Updated 3 August 2011

The most likely ancestry for the Aspinall family, who eventually married into the Sykes and McDanielson families, dates back to a John Aspinall, date of birth unknown, whose son Abel was baptized on 27 February 1749 at Elland Parish Church.

Abel married Hannah FAWCETT at the same church on 26 December 1774 and they had three children so far known of: John c1780; William c1783 and Sally c1786. Nothing is known of Sally, but John and William (below) are both the ancestors of most of the current McDanielson family.

A burial for an Abel ASPINALL is recorded at St Matthew’s Church, Rastrick, on 24th November 1813.  His age is given as 63 (which may be an error of 1 year) and his occupation was a Delver.

Children of Abel ASPINALL and Hannah FAWCETT

John ASPINALL, baptised 25th December 1780 at Rastrick, married Judith CLAY on 3rd January 1802 at the Halifax Parish Church. Judith's parentage is not certain, but she may have been the child of William CLAY, baptized 1782 at Rastrick, a place and date which is supported by her entry on the 1851 census.

John and Judith had eight children presently known of and all were baptized at Bridgend Independent Chapel, Brighouse (see below).

John must have died sometime between 1822 and 1827, since it seems that Judith remarried on 4 March 1827 to Jonas SHEPHERD.  The couple are found on the 1841 census resident at Brookfoot, Southowram, Halifax and with them were some of Judith’s children.

William ASPINALL was baptized 18 August 1783 at Elland. On 22 June 1807 at Halifax Parish Church he married Tamar HANSON, daughter of Isaac Hanson and Grace Rushton. William and Tamar had four children: Martha c1808; Abel c1810 (see 'Descendents of William Aspinall and Tamar Hanson’ later); Hannah c1812; Mary 1815.

Descendents of John ASPINALL and Judith CLAY

Joseph c1803 - nothing more known.

Jonathan was born 8 March 1806, probably at Brighouse and married Hannah STAKE on 31st May 1824 at Southowram. His occupation was a Delver and his likely burial entry is found on 7th June 1839, age 33, at Rastrick.

His wife Hannah was born 24th November 1803 and baptised on 25th December that year at Bethel New Connexion Chapel, Brighouse.  She was the daughter of John STAKE and Grace NOBLE.  (John and Grace were married at Elland Parish Church on 21 January 1787.  They may have had the following additional children: John 1795; Sarah 1797; Thomas 1801; Ruth 1806).

Hannah and Jonathan had seven children - see later details.

William was born c1811 and may have married Hannah (surname not known). They had four children: Elizabeth c1839; Sam c1842; Joah c1844; Jonathan c1849.

William's occupation on the 1841 and 1851 censuses is a Tailor.  In 1841 the family lived at Brookfoot, just 3 doors away from his widowed mother and in 1851 lived at Toft's Grove, Brighouse.

James died on 27th May 1819, aged four.

John – no certain record of him on census records.

Joseph was born c1820 and for many years worked as a Delver.  In 1843 at Halifax he married Susannah Smith of Rastrick.  By 1851 they were resident at Little Woodhouse, Rastrick and in the household was John’s widowed mother Judith and Susannah’s sister, Edna.  By 1861 they had a 6-year-old son, Arthur and were still resident at Little Woodhouse, Rastrick, along with a nephew Wm Farrow, age 17.  By 1871 they lived at Hugh House, Hove Edge, Brighouse and Joseph was now a Farmer of 9 acres.

By 1881 he was widowed and living at 5 Farm House, Hipperholme with his son Arthur, who was now a Farmer and was married to Mary Ann.  They had two children, Fanny aged 2 and Thomas age 9 months.  Joseph had expanded his farming activities to 12 acres and employed one man.

Betty was born c1822 – nothing known of her after her listing on the 1841 census and she was presumably the last child of John and Judith.

Children of Jonathan ASPINALL and Hannah STAKE

Mary was born on 23rd May 1825 and baptised on 30th May at Bridgend Independent Chapel, Brighouse.

Sarah c1827 – nothing known of her.

Jonas was born c1828 at Brighouse and married Susey SYKES on 26th June 1853 (see Sykes Line 1) at the Halifax Parish Church. His occupation was a Delver. He and Susey are the direct ancestors of most of the current McDanielson family. They had four children: James 1853; Sarah Jane c1856; Fred c1856; Wilson c1862. See later for further details of these children.

In 1851 Jonas is found lodging at a house in Kexbrough (near Barnsley), working as a Quarry Man, along with other lodgers in the same employment.

He died on 27th March 1869, aged 41, at Police Street, Brighouse, from Bronchitis.  He was buried at Rastrick on 1 April 1869.

William was born c1830 - no certain trace of him, though a William Aspinall, stone mason, born Brighouse c1830 is found on the 1861 census for Bradford, with a wife Eliza, born Huddersfield c1824. He does not appear on later census records but may be the William Aspinall found on the 1841 resident with Jonas SHEPHERD and his wife Judith (formerly ASPINALL, nee CLAY).  At age 11 he was working as a Delver.

