Thomas Clayton born ca. 1847 and Mary Edna born ca. 1856.

With some of the 14 children

and later ....

In 1881 the Claytons were living at Bleakhey Nook, Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England. 

Thomas was 34 and a Woolen Shawl weaver. He gives his birth place as Leeds. Mary Edna, born in Saddleworth was 25 and had the first two of her 14 children. Fanny 2 years old and James L. 6 months old.


Vicki Rebneris kindly sent me this information about Bleakhey Nook and Saddleworth.

In an article about the reservoirs: 

"Soon a number of navvies were employed on the job, sinking trial holes to test the underlying rock.............all the spare houses and other accommodation was now being taken up by the influx of the navvies and their families. The school at Castleshaw was soon taxed to its full capacity and the newcomers were of a tough character generally, Mrs. Clayton soon had her hands full.

(Was Mrs. Clayton the teacher?)

Note : An Eliza. C. CLAYTON, 30 years old from Manchester, Lancashire, England was the School Mistress

The article carries on......At Castleshaw the houses were too far beyond repair for even the navvies to be domiciled in. I don't know where they put them all in at Bleakhey Nook.


Bleak Hey Nook or Bleakhey Nook or Blakeheynook is mentioned in many of the volumes of the Saddleworth Historical Society because it was significant in that a lot of the old roads around Saddleworth met at this point.

On another note, Bleak Hey Nook at one time or another is mentioned in the family trees of everyone who is researching Saddleworth. Gartsides, Whiteheads, Kenworthys to name a few. Bleak Hey Nook was basically a settlement of buildings often housing several families.


1759

"John Savil added further to his holding on the moor by purchasing from James Buckley of Walters, 26 Feb. 1759: one certain dole lying upon Castleshaw Moor extending from the Blackhey field or Nook all along theCornhill Ditch as far as the Standedge.........the whole dole containing thirteen acres with Buckleys share of the cottages and buildings on the said dole erected commonly known by the name of Blakeheynook "


Buckley Clayton, 1894 - 1975

one of Thomas's 14 children.