I now return to the Hope Valley, Derbyshire and discuss some of the more noteworthy descendants of our original ancestor Edward Ibbotson 1641-1702.
Whilst Edward was born in Hathersage, probate records revealed that he had two brothers, Abraham & John who, at the time of their deaths, were landholders on the outskirts of the village of Hope about 8 miles west of Hathersage.
Again, the BDM registers don’t go back far enough to confirm the parentage of the three brothers.
Kings Haigh farm
Abraham & his descendants held tenancies & long term leases on a farm known as Kings Haigh off Aston Lane near the village of Hope. The family remained there for around 120 years. We know this as Kings Haigh was noted in the Parish registers as the place of abode of generations of family members. It was usual for property names to be used to identify places of abode. Formal addresses as we know it today did not exist at the time.
In John’s Will, written in 1708, he describes himself as Yeoman (land holder) of Hope. He died at Kings Haigh in February 1710 but was buried on 9 Feb at St Michaels, Hathersage. The fact that he was buried at Hathersage rather than his home Parish of Hope may suggest that the former was more closely associated with the Ibbotson clan. John appears to have had no family of his own and makes bequests to his brother Abraham & children and the children of his other brother Edward (of Hathersage.)
Kings Haigh appears to have been known as such since the 13th century. It broadly translates to Kings enclosure, itself a reference to a piece of enclosed land used for farming (originally forest land and probably once reserved for hunting by the King or his minions.)
Kings Haigh is mentioned in Parish of Hope registers from 1707 when 2 children of Abraham Ibbutson (sic) and Anna are recorded as having died there. Kings Haigh appears to have been in the possession of Abraham since at least 1688 following the baptism of his 8th child William (1688-1770) when he was recorded as living at Aston, the locale of the farm. In 1719, a 21-year lease over Kings Haigh was granted to William, most likely a continuation of earlier Ibbotson leases. The owner of the property at the time was a William Eyre of Leicestershire. It was described as a farm consisting of a dwelling house, two barns & workshop. The farm remained with Ibbotson descendants for three generations until at least 1804 when William’s eldest son John is recorded as having died there aged 89. William was a webster (weaver) as well as a farmer, as was his uncle Edward at Hathersage. It was common in those days for landholders/farmers to have a secondary or primary occupation.
Abraham died at Kings Haigh in 1715 (his wife Anna had died in 1709.) In his will his beneficiaries were his surviving married daughters & grandchildren as well as his only surviving son & executor William.
William had married Francis Bocking in 1713 and all of his 9 children were baptised with William & Francis as ‘of Kings Haigh.’
One of William & Francis’ grandsons, John Ibbotson (1756-1828) became the Vicar of Hope and remained so until his death aged 72. He was still presiding in the week before his death. On occasion he would travel to St Michaels, Hathersage to preside at events of relatives.
Hathersage Outseats Farms
Nether Hirst/Hurst farm
Edward & Ann nee Jowatt of Nether Hurst, as best can be established, had 8 children of whom only 2 survived to produce offspring. William 1676-1723, our ancestor discussed previously, and Henry 1680-1771.
Henry married Elizabeth Burdekin who died in 1750. They had two sons, John & Edward, who died aged 6 & 9 respectively and two daughters Ann & Mary. Ann married James Pickford however she died soon after with James then marrying her sister Mary. Mary also died soon after.
Henry died in 1771 at Nether Hurst aged 90. He had outlived his wife, siblings and children.
When Henry died in 1771, in the absence of direct heirs, he left the bulk of his by then considerable estate to his nephews, John 1700-, William 1708-1789, Abraham 1712- and Joseph 1721-1785 (of Greens House – see more here.)
John, an inn keeper at Sheffield received a property known as ‘Greystones’. I haven’t been able to trace him further. Abraham & Joseph both received legacies (unspecified.) Abraham also cannot be further traced.
Nephew William was uncle Henry’s executor and received the bulk of the estate. This included the substantial properties known as Moorseats and Carr Head on the outskirts of Hathersage. Henry had bought Moorseats in 1745 from the widow Ann Frogatt. It is not known how Henry had been able to acquire these properties however it is clear that he had become quite wealthy by this time.
I now turn to the children of William. William married Sarah Hadfield in 1731. They had 10 children over 21 years, all born at Nether Hurst. William died in 1789 aged 81 years outliving all but 5 of his children:
- John 1732-1732 Lived for 2 months.
- Henry 1734-1797. Married Mary Stones in 1758. As the eldest son he Inherited Moorseats and Carr Head from his father on the latter’s death in 1789.
