Richard
Cundall
was the
son
of
Thomas
Cundall
and
Frances
(Fanny)
Bleazard.
Richard was born
on Thursday 22 September 1853
in Hareden, Higher Division, Bolton Forest, near Slaidburn, Yorkshire.
Richard married
Elizabeth
Gill
on Sunday 12 April 1874
in the Parish Church, Blackburn, Lancashire.
The witnesses at the marriage were Agnus MacWitherile and Sarah Ann Gill (Elizabeth's sister).
Richard was
21 years old
and
Elizabeth was
23 years old
when they married.
He
had the following children from
his
marriage to
Elizabeth
Gill:
Richard's second marriage was to
Sarah
Ann
Gill
on Sunday 8 April 1883
in St Peter's Parish Church, Blackburn, Lancashire.
The witnesses at the marriage were John Dewhurst and Ellen Smith.
Richard was
30 years old
and
Sarah was
30 years old
when they married.
Sarah Ann Gill was Elizabeth Gill's younger sister.
He
had the following children from
his
marriage to
Sarah Ann
Gill:
The places where he lived have been identified as:
| From |
To |
Place |
Source of Information |
| 1853 |
|
Hareden, Higher Division, Bolton Forest, near Slaidburn, Lancashire. |
Note 1. |
| 1874 |
|
Fielden Street, Blackburn, Lancashire. |
Note 2. |
| 1874 |
1876 |
Blackburn, Lancashire. |
Note 3. |
| 1881 |
|
44, Grimshaw Park (Butchers Shop), Blackburn, Lancashire. |
Note 4. |
| 1883 |
|
45, Havelock Street, Blackburn, Lancashire. |
Note 5. |
| 1885 |
1891 |
44, Grimshaw Park, Blackburn, Lancashire. |
Notes 6 & 7. |
| 1893 |
|
46, Grimshaw Park, Blackburn, Lancashire. |
Note 8. |
| 1895 |
1896 |
Manitoba, Canada. |
Note 11. |
Richard
was
a
Butcher and a Farmer.
Richard died
when
he
was
71
years old,
on Wednesday 9 April 1924.
See Note 10.
It is not known for sure whether Richard's wife, Sarah Ann Gill, owned the property at 44/46 Grimshaw Street, Balckburn where the lived and operated a Confectioners and Butcher's Shop.
His farm was Moss Hall Farm, which adjoined the Windmill Inn near Mellor Brook, and was just North-West of Blackburn. He sold the effects of Moss Hall Farm on 30th September 1895. The Sale Notice can be seen on the Documents page (see 'Documents' link above). The effects included 7 head of dairy cows, 5 horses and household furnishings including 4 sets of bedsteads. It is not known whether he lived there, and it is suspected that he was a tenant and did not own the property.
Richard left Blackburn in October 1895 and emigrated with his son Thomas (from his first marriage) to Manitoba, Canada to seek his fortune. He stayed at Pleasant Home with Joe Smith and his family who were friends from back home. The following year, he bought a 160 acre farm and house there, near what was to become Teulon, Manitoba. His wife Sarah Ann and their children Oswald, Alice and Elizabeth followed them in 1896. There is some speculation that Richard and Thomas emigrated to Canada in the Winter in haste because Thomas was AWOL (Absent WithOut Leave) from the Army. (See Note 11).
Details of a letter that his brother Isaac Blezard Cundall wrote in 1896 to Richard in Canada can be found on the Documents page (See 'Documents' link above). In this letter, Isaac asks Richard to consider very carefully his decision to take his family out to Canada, whether there are prospects for Richard and his family, and to not rush into it. He suggests that Richard should stay for a few months until the weather gets warmer and then to see what the country is like before moving his wife and children out there.
During a visit to Blackburn in 1989, Donald Cundall (born 1938), Richard's great-grandson, visited 44/46 Grimshaw Park only to find it was unoccupied, boarded up and threatening to fall into the canal and the church next door had burned and was demolished. The parochial school that Donald's grandfather Oswald Cundall (born 1885) had attended until leaving for Canada at the age of 10 had been converted into an Engineering Office.
Notes - Sources of information:
| 1. |
Birth Certificate.
|
| 2. |
Marriage Certificate to Elizabeth Gill.
|
| 3. |
Birth Register Index for his children Thomas and Thomas.
|
| 4. |
See 1881 Census.
|
| 5. |
Marriage Certificate to Sarah Ann Gill.
|
| 6. |
Birth Certificates of his children Oswald and Alice Cundall.
|
| 7. |
See 1891 Census.
|
| 8. |
Birth Certificate of his daughter Elizabeth Lilian Cundall.
|
| 9. |
Birth Date of Elizabeth Alice Cundall provided by Don Cundall.
|
| 10. |
Death Date provided by Don Cundall.
|
| 11. |
Information provided by Don Cundall.
|
Census Data:
