Hi Karin
My name is Audrey Lowe and my Dad is James France who is now 90 yrs old - My Dads Dad also James France and Mary Fairhurst nee France (who owned Ashton Heath Farm)Dad Arthur France were Brothers - Mary and my Dad were Cousins - The parents of Arthur France and James France were Martha Budworth and James France (another James) Martha Budworths parents also owned a farm on Tanners Lane!
Mary Fairhurst nee France and My Dad James France were very close and used to see each other on a regular basis over the years - towards the last couple of years before Mary passed away she became more and more confused with age I expect! My Dad never got any photographs or any family memrobillia from Mary unfortunately, who was my Dads next of kin - She never had children! - very sad ! Photographs of my Dads Family would have been wonderful to keep and pass on through the Family - I do have potraits of Martha Budworth and James France (Mary Fairhurst's and my Dads Grandma and Grandad) to be cherished and passed on to members of the Family - If you have any information regarding photos at least! - etc I would appreciate Regards Audrey Lowe nee France

Town: Standish

Hello Audrey

I don't have any photographs of Ashton Heath Farm. I have just a couple of photographs of Cooksons Farm which was where my great grandad and grandad lived.

I only met Mary Fairhurst (nee France) a couple of times but she was a lovely lady with a great love for the donkeys that she looked after when they came to stay in Ashton from Blackpool in Winter.

Karin

William Rigby 1838 of the Ashton Heath farm was related to Thomas Rigby of the Town Green farm. He can be found working for his uncle Henry at the Town Green farm on the 1871 census. You'll need Ancestry.co.uk to view the census link. Rigby's also owned Low Bank farm in the 1860's. I'd be confident of all of them being related in some way.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=7619&iid=LANRG10_3898_3899-0232&fn=William&ln=Rigby&st=r&ssrc=&pid=9764974

Town: Mount Pleasant

Mary Fairhurst who owned the Farm at Ashton Heath was my Dads Cousin - Marys Dad Arthur France and my Dads Dad James France (My Grandad) were brothers - Mary and my Dad James France were always very close - she loved my Dad to bits and over the years they kept in touch and saw each other most weeks! Unfortunately the last few years before Mary passed away she did become more and more confused (old age sadly)
Arthur France and James France (My Grandad) were the siblings of Martha Budworth and James France who owned a farm on Tanners Lane - We seem to think that Arthur may have had pictures of this farm and time that he spent in Australia with the Budworths (My Fathers and my family too) before he came back to UK and married Marys Mother! I do have two potraits of Arthur and James France's Mother and Father ( James France and Martha France nee Budworth) which I will treasure knowing they were part of 'My' Family and in the right hands to be passed on years down the line!
I believe the people who took over the Farm when Mary died were her farm hands!!!!

Town: Standish