- Elizabeth (Betty) 1736- Married John Wardlow in 1758. Received £10 in father’s 1788 will.
- William 1738-1825! Married Ann Marshall in 1763. Received £50 in father’s 1788 will.
- Edward 1741-1774. Married Mary Marshall 1747-1797 in 1767.
- Anna 1743-1776. Married Samuel Binney in 1767.
- Thomas 1746-1764. Died aged 18 years.
- Mary 1749-1749. Died as infant.
- Maria 1750-1824. Received £30 in father’s will of 1788. Married Robert Crossland in 1772. The Crosslands had held nearby Birley farm for generations.
- Samuel 1753-1816. Received the rights to Nether Hirst farm. He married Mary Fisher 1755-1824 in 1783. Samuel & Mary both died at Nether Hirst. They had 4 children:
- Robert 1785-1792. Died aged 7 years.
- Sally 1787-1843. Married William Morton in 1813, a prominent Hathersage landholder.
- William 1789-1852. Married Mary Ibbotson 1794-1867 in 1813, daughter of his cousin William Ibbotson 1759-1818 – see below Globe Works, Sheffield for this story.
- Nancy 1792-1866. Married Henry Cocker 1786-1856. Henry was a prominent Pins & Needle manufacturer at Hathersage – see below for further Ibbotson/Cocker marriages.
By 1841 all male living descendants of Edward 1641-1702 & Ann 1643-1689 had long moved on from Nether Hurst and settled on other nearby farms. As discussed previously, our ancestor John Ibbotson and his descendants had moved to Hayfield and elsewhere.
There were however other families occupying 2 of the 4 residences at Nether Hurst with connections to the Ibbotsons through marriages.
1841 Census – Nether Hurst farm
| Henry Thorp | 50 | Farmer |
| Hannah Thorp | 15 | |
| Thomas Ibbotson Thorp | 13 | |
| Mary Ann Thorp | 9 | |
| Elizabeth Thorp | 8 | |
| Sally Ibbotson | 45 | Unmarried Independent |
Henry Thorp was a widower. He had married Mary Ann Ibbotson of Nether Hurst in 1823. Mary Ann was born in 1797, a daughter of Thomas Ibbotson & Hannah nee Cocker, & had died at Nether Hurst in the month prior to this census being undertaken, aged 43, leaving a young family. Her father Thomas had died at Nether Hurst in 1821 aged 49. Mother Hannah had died in 1837 also at Nether Hurst aged 66.
Sally was Mary Ann’s elder sister, born to Thomas & Hannah in 1796. It appears that Henry had assumed responsibility for Sally. A notation on the Census record appears to read ‘insane.’ Her death/burial record cannot be found.
Thomas Ibbotson Thorp continued to farm 47 acres & live at one if the 4 Nether Hurst properties until his death in 1877 aged 50. His father Henry died 2 years later at The Hurst aged 91.
1841 Census – Nether Hurst farm
| James Kinder | 84 | Independent |
| Robert Wilson | 57 | Farmer |
| Milly Wilson | 56 | |
| Eliza Wilson | 25 | |
| James Mathew Wilson | 22 | |
| Robert Littlewood |
The Kinder family had been Nether Hurst tenants for almost as long as the Ibbotsons. James had married neighbour Betty Ibbotson 1759-1825, in 1780. She was a great-grand daughter of Edward Ibutson/Ibbotson. Betty’s daughter Milly married Robert Wilson in 1810. Betty died at Nether Hurst in 1825 aged 66. James Kinder died in 1844 aged 87. Betty’s grandson James Mathew Wilson continued to farm Nether Hurst until he died there in 1904. He appears to have been the last descendant of the Ibbotsons to have farmed at Nether Hurst.
The Ibbotsons and descendants had occupied Nether Hurst for 7 generations for over 230 years.
1841 Census – Birley farm
| Robert Crossland | 54 | Farmer |
| Violetty | 55 |
Robert 1787-1868 married Violetty Ibbotson 1788-1849 of nearby Cow Close farm. Violetty was the eldest child of Joseph Ibbotson 1762-1848 & Millicent Ibbotson 1770-1853.
Robert’s father, Robert Crossland 1747-1818 had married Maria Ibbotson 1750-1824 of Nether Hurst, daughter of William & Sarah nee Hadfield.
