Yorkshire Chess History

 

Contents:

Charles Atkinson, senior and junior

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Born

 

 

Born

02/01/1810, Dalton

Baptised

20/09/1781, Kirkheaton

 

Baptised

04/05/1810, Kirkheaton

Died

 

 

Died

10/06/1871, Woodhouse, nr. Huddersfield

Buried

19/03/1870, St. John the Baptist, Kirkheaton

 

Buried

13/06/1871, Christ Church, Woodhouse

 

Identity of the Chess-Player

 

“Atkinson” of Huddersfield attended the first meeting of the original Yorkshire Chess Association.  The next such appearance was when the meeting came to Huddersfield, in 1843, when “C. Atkinson” attended.  Then when the West Yorkshire Chess Association meeting visited Huddersfield in 1859, “Chas.” Atkinson of Huddersfield attended.  It seems highly probably, though not proven, that all three Atkinson appearances were of the same person.

 

There were in fact two people by the name of Charles Atkinson who were likely candidates.  Both were baptised at Kirkheaton, and both had a father called Joseph.  It seems likely that the Joseph who was father of the younger Charles was brother to the Joseph who was father of the older Charles.

 

Charles Atkinson junior was definitely in or around Huddersfield from 1841 to 1859, though evidence of Charles Atkinson senior being in Huddersfield before 1847 is elusive.  This makes the younger man a slightly more probable candidate.

 

Non-Chess Life of Charles Atkinson, Senior

 

Charles Atkinson (yet to be “senior”), son of Joseph Atkinson of Bradley Mill (now Bradley Mills, with an “s”) was born in 1781 and baptised at St. John the Baptist, Kirkheaton, on 20/09/1781.

 

White’s Leeds & Clothing District Directory, 1830, listed Joseph Atkinson, junior, as a merchant and manufacturer at Bradley Mills.  This was possibly our man’s brother or father.

 

He is elusive in the 1841 census.  Although there was a 60-year-old mechanic called Charles Atkinson and his wife 60-year-old wife Hannah recorded by the 1841 census as living in Bradford, these appear to have been the son of a Francis Atkinson and daughter of a Richard Nicholson.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds & the Clothing District, 1842, listed Charles Atkinson, frizer, at Bradley Mills, but census evidence makes it clear this was Charles Atkinson junior.  Charles Atkinson senior seems not to be mentioned.

 

A record of his first marriage is difficult to trace, but by 1844 he was a widower.

 

Charles Atkinson, a 62-year-old widower, son of Joseph Atkinson, deceased, was married on 19/06/1844 at Huddersfield parish church, by John Coades/Grades(?), to 42-year-old spinster Frances Mary Kitchen, daughter of Daniel Kitchen, deceased.  He signed the marriage register with the suffix “senior”.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds & the Clothing Districts, 1847, listed Charles Atkinson, specifically “senior”, as actuary at the Savings Bank, with his home at 41 West Parade, Huddersfield.

 

The 1851 census listed 69-year-old Charles Atkinson and his 50-year-old wife Frances M. Atkinson living with one servant at an unspecified house number in New North Road, Huddersfield.  Our man was described simply as an actuary.  T he house number was most probably no. 25.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Bradford &c, 1854, listed Charles Atkinson, senior, as secretary to the Savings Bank, with home at New North Road.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield &c, 1858, listed Charles Atkinson as actuary at the Savings Bank, with home at 25 New North Road.

 

The 1861 census found 79-year-old Charles Atkinson, actuary at the savings bank, his 60-year-old wife Frances K. Atkinson, and a servant living specifically at 25 New North Road, Huddersfield.  Also living with them was 28-year-old Mary Ann Atkinson, who was described both as daughter and widow.  This suggests she was a widowed daughter-in-law, implying our man had had at least one son by a previous marriage, and that he’d died.  She could, of course, have been a daughter who married another Atkinson, such as a cousin.

 

At some time from 1861 to 1866 our man moved to 32 Bath Buildings, John William Street, Huddersfield.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield &c, 1866, listed Charles Atkinson as actuary at the Savings Bank, with home at 32 Bath Buildings, John William Street.

