Hi David This is great info, specially for Derek also. I have Cromptons in my family along with Harleys in Wingates. My G G G Grandfather being Aaron Hartley, living in the Wingates/Brinsop/Fuorgates area circa 1820 - 1850's. His daughter Jane Harley married Richard Crompton. Do you have a Aaron Hartley in your collection ??? PS Thanks Pam (from Westhoughton Local History Group) for the info on Slack Lane !!!! Regards Andrea

Hello Andrea, As I expect you've noticed, there are a lot of Hartleys around Wingates in the all the censuses. The only ones I know are my relatives are Nicholas Hartley and his sister Margaret. They are 59 and 62 in 1851, living at Duggans, both unmarried. In 1841 they are accompanied by Alice Lever, who I think is a married sister. They were children of a James Hartley who died in 1820. He was one of the six sons of another James, who died in 1802 and mentions Old Duggans in his will, which I assume is the same farm. I know two of the other sons moved away before they married, including my ggg-grandfather, Peter. I haven't been able to trace the others. Do you know that Hartley was sometimes spelt Hartliff or Hartcliff? Quickly checking the IGI, your Aaron could be the one baptised as the son of Thomas and Peggy Hartliff 29 May 1808 in Horwich. And, funnily enough, the youngest of my ggg-grandfather's brothers was a Thomas who I have down as possibly marrying a Margaret Pendlebury in 1792. Looking further, they seem to have children in Horwich from 1793 to 1811, using all three versions of Hartley, and with christian names common in my branch of the family! So I think we may well be related. Your distant cousin, David Hartley