Richard RUSHTON

Hi John, I don't have access to Ancestry at home but I have noticed on Family Search that there is a Richard Rushton in the 1861 census of the right age who is described as "son" (so living with at least one of his parents). His place of birth is described as Sedgeley which is just a few miles from  Monmore Green which is in the Wolverhampton area. Seems a likely candidate. I shall look up the original image next time I am at the library and let you know what I find. Jason

Hello again John, I checked to see what registration district Sedgely was in. Up until 1912 it was registered under Dudley.

The birth records for the Dudley district show a Richard Rushton being born in the March quarter of 1848, Volume 18 page 331.

Looks promising!

Jason

John, I have checked the 1861 census record for Richard Rushton (born Sedgley, Staffordshire)and it shows that his father is indeed called William:

Parish: Shiffnal  Ecclesiastical district of Saint Peters Priorslee

St Georges West Street

William Rushton          Head Mar 40  Forgeman Puddler     Born Salop Shiffnal

Elizabeth Rushton       Wife  Mar 36                                     Born Salop, Oswestry

RICHARD RUSHTON SON  UN 12 BRICKLAYERS LABR BORN STAFFORDSHIRE SEDGELY

Jane Rushton              Dau   Un  10                                      Born Staffordshire Sedgely

Elizabeth Rushton       Dau           7                                       Born Staffordshire Sedgely

William Rushton          Son            4                                      Born Staffordshire Sedgely

Edward Rushton         Son            3                                       Born Staffordshire Tipton

John Rushton             Son             1 mo                                Born Salop Shiffnal

The family also appear on the previous census of 1851, but if you are looking for them on Ancestry they have been written on the schedule as Ruston which has been further mistranscribed as "Kriston".(!)

Also William and Elizabeth both give their place of birth as Staffordshire, Bilston instead of Shiffnal and Oswestry.

1851 Census.

Parish of Sedgeley Borough of Wolverhampton Village of Brierley   

High Street, Princes End

William Ruston           Head   28  Puddler   Born Staffordshire Bilston

Elizabeth Ruston        Wife    23                          Staffordshire Bilston

RICHARD RUSTON   SON    3                           Staffordshire Sedgley

Jane Ruston             Daughter                            Staffordshire Sedgley

William and Elizabeth also appear in the 1871 census living at Shifnal with their children (but not Richard) where they once again give their places of birth as Shifnal and Oswestry respectively.William is employed as a Forgeman Puddler.

(The 1841 census for Bilston, Wolverhampton does have a listing for a William Rushton 25 working as a stone miner and lodging with fellow stone miner John Stubbs and his family. There is a forgeman and a furnace man living close by which ties in with William Rushmans job in the following censuses as forgeman and puddler)

I hope this has proved useful to you. Best wishes!

Jason

Jason,

Many thanks for this. I had wonderd about the RUSTON spelling as it appeared on IGI too however I could not imagine a multiple mis-spelling. You may have solved a long standing familty mystery (subject to verification). Once again many thanks.

Regards,

John

Hi Jason,

Sadly a further check reveals that this Richard is not the one I am looking for. Known facts are his two marriages and these do not agree with those of the Richard you have identified. The mystery remains.

Kind regards,

John

That's a shame, I hope you find the missing piece of the puzzle soon. The forgeman puddler coincidence is curious, it may suggest that the Rushton I found is linked in some way to your family. All the best, Jason

Iron foundries and coalmines seem to have been the major employers thereabouts so the job description is understandable. The Rushton name comes from a small hamlet near The Wrekin and it seems, as the inhabitants moved away, they took that as their surname. There are thousands of them in and around Wellington, Wombridge and Stone and I despair of ever locating the right one. Again, thanks for your help. Regards, John.

RUSTON, by the way, was a distinct surname and family, with many in the West Midlands being traceable back via West Bromwich to Hales Owen (which then included Oldbury, and both being a remote, detached Island of Salop) to around 1560. (One of my great-greatgrandmothers was of them).