49 - The Hutton Family

Mary Ann Hutton, the head of the household, was born Mary Ann Redfern in 1834 in Fairfield, Derbyshire. In 1841 she lived with her father Joseph Redfern, an agricultural labourer, and her siblings John and Hannah, in Fairfield village. Her mother was not listed on the 1841 census.

By 1851 Mary Ann was working as a House Servant in Radcliffe, Lancashire, for a widowed school mistress. 4 years later, in 1855, she returned to Derbyshire, to Buxton, to give birth to her daughter Jane Ann Redfern, out of wedlock. 2 years after that, she married Solomon Hutton, who was born in Buxton. It seems possible that he was the father of Jane.

Just 2 months after their wedding, the couple had a son named Allen and he was followed by Sarah Elizabeth Hutton in 1860. We know from the 1861 census that Solomon worked as a stone mason, a job that his father also did.

At some time between 1861 and 1867 the family moved to Romiley, where they had a daughter named Mary, followed by a final child in 1870 named Emily Mortimor(e) Hutton.

Solomon is not listed with the family on the 1871 census in Romiley and I was unable to find any other evidence of him after this time. Mary Ann was working as a hat trimmer with her older children working in factories and the younger ones at school or at home.

Mary Ann Hutton married John Wheatley in 1878 in Oldham, which suggests that Solomon had passed away. Bizarrely, John didn't appear with her on the 1881 census, but she is listed as being married. Mary was working as a dressmaker at this point.

Son Allen remained in Oldham where he married Margaret Bland. He worked as a tin plate labourer in the textile trade for all of his working life. Of their 6 children, only 3 made it to adulthood.

Emily, her half sister Jane Ann, and Jane Ann's illegitimate daughter, all emigrated to Boston Massachusetts in 1890. There they both married.

Sarah and Mary remained in Oldham, marrying William Taylor and John Broadbent respectively.