28 - The Hilton Family
Household 28 was lived in by Alfred Hilton aged 30, his wife Fanny Hilton aged 27 and their 4 year old son Thomas. Alfred was born in Hooley Hill, Audenshaw and Fanny was born Jane Frances Lambert in Leeds. They had another son named William a few months after the census was taken, then a son named Harry 3 years later. The family had left Romiley behind by this point and lived in Dukinfield.
At the time of the census Alfred was working as a labourer but he would go on to work as a cotton stripper and grinder until his retirement. He was prosecuted in 1875 when he failed to vaccinate his child for smallpox. Smallpox had killed millions across Europe and left many blind or with scarring. The vaccination was made free to encourage people to take it up, and then compulsory in the 1850s. Many fought against the requirement, though it seems Alfred "neglected" to vaccinate his child, rather than took a stance against it.
By 1881 Alfred was living at Helmes/Helms Yard/Court, off King Street in Dukinfield. I wasn't able to track down the rest of the family in 1881. By 1891 his family were also living there and Jane was working as a charwoman, which suggests they were struggling financially. Their sons were all working as cotton piecers at the mill.
Alfred died in 1891, followed by Jane in 1899.
Their eldest son Thomas married Mary Ellen Russell, who was born in Liverpool. They moved onto Danty Street, near King Street and Mary Street. In 1901 they both worked at the cotton mill, Thomas as a spinner, Mary as a weaver, and they had a 1 year old named Harry. By 1911 they were still living on Danty Street, Mary was still a cotton weaver, but Thomas had a new occupation as a dry cleaner at a dye works. The census tells us that the couple had lost 2 children in infancy. Harry had survived.
Their lives continued in a similar fashion, still on Danty Street in 1921 and working in the same jobs. Harry had joined his father at Russell Limited Dyers and Dry Cleaners on Railway Street.
Thomas' brother William, born just after the census, married Eliza Corscadden and moved to Stalybridge where he worked as a cotton piecer. Eliza's sister and her son also lived with the couple.
By 1911 the couple had had a child that sadly died. They lived in Dukinfield at 45 Pickford Lane and both worked in the cotton mill. Eliza's father William also lived with them. He originated from County Leitrim in Ireland.
Eliza died in 1931 and William was living with a lodger in 1939.