PICKERING of CHESHIRE
They took their commercial acumen in the flour and corn milling, timber and finance, first to Liverpool, then Northern Europe and the U.S., as well as Australia and New Zealand.
(From Dissertation by Peter E. Swift: “The Port of Frodsham”)
I am Constance “Connie” Louise Pickering Stover, and this is my family history website which was started in 1999. My known roots start in Cheshire, England. My direct ancestors settled in Frodsham, Weaverham, and Wallasey. My research started in 1973 with a visit to my Great-Great Aunt Louisa who provided me with an oral history that sparked my genealogy interest.
Through over 50 years of research I found my earliest Pickering family settled mainly in Weaverham parish, Cheshire, England from about the 1600’s to 1800’s and may have older roots to the ancient Daresbury families. My family can be found mainly in Gorstage (Gorstich), Crowton, Norley, Frodsham, and Weaverham Parish. John Pickering (1693-1746), Yeoman of Crowton is buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard, Weaverham along with his son, Thomas (1725-1792) of Crowton. I welcome any family information you may have to contribute to our story.
Welcome to the Cheshire PICKERING FAMILY HISTORY
Unconfirmed Ancestors
Richard Pickering of Crowton, Weaverham (d: bef. 1682)
………….. [son] Jonathan Pickering, c: 17 Mar 1669, Weaverham, Cheshire
………….. [son] Thomas Pickering, c: 10 Oct 1672, Norley, Weaverham, Cheshire
Proof that Johnathan and Thomas were brothers – sons of Richard (above):
1682, 20 May … “A lease for messuage or tenement in NORLEY for the life to Jonathan Pickering and Thomas Pickering, sons of Richard Pickering late of Crowton, decd.”
I began my research by using the dates from our handwritten family tree as a guide to our earliest Pickerings. Cheshire birth records show that in 1693, in Weaverham, Crowton, St. Mary Parish Christening there were two John Pickerings baptised in the same year.
John Pickering — 25 Jul 1693, father: John.
…. “Joannos filius Joannis Pickering do Crowton”
John Pickering — 27 Nov 1693, father: Peter
…. “Joannes filius Petri Pickering do Crowton”
I am a confirmed descendant of:
[gen. 11] John Pickering of Crowton, father to John born 1693 – St. Mary Parish, Weaverham Records
[gen. 10] John Pickering of Crowton [1693-1749] & Mary Manwaring
[gen. 9] John Pickering the Elder of Norley [1717-1790] & Ellen Moreton
[gen. 8] John Pickering of Crowton [1744-1801] & Mary Harrison [1741-1807]
[gen. 7] William Pickering of Bradley, Frodsham [1782-1855] & Caroline Amalie Fredrieke Steffens [1788-1864]
[gen. 6] Charles William Harrison Pickering, Liverpool [1815-1881] & Elizabeth Catherine Walker [1820-1895
[gen. 5] Alexander John Pickeirng, Liscard [1857-1927] & Evaline Estell DeMar [1862-1959]
[gen. 4] Arthur John Pickeirng, Sr., Junction City, KS [1889-1953] & Miriam Leah Meyers [1896-1944]
[gen. 3] Arthur John Pickering, Jr., Bristol, PA [1918-1966] & Louise Wilhemenia Mefford [1926-2019]
[me] Constance Louise Pickering Stover, Philadelphia, PA
[gen. 1] Aaron Douglas Kellner, Bucks Co., PA
1165, Reginald de Pichering; 1246, Henry de Pickeringes; 1327, John and William Pykeryng
— Dictionary of English Surnames by P.H. Reaney, Unversity of Sheffield, 1991
The Pickering family, “were of a very ancient descent …”
The Pickering family, who were next in possession of the manor of Thelwall, were of a very ancient descent in the county of Chester,
and appear to have been, from time immemorial, landed proprietors in the palatinate. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth they
were settled at Walford. Robert Pickering de Walford, b. circa 1545; married Alice, only daughter of
William Mathew, gent. and, dying in 1602, left issue,
Chronicles of Thelwall, Co. Chester, pp 441
Travel through time as you follow the migration of Pickerings from Yorkshire to our family in Cheshire.
Migration map of Pickering families from Yorkshire through Cheshire and on to America. The earliest record being of Reginald de Pichering in 1165.