1841 Census – Cow Close farm
| Joseph Ibbotson | 36 | Farmer |
| Ann Ibbotson | 27? | |
| Charlotte Ibbotson | 4 | |
| William Ibbotson | 2 | |
| Mary Ibbotson | 2 |
Research of early records published in 1982 by Rosamond Meredith in her Farms and Families of Hathersage Outseats suggests that Joseph Ibbotson 1721-1785 of Greens House had been farming Cow Close as well as Greens House at the same time as developing and working Greens Paper Mill – see Part 1 above.
Joseph’s eldest son Abraham Ibbotson 1748-1841 succeeded to the tenancy of Cow Close probably before his father’s death in 1785. Abraham however had moved to a farm at nearby Sickleholme/Bamford for a few years where most of his children were born before moving back to Hathersage. In 1833 the then Cow Close landlord gave Abraham, by then an old man, notice to quit the tenancy. Abraham died at Greens House farm in 1841 aged 93 and had been succeeded at Cow Close farm by his brother Joseph Ibbotson 1762-1848.
This Joseph had moved off the farm to retire to Hathersage village where he died in 1848 aged 85.
He in turn was succeeded by his son Joseph 1806-1892 where the first four of his children were born between 1837 & 1842. He left Cow Close farm shortly after 1842 and moved with his wife Hannah and children to Hannah’s home town in Attercliffe, Sheffield where he died in 1889 aged 82. Hannah died in 1894 aged 74.
Five generations of Ibbotsons had tenanted Cow Close farm for close to 100 years.
1841 Census – Greens House farm
| Charles Ibbotson | 52 | farmer |
| Mary Ibbotson | 47 | |
| Abraham Ibbotson | 18 | |
| Mary Ann Ibbotson | 13 | |
| Charles Ibbotson | 6 |
As discussed in Part 1, by 1750 and possibly as early as 1743, our ancestor Joseph Ibbotson 1721-1785 had left Nether Hurst and was farming at Greens House. According to Rosamund Meredith in her Farms and Families of Hathersage Outseats, a roughly carved and partially legible inscription on Greens House cottage reads (………..H Ibbotson 1743).
Joseph married Ruth Simpson 1722-1796 in 1745.
An old lead mill, long abandoned, was located about 300 yards below Greens House on the Hood brook. Around 1750 Joseph, along with a man named Littlewood (another old Hope Valley family) converted the mill into a paper mill which became known as Greens Paper mill. After Joseph died in 1785 his youngest son Dennis Ibbotson 1765-1839 took over the mill, buying out the shares of his other three elder brothers, Henry 1753-1843, John 1755-1841 & William 1755 -1838. Henry went on to live at Gate House. John, our next descendant, moved away from Hathersage to Spray House farm at Little Hayfield, about 15 miles distant. Nothing is known of William although Rosamond Meredith’s Farms and Families of Hathersage Outseats suggests that at age 75 he was seeking poor relief in Sheffield. He appears to have fallen on hard times.
Dennis continued to manage Greens Mill until his death in 1839 by which time the mill was being run by his nephew Charles Ibbotson 1788-1867. Samuel Ibbotson 1786-1857 of Bamford, son of Abraham 1748-1841 of Cow Close, also worked there according to the baptism records of his first 4 children however by the time that his brother Charles had assumed management of the mill Samuel was a farmer & shopkeeper in Bamford Village.
Charles lived at Greens House, most likely in the 2nd house on the farm where his children were born. By the 1841 Census, Charles and his family are the only remaining Ibbotsons living at Greens House farm. By the 1851 Census both Dennis’ son Abraham 1806-1867 & Charles’s son Abraham 1822-1872 are living at nearby Gate House farm while still working Greens Mill. In the 1861 Census only Dennis’ son Abraham is still working the mill which by 1857 had been sold to Charles Marsden. The mill closed down in 1887.
Today all that remains of the mill is a small weir on the Hood Brook below Greens House which is accessed by a public walking trail from Greens House.
By the 1841 Census, Abraham aged 92 & his brother Henry aged 88 had retired to Gate House farm along with Abraham’s wife Anna nee Hadfield aged 80 & their 42 year old unmarried daughter Catherine. Henry had outlived his wife and three children, all of whom had died relatively young. Henry was living in one of the other houses on the property with his daughter in law Betty, widow of his son Henry, and their three young children. Henry died two years later aged 90.
As mentioned above a third Gate House property was occupied by Dennis’ son Abraham Ibbotson while still working Greens Mill.
By the 1851 Census both Dennis’ son Abraham 1806-1867 & Charles’ son Abraham 1822-1872 are living at Gate House farm while working Greens Mill. By the 1861 Census only Dennis’ son is still working the mill. Charles died at Gate House in 1867 aged 79.