Judith was born c1836 and married Samuel SHEPHERD in 1854 in Leeds (no connection between Samuel and Jonas SHEPHERD is known of). They had three children; Harry c1854; James c1854; Ann Eliza c1860; all born in Leeds. By 1881 Judith was widowed and her son James and daughter Ann still lived with her. Ann was now married to John ROLLINSON, a boot riveter.

By 1891, Judith is not found on the census. John Rollinson is listed at the same address as in 1881 (22 Castle Street, Leeds) with wife Eliza and several children. It's possible that Eliza was Ann, who had discontinued using her first name.

Betty was born c1837 – nothing further known.

Henrietta was born 4 August 1838 and on 30^th September 1855 at Elland Church married Thomas HUGHES, a Wiredrawer, son of John HUGHES, also a wiredrawer.

They had eleven children: John c1856; Edward c1858; Albert c1860; William c1863; Eliza Hannah c1865; Thomas Henry c1868; Mary Jane c1870; Sam c1872; Sarah c1874; Emily c1881; Annie c1882; all born in Halifax or Brighouse districts.  [NB: Henrietta’s entry on the 1911 census records 12 children having been born, but only eleven have so far been traced.  In 1911 seven children are noted as still living].

Thomas Hughes is named on Jonas ASPINALL’S death certificate in 1869, as the informant of the death.  He died in 1908 age 72.

Henrietta died in 1917 age 78.

Henrietta and Thomas' son, Thomas Henry, married Louisa CLAYTON of Southowram, in 1892.

Children of Jonas ASPINALL and Susey SYKES

James was born 16 October 1853 at Brighouse and worked throughout his life as a Delver. He married Susan SYKES, his second cousin, at Halifax in 1873 and they are the direct ancestors of the McDanielson family – see later for details of their children. James died on 4 November 1883 at Edward Street, Brighouse, age 30, from Typhoid.

Sarah Jane married Jonas BARRACLOUGH in Halifax in 1879. By 1901 they had two children; Fred c1881; Edith c1885, both born in Bailiffe Bridge. Jonas' occupation was a Warehouseman at a carpet mill. Also resident was Sarah's mother, now Susey RIDER and widowed for the second time.

Wilson was born c1862 and on 4^th April 1885 at Halifax Parish Church married Harriet Ann GRAHAM, daughter of Samuel GRAHAM, an Engine Tenter. Wilson’s occupation was a Delver and both he and Mary gave their addresses as White Hall Lane, Hipperholme [Halifax].

On the 1891 census they are found with a son, Milton, aged 5, who was born in 1885 and who in 1908 married either Helen Gibson or Annie Smith in Halifax. Milton died age 34 on 13^th December 1920 and was buried at Lightcliffe Cemetery on 16^th December.

Wilson and Harriet later had another son, Harry, born c1896, who was killed in WW1 on 24th October 1918. He was a Lance Corporal with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, 2nd Battalion. His parents were living at 22, Wyke Lane, Bailiffe Bridge, Brighouse. Harry is buried at Verchain British Cemetery, Verchain-Maugre, Nord, France. 

Wilson died age 66 on November 25^th 1929 and was buried on November 29^th at Lightcliffe Cemetery.

Fred was born c1865 and married Frances Mary RASTRICK in 1887 in Halifax.

Children of James ASPINALL and Susan SYKES

Sykes was born 1873, baptized at Rastrick on 5th October 1874 and on 22nd May 1899 married Alice OATES, daughter of Sharp OATES, a Quarryman, at Brighouse Church. At the time of his marriage Sykes worked as a Dyer’s Labourer.  In 1901 Sykes and Alice lived at Oddfellows Buildings, next door to his married sister Emily Jane GLEDHILL (see below).  In 1911 they lived at 9 New Street, Bailiffe Bridge, Brighouse and their nephew Arnold McDanielson was also resident.  Sykes and Alice had no children.

Emily Jane was born in 1876 at Brighouse and married John GLEDHILL , a Carpet Worker, in 1898 at Halifax. They had two children so far known of: James Henry c1899; Norman c1901.

Joseph was born in 1875 and was still unmarried in 1901 where he is found living with his mother Susan and step-father, John William McDANIELSON, in Halifax.  In 1903 at Halifax he married Bradford-born Edith MURPHY.  In 1911 they were resident at 20 Horne Street, Halifax, with two children, Marian age 7 and John age 3.  Also in the household was Edith’s brother, Jeremiah MURPHY.  Joseph’s occupation was a Clay Miner.

Annie was born c1883 and in 1901 she married Edwin McDANIELSON, son of George McDanielson, the nephew of her step-father. Their only son, Arnold, would form the blood-link between the McDanielson, Sykes and Aspinall families.

Children of Susan ASPINALL (nee SYKES) and unknown father(s)

Following her husband’s death in 1883, Susan bore two illegitimate children:

Charles Aspinall was born on 3 December 1885.  The 1901 census finds him resident with his mother, siblings and step-father, John Wm McDanielson, along with John’s own children from his marriage to Elizabeth Dutton.  Charles was aged 15 and employed as a ‘Worsted Doffer’.

On 1^st April 1907 at St Thomas’ Church, Halifax, Charles married Ethel STARKEY, daughter of James STARKEY, a Mechanic. Charles’ address was 86 Crossley Terrace and his occupation was a Dyer’s Labourer. He gives his father’s name as James Aspinall (deceased), a Delver, though Charles was born illegitimately two years after his mother was widowed.

In 1911 Charles and Ethel with their 3-year old son, Leslie, were resident at 14 Back Brinton Terrace, Hanson Lane, Halifax.  Charles’ mother and step-father were living close by at 13 Brinton Terrace. 

Blanche Eveline Aspinall was born to Susan on 7 February 1889 at Brighouse. In 1910 at Halifax, Blanche married John William MURRAY. They had two children so far known of: Raymond 1910 and Vera 1915.

Descendents of William ASPINALL and Tamar HANSON

William and Tamar had four children so far known of: Martha c1808; Abel c1810 (below); Hannah c1812 and Mary 1815. Nothing more is known of these daughters.

Abel ASPINALL was born c1810 at Southowram and on 31 October 1831 married Elizabeth PINDER at Halifax Parish Church. They had three children so far known of: William c1832 (see below); Ann c1836; James c1842. Nothing is known of the latter two.

However William (c1832 in Brighouse) married Susannah SYKES on 20th April 1854 at the Parish Church, Halifax. Susannah was the daughter of John and Martha SYKES (see John SYKES c1811, son of James SYKES in Sykes Line 1) and this marriage was one of three which would link the same Aspinall and Sykes families. William’s occupation at the time of his marriage was a Shoe Maker, but in 1861 he is found on the census as a 'Beer Keeper' at the Victoria Tavern, Brighouse. On the 1881 and 1891 census records he is once again recorded as Shoe Maker.

Susannah and William had the following nine children, all born in Halifax:

Sykes was born 1854 and the 1881 census records him as unmarried but resident with Mary J IBBETSON (or Ibbitson), who was married and is described as 'Paramour'. Later censuses showed four children in the household: Frank c1882; Fred c1887; Jessie c1889; Ralph Robinson 1891. Sykes and Mary married in 1886 at Halifax.  All family members were still resident together in 1911 in Brighouse.

Albert was born c1856.  On 20^th August 1882 at Halifax Parish Church, he married Elizabeth Ann ROBERTSHAW, daughter of Jonathan ROBETSHAW, a Flag Facer. Albert’s occupation was an Engine Tenter.

John was born c1859 in Halifax and married Sarah NAYLOR in 1885, (daughter of Sam Naylor). They had five children known of so far: Reeny M c1887; Elsie c1889; Normond c1891; Doris c1895; John C c1898.

Charley was born c1860 and worked as a ‘Wiredrawer’.  He is probably the individual who married Emma SHEARD at Halifax in 1889.  By 1911 they had four children: Herbert, Harold, Laurence and Annie, all born in Brighouse.

Willie was born c1864. He married Margaret Ann SCOTT in 1897 and on the 1901 census they were resident in Brighouse. They are recorded, unusually, with Margaret listed as Head of the household and Willie listed as 'Husband'. His brother Squire Aspinall is resident in the household, along with Margaret's brother and sister. Willie's and Squire's occupations are 'Silk Dresser' and Margaret is a Furniture Broker & Dealer.

Squire married on 7 April 1917 at St Bartholomew’s Church, Marsden, Huddersfield, to Alice Louisa HOWSON, daughter of William HOWSON, an Engine Driver. His occupation is given as Weaver.

Abel was born 22^nd May 1865 and baptized July 9th that year at Brighouse Church.  On 28^th April 1894 at Halifax Parish Church he married Emma LOCKWOOD, daughter of Nathan LOCKWOOD, a Wiredrawer. Abel’s occupation throughout his life was a Silk Dresser, his address was Bonegate Road, Brighouse and his father is noted as Shoemaker (Deceased).

He and Alice had two children, Alice c1890; Olive c1895. In 1901 they are found living in the village of Galgate, Lancaster but later that year their daughter Olive died.  The 1911 census records Abel still at the same address, with wife Emma and daughter Alice.

Harry was born 4th July 1866 and baptized at Rastrick on 20th January 1867.

Lily (Lilly) was born c1878. She was unmarried on the 1901 census and lodging with the Sandiford family at Old Lane, Halifax. Her occupation was a Silk Gasser.

On 28^th August 1915 at Brighouse Parish Church she married Ernest Wm GILES, a Grocer, son of James George GILES, an Insurance Agent. Lily’s address was 34 Richard Street and her brother Sykes was one of the witnesses.