Kerfies, Cleggies and all that.
A Key In The Door and The Bed Made Straight.
A curious and sad end for one ancestor.
Richard Halliday was a great-great-great-great-grandfather to the current generation, so we're going back a bit. Born about 1809 or 1810, the illegitimate son of Ann Halliday, he was baptised on 15 July 1810 at Saint John the Baptist, Halifax (Halifax Parish Church). In 1830 he married Jane Oldfield, herself illegitimate, at Saint John's. I think Richard was only just old enough to marry at that time. The legal age to marry in 1830 was 21 without parental consent. I'm not sure how the law stood if no parents were living, and I haven't discovered his mother, Ann's date of death. Anyway, they did it, and were married.
Richard was a cordwainer at the time and followed that profession all his life. A cordwainer is a maker of shoes using new leather, as opposed to a cobbler who repairs shoes.
Richard and Jane lived in Ovenden all their lives and had 7 children, as far as I know: Mary, Elizabeth, Susey, James, Isaac, John, and Richard. John is our ancestor, born on 21 August 1840.
Now, I wasn't sure of Richard's death date. You can sometimes tell from burial registers, wills, or probate records, but I can't find any of these for Richard at the moment. From the registry office indexes, I was pretty certain his death was in 1869. To be 100% certain and tie up this particular loose end, I sent off for the actual death certificate. When it came back it turned out to be quite an interesting one! His place of death was Spindle Mill Dam, a mill pond on Old Lane in Ovenden. I thought that was an odd place to die for a start! He was found drowned with no evidence of how. Most mysterious!
I went along to the library in Halifax, and on page 5 of the Halifax Guardian of 21 August 1869 is this piece of news:
Death by Drowning - On Wednesday an inquest was held by Mr Dyson, at the Ovenden Cross Inn, on Richard Halliday, Shoemaker, who was found drowned on the previous Monday, in Spindle Mill dam, Old Lane. It appeared the deceased had for some time been drinking, but on the previous week had not drunk much, and at times would read a great deal. Lately he had been low and melancholy. On Sunday night, at half-past nine, his wife left home to sleep at the house of her daughter, who was ill, deceased having had his supper, and was pretty well at the time. At seven the following morning she found the door locked, with the key in the lock. On entering she found he was not in, but he had been in bed, which she found had been made straight. He was subject to fits, when he would fall down, but he was cheerful on Sunday. Deceased was found in the dam by Joseph Kitchingman, at a quarter to six on Monday morning, as he was passing the dam on his way to work, and with assistance got him out. His dress was tidy, and there was a little scratch on his face. Verdict, found drowned.
Well! I don't know about you, but I find myself in loads of speculation. Not only about the events of that Sunday night, but about the whole life of Richard Halliday. It does sound like he was a troubled man at the end - for whatever reason - but it is sad that it should end that way. At least he made the bed.