Other family members continued to live at one or other of the Gate House properties for many years (there were three houses all adjacent to each other – today there are four with a barn converted into a residence.)
- Matilda, daughter of Charles died at Gate House in 1851 aged 29.
- Elizabeth nee Hallam, widow of Henry 1793-1835 a shoe-maker and in turn the son of Henry 1753-1843 died at Gate House in 1862 aged 69.
- Mary Ibbotson, Charles wife, who was a daughter of another Dennis Ibbotson in turn a descendant of the nearby Parish of Hope Ibbotsons (Kings Hague farm near Aston) and thus a distant cousin, died at Gate House in 1863 aged 69.
- Mary Ibbotson, unmarried daughter of Henry the shoe-maker, died at Gate House in 1874 aged 54. She was living at one of her brother Henry’s Gate House properties at the time.
The Ibbotson Gate House story would have ended here but for the discovery of property transfer records for two of the three residences on the property.
On 6 Aug 1839, William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, sold by ‘Indenture’ one of the Gate House residences, known today as Gate House Cottage, to Samuel Ibbotson of Bamford & Henry Ibbotson of Hathersage, the latter occupying same at the time, for the consideration of 5 shillings following which, after one year, Samuel & Henry would have full ownership for ‘one peppercorn.’
This Henry 1820-1883 was the son of Henry the shoe-maker.
Samuel 1785-1857 was born & died at Bamford and was Henry’s uncle. Samuel was clearly a son of Abraham the elder however a baptism record cannot be found. Abraham the elder had spent some years at Sickleholme/Bamford where Samuel & most of his siblings had been born. Samuel had also been working as a Paper Maker (Greens Mill) at the time his first 4 children were baptised at Hathersage even though he lived at Bamford. Bamford & Greens Mill were not far apart in terms of commuting distance (horse & cart or foot !)
In the 1861 Census, 4 years after Samuel’s death, Henry has moved to Bamford and is living with his uncle Samuel’s widow Ann nee Rose where he is described as her nephew and farmer aged 40. Also at the residence is Samuel and Ann’s daughter Harriet aged 30. The following year Henry married Harriet, effectively his cousin. They remained at Bamford as farmer/shopkeepers until their deaths in 1883 & 1904 respectively. They don’t appear to have had children.
On 8 March 1940, Harold Ibbotson of Main Road, Hathersage, transferred the freehold ownership of the Gate House residence known today as Little Gate House, along with several parcels of land, to Elsie Josephine Hadfield, wife of Charles Hadfield, of Cuttis Side Cottage, Hathersage for the sum of £475.
The conveyance document also recorded that the property had been owned by Henry Ibbotson as at 1866, clearly the same Henry who had bought neighbouring Gate House Cottage in 1839.
Again, this Henry born at Gate House in 1820 was the son of Henry the shoe-maker who had died at Gate House aged 45 and in turn the son of Henry the elder who died at Gate House aged 90.
Henry the shoe maker had a younger son Joseph 1825-1893 who later became Hathersage Postmaster and farmer, initially of 100 acres, on Main Street. His family, including sons & grandsons remained there for decades – see Ibbotsons Farm below
Harold Ibbotson 1909-1985 was one of Joseph the Postmaster’s grandsons. It is not known how/when Harold acquired Little Gate House and be possession of same by the time he sold it in 1940. Census records suggest that he may never have actually lived on the property but remained on the family farm behind Main Street, Hathersage along with his father and grandfather before him. Harold died in 1985 aged 75. He was a Batchelor. His probate record gives his address at time of death as ‘The Farm’ Main Road, Hathersage. The farm behind, Ibbotsons Farm Cottages and Ibbotsons Croft has since been developed into housing. It is not 100% clear if ‘Ibbotsons Farm’ and ‘The Farm’ are one and the same.
After over 100 years tenancy it seems that by 1866 the Ibbotsons now held freehold title to at least two of the then three Gate House properties and continued to hold at least one until 1940. The third Gate House residence (all three are next to each other on Gate House lane) was/is located behind Gate House Cottage and is known as Gate House farm. It appears to have been the original property and once housed a travellers Inn. At the time this was the main (only) road from Hatthersage Village to Sheffield. Although it was clearly occupied by the Ibbotsons, along with the other two, during the early 1800s it is not known when/if it ever transferred into Ibbotson freehold ownership. In the 1939 Census it was occupied by Abraham Wilson 1863- a great grandson of James Kinder & Betty nee Ibbotson formerly of Nether Hurst.
