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The photograph above shows the area of the Co-op, / Community Centre and car park when it was St.Luke's Park
I would like to thank everyone who gave or loaned photographs or written information to the Lowton websites project and also to the members of the Lowton websites project for their permission to reproduce sections of the websites in the production of the book.
I hope that the websites and the book gives pleasure to it’s readers and that it may help future generations to understand the development of this community. Much of the information and the photographs come from my personal archive that I have built up over a period of very many years. There were photographs of many places and buildings in the village that I would like to have included but was unable to find copies or obtain permission to use. If you have anything you think could be included in any future edition please contact me.
My E-mail address is: [email protected]
Finally I would like to thank you the reader you purchased the book which has been priced low to encourage it’s purchase and not to make any profit, the pleasure from seeing the numbers sold makes the work in producing it worthwhile.
I hope that the websites and the book gives pleasure to it’s readers and that it may help future generations to understand the development of this community. Much of the information and the photographs come from my personal archive that I have built up over a period of very many years. There were photographs of many places and buildings in the village that I would like to have included but was unable to find copies or obtain permission to use. If you have anything you think could be included in any future edition please contact me.
My E-mail address is: [email protected]
Finally I would like to thank you the reader you purchased the book which has been priced low to encourage it’s purchase and not to make any profit, the pleasure from seeing the numbers sold makes the work in producing it worthwhile.
This picture is now the Norwest roofing works, Kenyon Lane
thought to formerly been Hurst's Toffee Factory that is
mentioned below The Home of Hurst's Lung Tips.
thought to formerly been Hurst's Toffee Factory that is
mentioned below The Home of Hurst's Lung Tips.
SANDY LANE GHOST
The terrible sight of an angry old man, blood running down his front and shaking his fist at the world, is said to be seen running down the lonely lane on dark nights. Disappearing through a wall of a barn, the figure is thought to be the ghost of Joshua Rigby, a Lowton farmer, who met a violent end on 18th September 1883. Described by the locals as a “nowty mon”, Joshua was known for his cruelty to his elderly sisters and his considerable wealth. He was often heard boasting about his money in the local pubs and taunting his nephews about what he would do with it after he died. After being caught beating his sister with a belt, he was persuaded by his nephew John Gibbons to make a will in case he was sent to prison for cruelty. In June 1883 he signed his will, leaving everything to John. A few weeks later Joshua was discovered in his bedroom with his throat cut and a search revealed the old man’s will and bank book in John Gibbons’ pocket. He was arrested and an inquest was held at the Jolly Carter Inn. Two doctors gave evidence that a blow from John Gibbons’ heavy boots could have caused Joshua’s head injuries. A long grey hair was found in the seam of the accused’s boot and he was commited to the Crown Court at Liverpool to stand trial for murder. The trial, however, fell apart and John returned to Lowton after two months in prison looking the picture of health and having gained 30lbs! A special edition of the Leigh Chronicle detailing the case sold like hot cakes and the gruesome goings-on were the main topic of conversation and speculation for weeks. For years after that, however, many people continued to report sightings of the old man’s ghost stalking the lanes and fields around the farm – it is often seen by the late night customers of the Jolly Carter Inn.
Sources “Ghosts of Leigh” by Cyril Ward and Memories of Lowton by Richard Ridyard.
The terrible sight of an angry old man, blood running down his front and shaking his fist at the world, is said to be seen running down the lonely lane on dark nights. Disappearing through a wall of a barn, the figure is thought to be the ghost of Joshua Rigby, a Lowton farmer, who met a violent end on 18th September 1883. Described by the locals as a “nowty mon”, Joshua was known for his cruelty to his elderly sisters and his considerable wealth. He was often heard boasting about his money in the local pubs and taunting his nephews about what he would do with it after he died. After being caught beating his sister with a belt, he was persuaded by his nephew John Gibbons to make a will in case he was sent to prison for cruelty. In June 1883 he signed his will, leaving everything to John. A few weeks later Joshua was discovered in his bedroom with his throat cut and a search revealed the old man’s will and bank book in John Gibbons’ pocket. He was arrested and an inquest was held at the Jolly Carter Inn. Two doctors gave evidence that a blow from John Gibbons’ heavy boots could have caused Joshua’s head injuries. A long grey hair was found in the seam of the accused’s boot and he was commited to the Crown Court at Liverpool to stand trial for murder. The trial, however, fell apart and John returned to Lowton after two months in prison looking the picture of health and having gained 30lbs! A special edition of the Leigh Chronicle detailing the case sold like hot cakes and the gruesome goings-on were the main topic of conversation and speculation for weeks. For years after that, however, many people continued to report sightings of the old man’s ghost stalking the lanes and fields around the farm – it is often seen by the late night customers of the Jolly Carter Inn.
Sources “Ghosts of Leigh” by Cyril Ward and Memories of Lowton by Richard Ridyard.
ABOVE: Newton Road Near IM Church
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Green Lawn (Now demolished 2020)
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Green Lawn, Newton Road, Lowton Date: January 25, 2018 Author: Thomas McGrath
Green Lawn is a fine example of something which still holds its beauty despite its age and dilapidated condition. In fact, the run-down house attracts more attention than it would otherwise, as passers-by are drawn to its crooked doors and broken windows and wonder ‘who lived there?’ and ‘how did it get into this state?’ This is the hidden history of Green Lawn.
Green Lawn, Newton Road, Lowton, 2018 (Source: Thomas McGrath, 2018)Where is Lowton?
Lowton is located in Greater Manchester, some 11 miles from Manchester city centre and 2 miles from Leigh. Lowton itself encompasses a large area including districts known as Lowton village, Lowton St. Mary’s, Lowton Common and Lane Head. It was first recorded in 1201 and like much of Lancashire, it was involved in the cotton spinning and silk weaving industries, although glue and sweets were also manufactured there.
In 1911, A County History of Lancaster, described Lowton as being “situated in flat uninteresting country, covered for the most part with bricks and mortar, for the very scattered town of Lowton spreads itself in every direction, leaving spaces only for pastures between the streets or groups of dwellings.” Despite this, it was still largely rural compared to neighbouring towns and in 1901 it had a population of only 2,964 persons.
The purpose of this post will focus on Green Lawn, a house situated in Lowton St. Mary’s. The area was named after the church established there in 1861 and also widely known for the train station which was located there between 1884-1964, itself only a short distance from Green Lawn.
Construction
I believe Green Lawn to have been constructed in the late 1850s or early 1860s, as it does not appear on the 1845-47 Ordnance Survey Map, nor the 1851 census but the first residents are recorded there in 1865. Although the current address of the property is 194 Newton Road, in the mid-nineteenth century the road was named Mather Lane. For the majority of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Mather Lane was a prestigious residential location. Originally only home to some farms, large houses began to be built here in the first few decades of the nineteenth century; Lowton House (also referred to as Lowton Hall) and Sycamore House. After the construction of Green Lawn, The Elms, Oaklands and the Vicarage completed the distinctively upper-middle class neighbourhood.
The first family to occupy Green Lawn was the Travers family, as a builder and contractor by trade, it is possible that Thomas Leigh Travers may have built the house himself. The house is quite unusual with a porch and bay windows to the front, however the porch does not contain the front door, but instead a bench where former residents could sit and enjoy their garden. The front door itself is located around the side of the property. The porch/seating area therefore gives the house a somewhat mid-nineteenth century ‘American’ feeling.
The name ‘Green Lawn’, is quite unusual, but it must signify the pride of the Travers’ family in their well-presented garden. Although a garden was common feature for large houses, the lawn itself was a symbol of status and wealth, as it showed the residents could afford the cost of maintaining their grounds, at a time when it was a physically demanding and therefore expensive task.
The Travers Family
The Travers family were an old Lowton family and Thomas Leigh Travers (1828-1891) had previously lived with his parents and siblings at Sycamore House in the early 1850s. Thomas Leigh Travers’ parents were Thomas Travers (1796-1873) and Sarah Cross (b.1803) and his grandparents were Thomas Travers Esq. and Margery Leigh. His aunt, Sarah Travers, married William Hayes of Pennington and the Hayes cousins lived at Fairfield House on St. Helen’s Road.
