20 - The Renshaw Family

Household 20 was a small one, just a couple in their 30s named Abraham and Elizabeth Renshaw. They had married on 1st January 1860 in Compstall where Abraham was born.

Elizabeth was born on Romiley Road and was part of the Ridgway family. Where most of the Ridgways worked for the family business, the plant nursery, Elizabeth's father John worked as a tailor. Just a few months after the 1871 census was taken, John was arrested for being "drunk and riotous" in Compstall. He had been kicking doors and shouting profanities. What would have made it all the more embarrassing for Elizabeth is that the police officer who arrested him was a relative of Abrahams.

Abraham was the son of a cotton spinner from Compstall and Mary Waters, from Romiley. Abraham started working at the Cotton Mill at a young age but must have shown promise with numbers, as he quickly worked his way up to bookkeeper and storekeeper at the mill.

Both Elizabeth and Abraham worked at the mill, which was owned by the Andrew family. The Andrews had built Compstall up from a tiny hamlet to a thriving village with a printworks and cotton mill, but also reading rooms, a church, a school and the iconic Athenaeum.

Compstall was a village with a strong appreciation for learning and betterment. Abraham Renshaw was a big part of this, holding the post of Secretary of the Compstall Library and Reading Room. Despite most of the village working long hard hours, the library and the mechanics institute were very popular, much more so than in Romiley where attempts to open reading rooms had failed due to low attendance. Abraham continued to have an interest in the library even after moving to Romiley Road.

Although Abraham said he preferred the air in Compstall to that in Romiley, he did take part in village life there. He joined the Conservative party and St Chad’s Church Guild. He was a devoted communicant at St. Chad’s Church. Whilst Elizabeth continued to work as a weaver into her middle age, Abraham became a tea dealer, accountant and land merchant in the village, remaining on Romiley Road until his death at age 59 in 1891, followed a few years later by Elizabeth. The couple had no children but did take on boarders during their time on Romiley Road.

You can find out more about the Renshaw family in the book "Residents of Romiley Road" which will be coming soon.