Rangeley Family Tree
Individual page for
Joshua RANGELEY
Born 1721 approx.
Christened (Date unknown)
Died 18 September 1784 Hayfield Derbys
Buried 21 September 1784 St Matthew's Church Hayfield Derbys
Marriage Ellen MILLER 03 August 1751 St Michael's Church Ashton Under Lyne Lancs
Child Mary RANGELEY (1752 - 1792)
Child Sarah RANGELEY (1756 - ?)
Child Peggy RANGELEY (1758 - 1785)
Child Joshua RANGELEY (1760 - 1837)
Child Deborah RANGELEY (1762 - ?)
Child George RANGELEY (1764 - 1831)
Child John RANGELEY (1767 - 1856)
Child Isaac RANGELEY (1769 - 1791)
Child Aaron RANGELEY (1771 - 1851)
Child Ellen RANGELEY (1772 - ?)
Child Moses RANGELEY (1774 - 1785)
Child Anne RANGELEY (1775 - ?)
Occupation (with source date)Clothier (1751)
Address (with source date)Dukinfield Cheshire (1751)
Staleybridge Cheshire (1752 to 1767)
Ravensleech Hayfield Derbyshire (1769 to 1784)


Miscellaneous:

Gravestone:
Joshua and Ellen's gravestone, at St Matthew Hayfield Derbys, has been cut in two pieces to form part of the pavement outside the church. It reads:
Here
was Interred the Body of
Joshua Rangeley who Depart
ed this life Septr 18th 1784
Aged 63 Years Also Ellen
Rangeley his Wife who
departed this Life Novr 7th
1789 Aged 57 Years
Also Moses Son to Joshua
[The gravestone has been cut here. The lower section, set next to and slightly below the upper section, has also been trimmed down the right-hand side.]
and Ellen Rangeley who
departed this Life Septr
17[85?] Aged [?] Years. Also
Isaac their Son who depart[ed]
this Life Aug [?] 17[91?] Aged [29?]

(It's a shame that the whole area is getting very badly worn by all the passers-by. Unfortunately, like many of the stones here, it is in poor condition.)


Witness:
Joshua was a witness to the marriage of Robert Tommins and Elizabeth Collier on 16th October 1764 in St. Michael's Church Mottram in Longdendale. Joshua and Robert were both clothiers in Staley Wood, Staleybridge, and they both moved to Hayfield around 1769.

Research notes:

The search for Joshua's christening is ongoing. The following entries on the Ripponden Parish Register, Yorks (which includes Rastrick) may prove to be relevant: -
JOSHUA son of Georg RAWNSLEY of Soyland chr. 22 May 1721
GRACE daur. of Georg RAWNSLEY of Soyland chr. 13(?) Jun 1714(?)
GEORGE son of Georg RAWNSLEY of Soyland chr. 8 Apr 1715
MARY daur. of Georg RAWNSLEY chr. 4 Oct 1719 (LDS IGI)
SARA daur. of Georg RAWNSLEY of Soyland chr. 19 Feb 1720 (LDS IGI)

There seems to have been more than one Georg Rawnsley. On the same Ripponden Parish Register: -
James son of Georg RAWNSLEY chr. 24 Mar 1699 (LDS IGI)
Sara daur. of Georg RAWNSLEY chr. 9 Feb 1700 (LDS IGI)
Joshua son of Georg RAWENSLEY chr. 26 Aug 1702 (LDS IGI)
Sarah daur. of Georg RAWNSLY chr. 5 Mar 1709 (LDS IGI)
Georg son of James RAWNSLEY chr. 8 Mar 1684 (LDS IGI)

And two marriages on the Elland Parish Register Yorks: -
George RAWNSLEY married Mary FIELDIN 4 Feb 1713 Elland Yorks.
George RAUNSLEY married Ellinr LIGHTOWLERS 28 Apr 1713 Elland Yorks.

The surname RAWNSLEY appears to have originated in the Halifax and Huddersfield Yorks. region, presumably from a long-lost village name. Examples of RAWNSLEY changing to RANGLEY, RANGLLEY, RANGELEY etc. are to be found in e.g. Hartshead Parish Register, West Riding Yorks.