THE MATHERS – TEN GENERATIONS
News of my father’s death arrived by e-mail from my sister’s daughter Ruth. The message was brief, to the point and came as no surprise. ‘Joe, your dad passed away today, just about dinnertime. Your mum is holding her own at present, apparently he was admitted to hospital on Thursday night, was in a lot of discomfort yesterday, he was given some diamorphines to ease it, but lost consciousness this morning. Mum and Dad are there to give Grandma a bit of support. I haven't spoke to any of them yet. This message was from our Helen. No doubt she will be in touch soon to tell you more. Lots of love Ruth’. It was the evening of Grand National day, won by a horse called Pappillon. Somehow that seemed appropriate. He once told me that Bill Derbyshire was the only person ever to score a century for Billinge. His own innings of eight-six had been a pretty good bat.
Louis and I were surveying a pipeline across the flat Lincolnshire farmlands, staying at a bed and breakfast place in Great Barford, close to Bedford, when the news arrived. After that we worked just about non-stop through occasionally atrocious weather to finish the job then get back to Billinge for the funeral. In doing so we just about killed our Colombian workmate and passed through the best English countryside that I can remember seeing. We worked straight across farmland, following the pipeline, which is not something that anyone can do with immunity, passing through or close by many tiny villages and isolated farm buildings. Often a farmhouse dwelling pre dates the villages, which were often built to house workers after the tenant farms were established. In the course of walking from Market Rasen to Bedford, by a more or less direct route, we passed through much that is more or less unique to England.
In the interim before the service we tracked down my father’s long-lost cousin, Sally Margaret Hargreaves, formally Sally Morley, in that typical Lancashire mill-town of Nelson, snuggled against the outposts of moorlands, stretching eastward into Yorkshire. She told us the stories that her mother, Eleanor, had passed on to her and they dovetailed into those my grandfather had told to me, making the hazy mosaic of our mutual history more complete and tangible. She solved the mystery of one of the unidentified photographs in my grandmother’s album. It turned out that the sepia toned image, printed on cardboard, was my great grandmother, Sara Taylor. That critical scrap of information alone would have made the trip worthwhile but being with Sally was a pleasure in itself. We learned that she has a son living in Brazil and that Leo Taylor’s widow, Eira, lives in the tiny village of Beddgelert, in central Wales. Next day we went there.
There was snow on the Welsh Mountains, making them stand out vividly against a clear blue sky. All in all the scenery was breathtaking. Beddgelert sits at the foot of Mount Snowdon, at the junction of two mountain streams, where Prince Llewelyn so tragically killed his faithful wolfhound in the thirteenth century. The dog's grave is a matter of legend made tangible. There’s an old church there with parts dating back to Celtic Christianity. Leo, my father's cousin, died last year, before I discovered the whereabouts of this family branch. His widow is a native of Beddgelert. I was to discover from her that Leo had been a mountaineer, a mountain guide, a ski instructor and an authority on Snowdon's flora. He had even climbed the Matterhorn. His ashes were scattered in the Gwynedd Valley, at the spot where tourists stop to take a photograph when they visit the National Park in which Snowdon stands. We walked around the village with his twenty-one year old son, a quiet boy with sandy hair and faraway eyes. It was peaceful and very moving.
The service was held at Saint James’, where great aunt Cecily’s brother-in-law, Cannon Baybutt, had been parish priest for twenty-six years. From there the proceedings moved to St. Luke’s, where his body was buried. It turned out to be a bitterly cold day, confirming, once again, that whatever family and friends survive me will not be subjected to same ordeal: the sight of my poor old aunt, hobbling the hundred yards or so from the church to the grave, to listen to more mumbo jumbo in the rain, then toss a pinch of sand in the general direction of the coffin, saddened me far more than the passing of a man who lived for close on a century. Those undertakers surely are on a winner - if I can arrange it so, they will gain nothing from my passing.
Three days after the funeral, on the twentieth of April 2000, Louis flew back to New Zealand. With my father and son both out of the picture there did not seem to be any great urgency in pursuing local history. Events, however, took on their own impetus in the form of a photograph that Keith Roby’s wife Jean had discovered. It depicted a Methodist walking day procession, coming up Longshaw Old Road. The triangle of land behind the Hare & Hounds was vacant in this photograph but obviously the stonewall on the right, looking down towards Park Road, had been recently constructed. My thoughts were that if I could discover the construction date of that wall I would be able to make an educated guess as to which of our Roby ancestors might be among the spectators watching the procession. That land had belonged to the Mather family. Ten minutes after climbing off his tractor, in the yard at Wiswall Farm, Charles Mather handed me a printed document that his brother Hugh had compiled in 1993. That document is reproduced below, with apologies to Hugh for the editing out of obvious typographic mistakes and making slight adjustments.
INTRODUCTION
These notes on the history of the family are a compilation of facts and stories obtained from various people, of whom the most important have been Mrs Frances Hunt (from notes recorded around 1969), Miss Betty Wright and my mother, Mrs Edith Mather. I am particularly indebted to Mrs Margaret Whittle and Rev Tom Steel for information about the Mather family in the 18th Century and before. It is intended to enlarge it further, as more details become available. I have extended it forwards to include people who have died fairly recently, but have included few details of people who are still alive - that is a task for future generations. My purpose is to set down a permanent record of the family history, up to around 1950, for the interest both of our successors and ourselves. (Hugh Mather 30/3/1993)
PART ONE - PRIOR TO 1850.
Rev Tom Steel, Vicar of Prescot, has undertaken a comprehensive survey of the Mather family in the 17th-18th Centuries and virtually all my information is gained directly from his research. The first reference is in 1604, when Margaret Mather is mentioned as an 'old recusant' and in 1607, when Richard Mather is given a lease of land from the Gerard estate. It is not clear whether they are direct ancestors, but it seems likely from the references both to recusancy, the leasing of land from the Gerard Estate and indeed their Christian names (see below).
RICHARD (16??-1672) AND MARGARET MATHER
A Richard Mather is the earliest family member who can be traced with reasonable certainty. His date of birth is unknown. In 1654 he obtained a lease of 'the Long Croft' in Billinge from the Gerard Estate. He paid £160 to James Anderton of Birchley for various properties, including the 'Longe Hayes, the Oxcroft, the two Clay Crofts, the Makeins Hey, the Makeins Lane and the Oven House Hey'. Richard was elected constable of Billinge and Winstanley in 1659. In 1661/2 he is described as yeoman and credited with giving one shilling as a 'free and voluntary present' to Charles II. He is recorded as occupying 18 acres in Billinge. The family links with recusancy are shown by a deed from 1665 relating Billinge Chapel, which names one Peter Mather (possibly Richard's son) 'if he be and continues a member of the C of E'. Richard was buried at Wigan on 13/3/1672 and his widow, Margaret, was buried on 5/4/1680. He had at least three children, namely Peter and Richard, born in or before 1651, and Francis, born by 1660/1. Our line of the family comes through his second son, Richard.
