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The "Shaffalong" Heath family, Cheddleton (map)
(source - the Birthday Book of a Miss Leese, probably Adelaide.)
Father - John Heath, 11 August 1814 to 8 November 1900
Mother - Louisa, (dates not available)
John Heath's parents are thought to be George (dates not available) and Mary (1793 - 24 April 1862)
Children : (born)
Hannah, (27 october 1836)
Mary, (3 May 1838)
Sarah Ann, (4 April 1846)
Jane, (25 August 1847)
George, (1 June 1849)
James, (27 February 1851)
Elizabeth, (7 September 1853)
Selina, (18 July 1855)
John William, (23 July 1857)
Thomas, (15 June 1859)
Louisa, (17 June 1861)
Martha, (7 July 1863)
Emily, (15 June 1866)
Ada, (17 April 1868)
Sam, (20 April 1870)
Joseph, (19 April 1872)
Notes on the Heath children
Hannah (27/10/1836 - 29/3/1904) married Adam Baddely ( 1836 - 25/3/1906) ; later lived at St Annes on Sea. return
Mary (3/5/1838 - ) married Mr. (Gabriel ?) Leese ; they
may have lived at Hopwas or Lichfield.
Children : Gabriel (19/3/1868 - 1905) ; Elisha (19/9/1873) ; May
(19/4/18..) ; Alice Mary (31/7/18..) ; Adelaide (6/12/18..).
Gabriel Leese : accepted for Wesleyan Ministry in 1890 ; trained at
Handsworth College ; departed as Missionary to Ceylon, 17 November 1893 ;
Principal Jaffera College ; ordained 1897 (after seven year probation) ;
married Annie Edwads Bamford, 24 August 1897.
Adelaide married 6 December 1890.return
George (1/6/1849 - 30/1/1914) married (i) Mary Ann (1849 - 19/4/1892), (ii) Mary Elizabeth ; they lived at Ingleton Hall, Brewood. (There was also a George and his sister Mary Heath who had a farm at Charlecote in the 1920's, and may have been children of this George and Mary.) return
James (27/2/1851 - ) married Ruth (29/11/.. - ) ; they lived later at Stratford-upon-Avon. return
John William (23 /7/1857 - ) married Ellen (1856 - 19/11/1905) ; they lived at Saintbury. return
Louisa married a Mr. Plant and lived at Doveridge. One of her daughters married a James Needham and lived at Rushton Spencer. return
Martha (7/7/1863 - 1948) married Isaac
Eardley (27/4/1858 - 18/12/1934) ; they lived
at Hanley, Ammington (nr. Tamworth), and Rowney Green.
Children : Martha Elizabeth (19/11/1883 - 24/5/1970) (m. Thomas
Higginson) ;
Ruth (23/4/1888 - ./1/1970) ;
Alice ( 6/1/1892 - 193x) (m. Tom Holtom (26/1/1890 - 3/3/1946) ) ;
James (11/5/1895 - 8/7/1954)
Miriam (20/5/1899 - 24/11/1930) (m. Frederick Lewis (14/9/196 - ) ;
Mary (4/1/1886 - 6/1/1886) return
. return
For further study.
There is a record (Wardle, Sketches of Moorlan Methodism) of a Heath family of Gratton, just outside Leek (5 miles N.W.). About 1811 or 12, Samuel, George, William and John responded to Methodist preaching in the village. Their father later responded, and had a chapel built in 1824. This Samuel may be the same as the Primitive Methodist Samuel Heath, recorded as preaching in Alstonefield, Milldale and Biggin in February 1823. The family dispersed a few miles, with George living at Endon (5 miles S.W. of Leek). His brother, John, had a farm at Endon Bank, and between them they brought Methodism to Endon. At first their houses (John, then George) were licensed for preaching. A chapel was built in 1835.
Further research is needed to find out if they are related to the Heaths of Shaffalong (5 miles S. of Leek). The Christian names are close enough to imply family links, but the dates do not seem to match closely enough. They all lived no more than 10 miles apart. It is just possible that George father of John Heath of Shaffalong is the same George who moved from Gratton to Endon, as Mary was 21 when John was born.
The poet George Heath dates from 1843 to 1869, which would place him the same generation as the 16 Heath children of Shaffalong (a cousin if they were related.).
There were two Heath households in Elgin Street in the Potteries, where Isaac Eardley lived. It is possible that Martha and Isaac met while she was visiting her cousins