James Dean

     James Dean was born on 14 April 1818 at Leeds, Yorks, England.² He was the son of Joseph Dean and Margaret (?).¹ James Dean was baptized on 21 June 1818 at St Peter's Church, Leeds, Yorks, England; Their residence is given as Quarry Hill, and Joseph was a tailor.
This baptism presents questions since we know that both Joseph Dean and Margaret were his parents, but Joseph did not marry Margaret Malkin until 1821. Either he was born without benefit of his parents' marriage, or he was the son of another Margaret. His sister Mary was born in 1800, no mother mentioned. It is likely that all the children were born by a woman other than Margaret Malkin.
Due to that fact that both James and his sister, Mary, named daughters Margaret Foyer, it is likely that was their mother's name. The Foyer name is very difficult to locate in the Leeds area though.^1,3 He married Sarah Munday, daughter of James Munday and Rhoda Smith, on 29 August 1845 at Leeds, Yorks, England; At the time of her marriage in 1845, Sarah Munday was listed as a resident of Campfield, and James Dean was a labourer and clothweaver, residing on York Road in Leeds.⁴ When James Dean died on 12 September 1862 at 22 Clayton Street, Holbeck, Yorks, England, he was a carder of felt-cloth; aged 41.⁵ He was buried on 14 September 1862 at Holbeck Cemetery, Holbeck, Yorks, England.⁶
     He appeared on the census of 1841 at Wortley, Yorks, England; Our James Dean is aged 20, a woolen carder, living with the family of Joseph and Mary Dean Pearson in the 1841 census. If this is his older sister, Mary, then aged 40, it is likely that his parents were already gone by 1841.⁷ He appeared on the census of 30 March 1851 at Tullansfold ?, Farnley, Leeds District, Yorks, England; James was 30, Sarah was 27, dressmaker, both born Leeds, as well as two of their children, John Munday, aged 5, and Margaret, aged 3. There was also a Rhoda, born Farnley, aged 1, who must have died before 1856 when another Rhoda was born at Wortley. The street appears as Tullansfold, but it was right next to a family listed as Water Lane. Daughter Martha's birth several months later lists Water Lane as residence.⁸ He appeared on the census of 1861 at Milinda Sq Court N 7, Hunslet, Yorks, England; James Dean, 39, b. Leeds; Sarah, 37, b. Holbeck; John, 15, b. Leeds; Margaret, 13, b. Leeds; Martha, 10, b. Farnley; Mary Ann, 7, b. Farnley; Rhoda, 5, b. Wortley; and James, 3, b. Hunslet. James was listed as a carder of felt cloth, and wife Sarah was a dress maker. Son John was a cloth miller at that time, and daughter Margaret was a flax spinner. The four younger children were in school. Their residence was 7 Milinda Sq Court. Their son Joseph's birth registration in May of 1861 states the family was residing 7 Milinda Court, Hunslet. This writer has not yet been able to locate either address on a map.⁹