RICHARD (c1651-1733) AND ELIZABETH
Richard Mather was born around 1651. He married his wife, Elizabeth, before 1682 and had four children, namely Margaret, baptised in Wigan in 1682, Thomas, born c1686, John, and Anne, born c1688. He took a new lease of 'The Long Croft' from the Gerard Estate and this lease was renewed in 1715. The 'Return of Papists' of 1705 details him as being a Roman Catholic. In Estcourt and Payne’s English Catholic Non-jurors, he is referred to as Richard Mather of Billinge, yeoman. He had a £5 annuity 'out of a house tenanted by their Protestant son Thomas'. In 1717 he is recorded as holding 19 acres in Billinge, leased from the Gerard's. He made his will in 1717, in which his property includes the 'Miln House', 'Chaddocks Ground' and 'the little house called Jennetts'. Richard died in 1733 and was buried at Wigan in June. His inventory survives. Elizabeth, his widow, died in 1745 and was buried at Wigan on 4/11/1745.
THOMAS (c1686-1745) AND HANNAH
Thomas was the second child of Richard and Elizabeth, born c1686. Both his parents were Roman Catholic but he had become a Protestant by 1715. Thomas was a court attorney and bailiff. On 4/6/1709 Wigan Court heard the petition of 'Mr Thomas Mather of Wigan to elect him attorney and choose him burgess'. He was duly elected burgess, was bailiff of court in 1709 and attorney from 1716-9. He married Hannah Rawlinson on 22/8/1726 by licence at Farnworth. At that time he is described as a 'gentleman, 35, of Billinge'- this would make his birthdate to be c1689. Hannah was the younger daughter of Peter Rawlinson, a yeoman of Farnworth and Newton and his wife Hannah (nee Dennis). In 1726 he is detailed as holding one acre of the Gerard's estate in Newton. He also seems to have acquired property in Newton through his marriage, notably those named 'Pepper Alley' and 'Crow Lane'. He is described as a 'gentleman' in 1727-1736 and as a 'yeoman' in 1743. He attended every Annual Vestry Meeting at Billinge except two, from 1718-1744. He died in 1745, five months before his mother, and was buried at Wigan on 28/5/1745, when he is described as 'Mr Thomas Mather of Billinge, Attorney'. Hannah, his wife, lived on until at least 1769. In 1760 she is recorded as paying rents for the Newton properties, left to her by her father, Peter Rawlinson (who died in 1749 and was buried at Winwick on 5/7/1749). Hannah died between 1769 and 1781 and was probably buried in Wigan.
Thomas and Hannah had seven children, all baptised at Billinge. Elizabeth, the eldest, was baptised on 17/8/1727. Subsequent children were Alice (1729), John and Margaret (1731), James (1733), Thomas (1736) and Richard (1743). Our line of the Mather family comes through James, their fourth child. That of Rev Tom Steel passes through Elizabeth, who married John Hodgkinson, a weaver, in Wigan in 1748.
JAMES (1733-1802) AND ANN
James was born in 1733 and probably married Ann Berrington of Rainford at Wigan in 1765. As yet, little is known of him. He is described as a Billinge yeoman and died in 1802. James and Ann had several children, namely Thomas (1767), Ann (1768), Joshua (1769), James (1771), John (1772), Tabitha (1774), William (1776), Peter (1778) and Sarah (1781). Our line of family passes through Joshua. Of the other children, James is described in the 1841 census as a cotton weaver at Birchley Gate and Peter is listed as an 'independent' at School Brow.
JOSHUA (1769-c1850) AND 'PEGGY' (MARGARET)
Joshua, the third child of James and Ann Mather, was born in 1769. His first child, Richard, was illegitimate, born circa 1801 to Peggy Mather, who subsequently married Joshua on 23/08/1805. Little is known of the ancestry of Peggy, whose maiden name was also Mather. They then had 9 more children. In 1841 he is recorded in the Census as living at Fir Tree House, as a farmer and shopkeeper. He was alive in 1852, when he helped to administer the Estate of William Ainsworth. The latter, a grandson of Peter Rawlinson, had become a wealthy Liverpool merchant. On his death in 1807 his Estate was left to trustees to benefit his mentally handicapped brother, Thomas. When Thomas Ainsworth died in 1848, Joshua, his second cousin and next-of-kin, administered the Estate. It was divided into 10 parts and many of the extended Mather family benefited from it.
The ten children of Joshua and Margaret Mather were: Richard (1801), Betty (1806), Ann (1808), James (1811), Sarah(1813), Margaret(1815), Mary(1817), Ellen(1819), Joshua(1821), Peter(1831) and William (date of birth unknown). Our line of the family passes through the first born, Richard. The sixth child, Margaret, married Francis Crank in Wigan in 1866 and the Crank family, including Margaret Crank, now Whittle, who assisted with this research, is thus related to the Mathers.
RICHARD (1802-1874) AND ELLEN
Richard Mather was born in 1802, the first and illegitimate son of Joshua and Margaret ('Peggy') Mather. He was baptised at Billinge in 1802 as the illegitimate son of Peggy Mather. His exact parentage is thus slightly obscure, but in Joshua's will he is referred to as 'my illegitimate son'. Richard was a carter. He married Ellen Stephenson (born circa 1811) in 1833. She was a seamstress who came from Dittons Prior, Farnworth, near Widnes. Richard is said to have met her while carting stone to Widnes. It is reported that Richard saw her sewing in a window when collecting water for his horse and threw the water away to have another look. The table at which she was sitting is now the possession of Betty Wright. When they married, they 'made their mark' in the parish register, evidently being illiterate. In the Baptism register, their residence is given as Billinge until 1837, but after that they are said to live in Winstanley. In the 1841 Census, they are recorded as living at Flint Cottages, Winstanley.