Thomas Leigh Travers’ siblings were; Margaret Ann (b.1827), Sarah (b.1831), Mary (b.1833), Tabitha (b.1837), Catherine (b.1839) and William (b.1843), both Margaret Ann and Sarah taught as governesses in the 1850s. Although a reputable, and one of the few ‘respectable’ forms of employment for women in the nineteenth century, the role of a governess was a mixed blessing for a middle class family, such as the Travers’. For example, to employ a governess for the education of your children (normally daughters who remained at home) was a definite status symbol. However, to have a daughter become a governess would infer to wider society that you could not afford to keep her out of employment, or indeed that she had not yet made a suitable marriage and thus must support herself. Of course, teaching is and always has been a vocation, so perhaps Margaret Ann and Sarah enjoyed this role; although it could equally mean the Travers’ family finances had declined. Archival records seem to support this, as the two sisters never married and eventually retired to house in Southport.
Thomas Leigh Travers
In contrast, Thomas Leigh Travers was certainly up and coming in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1859 he married Mary Ann Foxcroft (1829-1902) of Adlington and the census of 1861 reveals they had a seven month old daughter, Edith Sarah and Thomas was a timber merchant and builder by trade, employing ten men.
By 1865, Thomas and Mary Ann had moved to Green Lawn, having previously lived on Bond Street, Leigh. There, a son Thomas Wilmot Travers (b.1862) and another daughter, Marie Adeline (b.1866) completed the family. Also joining the household was a maid; fifteen year old Harriet Horton. Thomas was heavily involved in local society, he was elected on the Leigh Board of Guardians. In December 1877 he organised a concert in aid of building a congregational church. Alongside members of Halle’s choir, seventeen year old Edith Sarah Travers played several pianoforte duets with Miss Green. Sadly, just a year later Edith passed away aged only 18 years old. She is buried in Lowton St. Mary’s churchyard, just next to the front door (the funding of the church was by Miss Leigh, a cousin of the Travers family).
A New Start
“NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS – Genteel RESIDENCE, known as Green Lawn, situated in Lowton, comprising dining, drawing, and breakfast rooms, kitchen, pantry, bedrooms, &c., with orchard, with well-selected fruit trees, gardens, lawns, greenhouse with vines. The house is within easy distance of Kenyon and Pennington Stations. The Wigan line is also close contiguity. Will be Let singly, or with 10 acres statute acres of land, in good condition. To be entered in January next. Apply – Mr. T. L. Travers, Lowton, Newton-Le-Willows”
In November 1879, Green Lawn appeared in the local newspapers, available for rent, perhaps after the death of their daughter, Thomas and Mary Ann Travers felt they could no longer stay at the house. However, they did not move far, just further down Mather Lane to a house known as The Elms. The Elms was eventually inherited by Marie Adeline Travers and her husband Charles Guest. In 1921, Mr Guest unveiled the war memorial outside St. Mary’s church, as he had lost his only son during the course of the War.
The new tenant of Green Lawn in March 1880 was Miss Elizabeth Johnson (1806-1886). She had previously lived with her elderly parents in a large house in Broughton, Salford before living independently in Eccles. Eventually she moved to Lowton, where her younger sister Mrs. Mary Johnson lived nearby at Kenyon Hall. Miss Johnson quickly established herself in the local community, especially with regards to spiritual and educational matters, particularly with the Wesleyan Methodists. She resided at Green Lawn with her housekeeper, Mary Webster.
Miss Johnson also employed a gardener, Mr. G. Marsh, to care for the extensive land surrounding Green Lawn. In September 1881 produce from the gardens was entered into the annual show of the Leigh Agriculture Association, which was held in a meadow next to the parish Church. As well awards for horses and cattle, poultry, pigeons, dogs, butter, farm and garden produce; there was also a horse-leaping contest, a display of modern agricultural implements, music by St. Joseph’s Brass Band and a luncheon for 300 to 400 ladies and gentlemen. Miss Johnson was awarded second prize across three categories, for her grapes, apples and plums.
Sadly on 16 January 1886, Miss Johnson passed away quite suddenly, after a brief spell of bronchitis. The local newspaper, The Leigh Chronicle, reflected on the popularity of Miss Johnson on her passing. They noted:
” It may be said with truth that she sacrificed herself for the good of the people…The deceased lady was generally beloved throughout the entire village, and her death has cast a gloom over the neighbourhood. She was known in every part of the district as generous and kindhearted, and in no one instance can it be said that at any time she cheerfully refused to help the needy… In this, as in many other respects a great loss is universally felt, and all classes of the community will ever remember her kindly greetings.”
Miss Johnson was buried in the Wesleyan Cemetery at Cheetham Hill, her coffin transported there by train from Lowton St. Mary’s Station and the road from Green Lawn to the station was lined with mourners paying their respects.
Green Lawn in the 1880s
Upon Miss Johnson’s death her estate, valued at £4004/13s/5d (over £400,000 in modern terms) was left to be divided between two of her nephews. As an unmarried woman with no dependants, her household furniture and goods were sold by auction at the house in February 1886. Auctions of household items were quite common across the nineteenth century, particularly after a death, a decline in financial situation, or a downsizing in property.
However, the notice of auction provides us with a snapshot of how Green Lawn would have looked in the mid-1880s, without the need for any photographic material. Green Lawn exuded a luxurious and comfortable home. The drawing room and dining room both had Brussels carpets and woollen hearth rugs, both rooms were located at the southern facade of the house with the bay windows and had woollen drapery (to keep the heat in) and sunshades (to keep the sunlight out). Also in the drawing room was a mahogany sofa covered in crimson, with eight matching chairs, glass decanter set, a card table and decorative gilt frames and 50 inch by 46 inch “chimney glass” (a mirror).
The dining room had a small library of books, a mahogany sideboard, eight mahogany chairs covered in Moroccan crimson leather, two gents easy chairs and a lady’s easy chair and footstools. In the four bedrooms there was a mahogany Tudor-style bed for sale, and also wardrobes, chest of drawers, dressing tables, chairs, commodes, a bidet, nightstands and mirrors. In the kitchen a pembroke table was to be found, alongside a kitchen dresser, a set of seven drawers, brass preserving and saucepans, earthenware, a wringing machine, dolly and wash tubs and copper and iron kettles. Although only a brief glimpse into the house, its gives us an idea of how the rooms were set, what household activities took place and what constituted a comfortable, middle-class home.
Green Lawn in its prime, c. early 20th century (Source: Wigan Archives & Leigh Local Studies COPYRIGHT)The house was advertised to let again in 1886 and it was occupied by Harriet Greenhalgh. Not much is known about Harriet but she does appear on the electoral register for the property in 1889. This means Harriet, who rented Green Lawn, must have been unmarried and a rate payer. The Local Government Act 1888 had reformed rural governments and provided county councils. Significantly another term of the Act was that it allowed unmarried female property owners and rate payers, like Harriet, to vote in county elections (but still not parliamentary elections, which would not come until 1918). Later in 1889, Green Lawn was once again advertised to be let, this time is was described as a “desirable country residence “, which infers Lowton was still largely undeveloped at this time.
A Contested Will
By the 1890s Green Lawn had changed from one of the largest houses on Mather Lane, to a more modest family home. In 1890, William Procter (1861-1906), a secretary for Ackers, Whitley and Co. at Bickershaw Colliery, lived there with his wife, Alice (1862-1901). The Procter’s are still able to afford a live-in servant, in 1891 this is 25 year old Teresa Gillis from Dublin. By 1901 however, the household consists of William and Alice, Jane Wright (Alice’s 75 year old mother), Jane Procter (an 11 year old niece) and a maid, Martha Sweetlove.
Unfortunately the start of a new century was not an optimistic or bright one for the Procter’s. In August 1901, Alice Procter died aged only 38 after a long illness and she was buried at Blackpool. In 1903 Procter left Green Lawn and in 1904 the house again was advertised to rent. In January 1906 William Procter passed away aged 45, and in his will dated 1904 he left his estate of £1500 (£148,000) to his sister, with the exception of £25 to his maid. However, a second will was then produced dated 1903 in which he left his entire estate to his niece who lived him at Green Lawn. The case made it to court, but fortunately the executor of the 1903 will agreed not to contest the later will and agreed to pay a third of the estate to the niece.
