Allerton Bowers History
Rediscovering our past for future generations
From the original article by Keith Wallace (Some of the people and events have since been found to be inaccurate but we are leaving the document in it’s entirity without correction)
The Lowther family of Swillington, Great and Little Preston descended from the Lowther’s of Lowther in Westmoreland. Sir John Lowther had three sons, Sir John Lowther, first Baronet of Lowther, Sir Christopher Lowther who was the founder of the Whitehaven branch of the family and Sir William Lowther (1612-1688).
William amassed most of his fortune during the civil war, when he spent some of his time in Holland. In August 1656 William and John bought Great Preston and Astley for £7000. Around the same time William, with the aid of his cousins, bought the manor of Swillington from the Darcy family.
Sir William rebuilt Great Preston Hall and made it his home.
Great Preston Hall
William and his descendants were actively involved in working the coal mines in the area.
Sir William died in 1688 and for the next 75 years the estate passed from father to son (each named William) until the death of Sir William Lowther in 1763 who died without a heir. The estate was bequeathed to his cousin , the Reverend William Lowther (1707-1788) who also own d Alverthorpe Hall near Wakefield. The Reverend’s eldest son, William (1757-1844) succeeded to the estate. In 1802 he also succeeded to the title of a distant cousin as Baron and Viscount of Lowther and in 1807 was created the first Earl of Lonsdale. (sec Historical Trivia …. Did you know?)
The Lowther family of Yorkshire made their main home Swillington House. The estate was handed down through further generations of Lowthers until it was sold in 1920 by Sir Charles Bingham
Lowther.
The Gibert Act of 1782 enabled parishes to unite for the purpose of monitoring the poor within a
common workhouse.
On the 12 July 1809, twenty Yorkshire parishes and townships to the South and East of Leeds
united and formed the Great Preston Gilbert Union. The workhouse for the Union was Great
Preston Hall.
The Great Preston Union was enlarged on a number of occasions eventually reaching 41, with
members from all over and beyond the West Riding. Most of these parishes and townships in both
area and population were bigger than the founder parish but the group adopted the name of Great
Preston Gilbert Union.
By 1841 the Great Preston Hall had become known as the Old Hall Workhouse
The Census of 1841 shows there were 57 inmates, 26 males, 16 females and 5 children.
The Governor was John Hawkshaw and the Matron, his wife Mary Helen.
The Census of 1851 shows there were 66 inmates, 28 males, 27 females and 11 children.
The now called Master was John Hawkshaw and the matron, his wife.
The Census of 1861 shows there were 78 inmates, 31 males, 22 females and 25 children.
The Master was James Rhodes the Matron was his wife Susan . There was also a sewing mistress
and a school teacher residing in the Hall.
The adult inmates were referred to as paupers.
Before 1834, the cost of looking after the poor was growing more and more each year. The cost was met by the middle and upper classes in each Parish through local taxes. There was a lot of resentment amongst the tax payers, some of whom thought they were paying for the poor to be lazy and avoid work.
In 1832 a report by Edwin Chadwick was published, suggesting the poor be helped to support
themselves and children be given an education and taught a trade.
A new Poor Law was introduced in 1834 based on Chadwicks report. The Amendment Act was set up by the Poor Law Commission in London. Parishes were grouped together in ‘Poor Law Unions’ and each had to build a workhouse if they did not already have one.
After 1834 anyone who wanted help had to go into the workhouse. Unlike the Gilbert Act, giving money to people in their own homes was banned, unless they were old or sick.
The Commissioners had hoped to set up six compact Poor Law Unions in the area, Leeds, Otley, Knaresborough, Ripon, Tadcaster and Pontefract but because of its Gilbert Union status, Great Preston was exempt from most of the provisions of the new Act. Together with three other Gilbert Unions in the area Barwick-in-Elmet, Carlton near Otley and Great Ouseburn. Great Preston refused to convert to the new Poor Law Unions.
The Commissioners tried unsuccessfully to persuade the four to dissolve and this prevented the six new Poor Law Unions being formed as the four Gilbert Unions had Parishes scattered all over West and North Yorkshire. The dark areas shown in the map below indicate how widespread the townships and parishes were in the Great Preston Union alone.
The Great Preston Gilbert Union remained in existence until 1869 when all remaining Gilbert Unions were abolished by law. Its member parishes were distributed amongs the Poor Law Unions of Leeds, Pontefract and Wakefield aspart of the ‘great scheme’. The parish of Great Preston
became part of the Pontefract Poor Law Union.