Richard and Ellen had several children, namely Joshua born 1834 and Margaret born 1837 (named after their paternal grandparents), James born 1842 (died in childhood), Hugh born 28/01/1844, Richard born 1845, and William, who was born around 1852. In the 1851 Census, the family is recorded as living at Chapel Brow, Billinge. Richard is described as a stone delf labourer and he is said to have worked for James Melling at some stage. In addition to their four children living at that time, they had four lodgers, three of whom were colliery labourers. By the 1861 Census, Richard is described as a shopkeeper, again on Chapel Brow. Whether this is the same shop run later by Hugh and Elizabeth is unclear. By 1871, Richard and Ellen are living with one lodger on Chapel Brow. Richard is described as an agricultural labourer. Richard (the father) died on 23/12/1874, aged 73, and Ellen (his wife) died on 24/06/1874 aged 64.
The three youngest children of Richard and Ellen (Hugh, Richard and William) survived to adult life, as did Joshua, the oldest child. The latter was living at 28 Holy Fold in the 1871 Census, with his wife Mary. Later, he lived at the Pingot and was remembered by Auntie Nelly as 'Uncle Joshua'. Hugh married Elizabeth Peet and they and their offspring are the main theme of this leaflet. Richard (his brother) was an engine driver. He was killed in a colliery accident when aged about twenty-seven. William went to live in Walton, to work as an engine driver and raised a large family based in Crosby.
PART TWO. HUGH MATHER (1844-1912) AND ELIZABETH PEET ONWARDS.
The modern history of the extended Mather family begins with this couple. They are the common ancestors of the Mather, Wright, Laithwaite and Hunt families and are the first ancestors of whom photographs survive. Hugh was born on 26/01/1844. He married Elizabeth Peet on 29/10/1866, when both were aged twenty-two. His occupation in the 1861 Census, when he was aged seventeen, was given as blacksmith. On his marriage certificate he is stated as being an engine driver. He worked at Sammy Stocks' pit at Blackleyhurst. He is said to have liked music and met Elizabeth when playing in a band at a school treat in Rainford.
Elizabeth Peet was born in 1845 at Atherton House Farm, Winstanley Road. She was the illegitimate daughter of Sally Peet, aged 21, a maid at Winstanley Hall, and James Nicholson. The latter came from Scotland. He was one of several Nicholson brothers who managed Bankes Estate. They seem to have been notably prolific. In the 1841 Census, William and Ann Nicholson are recorded as living at Atherton House Farm. Their children (and ages in 1841) are recorded as William (25), Phoebe (25), Mary (20), John (20) and Robert (27?). No son named James is recorded, making the identity of Elizabeth's father slightly unclear. James and Alice Peet are recorded as farmers in Winstanley in 1841. They may be forbears of Sally Peet.
Elizabeth Peet was brought up at Crank by 'Yorkshire Charlie', whose real name was Charles Howarth. They lived in a cottage, since demolished, which was opposite the Pendlebury Chapel in Crank. He is said to have worked in the quarries in Crank Caverns and helped to construct the UpHolland railway tunnel. He married the aunt of Elizabeth, had no children of his own, but brought up his illegitimate niece. She claimed to have had only sixpence in her pocket at the time of her wedding.
After their marriage in 1866, Hugh and Elizabeth initially lived at 6 Beacon Road, in a cottage since demolished. It was one of three built at right angles to the road, as the road dips, on the left hand side going towards Billinge Hill. They were still living there in 1871. They subsequently moved to 52 Main Street, close to the 'Old House at Home', where Elizabeth ran a shop to supplement Hugh's earnings. She was extremely hard-working, thrifty and ambitious. The shop sold provisions (bread, cakes etc.) for miners. She is said to have risen at five a.m. to obtain water from the pump, situated in what is now Bankes Park, to start baking scones. She walked to St Helens to obtain supplies for her shop. They are said to have run the first post office in Billinge. Hugh subsequently became a contractor and employed Irish workers, to whom he sold provisions from the shop run by his wife, Elizabeth.
They had a family of six children, namely Charles, born 1868, Richard, Sarah Ellen (Nellie), Mary ('Polly), Elizabeth (Bessie), and Charlotte ('Lottie'). Their eldest son, Charles, married Mary Ann Simm from 52 Main St in 1888. In the 1891 Census, the children living there were Richard (19), medical student, Sarah Ellen (17) dressmaker, Mary (13) and Charlotte (11). At some time afterwards, Hugh and Elizabeth moved across the road, to run the Stork Inn and the farm attached, which they rented from the Bankes Estate. It is probable that money from the Simm family, after Charles' marriage to Mary Ann, played an important part in this venture. The Stork was very prosperous. Large parties were held there for travelling merchants. It was a resting venue between Liverpool and Manchester. One early visitor was Lord Leverhulme. Elaborate meals were served and the small farm, attached to the Stork, was used to provide food. The four daughters helped to run the Inn, working as barmaids. The venture must have been very successful because they had saved enough capital to build the ‘Red Knob Row’ of houses in Newton Road (number 2 onwards), in 1903.
Elizabeth was always the dominant partner, being remarkably industrious and ambitious. Her husband, Hugh, was a kindly man and a good father but was much more passive and easy-going than his wife. He had a sandy beard, much in evidence in old photographs. He was a member of Billinge Council for many years, a Government Official, having been the assessor of taxes for over 30 years and the land valuation officer. He was a sidesman at Billinge Church for many years. He died on 13/07/12, aged sixty-eight, from pneumonia after working in the hay on the farm at the Stork. Hs obituary in the Wigan Observer states that 'he was a man who was very well known not only in Billinge, where he had had many interests for more than a generation, but also throughout the Wigan district. He was greatly respected and his funeral proceedings were most impressive'.
Elizabeth lived her final years at Longshaw House. She moved there with her daughter 'Auntie Nelly' and the Wright family (William and Polly, with their three young sons), presumably soon after the death of her husband in 1912. By the time Betty Wright was born, in 1914, the extended family was living at Longshaw House. Elizabeth initially rented Longshaw House from the Bankes, and the family subsequently bought it. In addition to the Wright family, Elizabeth and her daughter Nellie, Miss Emma Cadman also lived there. She was the illegitimate daughter of a man named Cadman who owned a local quarry. She also had Nicholson blood, was a cousin of Elizabeth and regarded as part of the family. She was presumably a descendent of Canon Cadman, who was born at Longshaw House on 13/5/1815. He became a Canon of Canterbury Cathedral, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Vicar of St Marylebone and died on 12/5/1891. Miss Cadman had been well educated at a private school, was rather genteel and taught the piano.