The Early Twentieth Century
In 1904 the Jackson family moved into Green Lawn. Not long after they moved in, the house was extended at the rear. Joseph Jackson (b.1852) was a legal clerk and he lived at Green Lawn with his wife Margaret (b.1854). The couple had seven children together but in 1911 only three remain at home with their parents: Margaret Katherina (b.1886), Reginald (b.1890), a shipping clerk and Sydney (b.1895).
As with previous residents of Green Lawn, the Jackson’s were prominent in local society and in 1910, Joseph and Margaret were invited to a reception held by Mayor W. J. Smith in Leigh. By 1913 the family had left Green Lawn and the house was once again advertised in the local newspapers, however this time it was available to buy or rent, as presumably the Travers family no longer desired to keep it.
The Green Family
The new owners of Green Lawn did not move far to get there, in fact they moved from the house next door. Oaklands is a substantial Victorian property built in 1882, just across Hesketh Meadow Lane from Green Lawn. It was occupied by the Green family, John Green was a farmer-turned-soap and glue manufacturer, and he lived there with his wife Anne, two children from his first marriage; William and Alfred and his children from his second marriage; Fred and Beatrice, as well as two servants.
By 1908, William Lees Green (b.1865) and his brother Alfred had inherited their father’s soap and glue business. That the same year William married Rose Agnes de Braunstein (nee Monaghan). Rose appears to have had an anything but ordinary life. She was born in 1876 in Shipley, Yorkshire, and was the daughter of Irish labourers. At some point in the 1890s she married an elusive character, Colonel de Braunstein (supposedly of the Russian army) and they had three children together; Violet (b.1895 in York), Kathleen (b.1897 in Leeds or Germany depending on sources) and Nicholas (b.1899 in Algeria). In 1901 Rose is classified as a widow, living back in Yorkshire with her three children, father, brother, servant and lodger.
The 1911 census reveals, Rose and William had started their married life together but her children were all in boarding schools. The two daughters are students at St. Mary’s Orphanage, they are at the secondary school there and the census records them as “pupils” compared to the younger girls who are classified as “inmates”. Her son, Nicholas is a pupil at Thorncliffe, a Catholic boys school in Middlesbrough. What happened to Rose’s daughters after their schooling remains unknown, although it appears Violet travelled extensively, visiting New York in 1925 and Buenos Aries in 1931.
After 1913, William and Rose settled into Green Lawn, although it was a tragic final few years for the family. In July 1917, Nicholas de Braunstein passed away at Green Lawn aged only 17, having resided there for some time with his mother and step-father. He is buried in St. Mary’s Church yard, Lowton. The following year, in July 1918, William was forced to declare himself bankrupt and shortly after this, Rose died on October 25th. In June 1920, William himself died aged only 55 years old and was buried with his wife and step-son. He left his brother Alfred all that he had, which was just £5.
The Twentieth Century & Beyond
Between 1921 and 1924, Green Lawn was occupied by Fred Brooks. In 1925 it was purchased by John Stocks Kilshall (1865-1932) and his wife Lillie (1869-1947). John and Lillie Kilshall had previously been farmers at New Bradley Farm in Burtonwood, however as they were in their early sixties when they moved to Green Lawn, we can surmise they were downsizing.
In 1929 their only child, Doris married Eric Hugh Roberts (1899-1994). The young married couple lived with John and Lillie and in 1939, Lillie was recorded as the head of the family, living on private means and Eric’s occupation was within Local Government. Doris and Eric had a son, Ronald born in 1935.
By the 1950s the Roberts’s are still living at Green Lawn, as the postcard below testifies. By this time Eric’s occupation has changed to an estate agent. The couple remained at Green Lawn for many decades; Doris passed away in 1987 and Eric in 1994. After this, the house was occupied by their son Ronald and his family before the property eventually became empty.
For the last few years, Green Lawn has been unoccupied, and as such, abandoned and dilapidated. Until a few years ago, the house was hidden from the public view on the busy Newton Road, however when the trees were cut down, this decaying grand house was revealed and it now enchants passers-by. Apart from the obvious condition of the porch and bay windows, the house appears to be in a stable condition. Nonetheless, it seems it will soon become another “long lost histories” as sadly the site is earmarked for development, a fate which befalls many of our older houses. Just like its neighbours; The Elms, Sycamore House and Lowton House, permission has been granted in 2017 to demolish Green Lawn and replace it with two modern houses.
If the walls of Green Lawn could talk, they would spill many more facts, anecdotes and secrets of former years. Until that unfortunate day comes, Green Lawn continues to stand as a proud marker of local history.
Researched and Written by Thomas McGrath
Green Lawn is a fine example of something which still holds its beauty despite its age and dilapidated condition. In fact, the run-down house attracts more attention than it would otherwise, as passers-by are drawn to its crooked doors and broken windows and wonder ‘who lived there?’ and ‘how did it get into this state?’ This is the hidden history of Green Lawn.
Green Lawn, Newton Road, Lowton, 2018 (Source: Thomas McGrath, 2018)Where is Lowton?
Lowton is located in Greater Manchester, some 11 miles from Manchester city centre and 2 miles from Leigh. Lowton itself encompasses a large area including districts known as Lowton village, Lowton St. Mary’s, Lowton Common and Lane Head. It was first recorded in 1201 and like much of Lancashire, it was involved in the cotton spinning and silk weaving industries, although glue and sweets were also manufactured there.
In 1911, A County History of Lancaster, described Lowton as being “situated in flat uninteresting country, covered for the most part with bricks and mortar, for the very scattered town of Lowton spreads itself in every direction, leaving spaces only for pastures between the streets or groups of dwellings.” Despite this, it was still largely rural compared to neighbouring towns and in 1901 it had a population of only 2,964 persons.
The purpose of this post will focus on Green Lawn, a house situated in Lowton St. Mary’s. The area was named after the church established there in 1861 and also widely known for the train station which was located there between 1884-1964, itself only a short distance from Green Lawn.
Construction
I believe Green Lawn to have been constructed in the late 1850s or early 1860s, as it does not appear on the 1845-47 Ordnance Survey Map, nor the 1851 census but the first residents are recorded there in 1865. Although the current address of the property is 194 Newton Road, in the mid-nineteenth century the road was named Mather Lane. For the majority of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Mather Lane was a prestigious residential location. Originally only home to some farms, large houses began to be built here in the first few decades of the nineteenth century; Lowton House (also referred to as Lowton Hall) and Sycamore House. After the construction of Green Lawn, The Elms, Oaklands and the Vicarage completed the distinctively upper-middle class neighbourhood.
The first family to occupy Green Lawn was the Travers family, as a builder and contractor by trade, it is possible that Thomas Leigh Travers may have built the house himself. The house is quite unusual with a porch and bay windows to the front, however the porch does not contain the front door, but instead a bench where former residents could sit and enjoy their garden. The front door itself is located around the side of the property. The porch/seating area therefore gives the house a somewhat mid-nineteenth century ‘American’ feeling.
The name ‘Green Lawn’, is quite unusual, but it must signify the pride of the Travers’ family in their well-presented garden. Although a garden was common feature for large houses, the lawn itself was a symbol of status and wealth, as it showed the residents could afford the cost of maintaining their grounds, at a time when it was a physically demanding and therefore expensive task.
The Travers Family
The Travers family were an old Lowton family and Thomas Leigh Travers (1828-1891) had previously lived with his parents and siblings at Sycamore House in the early 1850s. Thomas Leigh Travers’ parents were Thomas Travers (1796-1873) and Sarah Cross (b.1803) and his grandparents were Thomas Travers Esq. and Margery Leigh. His aunt, Sarah Travers, married William Hayes of Pennington and the Hayes cousins lived at Fairfield House on St. Helen’s Road.
Thomas Leigh Travers’ siblings were; Margaret Ann (b.1827), Sarah (b.1831), Mary (b.1833), Tabitha (b.1837), Catherine (b.1839) and William (b.1843), both Margaret Ann and Sarah taught as governesses in the 1850s. Although a reputable, and one of the few ‘respectable’ forms of employment for women in the nineteenth century, the role of a governess was a mixed blessing for a middle class family, such as the Travers’. For example, to employ a governess for the education of your children (normally daughters who remained at home) was a definite status symbol. However, to have a daughter become a governess would infer to wider society that you could not afford to keep her out of employment, or indeed that she had not yet made a suitable marriage and thus must support herself. Of course, teaching is and always has been a vocation, so perhaps Margaret Ann and Sarah enjoyed this role; although it could equally mean the Travers’ family finances had declined. Archival records seem to support this, as the two sisters never married and eventually retired to house in Southport.
