Joseph Hallam of Chapel Milton and Chinley, Derbyshire, b. 1867
Joseph Hallam was born in 1867 in Sparrowpit, the second son of Joseph Hallam and his wife Ann nee Lomas. He was baptised on 6 Oct 1867 at St Thomas Becket church in Chapel-en-le-Frith and spent the earlier years of his childhood in Sparrowpit, where his father was the fourth generation of Hallams to have worked as the village blacksmith.
At the age of about nine years old, Joseph's family moved from Sparrowpit to Chapel Milton in the outskirts of Chapel-en-le-Frith, where his father worked as a farmer and blacksmith. They lived first at Waterside Farm and later at Chapel Milton Farm.
On 28 Dec 1890 Joseph married Frances Ann Gregory of nearby Gorsty Low Farm in Chinley, at Hayfield parish church. Frances was around five months pregnant at the time of their marriage and their first child, John Robert Hallam, followed on 1 Apr 1891. Frances' grandfather was Robert Yates and it is perhaps from him that John took his middle name. At this time, the couple lived at Naze Farm in Chinley with Frances' mother Mary Gregory.
The story in the family goes that Joseph and Frances separated soon after the birth of John Robert. Yet four years later a second child followed, Frank Hallam, who was born in 1895.
In 1901, Frances was living again at Gorsty Low Farm, with her two children and her uncle William Yates. Joseph at this time was living in the small village of Alderton in Wiltshire, where he was working as a blacksmith and listed as a single man. Joseph was a journeyman blacksmith, which explains how he may have ended up so far from home, and by this time it would certainly appear that he was estranged from his wife.
In 1903 Frances had a child named Ellen Pearson Hallam, and the father of this child is unknown. One rumour in the family relayed by John Robert's son many years later suggested that Frances was suspected of having an affair with her uncle, yet the middle name of the child, Pearson, implies the father could have been a family friend from Chinley or Chapel-en-le-Frith, whose surname was Pearson. What is certain is that Frances was still living with her uncle William at Gorsty Low Farm as late as 1911.
On 23 Aug 1910, according to the late Reverend Willy Jackson of Chinley Independent Chapel, Joseph attended the funeral of his father at St Thomas Becket, Chapel-en-le-Frith. It would seem he had not been living locally at this time, as his appearance appears to have been a cause of surprise. His whereabouts thereafter are unknown. One rumour in the family suggests he might have emigrated to Canada, but no passenger record or other documentary evidence has yet been found to confirm this.
In 1923 he was bequeathed a legacy in the will of his aunt Mary Hallam of Sparrowpit along with his siblings John and Sarah, and his cousins. We can therefore presume he was still living at this time.
Joseph's wife Frances died at Blackbrook Farm in Chapel-en-le-Frith in 1927 and was buried at St Thomas Becket, Chapel-en-le-Frith on 14 Feb 1927. By this time her eldest child John Robert Hallam had married Clara Ruth Cooper and was living at Highgate Head Farm in Hayfield and Frank, her second child, was living in the Chapel-en-le-Frith area where he died in 1943. Her daughter Ellen had married Joseph Edward Beresford.
Where Joseph Hallam was living between 1910 and 1923 and what happened to him after 1923 is still not known. Should you have any information regarding this, please do contact me.
At the age of about nine years old, Joseph's family moved from Sparrowpit to Chapel Milton in the outskirts of Chapel-en-le-Frith, where his father worked as a farmer and blacksmith. They lived first at Waterside Farm and later at Chapel Milton Farm.
On 28 Dec 1890 Joseph married Frances Ann Gregory of nearby Gorsty Low Farm in Chinley, at Hayfield parish church. Frances was around five months pregnant at the time of their marriage and their first child, John Robert Hallam, followed on 1 Apr 1891. Frances' grandfather was Robert Yates and it is perhaps from him that John took his middle name. At this time, the couple lived at Naze Farm in Chinley with Frances' mother Mary Gregory.
The story in the family goes that Joseph and Frances separated soon after the birth of John Robert. Yet four years later a second child followed, Frank Hallam, who was born in 1895.
In 1901, Frances was living again at Gorsty Low Farm, with her two children and her uncle William Yates. Joseph at this time was living in the small village of Alderton in Wiltshire, where he was working as a blacksmith and listed as a single man. Joseph was a journeyman blacksmith, which explains how he may have ended up so far from home, and by this time it would certainly appear that he was estranged from his wife.
In 1903 Frances had a child named Ellen Pearson Hallam, and the father of this child is unknown. One rumour in the family relayed by John Robert's son many years later suggested that Frances was suspected of having an affair with her uncle, yet the middle name of the child, Pearson, implies the father could have been a family friend from Chinley or Chapel-en-le-Frith, whose surname was Pearson. What is certain is that Frances was still living with her uncle William at Gorsty Low Farm as late as 1911.
On 23 Aug 1910, according to the late Reverend Willy Jackson of Chinley Independent Chapel, Joseph attended the funeral of his father at St Thomas Becket, Chapel-en-le-Frith. It would seem he had not been living locally at this time, as his appearance appears to have been a cause of surprise. His whereabouts thereafter are unknown. One rumour in the family suggests he might have emigrated to Canada, but no passenger record or other documentary evidence has yet been found to confirm this.
In 1923 he was bequeathed a legacy in the will of his aunt Mary Hallam of Sparrowpit along with his siblings John and Sarah, and his cousins. We can therefore presume he was still living at this time.
Joseph's wife Frances died at Blackbrook Farm in Chapel-en-le-Frith in 1927 and was buried at St Thomas Becket, Chapel-en-le-Frith on 14 Feb 1927. By this time her eldest child John Robert Hallam had married Clara Ruth Cooper and was living at Highgate Head Farm in Hayfield and Frank, her second child, was living in the Chapel-en-le-Frith area where he died in 1943. Her daughter Ellen had married Joseph Edward Beresford.
Where Joseph Hallam was living between 1910 and 1923 and what happened to him after 1923 is still not known. Should you have any information regarding this, please do contact me.