The Amazing Annakins of 'Arrogate

A Primitive Methodist family and their connections

Primitive Methodist Leader, 22nd October 1914

MARRIAGE.

A large congregation assembled in the Dragon Parade Church, Harrogate, on September 26th, to witness the marriage of Miss Lillian Whitaker, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker, to Mr. A. B. Annakin. The bride was given away by her father. The bridesmaid was Miss Mabel L. Annakin, B.A., and the best man was Mr. A. H. Annakin, sister and cousin of the bridegroom respectively. Councillor J. H. Marlow presided at the organ, and Rev. W. Younger was the officiating minister. The bride was charmingly attired. A reception was afterwards held at Beech Bank, Harrogate, the residence of the parents of the bride, where the numerous and valuable presents were displayed. The bridegroom was the recipient of a congratulatory letter and a valuable tray from the trustees of the church, and a handsome clock from the choir. The bride and bridegroom have been closely associated with the church, and the parents of both are prominently associated with its official life. The bridegroom has rendered conspicuous service in the choir; his charming voice has often enriched the worship of the sanctuary. Their future home will be in Halifax, where the bridegroom is an architect, and conducts science classes on two evenings in each week. The honeymoon is being spent in Blackpool.

The bridegroom was Arthur Bertie Annakin (1888-1947). He was the son of Robert Annakin (1857-1932, Coal Merchant) who was the son of Robert Annakin (1820-1859). He served in WW1 and survived. He sang a solo at Norman Shepherd’s memorial service.

Mabel (1886-1916), his sister died two years later. Mabel was awarded her degree in 1908 by London University. London was the first UK University to award degrees to ladies in 1880, when 4 ladies graduated.

The bestman was Arthur Hymas Annakin (1888-1964). He was the son of Richard Annakin (1860-1949) another son of Robert Annakin (1820-1869). He also served in WW1 and survived.

Primitive Methodist Leader, 28th May 1925

Sunday at Harrogate.

On Tuesday a crowded audience assembled at Dragon Parade Church to take part in an American evening. A country market was held, when vendors appeared in quaint country costumes. The goods were furnished mainly by private enterprise. An attractive programme was provided under the leadership of Ald. Richard Annakin. The refreshment stall was under the management of ladies. The chair was taken by Mr. Amos Chippindale, who commented on the splendid response. He suggested that “full speed ahead” illustrated the true attitude of the Church, and appealed to all departments to do their utmost to realise their true aims. In opening the proceedings J. W. Broadbent, Boston Spa, said he had a warm regard for Dragon Parade, and would never forget his association with its members during many happy years. Rev. B. A. Barber said that the amount raised had proved a revelation, and was significant of the loyalty of adults and young people alike. The net proceeds had realised £128 10s. He also wished to make an appeal. All the churches in Harrogate realised the menace of present day influences. Thousands of motorcars invaded their town every Sunday, and he wished to remind them that the wireless was not intended to supplant public worship. On a recent Sunday they had received thirty-four new members into the church and over 200 had received Communion. He hoped that every member would continue to safeguard the vital interests of the church, for no greater calamity could befall either the individual or society than the loss of worship. Ald. Shepherd heartily endorsed Mr. Barber’s sentiments.

The Annakins of ‘Arrogate

Robert Annakin (1820-1869) married Hannah Barker (1820-1892) and they had 14 children:-

Mary (1841-1857)

Jane (1843-1910)

William (1844-1902)

Elizabeth (1846-1921) married Robert Rayner and had 7 children

Martha (1848-1917) married John William Kendall Brent and had 5 children

George (1849-1924) became a PM minister; married Alice Smith and had 4 children

Ann (1851-1917) married Henry Walls Auton (A Mr Auton gets a mention on the MPMA “Harrogate, Yorkshire” page)

Hannah (1853-1945) married Joseph Shepherd and had 3 children, including Norman Shepherd

