Elizabeth Raworth was born in Hope, as all babies should be. In her case literally in the valley of Hope, Derbyshire, where she was the second of the four children of William Raworth Jnr and his wife Elizabeth.
The Raworths lived in the hamlet of Thornhill, with grandparents, aunts and uncles all nearby. There was also a family of Raworths in Dronfield, about 24km away: maybe they were related and maybe they introduced her to George Siddall, whom she married around the time of her 21st birthday.
Elizabeth is almost unique among our foremothers in being able to write an elegant and fluent signature on her marriage record. I’m sure this reflects an aspirational upbringing but I have not been able to find any evidence of the family’s occupation or status.
Elizabeth settled in her husband’s part of Derbyshire and over the next twelve years gave birth to five sons and one daughter. She and her family moved from place to place within the Holmesfield area and she ended her life in the beautiful hamlet of Cartledge.
Mother of William Siddall and daughter of William and Elizabeth Raworth
Baptised Elizabeth Raworth on 9 March 1735 at Hope, Derbyshire
Married George Siddall on 1 March 1756
Buried 23 March 1819