3 - The Bennett Family

Moses Bennett (1837-1884) and Selina Batty (1837-1903) were married in 1857. By 1871 they had one child, a two year old daughter named Nancy. They later went on to have two more daughters named Harriet and Rachel. Moses worked as a cotton spinner.

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In 1870 Selina was involved in a dispute with a neighbour. The newspaper article read:

"A PALTRY ASSAULT.- At the County Sessions on Thursday, Selina Bennett charged Sarah Hopwood with having assaulted her on the 12th Sept., at Romiley. Bennett had charged Hopwood's sister with stealing a net; one struck the other with a dishcloth, and the other spilled some hot coffee on her assailant. - Dismissed."

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In 1872 Moses Bennett also appeared in the newspaper. He appears to have changed his occupation to more physical labour at this point as he was working on a railway tunnel. Having been sent inside the tunnel to remove some dirt, he was hit on the head by a fall of earth and was lucky to get away with his life. 

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The family moved from Romiley to Dukinfield around 1875 where they lived at 13 Dewsnap Lane and Moses found work as a cotton spinner once again.

 

Moses died in 1884. 

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The family moved to 45 Sand Street and Selina worked as a cotton weaver along with her daughter Rachel. Nancy (listed as Mary in the 1891 census) had married Thomas Waterhouse and the couple also lived at the address.

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By 1901 Rachel had married Job Holt, an Ironsmith's striker, and they had three children. Selina also lived with them at 206 Lodge Lane in Dukinfield, and she passed away a few years later.