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| St James Church, Audlem |
Just between Liverpool and Birmingham (about an hour from each), lies 2013's award-winning "Best Village of North England." Windy country roads, cow-dotted pastures, and tree tunnels lead to an enchanting destination. The village of Audlem is charming, and best of all, home to our Welch ancestor
Eliza Billington (wife of
John Welch 1). The Shopshire Union canal runs through the town, and Eliza's father
Joseph Billington was a lock keeper on the canal before the family sailed to Nauvoo.
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historical photo of the Audlem lock keeper at his house
(presumably after our Billingtons left) |
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| 1840 letter from Joseph with return address "Lock House" |
A lock keeper's house is still standing there, the front door only about ten feet from the water (although the historian told me there may have been several lock keepers and up to five houses there at the time, so it's hard to know if that is the exact one for sure). No one was at home to see inside, but we were able to tour the church and see where Eliza was baptized, and watch the narrow lock in action as a boat moved through the canal. The historian also directed me to
this helpful website with archival village information.
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| interior of St James church where Eliza was baptized |
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a boat on the canal (sadly, the "Audlem Lass" was gone that day
which I thought was a perfect name for Eliza Billington Welch) |
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| looking from the canal to the lockkeeper's house |
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| the lock in action |
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| Eliza back at her house at last |
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| Eliza at the canal |
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| lock by the house |
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| Shroppie Fly (nearby pub), lock, house in distance |
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| such a narrow canal passage |
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| behind the lock keeper's home |
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