Definition: Yeoman
Yeoman is a term used to indicate a variety of positions or social classes. In the 15th century, a yeoman was also a farmer of middling social status who owned his own land and often farmed it himself.
Most yeomen farmers had servants or laborers with whom they would work if they had the means to afford such services. The term Yeoman Farmer was later used to distinguish them from Gentlemen Farmers, who did not labor with their hands. Some yeomen had more wealth than the minor gentry, but remained classed as yeomen by choice rather than by necessity. Often it was hard to distinguish minor gentry from the wealthier yeomen farmers, and wealthier husbandmen from the poorer yeoman farmers.
You will read many references to the “occupation” of Yeoman throughout our Pickering history.
DESCENDANT QUICK LINKS
5X Great Grandparents
JOHN Pickering
& MARY Harrison
CHILDREN 1765 – 1785
 |
THOMAS Pickering & Margaret HORRABIN b. 23 Aug 1765 Weaverham Runcorn – QUAKER Cornfactor, Sutton, Runcorn |
|
SAMUEL Pickering & Alice RIGBY b. 1766 Sutton Runcorn Corn Dealer |
|
ANN “NANCY’ Pickering & Samuel MOULSDALE b. 1768 Frodsham died at age 22 |
|
ELIZABETH Pickering & Samuel MOULSDALE b. 1770 Frodsham Widower Samuel Moulsdale married sister, died at age 27 |
|
MARY Pickering & William YARWOOD b. 1771 Frodsham Wife of Durggist |
|
JOHN Pickering & Hannah FARRALL b. 1774 Northwich, Frodsham Parish Emigrated about 1805 to Philadelphia, Merchant |
|
SARAH “SALLEY” Pickering & Peter RIGBY b. 1776 of Northwich |
|
JAMES Pickering – Never married b. 1778 Bradley, Frodsham Parish Died at age 17 |
|
JOSEPH Pickering & Ann “Nancy” HAYES b. 1780 Bradley, Frodsham Parish Salt Merchant – Lived at Salt Works, Frodsham |
 |
WILLIAM Pickering & Caroline Amalie STEFFENS ………………… 4xGG b. 1782 Frodsham Beach, Bradley Consul to Mecklenburg |
 |
PETER Pickering & Emilie Henriette STEFFENS b. 1785 Aston Sutton Merchant, Inventor |
4X Great Grandparents
WILLIAM Pickering
& CAROLINE Steffens
CHILDREN 1814-1829
|
FREDERICA Carolina Mary Steffens Pickering & John CHEESEBOROUGH b: 16 May 1814, I of Jersey |
 |
CHARLES William Harrison Pickering & Catherine Elizabeth WALKER ………………….. 3XGG b: 9 Nov 1815, Liverpool |
 |
ELIZA JULIA Pickering & Charles Frances COX b: 1 Jun 1819, Liverpool |
 |
PAULINA Pickering & Thomas HAYLEY b: 22 Mar 1821, Liverpool |
|
EDGAR Charles Pickering b: 1822, Danzig Prussia, British Subject |
|
ARTHUR HENRY Pickering b: 23 May 1825, Liverpool |
|
JAMES WILLIAM Pickering & Hester Ann SAMUELS b: 18 Jul 1827, Everton |
|
EMILIEPickering b: abt. 1828, Danzig, Germany d: 27 May 1828, Liverpool |
|
LOUISA Wilhelmina Pickering c: 14 Nov 1829, St. George, Everton, Lancashire d: 14 Nov 1829 (abt. 13 hrs.) bur: 17 Nov 1829, Everton, Lancashire |
3X Great Grandparents
CWH Pickering
& ELIZABETH Walker
CHILDREN 1841-1858
 |
CHARLES WILLIAM Pickering & Clara Isabella WHITE, b. 1841, Liverpool — 1928, Junction City KS Descendants:United States |
 |
KATHERINE ELIZABETH Pickering & Robert Dawson HARLING b. 1843, Liverpool — 1928, New Brighton, Eng. |
 |
EUGENE Haynes Pickering & Sophia Ellen TINKER b.1844, Liscard — 1928, East Dereham, Norfolk, Eng. Descendants: New Zealand |
|
EMILY FREDERICA Pickering, 1 June 1846 — btwn Jul-Sep 1846, Wallasey (age 2 mos) No Descendants [Source: J. Leece, 3 Mar 2013] |
 |
HENRY ALFRED Pickering & Frances MARTIN b.1847, Liscard — 1928, Junction City Kansas Descendants: United States |
|
ELIZABETH MAUDE Pickering – Never Married b.1848, Liscard — died (age 3), Eng. No Descendants |
|
WILLIAM Pickering & Blanche MORRISON b.1850, Liscard — 1891, New South Wales Descendants:Australia |
 |
EDITH PAULINA Pickering & Rev. Arthur MYERS b.1852, Liscard — 1953, Ireland Descendants: New Zealand |
 |
EMMA Pickering & Adolph WESTE b.1856, Liscard — 1887 Descendants: Germany |
 |
ALEXANDER JOHN Pickering & Evaline DEMAR ……………………… 2XGG b.1862, Liscard — 1959, Abington, Pennsylvania Descendants: United States |
 |
FREDERICA VALENTINA Pickering b.1858, Bonn GER — 1932 Wallasey, Eng. Descendants: None – Never Married |
QUICK LINKS TO STORIES OF INTEREST
Handwritten Pickering Family Tree handed down to a descendant of Peter Pickering.
