During the 1700’s Joseph Wollenscroft and his wife Ann Rowley were living in Burslem, Staffordshire. Other documents give the surname as Wolstencroft. Joseph and Ann married at Burslem in 1767. They had ten children born between 1767 and 1792 but only three of their children survived beyond childhood. Ann died at Snyed Green and was buried at Burslem in 1807. There is a burial recorded for a Joseph from Snyed Green in 1796 in the Burslem parish records. I have wondered if this might be Joseph & Ann’s son Joseph who was born in 1775. There is another burial recorded for a Joseph aged 81 in 1822 at Burslem. However, the record states this Joseph was from Ipstones in Staffordshire. As Jospeph’s surname was spelt Wollenscroft or Wolstencroft I thought he must be connected the the Newcastle families but I am not so sure now. In available records his descendants spell the surname Woolliscroft, Wooliscroft or Wolliscroft.
Burslem from W. Yates' A Map of the County of Stafford 1775
Joseph & Ann’s daughter Elizabeth married Jas Shaw in 1797. Her brother Adam married three times firstly to Sarah Lovatt in 1804. After her death in 1812 he married Isabella Malkin in 1814. Isabella died in 1836. Adam married his third wife Mary Daniels in 1838. Adam died in 1953, Mary outlived her husband by many years and died in 1889.
Adam and Elizabeth’s brother Job married Hannah Keeling in 1795. The couple are known to have had five children and possibly a sixth before Job died in 1806. Their daughter Marian married George Steventon in 1818, Absolam emigrated to the United States in 1819, Ann born in 1803 married William Plant, William born 1805 married twice. Firstly to Elizabeth Ellis in 1822 and Elizabeth Beardsmore in 1843. Thomas the brother of William was born in 1801 and had died by 1856 but I have no other information on him so far in my research. I think that there was one more child called Elijah who was living with his mother on the 1841 census.
Hannah Keeling remarried in 1822 to James Barrett. They were living in Union Street, Shelton in 1841 and her son Absolam was visiting with his two daughter, Mary & Rachel.
Absolam spelt his surname Woolliscroft as did his siblings who survived to adulthood and mother when she remarried. However, the surname has died out on this branch but it is still used as a first name.