62 - The Middleton Family

You can read the full story of the Middleton Family in my book The Residents of Romiley Road but here is a little about them.

Both Hannah Middleton (nee Fletcher) and her husband Joseph Middleton came from families who worked on the canals and railways. Hannah grew up in a house right by the canal in Marple and all of her family worked on the barges that transported raw materials and coal across the country. When permanent jobs couldn't be found, many men became "loungers" on Possett Bridge in Marple. They would stand and wait for barges to come and offer to help with the locks in exchange for money.

Joseph was not local to Romiley having been born in Wiltshire. His father had worked as a navvy on the railways. Joseph had worked transporting passengers by boat but by 1871 he was a Banksman, helping to keep the canals around Romiley and Marple in good condition.

Employment connected to the canals became more scarce as the 19th century progressed, with train travel becoming more popular. Joseph found himself in his 40s and unable to find work, so he was forced to change career, working in coal mines in Hyde.

The family also faced multiple bereavements. Of their 13 children, 6 died in infancy. Hannah died aged 52 after a life of pregnancies and working long hours at the cotton mill.