Thomas Leigh Travers
In contrast, Thomas Leigh Travers was certainly up and coming in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1859 he married Mary Ann Foxcroft (1829-1902) of Adlington and the census of 1861 reveals they had a seven month old daughter, Edith Sarah and Thomas was a timber merchant and builder by trade, employing ten men.
By 1865, Thomas and Mary Ann had moved to Green Lawn, having previously lived on Bond Street, Leigh. There, a son Thomas Wilmot Travers (b.1862) and another daughter, Marie Adeline (b.1866) completed the family. Also joining the household was a maid; fifteen year old Harriet Horton. Thomas was heavily involved in local society, he was elected on the Leigh Board of Guardians. In December 1877 he organised a concert in aid of building a congregational church. Alongside members of Halle’s choir, seventeen year old Edith Sarah Travers played several pianoforte duets with Miss Green. Sadly, just a year later Edith passed away aged only 18 years old. She is buried in Lowton St. Mary’s churchyard, just next to the front door (the funding of the church was by Miss Leigh, a cousin of the Travers family).
A New Start
“NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS – Genteel RESIDENCE, known as Green Lawn, situated in Lowton, comprising dining, drawing, and breakfast rooms, kitchen, pantry, bedrooms, &c., with orchard, with well-selected fruit trees, gardens, lawns, greenhouse with vines. The house is within easy distance of Kenyon and Pennington Stations. The Wigan line is also close contiguity. Will be Let singly, or with 10 acres statute acres of land, in good condition. To be entered in January next. Apply – Mr. T. L. Travers, Lowton, Newton-Le-Willows”
In November 1879, Green Lawn appeared in the local newspapers, available for rent, perhaps after the death of their daughter, Thomas and Mary Ann Travers felt they could no longer stay at the house. However, they did not move far, just further down Mather Lane to a house known as The Elms. The Elms was eventually inherited by Marie Adeline Travers and her husband Charles Guest. In 1921, Mr Guest unveiled the war memorial outside St. Mary’s church, as he had lost his only son during the course of the War.
The new tenant of Green Lawn in March 1880 was Miss Elizabeth Johnson (1806-1886). She had previously lived with her elderly parents in a large house in Broughton, Salford before living independently in Eccles. Eventually she moved to Lowton, where her younger sister Mrs. Mary Johnson lived nearby at Kenyon Hall. Miss Johnson quickly established herself in the local community, especially with regards to spiritual and educational matters, particularly with the Wesleyan Methodists. She resided at Green Lawn with her housekeeper, Mary Webster.
Miss Johnson also employed a gardener, Mr. G. Marsh, to care for the extensive land surrounding Green Lawn. In September 1881 produce from the gardens was entered into the annual show of the Leigh Agriculture Association, which was held in a meadow next to the parish Church. As well awards for horses and cattle, poultry, pigeons, dogs, butter, farm and garden produce; there was also a horse-leaping contest, a display of modern agricultural implements, music by St. Joseph’s Brass Band and a luncheon for 300 to 400 ladies and gentlemen. Miss Johnson was awarded second prize across three categories, for her grapes, apples and plums.
Sadly on 16 January 1886, Miss Johnson passed away quite suddenly, after a brief spell of bronchitis. The local newspaper, The Leigh Chronicle, reflected on the popularity of Miss Johnson on her passing. They noted:
” It may be said with truth that she sacrificed herself for the good of the people…The deceased lady was generally beloved throughout the entire village, and her death has cast a gloom over the neighbourhood. She was known in every part of the district as generous and kindhearted, and in no one instance can it be said that at any time she cheerfully refused to help the needy… In this, as in many other respects a great loss is universally felt, and all classes of the community will ever remember her kindly greetings.”
Miss Johnson was buried in the Wesleyan Cemetery at Cheetham Hill, her coffin transported there by train from Lowton St. Mary’s Station and the road from Green Lawn to the station was lined with mourners paying their respects.
Green Lawn in the 1880s
Upon Miss Johnson’s death her estate, valued at £4004/13s/5d (over £400,000 in modern terms) was left to be divided between two of her nephews. As an unmarried woman with no dependants, her household furniture and goods were sold by auction at the house in February 1886. Auctions of household items were quite common across the nineteenth century, particularly after a death, a decline in financial situation, or a downsizing in property.
However, the notice of auction provides us with a snapshot of how Green Lawn would have looked in the mid-1880s, without the need for any photographic material. Green Lawn exuded a luxurious and comfortable home. The drawing room and dining room both had Brussels carpets and woollen hearth rugs, both rooms were located at the southern facade of the house with the bay windows and had woollen drapery (to keep the heat in) and sunshades (to keep the sunlight out). Also in the drawing room was a mahogany sofa covered in crimson, with eight matching chairs, glass decanter set, a card table and decorative gilt frames and 50 inch by 46 inch “chimney glass” (a mirror).
The dining room had a small library of books, a mahogany sideboard, eight mahogany chairs covered in Moroccan crimson leather, two gents easy chairs and a lady’s easy chair and footstools. In the four bedrooms there was a mahogany Tudor-style bed for sale, and also wardrobes, chest of drawers, dressing tables, chairs, commodes, a bidet, nightstands and mirrors. In the kitchen a pembroke table was to be found, alongside a kitchen dresser, a set of seven drawers, brass preserving and saucepans, earthenware, a wringing machine, dolly and wash tubs and copper and iron kettles. Although only a brief glimpse into the house, its gives us an idea of how the rooms were set, what household activities took place and what constituted a comfortable, middle-class home.
Green Lawn in its prime, c. early 20th century (Source: Wigan Archives & Leigh Local Studies COPYRIGHT)The house was advertised to let again in 1886 and it was occupied by Harriet Greenhalgh. Not much is known about Harriet but she does appear on the electoral register for the property in 1889. This means Harriet, who rented Green Lawn, must have been unmarried and a rate payer. The Local Government Act 1888 had reformed rural governments and provided county councils. Significantly another term of the Act was that it allowed unmarried female property owners and rate payers, like Harriet, to vote in county elections (but still not parliamentary elections, which would not come until 1918). Later in 1889, Green Lawn was once again advertised to be let, this time is was described as a “desirable country residence “, which infers Lowton was still largely undeveloped at this time.
A Contested Will
By the 1890s Green Lawn had changed from one of the largest houses on Mather Lane, to a more modest family home. In 1890, William Procter (1861-1906), a secretary for Ackers, Whitley and Co. at Bickershaw Colliery, lived there with his wife, Alice (1862-1901). The Procter’s are still able to afford a live-in servant, in 1891 this is 25 year old Teresa Gillis from Dublin. By 1901 however, the household consists of William and Alice, Jane Wright (Alice’s 75 year old mother), Jane Procter (an 11 year old niece) and a maid, Martha Sweetlove.
Unfortunately the start of a new century was not an optimistic or bright one for the Procter’s. In August 1901, Alice Procter died aged only 38 after a long illness and she was buried at Blackpool. In 1903 Procter left Green Lawn and in 1904 the house again was advertised to rent. In January 1906 William Procter passed away aged 45, and in his will dated 1904 he left his estate of £1500 (£148,000) to his sister, with the exception of £25 to his maid. However, a second will was then produced dated 1903 in which he left his entire estate to his niece who lived him at Green Lawn. The case made it to court, but fortunately the executor of the 1903 will agreed not to contest the later will and agreed to pay a third of the estate to the niece.
The Early Twentieth Century
In 1904 the Jackson family moved into Green Lawn. Not long after they moved in, the house was extended at the rear. Joseph Jackson (b.1852) was a legal clerk and he lived at Green Lawn with his wife Margaret (b.1854). The couple had seven children together but in 1911 only three remain at home with their parents: Margaret Katherina (b.1886), Reginald (b.1890), a shipping clerk and Sydney (b.1895).