Lois (1855-1915) married William Ince and had 4 children

Joseph (1855-1913) married Hannah Wilkinson and had 3 children

Robert (1857-1932) had 4 children, including Mabel L (1886-1916) & Arthur Bertie (1888-1947)

Isabella (1859-1901) married Amos Chippindale and had 3 children, including Clement

Richard (1860-1949) married Hannah Hymas and had 5 children including Mabel (1883-1956) & Arthur Hymas (1888-1964)

Jemima (1863-1922) married Herbert Mitchell

There were other Annakins in Harrogate. Robert senior had 3 sisters and 2 brothers – not sure how many, if any, children his brothers had. Robert senior’s father, William also had a couple of brothers. The above was gleaned from about half a dozen Public Member Trees on Ancestry. They are not in total agreement and I have gone with the majority when there is any doubt – mainly Ann & Joseph. If the other Ann is the real one she would have been the twin of Lois, but the one I have gone for married an Auton and a Mr Auton gets a mention on the MPMA “Harrogate, Yorkshire” page. One person has Joseph married 3 times and producing 12 children in total – to do this he would have had to go to Australia to marry a second time and come back to marry a third time before going back to Australia to die. The consensus is that he did die in Australia so the second marriage may be correct but the third seems a bit far fetched. Nobody has discovered anything about the 3 eldest children regarding marriage or children of their own. One person has Jane dying as early as 1881. Only one person has Jemima getting married and only two offer a date of death.

So on their mothers’ sides Clement Chippindale & Norman Shepherd had at least 35 cousins.

At family gatherings asking Hannah to pass the salt would have caused confusion

Richard, besides being a Councillor ran a “Public Works” Contracting business (no comment). So did he build the roads serving the houses that Amos built? In 1911 his daughter Mabel worked for the Post Office as a telegraphist and Arthur Hymas seems to have worked for his father. Arthur Hymas was best man at his cousin’s, Arthur Bertie, wedding.

Robert was a coal merchant – so he sold the coal to the people who lived in the houses Amos built to keep them warm in the winter. His daughter Mabel graduated at London University in 1908. Her brother Arthur Bertie sang “impressively” at Norman Shepherd’s Memorial Service.

Comments about this page

  • Christine,
    Can I refer you to the following page about Robert Annakin (1820-1869), grandfather of Ethel Annakin. The information there suggests that the family were Primitive Methodists.
    Concerning the difference between Congregationalists and Methodists, the main difference lay in the way they were organised. Congregationalists acted as independent congregations, appointing their own ministers from a pool of approved ministers. Methodist Chapels are organised into circuits within Districts with a national conference setting codes of discipline and practice. Ministers were stationed to circuits by the conference.
    Theologically there was little difference with many pulpit exchanges being acceptable to both denominations.
    Congregational congregations were also called Independents and the Congregational movement pre-dates Methodism.

    By Geoff Dickinson (17/03/2023)
  • Hello, thank you for providing the information about the Annakins, which is really useful for my research into Ethel Annakin/Snowden. In June Hannam’s (2004) short biography of Ethel (see here
    https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/48517)
    she stated that her parents Richard and Hannah (Hymas) were congregationalists? However from my reading and from what is said on these web pages I believe them to have been Primitive Methodists, is this correct?
    I grew up a congregationalist so I know a little of the differences in these denominations.

    By Christine Lewis (17/03/2023)
  • Mike – thanks for the additional info on Richard Annakin – which just makes the Annakin’s even more amazing. I have taken the summer off from family research and the Annakin’s who I am in no way related to! The above does need some updating and contains some errors – hope to do this before the year is out. In the meantime I would like to point out that Clement & Norman had at least 60 “Annakin” cousins rather than the 35 I had discovered by last April and the one who was to become the most famous does not even get a mention above.  

    By David Redhead (11/08/2018)
  • Richard Annakin was also mayor of Harrogate from 1929 to ’30. He was a Councillor from 1910 to 1923 and then an early Alderman until 1945.

    By Mike (01/08/2018)

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