Elizabeth was a forceful, determined and extremely ambitious lady and was very much the head of the 'extended' Mather family. Her grandchildren were rather frightened of her. Perhaps her drive dated back to her childhood, as an illegitimate girl and virtual orphan, in Mid-Victorian England. Perhaps her Scottish blood, from her father James Nicholson, also played an important part. She frequently claimed to be writing her life story, in her old age, but this never materialized. She was clearly a very remarkable lady, who founded an equally remarkable extended family, and rose to a position of wealth and influence within the local community, from entirely humble origins. She died at Longshaw House on 6/6/1933, aged eighty-eight. Her obituary in the Wigan Observer describes her as 'one of the best known and most beloved residents of Billinge'. It refers to her work on behalf of Billinge Parish Church and states that her gracious manner endeared her to all who knew her. At her request, her eight grandsons carried her coffin from Longshaw House to Billinge Church. These were Hugh, David, James and Richard Mather; James, Hugh and Charles Wright; and Tom Laithwaite.
Elizabeth had a full sister, Mary Peet, who was brought up in Orrell, married a man named Nixon and through whom the family is distantly related to several local families, including the Rylance, Gaskell, Anderton, Barton and Nixon families. She also may have had another sister named Betsy. Their mother, Sarah ('Sally') Peet then married a man named John Topping, who came from a Catholic family and made gravestones. John Topping died on 25/1/1890, aged seventy. They had a son, Tommy Topping, who was the father of the family of window cleaners and who died on 4/10/32 aged seventy-seven. Sally died aged ninety-one at the Grapes Inn, Orrell on 3/2/1915, being thus born around 1824. She is buried at St James Catholic Church, Orrell, with her husband and her son. Mary Nixon's daughter, Alice, married a man named Winnard, and they ran the Grapes Inn at Orrell. They had a famous parrot in the bar, which attracted much custom by calling 'Drink up, time gentleman please!' All three Peet sisters lived well into their eighties.
THE SIMM FAMILY
JOSEPH (c1800-1849) AND ANN SIMM
The Simm family originated around Downall Green, Ashton in Makerfield. The details given below were recorded in the front of the Simm family bible, belonging to Francis Hunt. This bible revealed that Joseph Simm (circa 1800-12/3/1849) and his wife Ann had 11 children between 1828 and 1844. The fourth of these, John Simm, born 10/3/1832, was the father of Mary Ann Simm who married Charles Mather in 1888. They were a farming family and it seems possible that they gave rise to the locality 'Simm's Lane End'. Ann Simm became a widow after her husband died of a fever in 1849. The 1861 Census indicates that she was born in Ashton, around 1803 and that she was then living with her son John and daughter-in-law Mary Anne at Brownlow, with James Melling. She is said to have lived somewhere near the pub named the 'Foot', near Billinge Hospital, but further details are not available.
Full details of Joseph and Anne Simm's children, from the family bible, are as follows:
Mary, born 17/11/1828, died?
John, born 12/1829, died 4/8/31 aged 19 months
Jane, born 13/2/1831, died?
John, born 10/3/32 died 21/2/97 (see below)
Susannah, born 30/5/1833, died 23/6/1851 aged 18
Ellen born 4/1/1834 died 11/4/57 aged 22
Thomas, born 22/11/1836 died?
Abraham, born 7/8/1838, died? (Alive in Billinge, 1876)
Robert, born 8/7/1840, died?
Hannah, born 25/2/1842, died 16/3/45 aged 3
Joseph, born 14/8/44 died 26/1/46 aged 19 months
JOHN (1832-1897) AND MARY ANN SIMM
John Simm was born 10/3/1832 at Billinge and died on 21/2/1897, the fourth child of Joseph and Anne Simm. He married Mary Ann Melling, who was born around 1829 and died on 27/10/1891. Her older brother, James Melling, born around 1822, owned a stone quarry (Coppice Wood quarry) on Billinge Hill around the years 1850-90 and made a considerable amount of money. He built the rows of houses in Longshaw, around 1845 onwards, from rough stone from his quarries. He was unmarried and lived for many years with John and Mary Simm and their two children. At the 1861 Census, they were living in Brownlow and farming 14 acres. At this stage, the household consisted of John, his wife Mary Anne, his mother Anne (aged 58), his sister (Jane Wadsworth, 30), and James Melling (aged 39), described as a lodger and stonemason. In 1871 Longshaw House Farm, as Wiswalls was then termed, was home to Thomas Melling, 'farmer of 33 acres, employing 2 boys'. The relation of Thomas Melling to James is unclear, and may be non-existent.
In 1881 John and Mary Simm are recorded as living at the 'City', Longshaw, with their children Mary Anne (12) and John James (7), and James Melling. John is described as 'farmer of 30 acres'. It is not clear whether they were living at Wiswalls at that time. James Melling bought the farm from the Gerard family on 9/8/1888 for £3000, after renting it for an unknown period. The farm included the triangle of land behind the Hare and Hounds. He died on 28/12/89 at Wiswalls. His estate was valued at £1701-13s-1d. Most of his estate, including Wiswalls Farm, was bequeathed to the children of his sister and brother-in-law, Mary Anne and John Simm, who were confusingly also named Mary Ann and John James Simm. His will was made on 17/12/1889 and he died on 28/12/1889. James Melling had another sister named Jane, who died prior to 1889, married to a man named Laithwaite. They had a son named James (or Joseph) Laithwaite, who was nicknamed 'Old Paider'. By all accounts he was a severe drinker and lived a rather erratic life, although said to be kind-hearted. He was left a row of houses to the left of Moore's shop but in effect was cut out of most of his uncle's will. He had a sister, Anne, who married William Barton. James Melling thus had several nephews and nieces and the two Simm children, Mary Anne and John James, seem fortunate to have inherited most of the estate.
Thus John Simm farmed at Wiswalls, after farming at Brownlow, moving there after his brother-in-law, James Melling, had bought it. As detailed above, he had two children, Mary Ann (born 27/9/1868) and John James (born 15/12/1873). They were old parents - Mary Anne Simm (nee Melling) had her two children when aged around thirty-eight and forty-four. Mary Anne died on 27/10/1891 aged sixty-two and John Simm died on 21/2/1897 aged sixty-four.
JOHN JAMES SIMM was Mary Anne Simm's younger brother, born on 17/12/1873. He farmed at Wiswalls after his father died in 1897. His uncle, James Melling, who died when he was 16, bequeathed Wiswalls Farm to him. He was an intelligent man, who had wide-ranging interests, such as astronomy, violin playing and cacti. He was not a successful farmer, apparently spending too much time in his greenhouse. Earlier in life he was in love with Bessie Mather (see below) who married Billy Cliffe. Towards the end of his life he became an eccentric recluse and Wiswalls farmhouse became increasingly dilapidated. Betty Wright, who was brought up at Longshaw House, barely half a mile away, never visited the farm in those days. He was regarded as very strange and rather frightening. He died unmarried and intestate on 15/8/1931, aged fifty-seven. For several years the house was derelict, until renovated by Hugh Mather in 1941. His estate, including Wiswalls, was passed on to his sister Mary Anne Simm. The gross value was £6259-8s-9d, net £1199-3s-1d.
