Edward Dutton was born in 1824 in Warrington, Lancashire, England, the son of Samuel Dutton. He married Mary (née Ackerley), the daughter of John Ackerley on November 15, 1846, in St. Elphin’s Church in Warrington. Mary was born in 1827 in Timperley, Cheshire, England. Samuel Dutton is listed as deceased on the couple’s marriage certificate. John Ackerly was a labourer. Thus far I have been unable to trace either of their mothers nor any more information about their fathers or their birth families. The couple had at least seven children over a span of the next 15 years.
- Thomas Dutton (1848-aft 1891)
- Elizabeth Dutton (1850-bef 1859)
- Samuel Dutton (1853-1931) married Emma Podmore (1858-1916) and Anna Young (1872-1956)
- William Dutton (1855-bef 1937) married Eliza Matthews (1853-1937)
- John Dutton (1857-bef 1939) married Emily Hulse (1867-bef 1939)
- Elizabeth Dutton (1859-1943) married William Richard Webb (1859-1942)
- Alice Dutton (1861-aft 1901) was in a relationship with Edward Hill (1858-aft 1881) before marrying Thomas Seal (1866-aft 1901)
Thomas Dutton is born on February 14, 1848. He’s baptised in the parish church in Bowden, Cheshire, England on April 30, 1848. This is the earliest record where we find Edward’s occupation noted as “Sawyer.”
A daughter named Elizabeth Dutton was born in 1850. The only record of this child is at age one in the 1851 census. I have flipped through the Bowden Parish Church records and have not located either baptismal or death records for the child. It’s possible that the death of this child marks a break with the church. No baptismal records are found for any of the other children until after a second daughter, also named Elizabeth, is born. It’s also possible that the other baptismal records exist in a parish that has not listed its records online yet.
The family is found on the 1851 census living in Bowden. Edward’s occupation is “Wood Sawyer.” According to Wikipedia, “Sawyer is an occupational term referring to someone who saws wood, particularly using a pit saw either in a saw pit or with the log on trestles above ground or operates a sawmill.” Both he and Mary are noted as having been born in Timperley and their children in Altrincham.
No baptismal record is located for son Samuel Dutton, born on May 22, 1853, in Altrincham.
William Dutton is born in 1855. No baptismal records are located.
John Dutton is born on February 25, 1857. No baptismal records are located.
A second daughter named Elizabeth Dutton was born on May 1st, 1859. The birth record is below, registered on June 6, 1859. Edward’s occupation is noted as a “Sawyer.”
Alice Dutton is born in 1861. Both Elizabeth and Alice were baptized on September 22nd, 1861.
After an exhaustive search, I have not located the family on the 1861 census.
The family is living at 14 Peel Street in Hale, a suburb of Altrincham on the 1871 census. According to Wikimedia, “Hale, Bowdon and Hale Barns together are regarded as the wealthiest areas in Greater Manchester and outside of London.” I wasn’t able to locate the specific house, but it’s possible that in the intervening years it has either been replaced or that the area was bombed in either the first or second world wars. At the time of this census, Thomas and Samuel are no longer living at home. Edward’s occupation is noted as a “Labourer,” as are sons William and John. William is shown born in Altrincham, John in Widnes, Lancashire, and Alice and Elizabeth in Timperley, suggesting the family has moved around a bit.
In 1877, Elizabeth’s daughter Lily Drusilla Dutton is born out of wedlock. Brother Samuel appears to have jumped in as the father on the baptismal registration.
By the 1881 census, most of the children have flown the nest. Edward and Mary are living with their daughter Alice and her partner Edward Hill at 55 New Street in Altrincham. Son Thomas is also living with the family. Edward Hill is an upholsterer, the elder Edward is still a sawyer, and their son Thomas is a gardener. This record also indicates that Thomas is “deaf and dumb.”
At the time of this census, Elizabeth, her daughter, and her husband William Webb are living with Samuel and his wife in Hulme, Lancashire. John has likely married his first wife. His location is unknown.
Edward Dutton died of heart issues on December 10, 1884, at the age of 61. At the time of his death, he was living at 56 Dover Street in Hulme (coincidentally, the same address daughter Elizabeth was living with her husband at the following year.) The certificate suggests that the death was witnessed by Edward’s mother Alice (although I have not been able to confirm his mother’s name and his daughter carries the same name.) The homes currently on this street are modern, and that specific number is no longer found. Samuel has likely moved to Canada by the time of his father’s death.
Mary likely died after Edward, but the exact date is currently unknown. I have not located her on any further censuses.
Their children:
Thomas Dutton was a gardener. I have traced him to the 1881 and 1891 censuses. He appears not to have married. No confirmed records were found after the 1891 census when he was a lodger in the home of Joseph Moore. Both censuses note he was deaf and dumb, possibly explaining why he was unmarried.
I haven’t located a specific death record for (the first) Elizabeth Dutton, but given there is a second child given the same name, I suspect that (the first) Elizabeth died before her tenth birthday and more likely, given there’s no baptism found, within the first year following her birth.
Samuel Dutton married Emma Podmore, and the couple emigrated to Kingston, Ontario, Canada, sometime around Edward’s death.
William Dutton married Elizabeth Matthews. They raised their 11 children in Cheshire.
John Dutton married sometime after the 1871 Census (I haven’t located a specific record) and was widowed before re-marrying on April 7, 1917, to Emily Hulse. I am not certain whether or not he had children with his first wife.
Elizabeth Dutton married William Richard Webb. They had several children before moving to Canada.
Alice Dutton had a child with Edward Hill. I haven’t been able to locate a marriage, and she is noted as a spinster in her marriage to Thomas Seal. Alice and Thomas spent several years in Kingston, Ontario – they were captured on the 1891 Canadian Census near her brother Samuel before returning to the United Kingdom.
Main Photo credit: Entrance to St Elphin’s Church, Warrington by David Dixon is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0