Hathersage village
Ibbotsons Farm – Ibbotsons Croft
The 1841 Census for Hathersage records a George Ibbotson aged 61 years, farmer, with his wife Alethea (nee Ibbotson.) George was from Bradfield, Yorkshire & had married Alethea at Bradfield in 1809. Alethea appears to have been the daughter of William Ibbotson & Ruth nee Slate of Hathersage. Although Alethea was baptised at Hathersage it seems that this Ibbotson family were not directly related.
Both George & Alethea died in 1843. George appears to have been a Catholic as distinct from most of the other Hathersage Ibbotson’s who were C of E/Wesleyans. This accounts for a lack of baptism records at Hathersage C of E for the next generation.
Rosamund Meredith writes that a Mathew Ibbotson was a noted ‘recusant’ (Catholic who refused to conform to the C of E ). Along with two other Hathersage Catholics, Mathew was arrested in 1746 and imprisoned at York Prison where he died the same year. This was during the final stages of the Jacobite rebellion when suspected Catholic activists were routinely persecuted. Catholics had to practise their faith in ‘secret’. Burials had to be conducted at night.
Mathew was George’s grandfather.
The next entry in the same 1841 census listed George & Alethea’s son, also George (1812-1879) a needle grinder and his wife Mary nee Crossland (1814-1897.) In the 1851 & 1861 census’ George declares that he had been born at Bradfield, Yorkshire, suggesting that these Ibbotsons were of Bradfield origin. Again, as Catholics, they don’t appear in Bradfield baptism records.
George had an elder brother Joseph (1809-1864) who married Mary Ann Broomhead and went on to farm Moscar House north of Hathersage for the rest of their lives. Their only child William died there aged 25. All were buried at Hathersage.
In November 1844 the Derby Mercury advertises the sale of properties belonging to George Ibbotson including 4 cottages, house, barn, stables and croft “known as Ibbotsons Croft”. These properties lay on the south side of Main Road, Hathersage.
The names Ibbotsons Croft and Ibbotsons Farm Cottages still remain today. It appears that George jnr has inherited these buildings on his father’s death, along with around 10 acres of land, and decided to sell same. How long prior to 1841 that these Ibbotsons had held those properties is not known.
George’s descendants appear not to have continued farming. George jnr the seller of (some) of the properties, worked as a hackle-pin grinder, presumably at Henry Cocker’s works, as did future generations, including daughters, into the early 1900s.
It is not known who initially owned the Ibbotsons Croft and Ibbotson’s Farm Cottage properties subsequent to the proposed sale in 1844 by George jnr or if indeed a sale went ahead.
By the 1861 census however, Joseph Ibbotson 1825-1893 was farming 100 acres behind Main Street, Hathersage. It is not 100% clear if this was the same property formerly held by the unrelated George Ibbotson.
Joseph was a son of Henry the shoe-maker of Gate House and a descendant of the Nether Hurst Ibbotsons. Again, there is no identifiable familial relationship between these Ibbotsons and the George Ibbotson Catholics.
Joseph married Mary Broomhead (1832-1917), a daughter of another Hathersage Village farmer. They and their children continued to farm there for decades as well as run the Hathersage Post Office between at least 1871 & 1939.
Moorseats – Carr Head – Kimber Court (Kimbercales)
These three properties adjoin each other and are a short walk north-east of St Michaels C of E church. They are technically outside the ‘Outseats’ boundary but nevertheless close by.
In 1743, the widow Ann Frogatt sold Moorseats to Henry Ibbotson (1680-1771) of Nether Hurst. Henry died in 1771 aged 91 outliving his wife, children & siblings. He bequeathed Moorseats, and by this time Carr Head, to his nephew William Ibbotson (1708-1789) of Nether Hurst. It is not known how or when he acquired Carr Head.
Both properties passed to William’s son Henry (1734-1796). Henry had taken residence at Carr Head where his wife Mary nee Stones died in 1777.
Henry had become a prominent civic identity in Hathersage. He provided money for the education of the children of poor families.
Until a formal Police Force was established in England in 1852, the responsibility for the prosecution of a crime rested with the victim. A Parish constable, appointed by the local Magistrate, did exist at the time however he was drawn from the local community and unpaid. The victim of a crime was responsible for the constable’s expenses and court costs. Many crimes therefore went unpunished.
In 1784, the ‘Hathersage Association for the Prosecution of Felons and Other Offenders‘ was formed by a few of the more prominent local identities and landowners who contributed fees through subscriptions to support the less well-off victims of crime in prosecuting offenders. This included rewards to witnesses.