CHARLES MATHER (c1868-1952), MARY ANNE SIMM & THEIR CHILDREN
Charles was the eldest child of Hugh and Elizabeth Mather, being born around 1868. He married Mary Anne Simm when both were aged twenty. He was regarded as rather idle and effectively retired having married a wealthy young lady. His occupation when he married was given as labourer.
Mary Anne Simm was born around 1868. She spent at least some of her childhood at Wiswalls Farm although it is not exactly clear when the family moved there. She attended a school at Brownlow and was a potentially wealthy young girl when she married Charles Mather in 1888. Charles and Mary Anne then lived at Wiswalls Farm for a while, with her parents and brother. In the 1891 Census, they are recorded as living at Wiswalls with Charles aged 25, Mary Anne 22, John James 17, and their young daughter Frances aged one. They subsequently lived at Chapel House, where Charles acted as coachman and general assistant to his brother Dr R.O. Mather. They then moved to 2 Newton Road, which was one of the row of houses built by his mother Elizabeth. They probably moved there after they were built in 1903. Charles lived in the same house for virtually 50 years. Later he became Registrar of births, deaths and marriages for Orrell, Billinge, UpHolland and Dalton, with his daughter Francis acting as his assistant, holding this post for thirty-one years, retiring in 1935. He is said to have married the young George Formby. He was fond of telling his children that 'there was no royal road to success', but it was generally thought that he had disproved this hypothesis.
There was some friction initially between Mary Anne and Elizabeth, her dominant mother-in-law, who regarded the Simms as rather ignorant, but was happy to utilise some of the Simm (i.e. Melling) family money nevertheless. Mary Anne dressed rather plainly and appeared rather 'ordinary', out of keeping with her considerable wealth. On one occasion she was shopping in Pendlebury's, Wigan, when questions were asked as to her credit-worthiness. The manager apparently told the assistant that she could buy the entire contents of the shop if she wished.
She is remembered as a quiet, kind, and intelligent lady. She was generous to a fault and charged only nominal rents on the dozen or so houses she inherited at Longshaw from James Melling. She used to host a family party on Boxing Day, after the Wigan/St Helens rugby match, and offer hospitality at 2 Newton Road to the large 'extended' Mather family. Towards the end of her life, Mary Anne had a stroke and prolonged ill health. After being virtually chair-bound for several years, she died on 13/7/1941 aged seventy-two. Her obituary notice in the Wigan Observer refers to her 'very charming disposition'. She grieved considerably over her two children who died in infancy, John Irvine and John Oswald, and at her death was found to have retained their bootees as a cherished possession.
Charles was interested in music. He was taught, by man named Birchall, to play the organ and was organist at Billinge Church for many years, from around 1888 to 1922. At that time, the organ was at the rear of the church, before the East End extension was built (around 1905). It is said that he had to be fetched from the Eagle after sermons to play the final hymn. On Christmas morning 1921 he was found to be unfit to play and Albert Mather (who is no relation) was asked to take over. Charles finally retired as organist in June 1922 after 32 years service and was presented with a chiming clock. He played the piano for silent films shown at the Conservative club and at one time had piano pupils, although his own children did not learn. He is said to have stored bacon inside his piano during rationing in World War I, resulting in rusty strings.
He was a large, stocky man, who latterly walked with difficulty after badly injuring his knees when out shooting, in 1935. He was universally known as 'Old Charlie' in his later years. He played a prominent role in local Council affairs for many years, serving on Billinge and Winstanley District Council for forty-nine years, from 1897 to 1946. He was Chairman of the Council on several occasions and was Chairman of the Water Committee for a long period. He was involved in various local projects. A water pump near Brownlow was named the Mather pump after him. Until an accident in 1935, he had never missed a council meeting for 38 years. He was appointed a County Magistrate in 1919. However, he was to some extent overshadowed by his bright and talented younger brother, Richard, for most of his life. Sadly, he died from burns. To quote the inquest, it was his practice to get up about 4.30 a.m. to light the kitchen fire at 2 Newton Road. He stumbled into the fire while fastening his boot. He died on the following day in Billinge Hospital, on 6/12/52, aged eighty-six.
Charles and Mary Anne Mather had six children. Four survived to adult life. These were Francis, Hugh Leslie, David Maurice and James Simm. They are detailed below. Two boys, John Irvine and John Oswald, born between Francis (in 1891) and Hugh (around 1895) died in infancy, aged around ten months and eighteen months, from gastro-enteritis.
Francis was born in 1891, in the study at Wiswalls Farm. She was brought up by her mother to be a gentlewoman and wore smart clothes and kid gloves, in contrast to her three younger brothers, who tended to be rather scruffy. She attended the Gamble institute in St Helens and may have studied Art. She also boarded at the Notre Dame Convent in Wigan. As only French was spoken at mealtimes, she became fluent in French. She worked as a nurse at Billinge Hospital during the First World War when it was a military hospital. She married William ('Billy') Hunt, a farmer, around 1925, when she was well into her thirties. They lived at Home Farm, Ashton, ran a milk round and sold poultry and provisions, in conjunction with running the dairy farm. Her husband died around 1944. Francis then lived with Billy and Bessie Cliffe in Winstanley Road, before finally moving to 93 Up Holland Road, where she lived for the remainder of her life. She had one son, David, who was born around 1928. She had a gift for communication with children, and was much loved by younger generations towards the end of her life! She died in the1970's, then aged in her eighties.
Hugh Leslie was born around 1895, and educated at Ashton Grammar School, as were David and James. He was notoriously mischievous as a boy and was fond of practical jokes. He grew to be a handsome, talented young man who excelled at sport, particularly athletics and trained in medicine at the University of Durham, in Newcastle. After his initial student training, he enrolled in the Navy as a surgeon probationer and fought in the Battle of Jutland. He subsequently undertook another spell in the Navy, in lieu of his younger brother, David. He then returned to Newcastle to finish his medical studies, qualifying as MB BS on 23/6/22. After serving as assistant to Dr Ormsby in Standish, he entered general practice with Norman Hartley in Pemberton, who subsequently died from appendicitis. Hugh then married his widow, Jeannie, took over the practice and lived in the Hartley family home, Leighton House, in Orrell Road, Pemberton. Jeannie is said to have married Hugh in part to retain the Pemberton practice for her son, Roy, who qualified in medicine intending to take up general practice but finally became an obstetrician. Alice Ashley, who subsequently lived at Wiswalls as Hugh's housekeeper, was employed there as a maid and wore a stiff black and white uniform. Hugh and Jeannie moved to Wiswalls after extensive renovations to the derelict house in 1941. He ran the farm, as well as the Pemberton practice, until his death on 3/12/1957, age sixty-two. He had intended to build a house on the Rough Heys, rather than renovate the house, but was unable to do so because of War restrictions. Ivy was said to be growing through the grandfather clock, which is now in the hall at Wiswalls.