As with previous residents of Green Lawn, the Jackson’s were prominent in local society and in 1910, Joseph and Margaret were invited to a reception held by Mayor W. J. Smith in Leigh. By 1913 the family had left Green Lawn and the house was once again advertised in the local newspapers, however this time it was available to buy or rent, as presumably the Travers family no longer desired to keep it.
The Green Family
The new owners of Green Lawn did not move far to get there, in fact they moved from the house next door. Oaklands is a substantial Victorian property built in 1882, just across Hesketh Meadow Lane from Green Lawn. It was occupied by the Green family, John Green was a farmer-turned-soap and glue manufacturer, and he lived there with his wife Anne, two children from his first marriage; William and Alfred and his children from his second marriage; Fred and Beatrice, as well as two servants.
By 1908, William Lees Green (b.1865) and his brother Alfred had inherited their father’s soap and glue business. That the same year William married Rose Agnes de Braunstein (nee Monaghan). Rose appears to have had an anything but ordinary life. She was born in 1876 in Shipley, Yorkshire, and was the daughter of Irish labourers. At some point in the 1890s she married an elusive character, Colonel de Braunstein (supposedly of the Russian army) and they had three children together; Violet (b.1895 in York), Kathleen (b.1897 in Leeds or Germany depending on sources) and Nicholas (b.1899 in Algeria). In 1901 Rose is classified as a widow, living back in Yorkshire with her three children, father, brother, servant and lodger.
The 1911 census reveals, Rose and William had started their married life together but her children were all in boarding schools. The two daughters are students at St. Mary’s Orphanage, they are at the secondary school there and the census records them as “pupils” compared to the younger girls who are classified as “inmates”. Her son, Nicholas is a pupil at Thorncliffe, a Catholic boys school in Middlesbrough. What happened to Rose’s daughters after their schooling remains unknown, although it appears Violet travelled extensively, visiting New York in 1925 and Buenos Aries in 1931.
After 1913, William and Rose settled into Green Lawn, although it was a tragic final few years for the family. In July 1917, Nicholas de Braunstein passed away at Green Lawn aged only 17, having resided there for some time with his mother and step-father. He is buried in St. Mary’s Church yard, Lowton. The following year, in July 1918, William was forced to declare himself bankrupt and shortly after this, Rose died on October 25th. In June 1920, William himself died aged only 55 years old and was buried with his wife and step-son. He left his brother Alfred all that he had, which was just £5.
The Twentieth Century & Beyond
Between 1921 and 1924, Green Lawn was occupied by Fred Brooks. In 1925 it was purchased by John Stocks Kilshall (1865-1932) and his wife Lillie (1869-1947). John and Lillie Kilshall had previously been farmers at New Bradley Farm in Burtonwood, however as they were in their early sixties when they moved to Green Lawn, we can surmise they were downsizing.
In 1929 their only child, Doris married Eric Hugh Roberts (1899-1994). The young married couple lived with John and Lillie and in 1939, Lillie was recorded as the head of the family, living on private means and Eric’s occupation was within Local Government. Doris and Eric had a son, Ronald born in 1935.
By the 1950s the Roberts’s are still living at Green Lawn, as the postcard below testifies. By this time Eric’s occupation has changed to an estate agent. The couple remained at Green Lawn for many decades; Doris passed away in 1987 and Eric in 1994. After this, the house was occupied by their son Ronald and his family before the property eventually became empty.
For the last few years, Green Lawn has been unoccupied, and as such, abandoned and dilapidated. Until a few years ago, the house was hidden from the public view on the busy Newton Road, however when the trees were cut down, this decaying grand house was revealed and it now enchants passers-by. Apart from the obvious condition of the porch and bay windows, the house appears to be in a stable condition. Nonetheless, it seems it will soon become another “long lost histories” as sadly the site is earmarked for development, a fate which befalls many of our older houses. Just like its neighbours; The Elms, Sycamore House and Lowton House, permission has been granted in 2017 to demolish Green Lawn and replace it with two modern houses.
If the walls of Green Lawn could talk, they would spill many more facts, anecdotes and secrets of former years. Until that unfortunate day comes, Green Lawn continues to stand as a proud marker of local history.
Researched and Written by Thomas McGrath
Green Lawn in its prime, c. early 20th century (Source: Wigan Archives & Leigh Local Studies COPYRIGHT)MORE HIDDEN HISTORIES BY THOMAS McGRATH
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THE STEP HOUSED NEWTON ROAD
For more photographs on our extension site Click Here
Date: February 10, 2021Author: Thomas McGrath1
Oaklands is a spacious Victorian villa which was built to reflect a time of prosperity and comfort. However, over 140 years later it is now derelict and awaiting demolition. Just 30 years ago Lowton’s Newton Road contained several substantial historic houses which reflected the changing history of the area, unfortunately one-by-one these have all be lost. 2021 will likely be the last year that Oaklands exists, so here is its history.
Where is Lowton?
Lowton is located in Greater Manchester, some 11 miles from Manchester city centre and 2 miles from Leigh. Lowton itself encompasses a large area including districts known as Lowton village, Lowton St. Mary’s, Lowton Common and Lane Head. It was first recorded in 1201 and like much of Lancashire, it was involved in the cotton spinning and silk weaving industries, although glue and sweets were also manufactured there.
In 1911, A County History of Lancaster, described Lowton as being “situated in flat uninteresting country, covered for the most part with bricks and mortar, for the very scattered town of Lowton spreads itself in every direction, leaving spaces only for pastures between the streets or groups of dwellings.” Despite this, it was still largely rural compared to neighbouring towns and in 1901 it had a population of only 2,964 persons.
The purpose of this post will focus on Oaklands, a house situated in Lowton St. Mary’s. The name of the property is also sometimes recorded as The Oaklands. The area was named after the church established there in 1861 and also widely known for the train station which was located there between 1884-1964.
Construction
Oaklands was built between 1882-1883 on a two-acre plot on the corner of what is now Newton Road/ Hesketh Meadow Lane. Although the current address of the property is 196 Newton Road, until the 1890s the road was named Mather Lane. For the majority of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, Mather Lane/Newton Road was a prestigious residential location. Originally only containing some farms, large houses such as Lowton House (also referred to as Lowton Hall) and Sycamore House were built in the first few decades of the nineteenth century. After the construction of other houses later in the century, such as: Green Lawn, The Elms, and the Vicarage, the neighbourhood became distinctively upper-middle class.
Above: Oaklands (Source: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/beautiful-victorian-building-demolished-housing-18641474 Wigett Homes)
The house was designed by the renowned Bolton-based architectural firm of Bradshaw & Gass. Some of their other buildings (including some later ones) include: Mather Lane Mill and Leigh Spinners Mill, Croal Mill, Bolton, Atherton library, Astley Bridge library, Stockport library, Westhoughton Town Hall, Farnworth Town Hall, the Stock Exchange building and the Royal Exchange (both in Manchester). Oaklands cost £8000 to build, which is approx. £811,000 in modern terms. The house is built of pressed red brick and in typical late-nineteenth century fashion, it is a convolution of architectural styles; Gothic-revival, Queen Anne revival along with some Arts and Crafts elements. The house has an octagonal turret and terracotta details around the exterior. On the façade of the house is a plaque which bears the carving ‘EQUAM SERVARE MENTEM’ (to preserve an equal mind). The interior, although altered, still retains period features including: a tiled mosaic entrance hall with J. G. entwined in the centre, wooden panelling on the ceilings and carved doors with glass panels. The staircase window was stained glass featuring two Pre-Raphaelite women, unfortunately, one side of this window has been destroyed.
A Self-Made Millionaire
Oaklands was built for the Green family. The head of the family was John Green (1836-1893) who was the epitome of the self-made man of the nineteenth century and his story really is one of ‘rags to riches’. This was clearly something he chose to reflect in the design of his home as well. He was born in Atherton in 1836 to William and Margaret Green. He was baptised at Chowbent Unitarian Chapel and even after the family moved away from Atherton, they returned to Chowbent Chapel to baptise their children. They moved to Bolton around 1840 and then to Oldham Road in Manchester around 1848. John’s father was an engineer in the cotton mills, so his skills were highly sought after and he would’ve commanded a higher wage than those who worked as carder or weavers in the mills. This is likely the reason why the family moved so much and they eventually settled on St. Stephen Street in Salford. This was a working-class district centred around what is now Salford Central Station and the boundary with the River Irwell, where there was plenty of opportunity for employment.