Henry by now the quite wealthy owner of Moorseats & Carr Head, was the first name to appear on the 1784 Articles of Association. Within the next 2 years, among others, he was joined by his younger brother Samuel 1753-1816 & his wife Mary of Nether Hirst, and nephew Joseph 1762-1848 of Cow Close. The rest of the members, limited to around 20 at any given time, were drawn from Hathersage’s more prominent land holders/farmers and business owners. Once a formal police force was established decades later, the association continued (to this day) albeit as a form of social club. Memberships were bought and sold with most of the Ibbotson farmers & paper millers, including those of Gate House & Greens House, becoming members.
By this time Henry had increased his property holdings. Shortly before his death in 1796 he had bought the property known as Eastwood Farm, near Hathersage Church, and bequeathed it to his daughter Ruth who had married John Furniss three years earlier. He bequeathed both Moorseats & Carr Head to his son William (1759-1818.) William’s wife Keturah nee Unwin died at Moorseats in 1802. William also left his house in Sheffield to a nephew William Ibbotson (1789-1852), son of the late Samuel Ibbotson (1753-1816) of Nether Hurst, who had married William’s daughter Mary Ibbotson (1794-1864), effectively cousins.
William moved to Sheffield in 1809 and established the Ibbotson & Roebuck steel manufacturing business, later to become Ibbotson Brothers & Globe Works, whilst retaining both Moorseats and Carr Head. When he died in 1818, he left Moorseats & Carr Head to his son Henry (1797-1849.)
Eventually Moorseats was occupied by Henry Cocker (1786-1856) who had married Nancy Ibbotson (1792-1866), a daughter of Samuel Ibbotson (1753-1816) & Mary nee Fisher of Nether Hurst farm.
Henry Cocker and his first wife Elizabeth nee Worrall were living at neighbouring Carr Head in 1816 where Elizabeth died.
Henry Cocker & 2nd wife Nancy nee Ibbotson were initially occupying Moorseats in 1820 where their daughter Mary Fisher Cocker was born. In the 1841 Census they were at Rock House opposite the Scotsmans Pack Inn before moving back to Moorseats in the 1850’s until it was sold to Thomas Eyre (in 1855.)
The Cocker family had owned & run a prominent wire-drawing and pin & needle manufacturing industry for many years but by 1847 Henry was bankrupt apparently related to the collapse of a Sheffield bank. Henry died in 1856 aged 70. Nancy died in 1866 aged 74.
Henry Cocker’s father Thomas Cocker (1758-1834) is known to have lived at Carr Head for many years. He had been married to Henry Ibbotson’s (1735-1796) daughter Ann Ibbotson (1765-1806.) After Ann died aged 41 in 1806, Thomas married Betty Thorp (1783-1844.) Thomas’s brother Jonathan Cocker (1763-1827 had also married an Ann Ibbotson (1775-1843), a daughter if widow Mary Ibbotson.
It is not known exactly when the Ibbotsons relinquished Carr Head as the original conveyance documents appear to have been lost. Other records suggest that by at least 1812 & thus soon after the last William had inherited same, it was in other hands. In 1831 it was occupied by John Priestley 1780-1831 (noted on his gravestone.) John’s wife was Sarah nee Cocker 1772-1848, a sister of Thomas 1758-1834 above.
The Ibbotson & Cocker family had mutual business and property interests along with familial links. Both families were involved in the steel industry. There were 7 marriages between Ibbotsons & Cockers:
- Thomas Cocker 1758-1834 married Ann Ibbotson 1765-1806 in 1786. Ann was the daughter of Henry Ibbotson 1734-1796 & Mary nee Stones of Carr Head/Moorseats. Thomas & Ann lived at Carr Head.
- Dennis Ibbotson 1767-1816 married Mary Cocker 1765-1798 in 1791. Dennis (not to be confused with the Greens Mill Dennis) was a descendant of the Kings Haigh, Aston/Hope, Ibbotsons who in turn had common ancestors with the Hathersage Ibbotsons. Mary Cocker was the sister of Thomas Cocker above & Jonathan below.
- Thomas Ibbotson 1771-1821 of Nether Hurst married Hannah Cocker 1770-1837 in 1793. Thomas was a son of Edward Ibbotson 1741-1774 & Mary nee Marshall. Hannah Cocker was a sister of Thomas & Mary above. Both Thomas & Hannah died at Nether Hurst.
- Jonathan Cocker 1763-1827 married Ann Ibbotson 1774-1843 in 1795. Ann was a daughter of the same Edward Ibbotson 1741-1774 of Nether Hurst & Mary Ibbotson nee Marshall. Mary was widowed when Ann was born. Edward had died the same year at Nether Hurst. Jonathan Cocker was a brother of Thomas, Mary & Hannah above.
