CRABTREES

Grace [Crabtree] Greenwood Born 1801 - (Died 1866 age 65) M- Abraham Greenwood = John/Jonas Crabtree Born 1821-1897 age 77 Abraham not his father.

John/Jonas Crabtree 1821-1897 (Age 77) - M - Margaret Pembleton 1851-1888 (Died age 37)  = Luke Crabtree 1867- 1898 age 31

Luke Crabtree Born 1867- Margaret Alice Rigg In Todmorden in 1890 Oct-Dec 9a page 385 = Raymond Crabtree and James Crabtree

Raymond Crabtree Born 1885- 1964 (Died age 79) M- Adelaide Fry Born 1887- 1953 (Died Age 66) =  Adelaide (Fry) Crabtree already had three children with John Little, Daisy Dorothy and Gladys. Arthur dies 1920, Adelaide returns to England, marries Raymond Crabtree & has four more = Doris Margaret, Raymond Jr., Dennis John & Olive.

Crabtree NAME: English: topographic name for someone who lived by a crabapple tree, Middle English crabbetre English and Scottish: from Middle English crabbe, Old English crabba ‘crab’ (the crustacean), a nickname for someone with a peculiar gait. English and Scottish: from Middle English crabbe ‘crabapple (tree)’ (probably of Old Norse origin), hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a crabapple tree. It may also have been a nickname for a cantankerous person, a sense which developed primarily from this word, with reference to the sourness of the fruit, but may also have been influenced by the awkward-seeming locomotion of the crustacean.

Most of the Crabtree’s lived in Todmorden. The majority worked in cotton mills or related industry. The air would be filled with smoke from the chimneys of the mills and homes. The brick houses were blackened by the smoke. Children aged 12 started working 12-hr days in the mills. Only the wealthy had anything better than an out house. Air quality has vastly improved due to smokeless coal and the closure of Mills. The following is an excellent website showcasing views from the Todmorden hillside. 

A little about the challenge of finding Ancestors on the online Census databases: The census taking is not always accurate, in fact it’s often very inaccurate. Many times because of sloppy writing and or it was inaccurately read by the person entering all the information into the current computer generated Census; it's often Americans doing the transcribing.

The UK Census project is ongoing, some towns haven’t finished digitizing their information. Also, there are many mistakes made entering the information as the handwriting may have been illegible or the Census taker just made a mistake. It took a long time to find Raymond and James Crabtree because of the way they were listed in the ‘search’ engine of Ancestry.com. The person transcribing the information (typing it into a computer) listed Raymond as Ranard, and worse still as Ranard Pickup. The person (back in 1901) wrote “Ranard Crabtree do” the “do” stands for ‘ditto’ under Pickup. Following picture is a close up of the 1881 Census for Raymond Crabtree.

Jonas Crabtree; (my mother’s, Doris Crabtree, Great-grandfather) was born 1821 died about 75 yrs. old about 1896. Born in Todmorden, Yorkshire  See true view Arial Map of where Grace, age 40, (Doris’s Great, Great Grandmother) lived with 20-yr-old John/Jonas Crabtree.

1841 Census Jonas Crabtree’s mother, Grace Greenwood, but listed as his sister. Linda from Todmorden and Walsden Website wrote “John will be Jonas in 1841. Jonas is an old fashioned version of the name John, like Luke and Lucas.” The house address is the same as in 1851 as well as mother and fathers names. It could be that Jonas (John) really is a son-in-law to Abraham, and the brother of Grace Greenwood, but in those days it probably means that he is really Grace’s (out of wedlock) child. In either case, Grace’s maiden name would be Crabtree.. The only way to be sure would be to get a birth certificate for Josiah or John/Jonas Crabtree which I’m working on.