Over the years many reports were commissioned and all emphasized the need for reform but it was not until the Local Government act 1929 when all Poor Law Unions were abolished and in 1930. their functions were transferred to County Councils. This led to the provision of relief for the unemployed. later called ‘public assistance’ by the National Assistance Board in 1934.
Finally the National Assistance Act of 1948 abolished the poor law altogether. giving the board the “the duty to provide assistance for all persons whose resources are insufficient for their means”.
Today we call it Unemployment Benefit and Supplementary Benefit.
The Old Hall Workhouse became a Young Men’s Institute and later a Mechanic’s Institute. The fore runners of what we know now as the Working Mens Club and Institute.
There is also reference to the Hall as ‘Institute and Mission Hall’.
The only residents of the Hall shown in the 1901 and 1911 Censuses were clergymen and their
families.
In 1901 it was a 32 year old Irish Church of England minister, George AT Rickaby and his wife
Susie.
In 1911 it was John Clark Skelton aged 45, Clerk in Holy Order, Church of England, his wife
Beatrice, two sons and his wife’s sister.
The Institutes served as libraries and meeting place for the working class which provided them with an alternative to gambling and drinking.
Mechanic’s Institutes were often funded by local industry with the view to the long term benefits of
Having more skilled and knowledgeable employees.
Great Preston Cricket Club have traced their history back to 1884 and found the team had the name
Great Preston Old Hall Cricket Club. It is most likely that the team was founded by the young men
of the Institute. ‘Old Hall ‘was dropped from the name at some time and the club has played under
its present name for over a hundred years.
The Hall eventually fell into disrepair and a map of 1961 shows it as ruins. Today the bungalows of Old Hall Road are built on the site.
Some of the 17th century Jacobean wood panels from the Hall were used in the building of the
Sanctuary in St Aidens Church.
If anyone is interested in our local history and would be interested in sharing memories, stories, photographs etc, and maybe setting up a Historical Society for the Parish of Great and Little Preston please contact:
Ian Wallace email ian.wallace21@btopenworld.com or 01132867991
Historical Trivia … Did you know?
Many of the Lowther gentry were politicians and close to the Royal Families for decades but probably the most famous or infamous was Hugh Lowther, son of Henry 3rd Earl of Lonsdale.
As a younger son, the wayward Hugh had not expected to inherit. After leaving Oxford, penniless, he joined a travelling circus for a year, pawned his birthright and travelled to America spending months buffalo hunting.
When his scheme to make his fortune from cattle failed, he returned to England and the family
trustees bought back his inheritance rights and allowed him to stay at Lowther Castle.
He was only 25 when his older brother St George Henry, the 4th Earl died. Hugh inherited the title and estate in 1882 he became the 5th Earl of Lonsdale. High profile affairs with Lily Langtrey and Violet Cameron led to him being advised by Queen Victoria to leave the country until the scandal died down.
He went to Alaska and nearly lost his life on an ill-fated expedition in which over 100 guides died.
However he survived and returned in 1890 a hero and a celebrity until his death in 1944 aged 87.
Hugh spent most of his life at Lowther Castle. He was known as “Lordy” or the “yellow earl”.
He redecorated the house, added to the gardens and extended the estate flattening 20 farms in the
process. He led a lavish lifestyle and played host to royalty and dignitaries which included a visit
from the German Kaiser in 1895.
In long life he spent the family fortune, bankrupted his coal mines. This, together with the high
taxes and the slump in farm income during the depression of the 1930s, led to the closure of the
castle in 1936.
Yellow being his favourite colour, all his servants were dressed in yellow.
He had a fleet of yellow cars and a pack of yellow dogs.
He even had a hot house to grow yellow gardenias for his buttonhole.
His favourite yellow Rolls Royce had a customised raised roof in the rear to allow for his 6ft 3in
frame and top hat.
He founded the Automobile Association and was the first president, hence the yellow livery.
He was chairman of Arsenal Football Club and later Honorary Chairman. The yellow colour of
Arsenal’s away strip is a tribute to him.
In 1891 as president of the National Sporting Club he introduced boxing gloves after the deaths of three bare knuckle fighters.
In 1909 he instigated the Lonsdale Belt to be awarded to each professional boxer who won the British Title and defended it twice.
In 1929 he became the first President of the Boxing Board of Control.