 

White's Directory of Leeds & the West Riding, 1870, listed Charles Atkinson at 32 Bath Buildings, Huddersfield, without mentioning the Savings Bank, so suggesting he’d retired at some stage from 1866 to 1870.

 

Death of Charles Atkinson, Senior

 

The burial register of St. John the Baptist, Kirkheaton, recorded that Charles Atkinson of Bath Buildings, Huddersfield, was buried there on 19/03/1870, by W. B. Calvert, vicar of Huddersfield.

 

Non-Chess Life of Charles Atkinson, Junior

 

Charles Atkinson (junior) was born 02/01/1810, at Dalton, a township situated a mile or so, as the crow files, east of the centre of Huddersfield, on the opposite side of the River Colne.  He was the son of Joseph and Frances Atkinson.  He was baptised at Kirkheaton on 04/05/1810.

 

White’s Leeds & Clothing District Directory, 1830, listed Joseph Atkinson, junior, as a merchant and manufacturer at Bradley Mills.  This was possibly our man’s father or grandfather.

 

29-year-old bachelor Charles Atkinson, cloth frizer of Bradley Mills, son of Joseph Atkinson, cloth manufacturer, was married on 21/08/1839, at Huddersfield, to 20-year-old spinster, Huddersfield-born Ann Beaumont, of Wheathouse, daughter of John Beaumont, manufacturer.  The couple had at least the following six children, all born at Dalton near Huddersfield:

 

Eliza C. Atkinson

born June/July, 1840

Joseph Beaumont Atkinson

born 1842/43

Charles H. Atkinson

born 1844/45

William H. Atkinson

born 1848/49

Eleanor Atkinson

born March/April, 1850

Edward Atkinson

born 1852/53

 

Frizing is the process of raising a nap on relatively heavy woollen cloth, and in more general terms is a type of cloth-finishing.

 

The 1841 census found Charles Watkinson, cloth frizer, and Ann Atkinson with 11-month-old Eliza at “Bradley Mill” (meaning either Bradley Mills, or an actual mill called Bradley Mill), about a mile NNE of the centre of Huddersfield.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds & the Clothing District, 1842, listed Charles Atkinson, frizer, at Bradley Mills.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds & the Clothing Districts, 1847, listed Charles Atkinson, cloth-dresser, with home at Dalton Lees.

 

The 1851 census found the parents with the first five children and a nurse at Lee Head, Dalton.  Lee Head is not evident in a modern map of the Dalton area.  Charles was now described as a woollen cloth finisher employing 16 men, 4 women and 12 boys.  The three oldest children were scholars.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Bradford &c, 1854, listed Charles Atkinson, cloth finisher, at Lee Head, Dalton.  It also listed Joseph Atkinson, presumably a relative, as a “dye ware grinder etc.” at Bradley Mills.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield &c, 1858, listed Charles Atkinson, cloth finisher, at Lee Head, Dalton.

 

The 1861 census found the parents and all six children except for Eleanor, with two servants, still at Lee Head, Dalton.  51-year-old Charles was now described as a woollen cloth finisher and frizer, employing 32 men, 12 woman, and 11 (? – a little unclear) boys.  Joseph, Charles, William and Edward were scholars.

 

White’s Directory of Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield &c, 1866, listed Charles Atkinson & Co., cloth finishers, at Bradley Mills, with home at Dalton, and Charles Atkinson as actuary at the Savings Bank, with home at 32 Bath Buildings, John William Street.

 

White's Directory of Leeds & the West Riding, 1870, listed Charles Atkinson & Co., cloth finishers and woollen dyers, at Bradley Mills, with home at Woodhouse.

 

Our man is elusive in the 1871 census, but had by that time he moved to Woodhouse, about a mile NE of the centre of Huddersfield.

 

Death of Charles Atkinson, Junior

 

Charles Atkinson, formerly of Bradley Mills, but late of Woodhouse near Huddersfield, died 10/06/1871, and was buried on 13/06/1871 at Christ Church, Woodhouse, by Robert Crowe.  His will was proved by Ann Atkinson of Woodhouse, relict, and Joseph Beaumont Atkinson of Warrenfield House.  He left under £4,000.

 

 

Created

31/10/2012

Copyright © 2012 Stephen John Mann

Census information is copyright of The National Archive, see UK Census Information

Last Updated

31/10/2012