Hugh was a handsome, energetic, intelligent man, with a good sense of humour. He liked fast cars in his youth and at one stage owned a large Sunbeam, of which he was very proud. He was a Mason, having been Master of Lindsay Lodge. He latterly became rather reclusive, partly because his marriage to Jeannie was not particularly close. She was often away, at her holiday home at Treadur Bay. They had no children.
David was born in about 1899. His second name was Maurice, after Dr Maurice Enright, a locum doctor who stayed at Chapel House around that time. He had asthma in childhood and was generally not over-robust. As a child he broke his leg while playing in the building site when the houses on the opposite site of Newton Road were being erected in 1905. The leg set badly, leaving it slightly crooked for the rest of his life. Both David and Hugh were strongly encouraged to work by their father, Charles, who was fond of telling them that 'there was no royal road to success'. They were both brought up at 2 Newton Road from 1903 onwards and David had the clock stopped in the evenings so he could concentrate on his studies. He progressed from Ashton Grammar School to Liverpool University. He became bald early in life, wore glasses and was rather sensitive. A lifelong bachelor, he remained close to his brother James, who was about eight years younger. After qualifying MB ChB on 30/6/20, he entered general practice in Billinge. He also worked at Billinge Hospital throughout his adult life, becoming Medical Superintendent in 1936, on the retirement of his uncle. Dr David worked almost single-handed in the War years and undertook fairly major surgery. He drained empyemas, did 'Manchester' repairs, performed around 400 Caesarian sections during the war and had a deep interest in mental health and geriatrics. The geriatric unit at Billinge Hospital has subsequently been named in his honour. He lived at 2 Newton Road until the death of his father in 1952 then came to live with James and his family at 25 Newton Road and moved with them to Wiswalls in 1958. In the 1930's he farmed at Wiswalls, after the death of John James Simm, although he never lived there. Both he and Hugh liked shooting and he was active in the Home Guard in the war. He died on 6/5/65 age sixty-six. At the opening of the David Mather Unit at the hospital, it was aptly stated that 'his humanity, understanding and sense of humour endeared him not only to his patients but also to medical and nursing personnel with whom he came into contact.'
James was born on 3/6/07, weighing 4 pounds. He was by far the youngest in the family, being born about eight years after David, and as a boy was gentle and 'easy'. His middle name was Simm, for obvious reasons. He also attended Ashton Grammar School and Liverpool University, where he qualified when aged twenty. He was offered further training in surgery but came home to work in the family practice. He lived with David and his parents at 2 Newton Road from 1928 to 1938, when he married Edith Mee and moved to 25 Newton Road. In addition to his work in the practice, he was Medical Officer of Health for Billinge from 1932 to 1963, having obtaining the DPH diploma. He also gave many anaesthetics at Billinge Hospital, especially during the War. He was interested in music, opera and the theatre and was heavily involved in Masonry, becoming Worshipful Master of the Lindsay Lodge in Wigan. He also served as President of the BMA in Wigan. He was overwhelmingly popular as a doctor in Billinge and surrounding areas from 1928 to 1963. He died on 14/10/63, aged fifty-seven. A window in Billinge Church is dedicated to his memory.
THE 'CLAREMONT' BRANCH OF THE MATHER FAMILY
RICHARD OSWALD MATHER, 'R.O.', or 'Old Uncle Richard', the second child of Hugh and Elizabeth Mather, was born around 1870. He was bright and benefited from his mother's determination to make him succeed. He travelled daily to Wigan Grammar School, walking to Pemberton then catching a train. He subsequently studied medicine at Newcastle and qualified from Durham, although he obtained an Edinburgh qualification (LRCP, LRCS), in the early 1890's. His achievement in qualifying in medicine from a very humble background is thought to have been due in no small measure to the drive of his mother. He wrote a MD thesis on Psoriasis (or Acromegaly) and obtained the DPH diploma. He also had some postgraduate training in ophthalmology. He worked in Billinge for the remainder of his life. He initially practised in the shop in Main Street but subsequently moved the practice to Chapel House, Newton Road, and later to Claremont, which previously had a small schoolroom, which he bought from the Bankes family. He was Medical Officer of Health to Billinge from March 1896 to 1932 when his nephew James took over the post. He was also Medical Officer at Billinge Hospital for many years, assisted latterly by his two nephews, David and James. He married a Catholic girl named Annie Alker, who hailed from a farm in Winstanley Road, at Brompton Oratory. This met with opposition from his parents, in keeping with the bigotry of those times. His wife was a sophisticated and proud lady but the marriage was not a total success. They had three children, Burgha, Richard and Phyllis.
Richard Oswald, a kind and cultured gentleman, was very highly regarded. He travelled around the practice initially in a pony and trap. In later life he always had a chauffeur and wore a morning coat. He was treated with considerable respect by the rest of the family, being referred to as 'Uncle Doctor'. He was an intelligent man, with various intellectual pursuits, including languages. His wife died on 21/1/41 and is buried at St Mary's, Birchley. After his retirement, 'Old RO' lived in a bungalow adjacent to Claremont, where his daughter Burgha looked him after. He died on 11/2/61.
Burgha was his eldest child. She was brought up as a Catholic, married a man named Pennington, and lived for many years in a bungalow next to Claremont. She looked after her father, 'RO', for the last decade of his life. She is still alive, in the Sue Ryder home in Billinge. She had no children.
Richard was brought up as Church of England and educated at Brighton College. He studied medicine at Durham and latterly at Liverpool, having had some problems in passing his finals. He married Betty, a dancer, who he had met whilst a student in Newcastle. He lived at Claremont for many years and was in the family practice for several decades. He was a kind man, who had more than his share of misfortune over the years. He lived to the age of over 80 and towards the end of his life lived in Newton Road.