By 1861 William Green had set himself up as a draper and his three daughters; Elizabeth, Martha and Ann were milliners. John, aged 24, was a glue manufacturer. By the time of his marriage in January 1864 he was living in the centre of the city on Lower King Street. His bride was Emma Lees Smith (1839-1875). Emma was the daughter of Samuel Lees Smith; a warehouseman and Margaret Forshaw and she grew up in Salford. John and Emma had the following children: William Lees (b.1865), Alfred Henry (b.1867), Frederic Arthur (b.1869) and Mary Annie (b.1871 – died as an infant).
John’s business also expanded and he started to manufacture glue, soap and size (a substance used to alter the absorption of paper and materials). His works were based on Hyde Road, however around 1868 he moved his business and his family to Lowton. The family lived at Pocket Nook House adjoining the railway line and next to John’s works. John adapted to semi-rural environment. In the 1871 census he described himself as a glue manufacturer employing four men and as a farmer of 77 acres, employing two men. In 1870 there was a terrible accident at the works involving 30 year old George Kay who fell into a vat of boiling size. He was rescued by workmate but he was not expected to live. Fortunately, the father-of-three did survive and went on to have four more children.
Above: An OS Map of Lowton from 1891. Oaklands can be seen listed, as can John Green’s soap and glue works near the railway line and Pocket Nook House, his former residence. (Source: National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/view/101103698)
Sadly, Emma Green died at the age of 37 in 1875. Three years later, John remarried to Anne Price (1854-1919) in Liverpool. There was 18 years between John and Anne and just 11 years between her and her eldest step-son. This age gap could be the reason why Anne applied to the Diocese of Chester for a license to marry John. John and Anne had two children together: Beatrice Mary (b.1881) and Philip Sydney (b.1883). John became a prominent figure in the local community and he served as a County Magistrate from 1889.
John Green only got to enjoy his new home and family life for a decade as he died suddenly whilst in Blackpool in September 1893. He was only 57 years old. He died from ‘syncope’ due to an insufficient blood flow to the brain (this is more commonly associated with fainting). It is likely John had other medical conditions regarding his blood pressure too, to cause the fatal result. His estate was valued at £29,698/16s./10d. which would make him a multi-millionaire by today’s standards, as this is over £3.3 million in modern terms.
The Green Family: 1890s-1950s
Anne Green, her step-children and her children continued to live at Oaklands after John’s death. Anne joined the Golbourne, Lowton, Culcheth and Keyon Education Sub-Committee. Education was important to the Green family. All of the sons were sent to Manchester Grammar School and even Beatrice was still recorded as a student at the age 20 in the 1901 census. It is not known what she studied but her mother and brothers were clearly in favour of higher education for women. In 1907 Beatrice married Robert Jaffrey Forbes, a professor of the pianoforte. He taught at what is now the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he was later the principal. Beatrice and Robert had one child and Beatrice died aged 99.
William, Alfred and Fredric (known as Fred) took over their father’s business. John brought his sons into the business at a young age and he had them various different roles. In 1886, 17 year old Fred was nearly blinded in an accident at the glue works and there was an emergency trip to Manchester to save his eye. In 1903 he married Rachel Thompson and moved to Newton-le-Willows, where his family lived at Hetherlea, a large house on the edge of Mere Road.
In 1908 William Lees Green married Rose Agnes de Braunstein (nee Monaghan) and in 1913 they moved across the road from Oaklands to Green Lawn. Unfortunately, William and Rose had a tough time and William died aged 55 in June 1920. More can be found about William, Rose and Green Lawn here.
Philip Sydney Green took a different path to his brothers. He studied at Wigan Grammar School and Manchester Grammar School. He then studied medicine at University of Manchester and he eventually became a surgeon at the Crescent Road Military Hospital in Crumpsall around 1911. He later studied radiology at the London Hospital and he was regarded as a specialist in X-rays, which were still somewhat in their infancy at the time, having only been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Röntgen.
In 1916 he married Margaret Katharena Jackson but the couple only had a matter of months together before Philip was shipped off to serve at Mesopotamia for two years. He was a Captain in the Royal Medical Corps. He returned to England in June 1918 and was sent to France in July. Unfortunately, Philip died of pneumonia caused by influenza on 13th November 1918 at Wimereux, two days after the Armistice was signed. There is no doubt that the death of her son would have deeply saddened Anne and she died a year after he did, in 1919 at the age of 65.
Above: Philip Sydney Green (1883-1918) (Source: Leigh Journal, 26 June 1919, Wigan Archives)
Margaret Katharena was awarded a widow’s pension of £75 a year in 1919 but she had to give this up in 1921 when she re-married. Her second husband was her brother-in-law, Alfred Henry Green. Alfred had never married at that point and he had lived always lived at Oaklands with his step-mother. He had studied chemistry and was a member of the Chemical Society of Great Britain. I think it’s rather lovely that these two found each other after so much sadness. Alfred and Margaret still owned Oaklands but did not live there. During the Second World War, Oaklands was given over to the Admiralty for the duration of the war. Alfred and Margaret later lived in Southport, where they both passed away in the late 1950s. Their estate was left to their nephew and niece; Arthur and Freda (children of Fred and Rachel).
Oaklands Children’s Home
In December 1945, the Primary Education Committee of Lancashire decided to purchase the house to use it as a remand home for girls. It was estimated to have needed £3,500 worth of repairs and alterations to adapt the domestic residence for its new purpose. The alterations eventually cost £3,250 and the home could accommodate 26 girls. Oakland’s Children’s Home eventually became a boys’ home and it could accommodate around 29 boys. An extension was added to the side of the house in the 1960s. Lowton became part of the Wigan Borough in the 1970s and thereafter children from around this area could be sent to Oaklands.
Above: An advertisement for the roles of ‘house mothers’ for various children’s homes, including Oaklands. (Source: Liverpool Echo, 18 June 1965, p.19)
*NOTE: The following part of this article covers sensitive topics, including abuse*
The poet and author, Lemn Sissay (b.1967) lived in four children’s homes in the Wigan Borough, including Oaklands, between 1979-1984. Sissay has been transparent about the abuse he suffered and witnessed during his time in these homes. He wrote a blog post in 2013 to raise awareness about what went on in these locations which were supposed to be caring for young, vulnerable children and teenagers. The post can be found here. As early as 1951, potential cases of abuse were highlighted at Oaklands. In that year a superintendent at the home was found not guilty on the charge of ‘improperly assaulting boys under 16’ but the fact that it made it to court would suggest that acts of misconduct did happen even in the early years after the home was founded.
It is important to share and acknowledge this darker side of the building’s history. Tied within these walls are the memories of real people and many people who passed through this property are still alive today. It is also import to note that these experiences will not have been shared by all the children who resided at Oaklands and that this is in no way reflective on all the staff who worked there over the years.
Oaklands Today
The Children’s Home closed in the early 1990s and in 1992 the building was converted into offices for the use of Wigan Council. Oaklands was used for this purpose until 2016, when the council decided the property was no longer suitable. It has since stood empty for a few years and unfortunately has suffered some vandalism during this time.
Above: The gateposts at Oaklands (Source: Thomas McGrath, 2021)
In 2020 plans were approved to demolish Oaklands and build 19 houses and an apartment block containing 6 flats on the site. This historic house will go the same way as its neighbouring buildings: Sycamore House, Green Lawn, The Elms and Lowton Hall. In 2018 Ed Thwaite, the chairman of Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum stated:
“This is the last straw. It has all happened very quickly. It would be sacrilege to see it go. I do think it is a shame the extension was put on it as that has spoiled it somewhat but it is very sad to think it might be pulled down […] The grounds are full of mature trees and there is a lot of wildlife in there because it hasn’t been maintained or manicured for years.”
A petition to save the building was started by Nicole Broome and it is such a shame that the house itself couldn’t have been converted into apartments but in the 21st century, land is worth more than our historic environment. For the time being, whilst the house remains, it stands as a tangible link to the history of Lowton.