At this point four Cocker siblings had married Ibbotsons. These marriages continued into the next three generations.
- Henry Cocker 1786-1856 married Nancy Ibbotson 1792-1866 of Nether Hurst in 1818. Nancy was a daughter of Samuel Ibbotson 1753-1816 who was born at and inherited Nether Hurst and lived there his whole life with brother Edward. Henry was a son of Thomas Cocker above. Henry was a prominent wire & pins & needle manufacturer in Hathersage. He and Nancy also gave their address at various times as Carr Head & Moorseats which had been owned by the Ibbotson family for decades.
- Robert Cocker 1802-1866 married Milicent Ibbotson 1801-1862 in 1823 (Millicent was baptised with this spelling however Melicent was also used in some records.) Millicent was a daughter of Dennis Ibbotson 1765-1839 of Greens House who had assumed management of Greens Paper Mill, on the nearby Hood Brook, from his father. The mill produced course brown paper used to wrap the pins & needles etc manufactured by the Cocker family & others. Robert was listed on the night of the 1841 Census as being at Greens House however he & Milicent apparently lived in Sheffield for most of their married life. Robert was a son of Jonathan above.
- Thomas Fildes Cocker 1850-1907 married Mary Eva Ibbotson 1853-1942 in 1874. Thomas was a great-grandson of Thomas Cocker 1758-1834 of Carr Head. Mary was a great- granddaughter of the Sheffield Globe Works founder William Ibbotson 1759-1818. Thomas Fildes Cocker appears to have abandoned Mary and travelled to Australia where he died at Tocumwal, New South Wales alone aged 57. A local newspaper reported that he had been living alone for 12-13 years. Mary died in Canada where her son was living.
Meanwhile the last Henry to inherit Moorseats along with cousin William and his family were now running Globe Works in Sheffield.
From about 1824 until it was sold to Thomas Eyre in 1855, Moorseats was heavily mortgaged, presumably to support Globe Works. William himself went bankrupt around this time probably explaining the sale which effectively ended the Ibbotson’s 85 year ownership of Moorseats. That said, the Ibbotson’s association with Moorseats did not end there.
Globe Works Sheffield
William Ibbotson 1759-1818 of Moorseats married Keturah Unwin 1771-1802 at Dronfield, Derbyshire.
They had 2 children before Keturah died in 1802:
- Mary 1794-1867. Born at Carr Head. Married William Ibbotson 1789-1852, a son of Samuel Ibbotson 1753-1816 of Nether Hurst. They went on to ‘inherit’ her father’s Globe Steel Works, Sheffield in 1818 along with her brother Henry 1797-1849.
- Henry 1797-1849. Born at Carr Head (noted on baptism record.) He inherited neighbouring Moorseats on the death of his father in 1818. At the time, Moorseats was occupied by Henry Cocker who had married Nancy Ibbotson the sister of William above (Carr Head was in other hands by then.) By now Henry was living in Sheffield working the steel works with Mary’s husband William. By 1823 Henry had mortgaged the Moorseats property, presumbly to support the construction in 1825 of the new Globe Works foundry in Pennistone Road, Sheffield. By 1832, Henry had moved to New York to manage the firm’s American interests leaving brother-in-law William and sister Mary and their eventual large family to run Globe Works. He married Ann Francis Darling in New York City in 1833. Henry died in New York aged 51 in 1849 from cholera. He had become very wealthy with property interests in Park Lane, Manhattan, Boston & Chicago.
William & Mary continued to run Globe Works on the death of Mary’s father. They had 13 children in 22 years:
- Keturah 1814-1881. Married solicitor Anthony Clark Branson1806-1876.
- Mary 11816-1880. Married Wesleyan Minister Ebenezer Rushton Talbot 1818-1880.
- Samuel Fisher 1818-1902. After father William died in 1852, Samuel & his brothers took over Globe Works. He was a frequent traveller to New York where Globe Works had interests. In 1854 he married the widow of a Major Duff, Isabella Honora Duff 1816-1863 in New York. They had 2 children Kate & Alfred in New York. By 1861 the family was back in Sheffield however both children died as infants followed soon after by Isabella. Samuel then married Mary Hall 1829-1903. All are buried in the same plot at Sheffield.
- William Frederick 1821-1864. Married Mary Dobson 1824-1853. After she died he married Elizabeth Miller Elam 1821-1879. His first son William Henry Ibbotson became a marine engineer but died aged 23 when his ship hit rocks and sank off Ireland. Another son John Hall Ibbotson had died aged 6. A grandson was killed in action in 1818 in Belgium in WW1.