Phyllis is the youngest child of 'RO'. She married Frank Bateman, a student friend of Richard. He became a GP in Leeds but died suddenly, when still relatively young. They had two children, Julia and Philip. She subsequently married her cousin James Wright.
LONGSHAW HOUSE & THE WRIGHT FAMILY
Sarah Ellen - Auntie Nellie - was the third child of Hugh and Elizabeth Mather, baptised on 29/3/1874. She became a nurse and midwife who never married. There is a charming photograph of her, dressed up in 'drag' attire, as an entirely convincing young man. She was involved in various public bodies, such as Boards of Governors and other good works. She was large, imposing, full of character and a highly respected lady who dressed well and possessed a slightly imperious manner. She lived for a large part of her life with the Wright family at Longshaw House, which she bought from the Bankes family. She assumed the dominant role in the extended family after the death of her mother in 1933, who in many ways she resembled. She organised large Christmas parties every Christmas. Towards the end of her long life she moved into the bungalow adjacent to Longshaw House (The Spinney) and was looked after by her niece, Betty Wright. She died on 1/1/64 aged 89.
Elizabeth (Bessie), the fifth child of Hugh and Elizabeth, married Billy Cliffe, a farmer living at Model Farm, Garswood. She was a kind lady who had no children. She and her husband lived the latter part of their lives in Winstanley Road.
Mary (Polly), the fourth child of Hugh and Elizabeth Mather, married William Wright in 1905. She was a very accomplished contralto, trained by a man named Berry in St Helens and practised in the clubroom at the Stork, accompanied by her elder brother Charles. She sang in the Billinge Parish Church choir, notably 'O Rest in the Lord', as well as with Wigan and St Helens Operatic Societies. There are photographs of her taking lead roles in Pinafore (Buttercup) and Patience (Lady Jane). Her voice resembled those of Clara Butt and Kathleen Ferrier. The photograph of her wedding, taken at the Stork in 1905, is an amazingly vivid and charming picture - although it was taken two weeks afterwards because no photographer was available on the day. There is a detailed description on the great day in an excerpt from the Wigan Observer. Her husband was a mechanical engineer who worked as an inspector of railway equipment. Immediately after their wedding they lived in Wargrave, near Newton-le-Willows, where their first three children were born. These were James, Hugh and Charles Wright, born between about 1908 and 1912. By the time their fourth child, Elizabeth Mary ('Betty'), was born in 1914 they had moved to Longshaw House, with the 'Mother-in-law' Elizabeth and Auntie Nelly. They lived at Longshaw House, where they brought up their four children. William Wright died on 9/10/30 aged sixty-four. Polly died on 24/9/41 aged sixty-five.
James Wright was their oldest son, born around 1908. He became a senior railway engineer, worked at Euston and wrote a book on signal engineering. He married Miss Molly Coe, who had also worked at Euston. They lived at Pinner for many years but had no children. After the death of his wife he subsequently returned to the North and married his cousin Phyllis Bateman. He died a few years later.
Hugh was the second son. His full name was Hugh Mather Wright. He also worked on in the railway industry but lived in Pemberton and his work was based in Manchester. He married Winifred Hartley and they had two children, James and Margaret. He died following an operation for a brain tumour on 4/9/67 aged fifty-seven.
Charles Wright qualified in Medicine from Liverpool University. He served with considerable distinction as a medical officer in the Second World Warr. He landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day and was recommended for military decoration, although this was not eventually awarded. After the war he married Nora White, daughter of Archdeacon White, sometime Vicar of Billinge. He settled in practice in Pemberton. They had five children, namely William and Elizabeth (twins), Helen, Robert and Nicholas. The family was brought up at Longshaw House. Nora died on 29/4/1975, aged sixty. Charles died on 10/12/81, aged seveenty.
Betty (Elizabeth Mary) was the youngest of the four Wright children. She was Superintendent Health Visitor in Wigan.
THE LAITHWAITES
Charlotte (Lotty) was the sixth and youngest child of Hugh and Elizabeth. She qualified as a teacher and taught at Billinge School. She subsequently married James Laithwaite. His parents ran a mixed grocery and tailoring shop in Main Street, situated on the corner on the right hand side of Main Street (going down the hill) just past the Methodist chapel. He became a much-respected headmaster at Robins Lane School in St Helens and head of a branch of St Helens Technical College in St Helens. They had one child, Tom Laithwaite, who was born in 1911. James died on 21/10/1954 aged seventy-one and Lotty died on 23/10/1948.
Tom qualified in medicine at Liverpool University in 1935. He became a general practitioner in Upper Dickinson Street, Wigan, where he ran a single-handed practice for twenty years before joining the Graham family practice, which was situated next door. He married Constance Margaret Owen, the daughter of a much-loved clergyman. They had one daughter, Charlotte, who is now a health visitor. Tom died in December 1995.
THE 'CROSBY' BRANCH OF THE FAMILY
William was the younger brother of Hugh and the son of Richard and Ellen Mather. His date of birth is unknown but is probably between 1845 and 1850. He was an engine driver, driving long distance locomotives. He is thought to have virtually absconded from Billinge to escape the influence of Elizabeth and her apparent obsession with her son, Richard. He brought up a large family of seven children in Crosby, having married a rather dominant lady named Florrie, with considerable social pretensions for her daughters, who were sent to private schools. William was a caring and proud father. The members of this branch of the family were very talented and several showed musical ability. The ties with the Billinge branch of the family continued for many years. The children spent holidays there with their many cousins and were apparently proud of their Billinge origins. The writer visited Emmy and Sissy in about 1965. At that time, Emmy was very old and dementing. Sissy was about seventy-five. They remembered coming to stay at Wiswalls for holidays at the turn of the century. They described how Charlie was thought to have 'married a millionaire’.
William's seven children were Charles, William, Emmy, Sissy, Florey, Elizabeth and Fred.
Charles, the eldest son, was an organist and pianist who rose to be chief assistant to the Chairman for the Liverpool Docks Board, before his premature death from pneumonia at age forty-two. He converted to Catholicism on his marriage. His son William had a distinguished career in the RAF, and subsequently became a Chartered Accountant. He settled into business in Kenya where he brought up a family of four.
William was a fluent French speaker who worked in the French consulate in Liverpool, becoming Vice Consul.
Emmy, a professional violinist, obtained her LRAM, was a teacher and gave many concert performances.
Sissy was a teacher who taught at St Athanasius' Primary School in Bootle.
Florey was also a headmistress and had a daughter who lived in Pinner.
Elizabeth was a railway clerk.