Researched and Written by Thomas McGrath
Hidden Histories: Oaklands, Newton Road, Lowton
Date: February 10, 2021Author: Thomas McGrath7 CommentsOaklands is a spacious Victorian villa which was built to reflect a time of prosperity and comfort. However, over 140 years later it is now derelict and awaiting demolition. Just 30 years ago Lowton’s Newton Road contained several substantial historic houses which reflected the changing history of the area, unfortunately one-by-one these have all been lost. 2021 will likely be the last year that Oaklands exists, so here is its history.
Where is Lowton?
Lowton is located in Greater Manchester, some 11 miles from Manchester city centre and 2 miles from Leigh. Lowton itself encompasses a large area including districts known as Lowton village, Lowton St. Mary’s, Lowton Common and Lane Head. It was first recorded in 1201 and like much of Lancashire, it was involved in the cotton spinning and silk weaving industries. Glue and sweets were also manufactured there.
In 1911, A County History of Lancaster, described Lowton as being “situated in flat uninteresting country, covered for the most part with bricks and mortar, for the very scattered town of Lowton spreads itself in every direction, leaving spaces only for pastures between the streets or groups of dwellings.” Despite this, it was still largely rural compared to neighbouring towns and in 1901 it had a population of only 2,964 persons.
The post will focus on Oaklands, a house situated in Lowton St. Mary’s. The name of the property is also sometimes recorded as The Oaklands. The area was named after the church established there in 1861 and it was also widely known for the train station which was located there between 1884-1964.
Construction
Oaklands was built between 1882-1883 on a two-acre plot on the corner of what is now Newton Road/ Hesketh Meadow Lane. Although the current address of the property is 196 Newton Road, until the 1890s the road was named Mather Lane. For the majority of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, Mather Lane/Newton Road was a prestigious residential location. Originally only containing some farms, large houses such as Lowton House (also referred to as Lowton Hall) and Sycamore House were built in the first few decades of the nineteenth century. After the construction of other houses later in the century, such as: Green Lawn, The Elms, and the Vicarage, the neighbourhood became distinctively upper-middle class.
Above: Oaklands in March 2021 (Source: Thomas McGrath, 2021)
The house was designed by the renowned Bolton-based architectural firm of Bradshaw & Gass. Some of their other buildings (including some later ones) include: Mather Lane Mill and Leigh Spinners Mill, Croal Mill, Bolton, Atherton library, Astley Bridge library, Stockport library, Westhoughton Town Hall, Farnworth Town Hall, the Stock Exchange building and the Royal Exchange (both in Manchester). Oaklands cost £8000 to build, which is approx. £811,000 in modern terms. The house is built of pressed red brick and in typical late-nineteenth century fashion, it is a convolution of architectural styles; Gothic-revival, Queen Anne revival along with some Arts and Crafts elements. The house has an octagonal turret and terracotta details around the exterior. On the façade of the house is a plaque which bears the carving ‘EQUAM SERVARE MENTEM’ (to preserve an equal mind). The interior, although altered, still retains period features including: a tiled mosaic entrance hall with J. G. entwined in the centre, wooden panelling on the ceilings and carved doors with glass panels. The staircase window was stained glass featuring two Pre-Raphaelite women, unfortunately, one side of this window has been destroyed.
A Self-Made Millionaire
Oaklands was built for the Green family. The head of the family was John Green (1836-1893) who was the epitome of the self-made man of the nineteenth century and his story really is one of ‘rags to riches’. This was clearly something he chose to reflect in the design of his home as well. He was born in Atherton in 1836 to William and Margaret Green. He was christened at Chowbent Unitarian Chapel and even after the family moved away from Atherton, they returned to Chowbent Chapel to christen their children. They moved to Bolton around 1840 and then to Oldham Road in Manchester around 1848. John’s father was an engineer in the cotton mills, so his skills were highly sought after and he would’ve commanded a higher wage than those who worked as carder or weavers in the mills. This is likely the reason why the family moved so much and they eventually settled on St. Stephen Street in Salford. This was a working-class district centred around what is now Salford Central Station and the boundary with the River Irwell, where there was plenty of opportunity for employment.
By 1861 William Green had set himself up as a draper and his three daughters; Elizabeth, Martha and Ann were milliners. John, aged 24, was a glue manufacturer. By the time of his marriage in January 1864 he was living in the centre of the city on Lower King Street. His bride was Emma Lees Smith (1839-1875). Emma was the daughter of Samuel Lees Smith; a warehouseman and Margaret Forshaw and she grew up in Salford. John and Emma had the following children: William Lees (b.1865), Alfred Henry (b.1867), Frederic Arthur (b.1869) and Mary Annie (b.1871 – died as an infant).
John’s business also expanded and he started to manufacture glue, soap and size (a substance used to alter the absorption of paper and materials). His works were based on Hyde Road, however around 1868 he moved his business and his family to Lowton. The family lived at Pocket Nook House adjoining the railway line and next to John’s works. John adapted to the semi-rural environment. In the 1871 census he described himself as a glue manufacturer employing four men and as a farmer of 77 acres, employing two men. In 1870 there was a terrible accident at the works involving 30 year old George Kay who fell into a vat of boiling size. He was rescued by workmate but he was not expected to live. Fortunately, the father-of-three did survive and went on to have four more children.
Sadly, Emma Green died at the age of 37 in 1875. Three years later, John remarried to Anne Price (1854-1919) in Liverpool. There was 18 years between John and Anne and just 11 years between her and her eldest step-son. This age gap could be the reason why Anne applied to the Diocese of Chester for a license to marry John. John and Anne had two children together: Beatrice Mary (b.1881) and Philip Sydney (b.1883). John became a prominent figure in the local community and he served as a County Magistrate from 1889.
John Green only got to enjoy his new home and family life for a decade as he died suddenly whilst in Blackpool in September 1893. He was only 57 years old. He died from ‘syncope’ due to an insufficient blood flow to the brain (this is more commonly associated with fainting). It is likely John had other medical conditions regarding his blood pressure too, to cause the fatal result. His estate was valued at £29,698/16s./10d. which would make him a multi-millionaire by today’s standards, as this is over £3.3 million in modern terms.
The Green Family: 1890s-1950s
Anne Green, her step-children and her children continued to live at Oaklands after John’s death. Anne joined the Golbourne, Lowton, Culcheth and Kenyon Education Sub-Committee. Education was important to the Green family. All of the sons were sent to Manchester Grammar School and even Beatrice was still recorded as a student at the age 20 in the 1901 census. It is not known what she studied but her mother and brothers were clearly in favour of higher education for women. In 1907 Beatrice married Robert Jaffrey Forbes, a professor of the pianoforte. He taught at what is now the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he was later the principal. Beatrice and Robert had one child and Beatrice died aged 99.
William, Alfred and Fredric (known as Fred) took over their father’s business. John brought his sons into the business at a young age and he had them working various different roles. In 1886, 17 year old Fred was nearly blinded in an accident at the glue works and there was an emergency trip to Manchester to save his eye. In 1903 he married Rachel Thompson and moved to Newton-le-Willows, where his family lived at Hetherlea, a large house on the edge of Mere Road.
In 1908 William Lees Green married Rose Agnes de Braunstein (nee Monaghan) and in 1913 they moved across the road from Oaklands to Green Lawn. Unfortunately, William and Rose had a tough time and William died aged 55 in June 1920. More can be found about William, Rose and Green Lawn here.
Philip Sydney Green took a different path to his brothers. He studied at Wigan Grammar School and Manchester Grammar School. He then studied medicine at University of Manchester and he eventually became a surgeon at the Crescent Road Military Hospital in Crumpsall around 1911. He later studied radiology at the London Hospital and he was regarded as a specialist in X-rays, which were still somewhat in their infancy at the time, having only been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Röntgen.
In 1916 he married Margaret Katharena Jackson but the couple only had a matter of months together before Philip was shipped off to serve at Mesopotamia for two years. He was a Captain in the Royal Medical Corps. He returned to England in June 1918 and was sent to France in July. Unfortunately, Philip died of pneumonia caused by influenza on 13th November 1918 at Wimereux, two days after the Armistice was signed. There is no doubt that the death of her son would have deeply saddened Anne and she died a year after he did, in 1919 at the age of 65.