Address: Mark Lane Stansfield

1. Abraham Greenwood, head, m, 60. born 1781, Yorkshire,Stansfield. Cotton Weaver,
2. Grace [Crabtree] Greenwood, wife, 40, born 1801, Yorkshire Stansfield (Doris’s Great Great Grandmother)
3. John [Jonas] Crabtree, age 20, born 1821, Yorkshire, Stansfield, Cotton Power Loom Weaver (Doris’s Great Grandfather) Graces Child before she married Abraham
4. Josiah Crabtree, 15, born abt 1826, Cotton power loom weaver, born Stansfield (Graces child before She Married Abraham) Josiah Sr has a son Josiah Jr. That owns Rose & Crown Pub in Todmorden
5. William Greenwood, 14, brn 1827 Cotton weaver.
6. Anderson Greenwood, 12, born 1829, Eventually a quarry master Employs 14 @ Barnard Castle
7. Sarah Greenwood, 5, born 1836, Yorkshire, Stansfield

1851 Census: Jonas Crabtree: mother, Grace Greenwood, married to Abraham Greenwood. Grace was also the same name as Jonas’s daughter in the 1881 Census. Jonas is listed as John in 1841 Census. It could be that Jonas really is a son-in-law to Abraham, and the brother of Grace Greenwood, or in those days it could also mean that he is just Grace’s child. In either case, Grace’s maiden name would be Crabtree..

Address: 25 Mark Lane Stansfield. Jonas is still iving with mother, but listed as having a son. If he did marry in 1846, then his wife must have died.

1. Abraham Greenwood, head, m, 69, out pensioner of Chelsea Hospital, born Todmorden
2. Grace Greenwood, wife, 49, born 1801, Stansfield (Doris’s Great Grandmother)
3. Jonas [John] Crabtree, age 30, born 1821, listed as son-in-law, unmarried, 29, power loom weaver, born Stansfield (Grace’s son, Doris’s Great Grandfather)
4. James Greenwood [Crabtree] age 6 born, 1845. Son

It looks very much like Jonas’s mother was unmarried when she had him, and would have been Grace Crabtree, single woman. They often referred to people as a son-in-law when they really mean step-son.

Abraham Greenwood: Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers Service Documents WO 97/56/73 ABRAHAM GREENWOOD Born STANSFIELD, Yorkshire Served in 8th Dragoons Discharged aged 43 Cavalry of the Line: Gre - Grey The National Archives, Kew Date range: 1798 - 1823. Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives

1861 Census: Jonas Crabtree is still living with his son at his mother’s and father-in-laws home.

Address: 56 Mark Lane Stansfield

1. Abraham Greenwood, head, 82, Born 1779, pensioner , born Stansfield
2. Grace [Crabtree]Greenwood, wife, 59, Born 1802, Stansfield - Doris’s Great, Great Grandmother
3. Jonas Crabtree, son-in-law, 39, born 1821 unmarried, Cotton Weaver, born Stansfield- Doris’s Great Grandfather
4. James Greenwood [Crabtree] Called Greenwod but listed as Jonas son, 16, Born 1845, Stansfield. Warehousman

1868: Margaret Pembleton marriage. Jan-March, Todmorden, volume 9a page 273. 1868 Jonas Crabtree Marriage: Jan-March, Todmorden, Volume 9a page 273

I have a copy of a birth certificate for Grace, born 1872.. Parents listed are Jonas Crabtree & Margaret [Pembleton] Crabtree . Sister Ellen was born in 1870, and Luke 1867-8. But I can’t find a marriage entry for Jonas Crabtree.

1871 Census: Can’t find anything about Jonas Crabtree or Grace Greenwood. Jonas would be 49, and his mother Grace 59. By 1871 Jonas would be re-married to Margaret Pembleton, he would have two of his three children, Lucas born 1867 and Ellen 1870 and neither of them can be found in the 1871 Census. However his brother Anderson Greenwood, Brn 1829 (now 42) does show up in 1871 and is married

1872 Grace Crabtree birth certificate. Show Jonas (X marks his name) & Margaret [Pembleton] as parents, living at Mark Lane Todmorden.

1881 Census: Jonas Crabtree: Jonas is now married with children, but his wife isn’t listed, but Jonas was ‘not’ listed as a Widow, so his wife was probably listed on the following page; and ‘that’ page has not been added correctly to the searchable archives yet. 