Fred was the youngest of the family. He was in the timber business, working for Lamb Bros. After service in the First World War, he was sent out to Baltic countries to direct timber operations. He lived in Riga, Latvia until the communists seized power. After moving back to Britain, he worked in Hartlepool during the war then moved back to Liverpool and finally settled in a farm in Wales. His wife was named Effy. They had a daughter, Jean, who studied languages, subsequently worked in Industrial Relations and now lives in Wales, where she is engaged in a sheep-recording project.
SOME GENERAL NOTES ON THE MATHER FAMILY
This family history is largely based on the extended family founded by Hugh and Elizabeth Mather, comprising their six children and eleven grandchildren. In 1866, when they married, they were virtually penniless. By the time of Elizabeth's death, in 1933, the family had become very successful and continued so over subsequent decades. It is for future generations to assess the fortunes of the more recent past. Certain interesting strands emerge from the saga. These are, firstly, the geographical closeness of the extended family unit, secondly, the influence of medicine, thirdly, that of music, and fourthly the strong farming tradition.
Geographical considerations:
Our line of the Mather family in Billinge can be traced directly back to Richard Mather, born c 1651. Thus, at least 10 generations of the family have been born and spent all their lives in or around the village. Hugh and Elizabeth, both born in 1844, started their married life in Beacon Road, moved to Main Street, then moved to the Stork. Elizabeth then moved to Longshaw House after the death of Hugh in 1911. Charles Mather spent his entire long life living within a 100-yard radius of Billinge Church, in Main Street, the Stork and 2 Newton Road. Sarah Ellen (Auntie Nellie) also spent her entire long life in Main Street, the Stork or Longshaw House. To some extent this may have been the norm in a relatively remote, clannish village in the period 1850-1950. However, the seven doctors in the extended family had studied in either Liverpool (four) or Newcastle (three) and yet all lived in Billinge, except for Tom Laithwaite, who was brought up in St Helens and subsequently lived and worked in Wigan. By the 1940s, the family was based around Longshaw House, with Auntie Nellie taking over the role of head of the extended family after the death of Elizabeth. Strong links were maintained with the Wright family, Claremont, two and twenty-five Newton Road and Wiswalls Farm, then being farmed by Hugh. This cluster of homes reflects both the inherent 'pull' of a close-knit family and the equally cohesive community of Billinge. In the subsequent decades, social patterns have been transformed and the extended family concept is rapidly diminishing, with the dispersal of family members to all parts of the UK, although some current members have continued the tradition by spending all their lives in Billinge.
Medicine
Richard Oswald qualified in Medicine in the late 1890's and set a family tradition, which extends to this day. It was clearly a considerable achievement in those times for a child of humble origins, from a small mining village, to qualify in medicine. Medical men were treated with considerable respect in late Victorian and Edwardian England. In the next generation, six out of eight men became doctors - Hugh, David and James Mather, Charles Wright, Richard Mather, and Tom Laithwaite. All eight doctors entered general practice as their primary profession and all worked in Billinge, Orrell or Pemberton, except Tom Laithwaite who practised in Wigan. The family tradition has extended into subsequent generations, with three out of James’ four sons (including the writer) also becoming medical men, in addition to Bernard, son of Richard. The tradition of Drs Mather in Billinge has continued since the 1890s, with Richard Oswald subsequently joined by his nephews David in around 1923 and James in around 1928. His son Richard later joined the practice, to be followed by Bernard (before he emigrated to Tasmania), and Charles who joined in 1964 and was until recently senior partner in the practice. Thus there have been six Dr. Mathers practising in Billinge in an unbroken line over the last 100 years. Richard Oswald and James were also Medical Officers of Health. The medical link has also influenced the female family members. Sarah Ellen Mather and Betty Wright were nurses, as was Francis Mather in the First World War. Charlotte Laithwaite also carries on this tradition.
Music
Hugh Mather met Elizabeth around 1865 whilst playing in a brass band. There is circumstantial evidence, from a contemporary report in the Wigan Observer, that his brother, Richard, who was killed in an accident when aged about twenty-seven, was also a musician. Charles, Hugh's eldest son, was Organist of Billinge Parish Church for thirty-seven years. He also played the piano for silent films and must have possessed sufficient musical talent to acquire the necessary keyboard skills in his youth. Polly, Charles' sister, was an accomplished singer. She played lead roles in operatic performances in Wigan, St Helens and Southport. Charles's son James was extremely interested in music, although surprisingly, he and his siblings were not given a musical training. The writer also continues this musical tradition. It is particularly interesting to note that the musical thread is continued in the large family founded by Hugh's brother, William, based in Crosby. His eldest son, Charles, was a gifted organist and his daughter Emily was a professional violinist.
Farming
Wiswalls Farm has been farmed since around 1860 - 70 by the Simm/Mather family. It was farmed in succession by John Simm (until 1897), John James Simm (until 1931), David Mather (until 1941), Hugh Mather (until 1957), and Charles and Edith Mather (from 1957 to the present). Bessie married a farmer (Billy Cliffe) as did Francis (Billy Hunt) and her son David carried on this tradition, farming in Standish. Edith Mather (nee Mee) continues the tradition, since the Mee and Oulton families both have predominantly farming backgrounds.
***
Reading through this document, written by one of the village’s outstanding scholars, gave an extra dimension to my understanding of the way life in the village had evolved. The Stork Inn would never be quite the same. I would never again pass it without imagining it, as it must have been when that penniless, illegitimate little girl, raised by Yorkshire Charlie, had dragged herself up from obscurity to establish her descendants on the uttermost pinnacle of social respectability. Squire Bankes, as principal landowner and occupant of Winstanley Hall, must have commanded deference by his position as ultimate Lord and Master. Jonathan Blundell, the great industrial capitalist who bought Blackleyhurst Hall, and whose descendants dominated the local coal industry until the 1940’s, would have inspired awe by an ownership of wealth beyond the dreams of ordinary mortals. The various Church ministers, in what was a predominantly religious, God fearing community, depended upon by all to lead the way to heaven, would ever have been aware of the villagers’ veneration. But no one held quite the esteem of the village doctor, who brought the child into the world and held the hand of the elder passing out of it. No one achieved the power of life and death by dint of dedication open to any with the ability and inspiration to attain that status, nor were as vulnerable to life’s many temptations, as the village doctor. Elizabeth Peet made the words Doctor and Mather synonymous in Billinge for a century.
(12/5/00)
The Stork Hotel was managed by Hugh Mather (1844-1912) and wife Elizabeth nee Peet (1845-1933) from about 1891 to 1912. They had previously lived in the cottages show on the right of this picture