Learn all about the “Flying Scud“, the “Cestrian“; two ships our family owned and operated in the 1800’s.
The area adjacent to the River Weaver tow path, near Dutton Lock and Dutton Viaduct has been known as “Pickering’s”, “Pickering’s Lock” , “Pickering’s de Boat” or “Pickering’s O’ the Boat”.
Among the numerous descriptions of Pickering arms in Burke’s General Armory, Third Edition with a Supplement, London, 1844. Learn more about the Pickering heraldry here.
My GGGrandfather, Charles William Harrison Pickering was a partner in a private bank of Pickering and Schroder, Ellismere Port, Eccles and that bank help finance the second Transatlantic Cable.
“Montebello” St. Georges Mount, New Brighton, Cheshire, England. This was the home of my Great Great Grandparents, Charles William Harrison Pickering and his wife Elizabeth Walker.
Evidence of our ancestral involvement in financing the historical Transatlantic Cable.
St Laurence Church, Frodsham Parish was central to the lives of many of our ancestors.
Stories and photos of Elizabeth Walker Pickering, inheritor of “Montebello” after the death of her husband, Charles William Harrison Pickering. [my GGGrandmother].
Business Entrepreneurs: Since 1781 (and perhaps before) Thomas Pickering plied his trade as a Flour Dealer in Liverpool and it is likely that the mills that provided the flour could be found under the ownership of other Pickering family members in Frodsham and Sutton Mill.
Peter Pickering was the youngest son of a famous merchant family – ours! Read this remarkable journal which begins, “At the time that I was born the 23rd of August 1785 …”
Pedigree of Robert Pickering of Walford, Thelwall
Artifacts and stories from the life of Seaman, Charles W. Pickering, oldest son of CWH Pickering and Elizabeth
Family Tree to our ancestors of Cheshire, England from Peter Pickering born about 1580
William Pickering (1782-1855) and Fredereka Steffens (1790-1864)
The complete text of the 1881 Last Will and Testament of CWH Pickering
Our New Zealand and U.K. connection through the descendants of Edith Paulina Pickeirng and Rev. A. Myers
The descendants of William Pickering of Australia
The fascinating story of the Denbigh, a Civil War gun-running ship owned by Pickering and Schroeder bank.
New research uncovers photo of ancestral graves in England
Read a wedding poem written as a wedding gift by William Pickering to his bride Frederica Steffens
Three generations of descendants of wealthy merchant, Jacob Steffens and his wife, Magdalena Steinmetz of Danzig, Prussia.
19 May 1787 receipt from Sir Peter Warburton, Bart to John Pickering [1744-1814] Lessee of new mill in Sutton.
Wedding photo of Charles William Harrison Pickeirng and Elizabeth Walker – 1840
Based on other photographs in our family ablum, I have been able to identify several of the members of this wedding party. Here is my best guess about those in this photo.
From left to right:
1st: ?
2nd: ?
3rd: Elizabeth Walker Pickering
4th: CWHP
5th: ?
6th: Emilie Steffens Pickering, wife of Peter Pickering
7th: Peter Pickering, uncle to CWHP, brother to William
8th (sitting): Caroline Amalie Friedrieke Steffens Pickering, mother to CWHP
9th (sitting): William Pickering, father to CWHP
10th (standing): CWHP sister, Valencia?
11-13th: ?