I sent an email to the BCC site and got a nice reply from Jan, who referred me back here. My family tree on my father's mother's side is firmly rooted in Derbyshire, in the village of Belper, with the occupations being nail making. But I recently found an ancestor saying she was born in Dudley. I found her as a child, living in Dudley, with parents who say they were born in Dudley, and who were also horse nail makers.
Judging by the other threads I have come across on here, you may not be surprised to hear that the family name was Hadley. However, despite the many many Hadleys listed on BCC, I seem to have a new batch - although I cannot trace them very far so they may well be linked to other Hadleys on BCC. This is what I know about them...
Sarah Hadley (c.1843). In the 1851 census she is living at Old Mill, Dudley with parents William Hadley (c.1820) and Harriet (c.1819). By 1861 and again in 1871 they are living at St James Terrace, Dudley. Children that I have from the census records with approximate birth dates are: Sarah 1843, Emma 1846, Ephraim 1847, James 1850, Eliza 1852, Elizabeth 1854, Esther 1857. I believe William died in 1879. Harriet is widowed in the 1881 and 1891 census. Living at 5 Peel Street and 147 Salop Street respectively.
I am unable to find record of Sarah's birth, or the birth of any of the other children mentioned in the census. Nor can I find a marriage for William and Harriet. The only clue I have is that in the 1851 census, a chap called Samuel Worthy born Belper c.1787 was staying with the Hadleys. He is listed as "brother in law".
If this information is useful to anyone else then great. And if anyone else is able to suggest solutions as to who these people were, then even better. Thank you!
