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Warburton family

The Warburton family of Bollington is not one that we know much about from our own resources. So I am indebted to Peter Warburton who has very kindly sent in the following material gleaned from his own family research.

Long case clock by T Warburton & Son, Bollington. Picture by kind permission of the owner.

The WARBURTON family home seems to have been in Palmerston Street. Thomas Warburton was born in 1820 and with his son, Joseph Warburton, born 1848, operated a watch making business, Thomas Warburton & Son, at least between 1857 and 1878[1]. In 1881 Thomas was living in Palmerston Street and Joseph in Park Street, (although the 1901 census shows Joseph in Palmerston Street – infuriatingly no numbers given). I believe Joseph married a Hannah Lucas, daughter of Isaac Lucas, also a Bollington family, and later generations adopted that name as a Christian name. Joseph’s son, Isaac Warburton, born 1884, who began in the family business, became associated with philanthropic activities under the name Lucas Warburton. He was a member of Bollington Urban District Council for 25 years and Chairman in 1921-22; was much concerned with Education — he was a Governor of the County High School for Girls in Macclesfield and Correspondent Manager of Water Street Council School, Health Care — he was joint secretary of the Bollington and District Nursing Association, and he was also Chairman of the Oliver Trust[2].

On his death in 1939 the Bollington and Pott Shrigley Infirmary Committee launched an appeal: The Lucas Warburton Memorial Fund and the trustees included Governors of the Macclesfield Infirmary. The appeal was made direct to 1800 homes in the district. Lucas Warburton’s son, Joseph Lucas Warburton, born 1909, was my father and, although he played cricket for Bollington, I suspect he moved with his mother, Elsie Millward, to Langley on the death of his father.

There was another family: John Warburton & Son of Bollington, who were also watch makers. I have seen an 1897 watch bearing their insignia. I am certain this family must be related to those mentioned above but I know nothing about them. I am sure the family association with Bollington goes back before 1820 and that they wound clocks for the gentry – I have a clock, dating in part to the seventeenth century, which was given to one of my ancestors by the Lowthers of Shrigley Hall.

I am interested to learn as much as I can about the Warburton and Lucas families.

If you can throw more light on this family and its history please contact me, and I will pass the information on to Peter.

Pte. Wilfred Warburton[3]

Pte. Wilfred Warburton, 31674, enlisted on 6th November 1914 with the 8th Bn South Lancashire Regiment, he died on 31st October 1916 of injuries sustained, and was buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery. He is on the WWI list on Bollington War Memorial. Wimereux was the headquarters of the Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps during the First World War together with their hospital facilities so it is probable that Wilfred Warburton was injured at the front and taken to Wimereux where he subsequently died of his injuries and was buried in the local cemetery.

He lived with his parents at 10 Park Street, Bollington, a very short street with two other homes occupied by his Warburton relatives. He was a grocer’s apprentice.


References

Clicking the reference description takes you back to the text:

  1. British & Irish Clock and Watch Makers. Web page.
  2. Oliver Trust; the object of this trust and its history are not presently known. 
    The Oliver family owned
     Waterhouse mill.
  3. Bollington 1914-1918 … and more, Roy Arnold & Dave Williams, 2011.

Acknowledgement

I am most grateful to Peter Warburton for researching this history, and thank him for sending it for publication.

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