The Hough Family of Lancashire

The Leeds Mercury (Leeds, England), Saturday, April 21, 1860; Issue 7098
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE SAMUEL HOLLINRAKE, labourer residing at Law Hey, Walsden, arose from his bed at 3 o’clock on Thursday morning. He had been in a low dejected state for a week or more. His son, being awoke, asked him where he was going, and he replied: "I will be back in a minute - it will only be a minute’s job." The dog accompanied him, and strange to relate, neither of them has been heard of up to this date. The man was without shoes or clogs.

Liverpool Mercury etc (Liverpool, England), Tuesday, January 19, 1864; Issue 4975
Case of cruelty at Todmorden
The Todmorden Advertiser of Saturday contains the following particulars of this case: At the magistrates office yesterday, Samuel Hollinrake, Law Hey, was brought before Mr. Ormerod by Mr. Heap, who stated that through information received he had visited Hollinrake’s house. His wife came to the door and he asked to see Hollinrake but was refused, his wife stating that one of their sons would be home immediately, when perhaps he would be allowed to see her husband. Going upstairs, he found Hollinrake in a wing of the building, chained to the wall, handcuffed, and seated on an iron bedstead; the room was without fire with a stone floor. He inquired how long he had been there; one of the family said 3 weeks. This was contradicted by Hollinrake who said it was much longer - he had not been to a place of convenience for 3 weeks. Hollinrake said he was fastened by a chain through a hole in the wall. The handcuffs were put on by his son Charles. He believed he had been confined 5 weeks, and had only been loosed once to wash himself. The handcuffs were put on his hands a second time by his son Samuel. He made no resistence but let them do as they pleased; during his confinement he had enough to eat and drink, but had become weak through cold and sudden change to sedentary. He had frequently asked to be relieved but his entreaties were evaded by saying "they would loose him tomorrow". His wife had nothing to do with the matter; it was his sons who had ill treated him. During his confinement, his wife had not been into the room. He did not know why they had handcuffs in the house and had never seen any like them before. He could assign no reason for his confinement; he had not touched or threatened anyone, yet they said he was not fit to be loose. The only disturbance he had made was during his confinement, at the thought of the injustice of his family; and from the intense cold he struck his foot through a pint pot near the bed, for which he had been sadly knocked about. Mr. Heap said he found Hollinrake only half dressed, and to keep himself warm he had worked a large hole in the wall with a piece of iron.
Liverpool Mercury etc (Liverpool, England), Monday, February 8, 1864; Issue 4992
The case of cruelty to a father
At Todmorden Petty Sessions, Samuel Hollinrake and Charles Hollinrake were brought up on remand and charged with assaulting and ill-using their father at Law Hey in Walsden. The particulars of the case, as previously published, were again gone in to, showing that the man was found chained and handcuffed by Inspector Heap, sat upon an iron bed in a room without a fire and on a stone floor. The old man had taken some stones out of the wall. He said he had worked at that to keep himself warm. On being called as a witness he for some time refused to be sworn, but on being induced to take his oath, his depositions agreed with the statements made by Mr. Heap. He said he had been twice let loose since first chained up. He could only get out on one side of the bed. He had been a fortnight or more without going to a place of convenience. In reply to the charge, Charles Hollinrake pleaded guilty but said he had chained his father to save himself. His father was not always sane. Samuel Hollinrake pleaded not guilty. Charles was committed to prison for 2 months with hard labour.

1841 census Edge End, Todmorden, Lancashire

Samuel HOLLINRAKE Head M 30 Male Farmer Lancashire
Susan HOLLINRAKE Wife M 35 Female Lancashire
Ann HOLLINRAKE Daur 8 Female Lancashire
Thomas HOLLINRAKE Son 5 Male Lancashire
Charles HOLLINRAKE Son 3 Male Lancashire
Joseph HOLLINRAKE Son 1 Male Lancashire
John BARKER Father in Law 65 Male Ind
Sarah BARKER Step Daur 14 Female Lancashire
Betty BARKER Step Daur 12 Female Dress m ap Lancashire

1851 census Hollings, Stansfield, Yorkshire

Samuel HOLLINRAKE Head M 40 Male Farmer of 16 acres Todmorden, Lancashire
Susan HOLLINRAKE Wife M 48 Female Todmorden, Lancashire
Sarah BARKER Stepdaur U 25 Female Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Elizabeth BARKER Stepdaur U 22 Female Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Ann HOLLINRAKE Daur U 19 Female Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Thomas HOLLINRAKE Son U 17 Male Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Charles HOLLINRAKE Son U 13 Male Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Hannah HOLLINRAKE Daur 7 Female Scholar Todmorden, Lancashire
Samuel HOLLINRAKE Son 2 Male Todmorden, Yorkshire

1861 census Low Hey, Todmorden, Lancashire

Samuel HOLLINRAKE Head M 50 Male Farmer of 20 acres Todmorden, Lancashire
Susan HOLLINRAKE Wife M 57 Female Todmorden, Lancashire
Sarah BARKER Stepdaur U 34 Female Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Elizabeth BARKER Stepdaur U 32 Female Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Ann HOLLINRAKE Daur U 27 Female Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Charles HOLLINRAKE Son U 22 Male Powerloom Cotton Overlooker Todmorden, Lancashire
Joseph HOLLINRAKE Son U 20 Male Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Hamer HOLLINRAKE Son U 18 Male Powerloom Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Samuel HOLLINRAKE Son 12 Male Stansfield, Yorkshire
Charles BARKER Visitor U 45 Male Carter for Stone Dealer Todmorden, Lancashire
Thomas HOLLINRAKE Visitor M 53 Male Farm Servant Todmorden, Lancashire

1871 census 14 Prince Street, Todmorden, Lancashire

Thomas HOLLINRAKE Head M 37 Male Cotton Beamer & Twister Todmorden, Lancashire
Grace HOLLINRAKE Wife M 37 Female Stansfield, Yorkshire
Susannah HOLLINRAKE Daur 11 Female Cotton Weaver Stansfield, Yorkshire
Sarah E HOLLINRAKE Daur 8 Female Cotton Weaver Todmorden, Lancashire
Ann HOLLINRAKE Daur 5mnths Female Todmorden, Lancashire
Samuel HOLLINRAKE Boarder M 60 Male Labourer Todmorden, Lancashire