Descendants of Benjamin Dewhirst, son of Robert and Theodocia Dewhirst

(click on above link to see the ancestry of Benjamin)
DEWHURST DNA #99662

Information contributed by Richard Ollerton in collaboration with Evelyn Prineas, Ron Dewhirst, Tom Dewhirst and Eric Yeo, direct descendants of Benjamin

Family of Benjamin Dewhirst and Sarah Hunt

[1] Benjamin Dewhirst worked as a woolsorter, wooldresser, draper and straw bonnet maker.� His 1831 will indicates he owned six properties in Dock St, Huddersfield and three properties in Manchester St, Huddersfield on the ground of Sir John Ramsden Baronet, as well as three properties in Mold Green in Dalton in the parish of Kirkheaton on the ground of Sir John Lister Kaye Baronet.�His wife Sarah Hunt was born abt 1785 in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England, daughter of Samuel Hunt and Ann ?, chr 16 April 1785 in Stapenhill, Derbyshire, England and died 05 January 1867 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She worked as a straw hat maker and cloth dealer. Benjamin, his children Christiana, Charlotte, John and Sarah Ann, brother-in-law John Winterburn and mother-in-law Ann were all buried in crypt 14 of the Queens St Methodist Chapel, Huddersfield. Their remains were exhumed on 05 February 1970 as the Chapel building was sold. The strong Methodist connection continued through a number of generations, including grandchildren Louisa, Isaac & Mary Ann.

[2] William Dewhirst worked as a chemist druggist.� Wife #1 Sarah Oakes was born abt 1812 in Horbury, Yorkshire, England and died bet 1851-1856. Wife #2 Hannah Crookes was born abt 1822 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England and died aft 1861. Family lore has it that the Dewhirsts sold a cure-all recipe to Thomas Beecham which became Beecham's Pills.

Family of Benjamin Dewhirst and Mary Ann Jowitt

[1] Benjamin worked as a surgeon apprentice, druggist, chemist & druggist. His wife Mary Ann Jowitt was born 02 November 1826 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, daughter of John Jowitt and Betty Bedford, and died 05 April 1901 in Barwick-in-Elmet, Yorkshire, England.

[2] John worked as a chemist's assistant in Hunslet, Leeds, and as a chemist in London.

[3] Frederick worked as a railway clerk, medicine vendor, commercial traveller, dentist, dentist's assistant, herbalist, surgeon dentist, drug manufacturer and journeyman tailor. Wife #1 Elizabeth Morris was born abt 1867 in Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, and died on 23 December 1897 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland.

[4] Benjamin worked as an office boy and an ironmonger. His wife Sarah Porter was born bef September 1863 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England, and died aft 1901.

[5] Louisa’s husband Joseph Baxter was born abt 1860 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, and died aft 1915 – occupation: spinning shuttle maker, mill wright.

[6] Isaac worked as a draper, wholesale draper's warehouseman (employer), businessman, alderman, and JP (Dewhirst drapers' wholesale warehouseman & clothing manufacturer, Kirkgate, Leeds), founded IJ Dewhirst Ltd, helped Michael Marks by teaching him English and providing him with small loans, employed cashier/bookkeeper Tom Spencer who both began Marks & Spencers in 1890s. His wife Clara Backhouse was born bef December 1866 in Crossgates, Yorkshire, England, and died 17 March 1934 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England.

[7] Mary Ann worked as a hosier's knitter.

[8] Arthur served as a Pte, 5th Dragoon Guards, and worked as a hosier and glover "on his own account" (i.e., self employed) in UK, then as a motor mechanic, merchant (dry goods), gent’s furnishings, clerk (employment services), clerk (provincial government) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Arthur and family emigrated from Bristol, 10 August 1914, for Quebec, Canada, arriving 18 August 1914 on the SS Royal George for Calgary. Arthur enlisted in Calgary in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on 04 February 1915 (reducing his age by 6 years) and served in WW1 as Pte 434774, 50th Battalion CEF. He sailed with the Batallion from Halifax 27 October 1915, Orduna, arrived England 04 November, transferred to Canadian Army Pay Corps London, invalided from England 16 December 1917, HMHS Braemer Castle (rheumatism, iritis, limited movement of fingers), arrived St John, NS, Canada 26 December 1917, transferred Corps of Military Staff Clerks Calgary, promoted Sgt 18 March 1919 and provisional Staff Sgt 01 October 1919, discharged 26 May 1920, awarded British Service Medal. His wife Alice Rhodes was born 26 February 1876 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, and died 02 October 1967 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Family of Albert Bedford Dewhirst and Margaret Wiggins

[1] Albert worked as a guilder, carver & guilder (journeyman), then employed at Cammel Laird shipbuilders in Birkenhead. He was also involved in digging the first Mersey Tunnel and said that they started at both ends and were by no means certain that they would meet in the middle. His wife Margaret Wiggins was born 08 March 1877 in Woodlesford, Yorkshire, England, daughter of Joseph Wiggins and Hannah Heptinstall, and died 10 June 1974 in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. She worked as a dressmaker and a waitress and lived with older sisters Alice and Susannah after her parents died 1888-9.

[2] Dorothy emigrated, arriving in Brisbane, Australia 18 October 1927, on the Otranto. Her husband Sigurd Lorens Engdahl was born 13 Febraury 1897 in Lund, Sweden, son of Ludvig Kristiansson L�vgren Engdahl and Mathilda P�lsdotter, and died 30 April 1987 in Dover Heights, NSW, Australia.� He emigrated, arriving in Sydney, Australia 05 September 1926 on the SS Port Caroline. He worked as a springpojke (errand boy), apprentice blacksmith, seaman (oiler), steam fitter, fitter, and engineer's fitter on various ships: Emmy, SS Capto, SS Maine, SS Ampecto, SS Wm G Warden, SS Sierra, SS American, SS Port Caroline, and also for Transcontinental Petroleum Co (Mexico), Higgins & Kraus Plumbing Contractors (San Francisco, USA), Invincible Fan Works (Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia), "Dales" (self-employed antiques dealer), Dornan-Lilley Engineering Co (Sydney, NSW, Australia).

[3] Arthur served in the British Merchant Navy in WWI, then was Chief Engineer on the trawler "Blaefell". His wife May Eveline Thompson was born 18 June 1902 in Tranmere, Wirral, England, and died 25 March 1976 in Blackpool & Fylde, Lancashire, England.

[4] Mabel’s husband #2 Joseph Elisha Swain was born bef December 1877 in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, and died 08 June 1962 in Fylde, Lancashire, England – occupation: ironmonger (on own account).

[5] Evelyn’s husband Harry Yeo was born 31 October 1907 in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, and died 02 May 1977 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England – occupation: dock worker.

[6] Eric served in WW2 as Pte 3711773 5^th Battalion King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancashire) and was killed in action defending the village of Les Moeres during the British evacuation at Dunkerque, France.

l to r: Dorothy, Arthur, Mabel, Evelyn & Eric