Address: New Townley Farm , Todmorden, Yorkshire Stansfield Parish

1. Jonas/John Crabtree, age 59, Born 1821, Todmorden - Farmer 14 Acres, New Townley Farm ,
2. Margaret [Pembleton] Crabtree (not listed, so don’t know age or if she is still alive. I think she was born around 1851.
3. Ellen Crabtree, age 11, Born 1870 Todmorden - Scholar at age 11 - I can’t find a birth entry.
4. Luke Crabtree, age 14,  Born 1867 Todmorden - Cotton Weaver @ 14.  Dennis, Olive & Doris’s Grandfather. In 1891 Lucas married Adalaide (Doris’s Grandmother) and when he was an Insurance Agent
5. Grace Crabtree, age 9, Born Feb 21st, 1872 Todmorden - Scholar at age 9 (in the 1891 Census, Grace was listed at same address with Widowed father Jonas

1888 Death: Margaret Ann Crabtree age 37, Todmorden 9a page 147

1891 Census Jonas Crabtree Address: 15 Canteen Street. Todmorden

1. Jonas Crabtree 69, born 1821, Head WIDOW Cotton Weaver (probable death age 77, 9a page 166)
2. Grace Crabtree age 19, Born 1872, Feb 21st. Cotton Weaver

1891 Census Lucas Crabtree, Jonas Son, marries Margaret Alice Rigg My grandmother (Doris’s mum)

Address: 24 Pollard Street driving direction: Before 1898 they moved to 5 Ashworth Street, Haslingden, Burnleyl

1. Luke Crabtree age 24, Born 1867, Todmorden, Insurance agent (My Great Grandfather)
2. Margaret Alice[Rigg] Crabtree, age 25, born 1866, Todmorden, Cotton Weaver

1897: Deaths Dec quarter: 1897 Crabtree Jonas 77 Todmorden 9a  166

Jonas Crabtree is buried at Shore Baptist Chapel. Buried 1897 aged 77 years . You won't be able to find any of these Shore Chapel graves because it is a wilderness and jungle, and fenced off. You can visit the chapel, which is quite derelict, but someone lives in the attached cottage - also derelict. It is a lovely place to visit.

You won't find a birth certificate for Jonas as he was born before civil registration in 1837. You will have to rely on finding a baptism for him. That could be difficult if the family were Baptists. You need his marriage certificate. This will show his father if he had one, but not his mother.

The hill up to New Townley from the valley at Canteen is quite steep, but as the crow flies, much nearer than the Sourhall pub, and my map shows there were footpaths down from the farm to the valley.These hill top farmers were a hardy lot!  He may even have had a horse. You may be able to find the front door steps of the Rose & Crown that still exist.

1898: Jonas’ Son, Luke Crabtree Born 1867, Died April 28th, 1898 at age 31 by drowning.   From the Annals of Todmorden: 28th April 1898 = The dead body of a man named Luke Crabtree of Burnley was taken out of the canal near Thistle Hall, Walsden. He’s buried at Christ Church in Todmorden. Death Certificate information: District Todmorden. Book: Volume 9a Page 180. At the time he was living at 5 Ashworth St. Haslingen (Burnley) see PICTURE 

1901 Census Margaret Alice [Rigg] Crabtree (Doris’s Mother) re-marries to a PICKUP

Address: 9 Fair View, Todmorden

1. John Pickup Head 29
2. Margaret(Rigg/Crabtree) Pickup 34
3. Raymond Crabtree Brn 1895 (Margaret Son from Prev Marriage Age 6
4. James Crabtree born 1892 (margaret’s son from Prev Marriage) Age 9

Raymond Crabtree Brn 1885 Marries Adelaide Fry Brn 1887

Marriage Death Certificates:

• Death: 1898: Death Index Luke Crabtree; 1898 April-May-June, age 31 at Death. Volume 9a page 180. Luke died when Raymond Crabtree was 3-4 yrs old.
• Death: 1866 CRABTREE Grace 63 Todmorden 9a 168
• Marriage: 1901 Margaret Re-Married to John Pickup. January, February or March. Todmorden. Volume 9a Page 337
• Marriage: 1895 Grace Crabtree (Not sure if this is our Grace) Jul-Sept, Todmorden, 9a 413
• BIRTH: Raymond Crabtree: 1894 Sept Burnley, Lancashire, Yorkshire- West Riding