The SCHOFIELD family are the direct ancestors of most of the current McDANIELSON family through the marriage of Maria KNOTT to Fred SCHOFIELD, in 1900. Their daughter Annie Maud SCHOFIELD married Arnold McDANIELSON in 1924.
The Schofield family have been traced back to John SCHOFIELD, born c1802 in Scammonden, Huddersfield. His occupation was a Weaver and on 26th December 1831 at Huddersfield Parish Church he married Hannah SHAW, daughter of Joseph SHAW, a Farmer.
John and Hannah had seven children so far known of, all baptised at Scammonden: Edward 1832; Violet 1833; Ellen 1837; Jane 1839; John 1842; Hannah 1844; Elizabeth 1847.
Edward SCHOFIELD
Edward married Sherburn-born* Mary Ann THORNLEY, a widow aged 29, recorded on their marriage certificate as daughter of John BOLING, a Farmer, on 5th October 1862 at Pontefract Parish Church. Edward’s occupation at that time was a Weaver but later records find him in mainly labouring work. He may have died in Pontefract in 1895 at the age of 62, but this is not confirmed.
The couple had eight children so far known of: William c1863 (at Huddersfield); Ada c1864; Frederick 1866; Jane 1868; Elizabeth 1870; Louisa c1873; Emily c1875; Edith c1878; Herbert c1879. A ninth child, Hannah, is found with the couple on he 1871 census, though she was probably a daughter from Mary Ann’s first marriage, to Joseph THORNLEY.
Mary Ann THORNLEY’s ancestry is somewhat complicated but briefly, she was born Ann RUMBOLD, became the step-daughter of John BARRATT, married Joseph THORNLEY, was widowed and later married Edward SCHOFIELD. Their marriage certificate erroneously records her father’s name as ‘John Boling’.
Information about Mary Ann SCHOFIELD can be found here.
Violet SCHOFIELD married William GLEDHILL, a Weaver, at Huddersfield Parish Church on 7th October 1855. They were both resident at Deanhead, Huddersfield.
Fred SCHOFIELD
Fred(erick) SCHOFIELD was born 27th February 1866 at Corn Market, Pontefract. At the time of his birth his father, Edward, was employed as ‘A Starcher of Warps, a Journeyman’. His mother’s former name is given as THORNLEY, but as noted above, this was her former married name.
At age 15 (1881 census) Fred was still at school, but ten years later he was a Coal Miner and resident with his parents at Swallow’s Yard, Pontefract.
On 15th October 1900 at the Leeds Register Office, he married Maria KNOTT, a ‘Machine Hand’, daughter of Thomas and Isabella KNOTT (see KNOTT page). They both lived at 11 Harold Grove, Leeds and Fred’s occupation was a ‘Brick Setter’. The marriage was witnessed by John and Elizabeth BELCHER (Elizabeth was Fred’s sister who had married John Wm BELCHER in 1890).
By 1901 they had moved to 51 Lloyd Street, Headingley, Leeds and had a two-week old son, Thomas Edward. Also resident was Maria’s sister Annie, age 16. Fred was employed as ‘Bricklayer’s Labourer’.
The couple had six further children so far known of (all dates of birth not yet researched): Gladys; Fred; Mona; Annie Maud 1905; Eva; Ida. Mona married Edgar SLADDIN in 1923 at Halifax; Annie Maud married Arnold McDANIELSON in 1924 at Halifax; Eva married Ronald SANDERS (or SAUNDERS) in 1933 at Halifax; Ida married Norman OLDFIELD in 1936 at Halifax.
Maria SCHOFIELD (nee KNOTT) centre, daughter Annie MAUD McDANIELSON (nee SCHOFIELD) left and grand-daughter Margaret McDANIELSON c1950
By 1911 Fred was again a Coal Miner and resident at Brotherton (South Yorkshire) with Maria and children Thomas, Fred, Annie and Gladys. Their daughter Mona was at this time resident with her maternal grandparents, Thomas and Isabella KNOTT.
Anecdotal sources recall Fred as an unloving man who was feared by his wife and children and who actively discouraged contact from his grandchildren, hence little is known of him today. Records suggest he died in Halifax in 1927.
* Sherburn-in-Elmet, a village about 7 miles from Pontefract, known locally as ‘Sherburn’.
