Whilst investigating my great grandmother's collection of photographs and cross checking with various genealogical sites...I discovered an ancestor who's existence was previously unknown to all the family. He had been born prior to the BD&M registers and had died in the US so it was completely by chance that I came across his Christening records...I then got his wedding certificate and gradually his story began to unfold...I think it illustrates perfectly the tragic lives some of our ancestors had to put up with. James Ramsdale was a weaver by trade as was the whole family but when the North blockaded the South in the American Civil War and cut off the supply of cotton to England...he and thousands of others were out of a job. He emigrated to RI with his wife and two children. Whilst his brother Joseph raised 8 children to adulthood, losing only two at birth and a further boy at the age of 11,(his sisters Alice managed seven and Jane, two boys), James was to father eight children, only two surviving beyond the age of seven. The age sequence of his children in numerical order being 0, 1, 3, 3, 6, 7,13 and 98! I was hoping, when I began my research, to discover some American cousins but unfortunately that branch of the family has quite literally died out. Alice was the last to die at the age of 98 in 1968 and is buried in the North Burial Ground in Providence RI. If anyone on the roll-call lives anywhere near this burial ground I would love to see a photograph of the grave...and find out why she is in the plot of another family. If anyone has further information I would be very interested. I have include a time line for James...just in case anyone's interested... JAMES LAWLESS RAMSDALE 1837-1900 1837 Born Warrington Lancashire to William Ramsdale and Jane Lawless (Jane was born in Ireland in 1818, the daughter of Edward Lawless, a weaver). Further information gratefully received. 1838 January 7th Christened/parents married at St. Paul C of E Warrington 1839 October 1st sister Alice born [Ramsdales lived at 1 Hope St Warrington] 1840 March 29th Alice christened at St Paul 1841 December 29th brother Joseph born 1845 Last quarter sister Jane Bridget born 1845 December 28th Jane B christened at St Paul 1851 Census Ramsdales not recorded in Warrington 1851 Census Ramsdales not recorded in Stockport 1861 Census Ramsdales recorded living at 44 King Street West Stockport. James, aged 23 recorded as a power loom weaver along with his father, brother and sisters 1861 December 29th James marries Emma Poole at the Parish Church, Heaton Norris 1862 Mary Jane born Heaton Norris, Stockport 1864 William Edward born Heaton Norris 1864-1869 Between these dates James, Emma, Mary J and William E emigrated to USA 1869 19th August Mary Jane died aged 7. Buried in St Phillips Episcopal Cemetery West Warwick RI 1870 Alice Amelia born Rhode Island USA 1870 Census recorded with 2 children William age 8 born England, Alice A age 1 b RI 1871 James T and Joseph H Ramsdale born RI 1875 July 18th Joseph H died aged 4. Buried St Phillips 1875 Joseph A Ramsdale born 1876 October 30th Joseph A died aged 1. Buried St Phillips 1877 February 2nd Willie E died aged 13. Buried St Phillips 1877 November 2nd James T died aged 4. Buried St Phillips 1878 Walter Ramsdale born 1880 Census Ramsdales recorded living at Warwick, Kent. RI. James L Cotton Weaver, aged 42, Emma Keeping House aged 39, Alice A 10, At School and Walter aged 2 both born RI 1881 June 10th Emma Ramsdale died aged 41. Buried St Phillips 1881 June 22nd Walter died aged 3. Buried St Phillips 1883 George Ramsdale born / died 27th September to Sarah Jones & James L Ramsdale 1885 James L married Sarah Jones born 1840 1900 April 11th James L Ramsdale died aged 62. Buried St Phillips 1907 August 8th Alice Amelia Ramsdale aged 37 married John Barbour [b 1863 Scotland] 1919 November 26th Sarah Ramsdale died aged 79. Buried St Phillips 1920 Census Alice A and John Barbour recorded at Fall River MA. John was a weaver in a cotton mill and immigrated in 1893. No children recorded 1930 Census Alice A Barbour recorded as a widow, Fall River MA 1968 October 18th Alice Amelia Barbour died aged 98. Buried in the North Burial Ground in Providence RI