsea Pensioners”, according to the Brit ish Army Service Records, are men that have pensioned out of the Brit ish Army 1760 to 1913.

These pensions were administered through The Royal Hospital at Chelsea. The great majority of pensioned soldiers were "out-pensioners" and did not reside at the Hospital itself .”

The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitt ing the French Empire, led by Napoleon I , against an array of European powers formed into various coalit ions, led and financed by Great Britain.

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Daniel is l isted as a Lieutenant, in the 13th Royal Veteran Battalion.

The 13th Royal Veteran Battalion was formed in Lisbon to facil itate the continued in-theater employment of those men unable to continue serving with active units.

B at t l e H onour of the ' PENINSULA W A R ’

“The Peninsular War “(1807–1814), was a military conflict between Napoleon's empire and the all ied powers of Spain, Britain and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars.

The war started when French and Spanish armies invaded and occupied Portugal in 1807, and escalated in 1808 when France turned on Spain, its ally until then. The war on the peninsula lasted until the Sixth Coalit ion defeated Napoleon in 1814, and is regarded as one of the f irst wars of national l iberation, significant for the emergence of large-scale guerril la warfare.”

The 13th battalion fought in the Peninsular War, and was not disbanded until 1815. The 13th Battalion was authorised to bear the battle honour 'Peninsula' .

Ba t t l e Ho nour PENINSU LA

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Jeanette Lowden (b. 1801) Online link: Jeannet te ’ s Fami l ySearch on l ine Deta i l s and Memor ies

See Appendix: Photographs, Records, Censuses, Newspaper clippings

Jeannette Lowden, daughter of Robert Lowdon and Margaret King, was christened 1801; Kirk of Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

“Kirk” meaning Church.

Note: Jeannette’s name of her birth record is “Janet”.

The name Jeannette comes from the Scottish origin. In Scottish The meaning of the name Jeannette is: Diminutive of Jean: Scottish version of the Old French Jehane, a feminine form of John: God is gracious..

The family name Lowden, can be found in several forms including Loudoun, Lowdon, Loudham, Lowdham, and Laudham, this is an ancient Anglo-Scottish surname. If Scottish it originates from an area known as "The lands of Loudoun" in the district of Cunningham, in the county of Ayrshire, itself formerly part of the 9th century Brit ish kingdom of Strathclyde.

Jeannette’s father, Robert Lowdon, was born abt. 1770, in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Jeanette’s grandfather, Will iam Lowdon, was also born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1726. Her grandmother, was Agnes Brownlie.

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SHOTTS, THE TOWN THAT JEANNETTE LOWDEN WAS BORN & RAISED.

A Short History of Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland, written by John Loudon

Onl ine l ink: h t tp : / /wp .me/P6 lDD0-e3

A poem describing the vi l lage of Shotts, Scotland.

“Know ye the land where the dark herbless whinstone

In hi l locks, not h i l ls , rears i t ’s desolate head?

Where poverty chains down the nose to the gr indstone,

T i l l the heart and the soul are as heavy as lead?

Where the crops never r ipen, the roses cannot b low,

And the sunshine of summer scarce mel teth the snow?

‘T is the par ish of Shot ts , a p lace which the sun,

Cannot b less wi th his beams; which he hates to shine on . ”

“ Some cheerless poet of long ago wailed this dreary dirge over the place where we were born.”

Sho t t s , La nka rds h i re , S c o t l and

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Both Daniel and Jeannette died in Ashton under Lyne St Michael, Lancashire, England. Daniel died in 1855 (age 64), and Jeannette died in 1848 (age 47).

The Church of St. Michael and All Angels is the Parish Church for Ashton under Lyne. It is one of 116 surviving mediæval parish churches in the North West. The church dates back to at least 1262. The church tower is 145 feet high and has a peel of thirteen bells .

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Daniel Wood (b.1791) Jeannette Lowden (b.1801) Onl ine l ink: Fami ly Tree , Deta i l s , and Memor ies

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Napoleonic W ar s ; 1793-1815 , Europe R egim ent : 13th R oy a l Veteran B at t a l ion

The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitt ing the French Empire, led by Napoleon I , against an array of European powers formed into various coalit ions, led and financed by Great Britain.

Daniel is l isted as a Lieutenant.

Onl ine l ink: h t tps : / /goo .g l /RJ jY t f

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Baptismal Record; Janet Lowden Onl ine l ink: h t tps : / /goo .g l /yVEULJ

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1841 English Census; Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England Onl ine l ink: h t tps : / /goo .g l / I chNg2

Note: Head o f househo ld i s l i s t ed as Dan ie l Wood , but in the fo l lowing “pr in ted record” , the name Samuel i s l i s ted , ins tead o f Dan ie l .

Onl ine l ink: h t tps : / /goo .g l /ZFRbWm

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1851 English Census Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England Onl ine l ink: h t tps : / /goo .g l /2 f i s93

Note: Jennett had died in 1848

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Christening Record; Daniel Wood (c.1824) (son of Daniel and Jeannette Wood)

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Birth Record; Mary Wood (b.1827) (daughter of Daniel and Jeanette Wood)

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Birth Record; Maria Wood (b.1829) (daughter of Daniel and Jeanette Wood)

Birth Record; John Wood (b.1832) (son of Daniel and Jeannette Wood)

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Birth Record; Jeanette Wood (b1835) (daughter of Daniel and Jeannette Wood)

Birth Record; Herbert Wood (b.1837) (son of Daniel and Jeannette Wood)

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