- Henry Ibbotson 1822-1882. Henry remained a Bachelor and travelled extensively to New York looking after Globe Works interests along with brother Samuel above. He is buried with his brother Edward at Sheffield General cemetery – Plot II 36.
- Edward Charles 1823-1899. Like his brothers, Edward was an extensive traveller on behalf of the Ibbotson steel interests. In 1866 he married Esther Rebecca Gould 1830- in Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada. He spent much of his life in Canada & Massachusetts, USA where his children were born. One of those children, Edward Charles Ibbotson 1869-1942 married his cousin Grace Bennet Roberts 1869-1925. His other son, William Frederick Ibbotson 1873-1937 was apprenticed to Globe Works as an Engineer and emigrated to Melbourne, Australia.
- John Julius 1825-1856. Worked with the firm but died aged 30.
- Anna Maria 1828-1903. Married Thomas Roberts 1827-1886, manager of Sheffield Gas Company who by 1871 was leasing Moorseats from the then owner Charles Cammell (Cammell had worked as a commercial traveller with Ibbotson Brothers in Sheffield in the 1830s before leaving to establish his own steel making firm. He became very wealthy acquiring a number of the more prominent estates in Hathersage including Moorseats and Kimbercales in 1869.) One of Anna & Thomas’ daughters, Frances Mary 1864-1921 gave the Moorseats address on her marriage in 1889.
- Alfred Buckingham 1829-1908. Alfred was a regular international traveller on behalf of the firm. In 1862 he married Louisa Greenough Powers 1839-1929 in Turin, Italy. Louisa was the daughter of famous American/Italian sculptor, Hiram Powers, who had based himself in Florence, Italy. Alfred & Louisa returned to Sheffield where he continued to manage Globe Works with his brothers. He retired in the 1870s and built a villa in Florence known as Villa Ibbotson. Alfred died in Florence in 1908 and is buried in the English cemetery. During his work with the family firm, he patented a number of steel products, including railway track couplings apparently used extensively in Australia.
- George Washington 1832-1868. Died at Chiltern, New South Wales, Australia aged 36. Nothing further is known regarding his presence in Australia or subsequent death. Probate was granted to his brothers Alfred Buckingham Ibbotson & Samuel Fisher Ibbotson back in Sheffield.
- Ann Frances 1834-1862. Died unmarried at Sheffield aged 28. Unlike all other siblings Ann was born at Hathersage, presumably while parents were staying at Moorseats farm which they owned until 1855 and visited regularly from Sheffield.
- Clara Isabel 1836-1839. Died aged 3 at Hathersage, presumably at Moorseats during one of their stays. Clara is the only offspring buried at Hathersage.
- Horatio Walter 1836-1919. Became a solicitor working with his brother-in-law Alfred Branson above, and doing much work for the Ibbotson firm. Moved to London with his wife Mary Bridget Ibbotson nee Hobson & three children. His only son William Ibbotson 1878-1952 became a prominent London ear, nose & throat surgeon across London hospitals as well as serving as surgeon on a number of Royal Navy ships during WW1. Horatio was the last surviving child of the Sheffield Globe Steel works and died in1919 aged 83.
The following images are courtesy of globe-works.co.uk:
Ibbotson Peace and Company – New York
As mentioned above, Globe Works, Sheffield had family members working in New York representing the company. Henry Ibbotson 1797-1849 had emigrated to New York around 1832 and died there in 1849 – see above.
Another descendant of the original Nether Hurst Ibbotsons, Robert Ibbotson 1806-1884, was born at Nether Hurst. He was a 5th Generation Nether Hurst Ibbotson and Great Great grandson of Edward 1641-1702 as well as a cousin of the Globe Works Ibbotsons.
Around the 1820s, Robert became apprenticed to another Sheffield steel product manufacturer, William & George Ibbotson & Co. (unrelated to the Globe Works Ibbotsons – see above.) Around 1834, soon after his relative Henry, Robert had emigrated to New York City with his new 19 year old wife Anna nee Marshall and became a New York representative of one of the Sheffield manufacturers, later becoming the principal in Ibbotson, Peace and Co., manufacturers of Bowie knives and hand saws. They had 10 children in New York and lived in a substantial house in Brooklyn. One of their sons, Thomas, joined with his father-in-law, George Marshall, another Sheffield steel identity, to establish a steel foundry in Illinois, USA.
Robert died in New Jersey in 1884 aged 78. Anna died in 1886 aged 71.
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