Genealogy Chat

Help, I have googled both places and am confused, I live in oz and can't work out what is going on. Have a relative who on different census forms gives birth place as Alston, then Westby, then Westly, from the google maps it looks like Westby is no where near Alston and I can't get a map up of Westly. Can someone please put me straight regarding these places.

Thanks
Taylor

What county is stated for Alston/Westby?
If they're both Lancs, then they are abt 25 km apart on either side of Preston.

Thanks mgnv

The county is Lancashire, but why would it be stated Alston on some census and Westby on others if they are so far apart?

Do you know if there is a place called Westly or Westley that is closer to Alston, I have had difficuly trying to find this on the google search. She was born in 1797 or 1799 not sure which perhaps that makes a difference?

Taylor

Prior to the Poor Laws, the parish were a person was born were responsible for the destitute. This often led to people being made subject to Removal Orders to transport them back to their home parish.

If people moved they often gave either the current parish they were living in or one they would prefer to be in to the census enumerator. Although census information was secret at the time, people feared birthplace information could be used against them.

Michael

I think there is (or was) a Westby Hall near Lytham, but I'm not sure exactly where - I think it may be on the road between Preston and Blackpool.

If you Google Westby, Lancashire, GENUKI gives this information:

------------------------------
WESTBY-WITH-PLUMPTON, a township in Kirkham parish, Lancashire; 3 miles W of Kirkham. Acres, 3,426. Real property, £5,800. Pop., 601. Houses, 110. The manor belongs to Col. J. T. Clifton. There is a Roman Catholic Chapel.

John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)
-------------------------------------

The hamlet of Westby is a couple of hundred metres E of Westby Hall, 1-2 km W of Wrea Green.

The village of Longridge abt 10 km NE of Preston lies partly in the twp of Alston. Longridge is a chapelry in the parish of Ribchester.

Mick's got a good point.

Re Westby/Westly - my guess is Westly is a mistranscription, either by Ancestry (have you checked the original image?), or else by the enumerator when entering their return in the census book.

if you are looking for a specific person have you tried using the site

http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/

this has an excellent search facility which will look at the whole county parish records which are on line.
Westby Hall is still there on the road between Wrea Green and Lytham. If you are looking at google maps it is the road which goes through the village of Ballam, not the one which goes through Moss Side.