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I am trying to find a family called Matthew who lived on Birch Road Rochdale Lancashire. Their names were Jane (possibly Mother) Wilfred, Florence and Leonard.
I used to visit as a child in late 1940 early 1950. The offspring would possibly be older than 40 years. As a child they would look older to me.

Welcome to the boards, Margaret.

If Jane was the mother, am I correct in assuming that Wilfred was the father?

And do you mean that the "children" would be older than 40 now, or that they were older than 40 when you last saw them?


EDIT:
Actually, if they were born c1947, for instance, they would now be in or near their 70's - so I'm assuming you mean they were older than 40 when you saw them.

Not in Rochdale in 1939?

Wilfred Matthews on the 1939 Register

1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
Matthews Household (5 People)
596 Halifax Road , Wardle U.D., Lancashire, England

Leonard Matthews
DOB 15 Aug 1903
SEX Male
OCCUPATION Cotton Piecer
MARITAL STATUS Single
SCHEDULE 181
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 2

Sarah J Matthews
DOB 01 Aug 1875
SEX Female
OCCUPATION Unpaid Domestic Duties
MARITAL STATUS Widowed
SCHEDULE 181
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 1

Charles Matthews
DOB 31 May 1905
SEX Male
OCCUPATION Cotton Piecer
MARITAL STATUS Single
SCHEDULE 181
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 3

Florence Matthews
DOB 01 Jul 1913
SEX Female
OCCUPATION Domestic Help
MARITAL STATUS Single
SCHEDULE 181
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 4

Wilfred Matthews
DOB 06 Jan 1916
SEX Male
OCCUPATION Cotton Piecer
MARITAL STATUS Single
SCHEDULE 181
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 5
Ref: RG101/4911D/014/24 Letter Code: NXSB
© Findmypast Ltd

That will be this marriage, which is the only one I can see for a Wilfred Matthew(s):

Marriages Sep 1916 (>99%)
Matthew Wilfred Ratcliffe Rochdale 8e 53
Ratcliffe Sarah A Matthew Rochdale 8e [56]3

Well, maybe!

EDIT:

No, ignore this one!

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
4 Bamford Place Smithy Bridge, Littleborough, Lancashire, England

Abraham Matthews Head Married Male Out Of Work Laborer At Anything 53 1858 Rochdale Lancs
Sarah Jane Matthews Wife Married Female Charing 36 1875 Smallbridge Rochdale Lancs
Fred Matthews Son - Male School 9 1902 Smallbridge Rochdale Lancs
Leonard Matthews Son - Male - 7 1904 Smallbridge Rochdale Lancs
Charles Matthews Son - Male - 4 1907 Smallbridge Rochdale Lancs


Married 13 years, 3 children born and still living

I don't see any Matthew / Ratcliffe births which fit.

Maybe this is Leonard's birth ??

MATTHEWS, LEONARD mms ASHWORTH
GRO Reference: 1903 S Quarter in ROCHDALE Volume 08E Page 66

And Wilfred:

MATTHEWS, WILFRED mms ASHWORTH
GRO Reference: 1916 M Quarter in ROCHDALE Volume 08E Page 116


And Florence:
:
MATTHEWS, FLORENCE mms ASHWORTH
GRO Reference: 1913 S Quarter in ROCHDALE Volume 08E Page 131

???

Marriages Jun 1898 (>99%)
Ashworth Sarah Jane Rochdale 8e 22
Matthew Abram Rochdale 8e 22

That's the one ArgyllGran

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Riverside Cottages, 81, Wardle, Rochdale, Lancashire, England

James Ashworth Head Widower Male 51 1850 Woollen Flock Willower Whitworth, Lancashire, England
Abraham Matthew Son-In-Law Married Male 42 1859 Carter For Carrier Rochdale, Lancashire, England
Sarah J Matthew Daughter Married Female 25 1876 - Rochdale, Lancashire, England

Death of Leonard:

Leonard Matthews
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Leonard Matthews
Death Age: 69
Birth Date: 15 Aug 1903
Registration Date: Jun 1973
Registration district: Rochdale
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 10f
Page: 905

????


First name(s) ABRAHAM
Last name MATTHEWS
Gender Male
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year 1855
Age 65
Death quarter 3
Death year 1920
District Rochdale
County Lancashire
Volume 8E
Page 79
Country England
Record set England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Deaths & burials
Collections from Great Britain, England
© Findmypast

Wilfred's death :

Wilfred Matthews
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Wilfred Matthews
Death Age: 42
Birth Date: abt 1916
Registration Date: Dec 1958
Registration district: Littleborough [includes Wardle]
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 10d
Page: 112


Address at probate: 55 Birch Road, Wardle.
Administration to Florence Matthews, spinster.

Probably Florence's death:

Florence Matthews
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Florence Matthews
Death Age: 54
Birth Date: abt 1913
Registration Date: Sep 1967
Registration district: Littleborough
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 10d
Page: 76

First name(s) FRED
Last name MATTHEWS
Gender Male
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year 1902
Age 30
Death quarter 3
Death year 1932
District Rochdale
County Lancashire
Volume 8E
Page 44
Country England
Record set England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Deaths & burials
Collections from Great Britain, England
© Findmypast

I saw that birth, RG - mms Ashworth.

EDIT:

and I've deleted the rest of this post, as it was total rubbish!

Charles's birth:

MATTHEWS, CHARLIE mms ASHWORTH
GRO Reference: 1906 J Quarter in ROCHDALE Volume 08E Page 67


And his death:

Charles Matthews
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Charles Matthews
Death Age: 81
Birth Date: 31 May 1906
Registration Date: Feb 1988
Registration district: Rochdale
Inferred County: Greater Manchester
Volume: 39
Page: 506

Here it is ArgyllGran



Name: Mother's Maiden Surname:
MATTHEWS, FRED ASHWORTH Order
GRO Reference: 1902 J Quarter in ROCHDALE Volume 08E Page 65

Yes, I saw that, RG.

It's any further sighting of him that I can't find - no death, no censuses.

EDIT:
Maybe his death:

Fred Matthews
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Fred Matthews
Death Age: 30
Birth Date: abt 1902
Registration Date: Sep 1932
Registration district: Rochdale
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8e
Page: 44




EDIT :

sorry, I'm talking rubbish!

I hadn't noticed he was on 1911 with his parents.

First name(s) SARAH J
Last name MATTHEWS
Gender Female
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year 1875
Age 77
Death quarter 4
Death year 1952
District Littleborough
County Lancashire
Volume 10D
Page 88
Country England
Record set England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Deaths & burials
Collections from Great Britain, England
© Findmypast

Think that wraps up the family ArgyllGran. None of Abraham and Sarah Jane's children seem to have married and produced legitimate heirs.

I agree, RG.
Can't see any obvious marriages for any of them - not in Rochdale, anyway.