Great-great grandpa, ROBERT HEBDEN was born 1831 in Aysgarth Yorkshire (1881 census says Burton cum Walden), and died February 15, 1901 in aged 70 in Burnley, Lancashire.
He had started his farming life, as most children did in that area, working as a farm labourer for his father ( 1851 census).
On July 13th, 1854 he married ANN PALEY in Stalling Busk, Yorkshire. By 1881, the census shows Robert still resident in Stalling Busk, a farmer of only 19 acres, with seven living children though some of them had started to leave home.
One of his children (Arthur)had already moved to Burnley and was living with PALEY relatives. It was perhaps this move that persuaded Robert and Ann to move, from the Yorkshire dales, to the industrial town of Burnley.
By 1891 the family were living at 44 Hull St, Burnley and Robert snr. was working as a labourer. By the time he died in 1901 he had moved in with living with one of his sons, Robert Jnr. in Padiham Road, Burnley. Ann died in 1895 and is buried in Burnley cemetery.
There is a gravestone in the cemetery that was erected, in later years, for various members of the Hebden family, which shows the names of Robert and Ann, alongside the names of some of their children and grandchildren.
ROBERT & ANN HEBDEN had 11 children in total, with only seven surviving children. All their daughters died young.
Another ROBERT HEBDEN was the eldest child, born in 1857, Stalling Busk and died in on April 3rd,1922, in Burnley Lancashire.
Prior to the move to Burnley, Robert worked as an agricultural labourer but by 1891 his occupation in Burnley appears to have been a coster. He was living at the time at 44 Hull St, Burnley with his parents before marrying.
Robert married three times. His first wife was called MARIE and had one son, FRANK WINSTON HEBDEN who was born in 1878 but had died by the age of 10.
Robert’s second wife’s name is unknown and this marriage produced twin sons RICHARD and ROBERT born in 1886. Only one of the twins (RICHARD) survived infancy.
Robert’s third marriage was to EMMA and together they had five sons who lived to adulthood - ROBERT HEBDEN, b. 1900; d. 1998. ERIC STANLEY HEBDEN b. 1902; d. 1982, Burnley (Polio), ERNEST VICTOR HEBDEN, b. 1903; d. January 7, 1927, SIDNEY DOUGLAS HEBDEN, b. 1904; d. 1960 and ROLAND HEBDEN, b. 1906; d. 1950 .
By 1906, he was living at 223 Accrington Road, Burnley and this particular branch of the Hebdens became known within the family as the ACCRINGTON ROAD HEBDENS.
Of ROBERT HEBDEN and ANN PALEY’s other children, the following three died as children.
ANNE HEBDEN b. 1859; d. 1860.
CHRISTIANA HEBDEN b. 1859; d. 1859
GEORGE HEBDEN b. 1860 d. 1872
Then came ARTHUR HEBDEN b. 1862, d. 1912, Burnley. Arthur was the first of the Hebden family to move to Burnley. In 1881 he was living as a lodger at 8 Earl St, with his uncle THOMAS PALEY and working as a railway porter.
Ten years later he is found at 14 Hull St, a few doors away from his family, working as a coal merchant. He was married by then to LUCINDA who was known as Lucy and they had a son ROBERT ARTHUR HEBDEN who was born in 1895 and who died in 1971. There was also an adopted daughter BEATRICE HEBDEN who was born in 1899 but nothing further is known of her.
The sixth child of Robert and Ann was ANNE HEBDEN b. 1863; d. 1866
Then cameWILLIAM JAMES HEBDEN b. 1865, Hawes; d. 1931, Burnley. William married twice, first to MARY ELIZABETH and there would appear to have been no children of this marriage. His second wife was BERTHA and by 1891 William was working as a timberyard foreman and living at Branch St, Habergham Eaves with his wife and two year old daughter CLARE B. HEBDEN
Prior to the move to Burnley, William worked as a servant on the farm of William Metcalfe of Low Blean, near Stalling Busk.
The eighth child was JOHN HEBDEN b. 1867; d. 1937
John became a police sergeant in later life but in 1891 he was a corn miller and living at 71 Parkinson St, Burnley. He married LENA( a cotton weaver) and had two children, ANNIE HEBDEN b. 1888 and JOSEPH HEBDEN b. 1892.
The 9th and 10th children, . FRANCIS HEBDEN (b. 1869) and THOMAS HEBDEN ( b. 1870), both died in 1870
Then finally the youngest, my great grandfather, JOSEPH HEBDEN was born in 1871. d. February 4, 1955, Burnley, aged 84
He married MARY ELLEN EASTER MASON and produced four sons.
