Where are Henry and Ellen's parents?
We have the Lee pedigree well documented down to the marriage of Henry Lee and Ellen Parkinson at St. Peter's parish church, Bolton on 13th March 1820. Census returns indicate that Henry was born in 1801-1802 at Bolton or Horwich and Ellen in 1799-1800 at Bolton. However, efforts to find their baptisms have so far failed. What we know is given below but see also Watchmakers.
Henry Lee appears in the two census of 1851 and 1861 where his age is consistent with a birth year of 1801 or 1802. He gives his place of birth as Bolton in 1851 and in 1861 he says Horwich.
He died on 24th March 1870 at 134 Bradshawgate, Bolton and is buried in a non-conformist plot at Tonge Cemetery, Bolton. This plot had been bought previously by him to inter his brother in law, James Parkinson who had died in 1862. We certainly know more about Henry in death than in birth! He drew up a Will in 1868 which adds nothing to our knowledge. The Will leaves (after the death of his wife Ellen) three fifths to his daughter Sarah and a fifth each to two of his sons, John and William. The burial plot suggests non-conformity and when their baptisms could not be found in the Parish records, those of the various non-conformist chapels were turned to but with the same negative results. The case against non-conformity is that all but one of their children are baptised in the parish church. Only the son Henry is missing and he presents engimas in other ways.
Ellen Parkinson is consistent with her date and place of birth. The three censuses of 1851, 1861, 1871 all give Bolton with a date of 1799 or 1800. We also know that she had a brother, James Parkinson, who is on the 1861 census of their son Robert's family, where he is described as Uncle to the head of household. We also find him in the same burial plot as Henry and Ellen at Tonge cemetery. James Parkinson would have been born in Bolton some time between 1804 and 1806.
Ellen survives Henry by six years and dies at Wargrave Moss, Newton-le-Willows on 19th May 1876, presumably having been living with her daughter Sarah. She is buried with Henry at Tonge cemetery.
Records searched
Bolton is well covered by the IGI so there followed a dispiriting trawl through microfilms held at Bolton library in the hope that the records were there but had been overlooked by the IGI.
Saint Peter 1798-1803
Rivington
Holy Trinity Horwich
Blackrod Saint Katherine
Saint George 1797-1806
St Mary's, Deane
Bank Street 1796-1804
Bolton Wesleyan Circuit 1797-1803
Dukes Alley 1797-1803
Ebenezer Methodist 1803
Moor Lane Presbyterian 1803
Ridgeway Gates 1798-1803
Horwich Lee Lane Congregational 1799-1804
Horwich New Chapel Congregational 1799-1805
Rivington Unitarian 1798-1803
Is Harry really Henry?
We have a possible match for Henry with the baptism of Harry Lee at Deane church on 26 September 1802. Doing a search on the IGI for siblings gives the following:
1790 Feb 16 Ellen d of Richd. & Betty Lee of Heaton
1792 Jan 03 Jno. s of Richd. & Betty Lee of Horwich
1794 19 Jan Jas. s of Richd. & Betty Lee of Lostock - Bastard
1795 21 Nov Ellen d of Rich & Betty Lee of Heaton
1798 29 Apr Jno. s of Richd. & Betty Lee of Heaton
1800 30 Jun Wm. s of Richd. & Betty Lee of Heaton
1802 26 Sep Harry s of Richd. & Betty Lee of Heaton
1809 13 Nov Robert s of Richd. & Betty Lee of Little Bolton
Our Henry did not name any of his sons Richard: he named them Henry, John, James, William and Robert. More work is needed on this possibility. There is no burial for a Harry Lee at Deane.
Movements
Henry & Ellen's early movements are recorded in the baptisms and death of their children:
13 Aug 1820 John - Great Bolton
26 Jan 1823 James - Great Bolton
14 Nov 1824 William - Little Bolton
05 Mar 1827 Robert - Sharples
28 Nov 1830 Sarah - Little Bolton
05 Apr 1838 Nancy - Back Newport Street, Great Bolton