William Henry LIGHTBOWN is my GGGgrandfather, and the current focus of my research. He was born abt 1844 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. I have been having some difficulty identifying him and his parents, and differentiating him from among 6 men of the same name born in the greater Blackburn area in the mid-late 1840s. Thanks to the viewable birth indexes at Familyrelatives.org, I believe I may have found his entry, in 1844. I've ordered the certificate and am eagerly awaiting its arrival from London.

William appears to be the son of David LIGHTBOWN of Belthorn, Lancs, and Jane EASTHAM of Copstown Green. If that proves correct, he will have had 5 full siblings (Henry, Mary Jane, Margaret, David, and Nancy) and one half-sibling (Ellen, from David LIGHTBOWN's first marriage - mother currently unknown).

I do know that William married Elizabeth Ellen EARNSHAW in 1866 in Blackburn, and that they had 2 children - Margaret Alice LIGHTBOWN (b. 1867) and Abraham LIGHTBOWN (1869-1949), from whom I descend. See separate entry for Abraham's descendants.

Margaret Alice LIGHTBOWN married Jonathan WATSON in Blackburn in 1893, and had 2 children: Nellie (b. 1894) and Ernest (1896). In the 1901 census they were living together with Elizabeth at 3 Whalley Old Rd., Blackburn. I have been unable to trace the WATSONs forward.

Elizabeth Ellen (EARNSHAW) LIGHTBOWN died in Blackburn in 1904. William Henry LIGHTBOWN died in 1909. At the time of his death, he was living in the District Union Workhouse in Blackburn. There are no census records (1871-1901) showing him residing with Elizabeth; she was living with her children or her own siblings at each census. As a result, I have no idea how long he had been in the workhouse, or what the circumstances of their relationship were. I do not know where either of them are buried, but I have confirmed that they are not in Blackburn (municipal) Cemetery.