I have been asked by my mother's cousin to prove a link between Alice Hurst of Aughton Hall Lancashire with the Preson family of Levens which was once Westmoreland now Cumbria. Apparently Aughton Hall is not the one near Ormskirk but another in Lancashire! Alice is descended from a family who lived in The Manor, Furness (once Furness Abbey). I know this is all rather vague but does anyone have any useful information? Thanks, Lesley

Aughton Hall is in the parish of Halton, near Lancaster. Useful info about the place is here: http://www.genuki.org.uk:8080/big/eng/LAN/AughtonH/

Anne,
Thanks for your interest - yes I'd found that site. I'm still looking for a link between Alice Hurst and the Preston family.
Regards, Lesley

Hello Lesley
Maybe some dates of birth or marriage may help us to help you.

Hi Isobel,
Yes I know I'm not providing much information am I? Truth is I don't have much! BUT I promised my mother's cousin (John Mould) that I'd make some enquiries in return for the info he provided for my own 'tree research' This is what he told me -
"My great grandfather was James Mould (1818-1884), he was a butcher in Southport. In 1849 he married Margaret Heslip (1829 - 1906), her parents were James Heslip (1801 - 1864) (also a butcher in Southport) and Alice Hurst who died in 1877. Alice came from Aughton Hall." Apparently Margaret was often heard to say that Alice Hurst was "descended from the Prestons of Levens". They were extensive land owners in Westmoreland (now Cumbria). In his letter John goes on to say - "The North West has always been a Catholic stronghold and landowners came under severe pressure at and after the Protestant Reformation. The Prestons lost Holker Hall at Cartmel to the Cavendishes. Many conformed, some sent their children abroad to be educated and some daughters became nuns in Europe bearing surnames such as Preston and Hurst." John is keen to confirm the link between his great great grandmother - Alice Hurst - and the Preston family.

Does that give you any more to go on? I know it's still very sketchy but, as I said, I promised I'd see what I could do.
Thank you for your interest.

Regards. Lesley

Hello Lesley

I am not finding any sources to say that Alice was related to the Prestons???

In fact, both she and Margaret her daughter say in every census that they were born in Ormskirk.
I doubt whether it was the Aughton Hall there either as Alice's father was a shoemaker???

1851 census
11 Union St North Meols

James Heslop 1801 Ireland Confectioner
Alice 1792 Ormskirk Lodging House Keeper
Margaret Mould 1825 Ormskirk (Daughter) Butcher's Wife
Ellen Hawker 1830 Ormskirk (Daughter) Farmers Wife
James Heslop 1833 Ormskirk Butcher
John Hurst 1772 Ormskirk Shoemaker Father in Law

Alice dob varies between 1792-1797 and Margaret between 1825-1833 By 1861, James and Margaret Mould are in Manchester with their family--Alice H 1855, Charlotte 1851, Eliza 1854, George O 1860, James N 1857, Margaret A 1852

Dorothy

Lesley, I found a reasonably comprehensive history of the Preston family here: http://members.fortunecity.com/fpreston/england1.htm but no links to Alice Hurst or Aughton Hall as far as I can see.

I wonder if you have considered the possibility that Alice Hurst was connected to the Aughton Hall at Ormskirk (as the census gives Ormskirk as her birthplace) but not as a member of the owners' family but perhaps as someone born there to someone in service or who worked on the estate?

Aughton Hall itself was in the ownership of the Hesketh family until the 1700's - there is some interesting stuff here about them: http://genforum.genealogy.com/hesketh/ - again nothing to connect them to the Prestons.

Just spotted this message now, Lesley, and I think we may have a connection somewhere.

My 4xgreat grandfather Joseph Hurst (b. 1792 Ormskirk) was the son of John Hurst (b.1772 Ormskirk) and Elizabeth Owen, who also had a daughter Alice Hurst. Alice married James Heslip, a butcher and their daughter was the Margaret you mentioned - although the church records at Ormskirk suggest that Margaret was born Margaret Hurst before her mother's marriage and took the name Heslip afterwards.

I have heard that there is supposedly a connection to the De Prestons, but I have not managed to confirm it yet. I do know, however, that Alice Hurst's father John Hurst was the son of Joseph Hurst (a shoemaker) and Margaret Preston but as yet I haven't found out much about Margaret at all. If there is a link, I think it will be in that section of the tree.