Samuel Trickett (1796-1850)

Samuel is the second of six children born to John Trickett and Mary Whittaker; his siblings were Betty (1794-1869), George (1805-?), Sarah (1806-1849), Mary (1807-1876) and John (1811-?). He was probably baptised at St Nicholas, Newchurch, as some of his siblings were (the pages covering 1796 are missing).

Samuel married Mary Ormerod on 2nd October 1820 at St Nicholas:

As you will see, Samuel signed his name whereas Mary put a cross suggesting she could neither read nor write. Samuel and Mary went on to have at least six children: Mary (1822-1830), Elizabeth (1825-?), Ann (1827-1903), Sarah (1829-?), Alice (1832-1903), and John (1834-1904).

All were probably baptised at Whalley Mill End Wesleyan Chapel, as there are records for Ann Trickett and several of her siblings but not all (like the records at St Nicholas, some are missing). Here is a copy of the record for the youngest child, John:

In 1841 the family are living at Scout: Samuel is 45 and a woollen weaver, Mary is 40 and a woollen spinner, Elizabeth 16, Ann 14, Sarah 12, Alice 10 and John 7. Apart from John all are working in the woollen industry as either spinners, weavers or piecers.

By 1851 Mary, now a widow, is living at Edgeside with Sarah 21, Alice 19 and John 17; Sarah is a spinner whils Alice and John are both power loom weavers. Samuel had died and was buried on 9th October 1850 at St Nicholas church, Newchurch. It seems he had been murdered.

The story is covered in the Blackburn Standard, 16th Octobe 1850:

The Preston Guardian, 14th December 1850, tells us the three people charged with manslaughter got off:

The articles raise questions: what was Samuel Trickett, a married man with six children, doing trying to get into the house of Mary Warburton, a widow? Why would she not let him in? Why did his wife not send out a search party for him given he had been missing for at least 24 hours? It is likely the Trickett family were living at Edgeside which is less than a quarter of a mile from Bridleway where Mary Warburton lived.

In 1861, Mary is living with her daughter Alice, her husband James Blackburn and their two children, Richard and Mary Elizabeth, at Bankses, a farmhouse.