Sarah Bramwell M46X-1CQ was born on 26th October 1792 at ‘Woodhouses’ in Wigan. The second daughter of John Bramwell, a weaver and his second wife Sarah Scofield. She was baptised at All Saints Church in Wigan on 25th November 1792.
The family moved shortly after that and in November 1795 they were living in Halsall. On the baptism record of Sarah’s sister Fleetwood Bramwell at St Cuthbert’s Church their father, John is recorded as a Boatman, living in Halsall.
Sarah had 4 siblings and 7 half siblings. A total of 12 children, 10 of whom appear to have sadly died in childhood.
It is possible that John’s occupation as a weaver took them to Halsall, but it is more likely that it was the canal and the chance of employment on the canal.
Over the next fourteen years, the family appears to move back and forth along the canal between Halsall, Downholland, and Haskayne. As indicated by the baptism and burial records of Sarah’s younger siblings.
Tragedy struck the family at Downholland in 1799 when Sarah’s brother Paul Bramwell, who had been born the previous year died aged just 22 months. Paul was buried at St Cuthbert’s on 25th November 1799. By this time, of all the siblings only 2 remained. Sarah and John Bramwell (junior).
A further tragedy then struck the family at Haskayne in July 1809 when Sarah’s mother Sarah Scofield – Bramwell died, aged 40. She was buried at St Cuthbert’s, Halsall on 16th July 1809. Sarah was just sixteen and her brother John was eleven.
One year later age seventeen, Sarah married James Cheetham at St Peter’s Church in Liverpool on 1st July 1810. James was a Boatman. It was frequent practice in the close-knit boating community for individuals to marry someone also from a boating family. In the records the Bride and Groom were both from the parish of St Peter’s, Liverpool. It was common for the members of the boating community to marry during their stopover in Liverpool whilst cargo was being loaded or unloaded. They declared their residence in the city so they were able to be married there.
Sarah and James seemed to echo the path of her parents along the canal. The couple had six children. James was born at Downholland in 1812, John was born at Lydiate in 1817, Elizabeth was born in Halsall in 1819, Ellen was born in Halsall in 1822, Esther was born in Halsall in 1826 and Mary Ann was born in Downholland in 1831.
Sarah and James’ children all followed in their footsteps, working on the canal boats in West Lancashire. All married partners from within their community.
Sarah died from Consumption in Halsall on 6th January 1841 at the age of 49 years. She was buried in an unmarked grave at St Cuthbert’s in Halsall on 9th January 1841.
Sarah’s great-grandson James Cheetham was working as an agricultural labourer in Halsall in 1939.
His father James and mother Hannah Stainer were recorded as boat people in the 1871 Census, Flat Master and Flat Master’s Wife, and their vessel was “The Princess Royal”. The photo is probably a later one. In 1881 James was working as an agricultural labourer.
His grandfather, also called James, and grandmother Elizabeth Alty were also recorded as boat people at Halsall and Downholland from 1812 to 1886.
A Great, great grandson is Robert Cheetham-Houghton who wrote the book, Burscough Boatmen: Their Marriages and their Boats ( March 1999)
The Ormskirk and District Family History Society have a specialist website Boat Families of Leeds & Liverpool Canal with details of over 3000 names.
