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Spensley

There is no apparent link between the Spensleys who appear in the Redmire census returns and those in the parish today, though there probably are links between earlier lines which appear in the parish registers of the 1700s. Current Spensley families have no proven descendancy (as yet) from the more prolific Swaledale lines.

1861 Census

The first Spensley to appear in the Redmire census was an Isabella Spensley who was house servant in the household of George Horn, farmer in 1861. Isabella was daughter of William Spensley and wife Isabella, of Feetham, Swaledale.

Name Relationship Age Occupation Birthplace
HORN George Head, Married 63 Farmer Redmire
HORN Mary Wife, Married 58 Redmire
HORN William T. Son 10 Scholar Redmire
SPENSLEY Isabella Servant, Unmarried 17 House Servant Feetham

1871 Census

By 1871 we see the family of George Spensley, a 49 year-old mine agent. George was born 1821 on Whitaside, the son of farmer William Spensley and wife Elizabeth. Initially George was a leadminer and must have been sufficiently successful to be appointed mine agent. He married Margaret Wilkinson of Camm in 1844 at Grinton. Whilst at Redmire he was accompanied by children Charles, Agnes and George. Other daughters Hannah and Elizabeth remained on Whitaside with their married brother Thomas (though a Thomas was living in Redmire c. 1874 when his daughter Jane Elizabeth was baptised at St. Mary's. Whether this was George's son is debateable, since George, as other Spensleys at the time, were staunch Methodist). George himself was a local preacher.

Name Relationship Age Occupation Birthplace
SPENSLEY George Head,Married 49 mine agent Grinton
SPENSLEY Margaret Wife, Married 50 Aysgarth
SPENSLEY Charles Son, Unmarried 21 Lead Miner Grinton
SPENSLEY Agness Daughter, Unmarried 15 Grinton
SPENSLEY George Son 12 Grinton

1881 Census

By 1881 George had once again changed employment and became workhouse master at Leyburn, was registrar of births, marriages and deaths, and manager of the Leyburn Gas Company.


©2004 David W.J. Stringer-Calvert, Christine Amsden, Larraine Williams

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