Margaret Katharena was awarded a widow’s pension of £75 a year in 1919 but she had to give this up in 1921 when she re-married. Her second husband was her brother-in-law, Alfred Henry Green. Alfred had never married at that point and he had lived always lived at Oaklands with his step-mother. He had studied chemistry and was a member of the Chemical Society of Great Britain. I think it’s rather lovely that these two found each other after so much sadness. Alfred and Margaret still owned Oaklands but they did not live there. During the Second World War, Oaklands was given over to the Admiralty for the duration of the war. Alfred and Margaret later lived in Southport, where they both passed away in the late 1950s. Their estate was left to their nephew and niece; Arthur and Freda (children of Fred and Rachel).
Oaklands Children’s Home
In December 1945, the Primary Education Committee of Lancashire decided to purchase the house to use it as a remand home for girls. It was estimated to have needed £3,500 worth of repairs and alterations to adapt the domestic residence for its new purpose. The alterations eventually cost £3,250 and the home could accommodate 26 girls. Oakland’s Children’s Home eventually became a boys’ home and it could accommodate around 29 boys. An extension was added to the side of the house in the 1960s. Lowton became part of the Wigan Borough in the 1970s and thereafter children from around this area could be sent to Oaklands.
*NOTE: The following part of this article covers sensitive topics, including abuse*
The poet and author, Lemn Sissay (b.1967) lived in four children’s homes in the Wigan Borough, including Oaklands, between 1979-1984. Sissay has been transparent about the abuse he suffered and witnessed during his time in these homes. He wrote a blog post in 2013 to raise awareness about what went on in these locations which were supposed to be caring for young, vulnerable children and teenagers. The post can be found here. As early as 1951, potential cases of abuse were highlighted at Oaklands. In that year a superintendent at the home was found not guilty on the charge of ‘improperly assaulting boys under 16’ but the fact that it made it to court would suggest that acts of misconduct did happen even in the early years after the home was founded.
It is important to share and acknowledge this darker side of the building’s history. Tied within these walls are the memories of real people and many people who passed through this property are still alive today. It is also import to note that these experiences will not have been shared by all the children who resided at Oaklands and that this is in no way reflective on all the staff who worked there over the years.
Oaklands Today
The Children’s Home closed in the early 1990s and in 1992 the building was converted into offices for the use of Wigan Council. Oaklands was used for this purpose until 2016, when the council decided the property was no longer suitable. It has since stood empty for a few years and unfortunately it has suffered some vandalism during this time.
In 2020 plans were approved to demolish Oaklands and to build 19 houses and an apartment block containing 6 flats on the site. This historic house will go the same way as its neighbouring buildings: Sycamore House, Green Lawn, The Elms and Lowton Hall. In 2018 Ed Thwaite, the chairman of Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum stated:
“This is the last straw. It has all happened very quickly. It would be sacrilege to see it go. I do think it is a shame the extension was put on it as that has spoiled it somewhat but it is very sad to think it might be pulled down […] The grounds are full of mature trees and there is a lot of wildlife in there because it hasn’t been maintained or manicured for years.”
A petition to save the building was started by Nicole Broome and it is such a shame that the house itself couldn’t have been converted into apartments but in the 21st century, land is worth more than our historic environment. For the time being, whilst the house remains, it stands as a tangible link to the history of Lowton.
Researched and Written by Thomas McGrath
Oaklands is a spacious Victorian villa which was built to reflect a time of prosperity and comfort. However, over 140 years later it is now derelict and awaiting demolition. Just 30 years ago Lowton’s Newton Road contained several substantial historic houses which reflected the changing history of the area, unfortunately one-by-one these have all be lost. 2021 will likely be the last year that Oaklands exists, so here is its history.
Where is Lowton?
Lowton is located in Greater Manchester, some 11 miles from Manchester city centre and 2 miles from Leigh. Lowton itself encompasses a large area including districts known as Lowton village, Lowton St. Mary’s, Lowton Common and Lane Head. It was first recorded in 1201 and like much of Lancashire, it was involved in the cotton spinning and silk weaving industries, although glue and sweets were also manufactured there.
In 1911, A County History of Lancaster, described Lowton as being “situated in flat uninteresting country, covered for the most part with bricks and mortar, for the very scattered town of Lowton spreads itself in every direction, leaving spaces only for pastures between the streets or groups of dwellings.” Despite this, it was still largely rural compared to neighbouring towns and in 1901 it had a population of only 2,964 persons.
The purpose of this post will focus on Oaklands, a house situated in Lowton St. Mary’s. The name of the property is also sometimes recorded as The Oaklands. The area was named after the church established there in 1861 and also widely known for the train station which was located there between 1884-1964.
Construction
Oaklands was built between 1882-1883 on a two-acre plot on the corner of what is now Newton Road/ Hesketh Meadow Lane. Although the current address of the property is 196 Newton Road, until the 1890s the road was named Mather Lane. For the majority of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, Mather Lane/Newton Road was a prestigious residential location. Originally only containing some farms, large houses such as Lowton House (also referred to as Lowton Hall) and Sycamore House were built in the first few decades of the nineteenth century. After the construction of other houses later in the century, such as: Green Lawn, The Elms, and the Vicarage, the neighbourhood became distinctively upper-middle class.
Above: Oaklands (Source: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/beautiful-victorian-building-demolished-housing-18641474 Wigett Homes)
The house was designed by the renowned Bolton-based architectural firm of Bradshaw & Gass. Some of their other buildings (including some later ones) include: Mather Lane Mill and Leigh Spinners Mill, Croal Mill, Bolton, Atherton library, Astley Bridge library, Stockport library, Westhoughton Town Hall, Farnworth Town Hall, the Stock Exchange building and the Royal Exchange (both in Manchester). Oaklands cost £8000 to build, which is approx. £811,000 in modern terms. The house is built of pressed red brick and in typical late-nineteenth century fashion, it is a convolution of architectural styles; Gothic-revival, Queen Anne revival along with some Arts and Crafts elements. The house has an octagonal turret and terracotta details around the exterior. On the façade of the house is a plaque which bears the carving ‘EQUAM SERVARE MENTEM’ (to preserve an equal mind). The interior, although altered, still retains period features including: a tiled mosaic entrance hall with J. G. entwined in the centre, wooden panelling on the ceilings and carved doors with glass panels. The staircase window was stained glass featuring two Pre-Raphaelite women, unfortunately, one side of this window has been destroyed.
A Self-Made Millionaire
Oaklands was built for the Green family. The head of the family was John Green (1836-1893) who was the epitome of the self-made man of the nineteenth century and his story really is one of ‘rags to riches’. This was clearly something he chose to reflect in the design of his home as well. He was born in Atherton in 1836 to William and Margaret Green. He was baptised at Chowbent Unitarian Chapel and even after the family moved away from Atherton, they returned to Chowbent Chapel to baptise their children. They moved to Bolton around 1840 and then to Oldham Road in Manchester around 1848. John’s father was an engineer in the cotton mills, so his skills were highly sought after and he would’ve commanded a higher wage than those who worked as carder or weavers in the mills. This is likely the reason why the family moved so much and they eventually settled on St. Stephen Street in Salford. This was a working-class district centred around what is now Salford Central Station and the boundary with the River Irwell, where there was plenty of opportunity for employment.
By 1861 William Green had set himself up as a draper and his three daughters; Elizabeth, Martha and Ann were milliners. John, aged 24, was a glue manufacturer. By the time of his marriage in January 1864 he was living in the centre of the city on Lower King Street. His bride was Emma Lees Smith (1839-1875). Emma was the daughter of Samuel Lees Smith; a warehouseman and Margaret Forshaw and she grew up in Salford. John and Emma had the following children: William Lees (b.1865), Alfred Henry (b.1867), Frederic Arthur (b.1869) and Mary Annie (b.1871 – died as an infant).
John’s business also expanded and he started to manufacture glue, soap and size (a substance used to alter the absorption of paper and materials). His works were based on Hyde Road, however around 1868 he moved his business and his family to Lowton. The family lived at Pocket Nook House adjoining the railway line and next to John’s works. John adapted to semi-rural environment. In the 1871 census he described himself as a glue manufacturer employing four men and as a farmer of 77 acres, employing two men. In 1870 there was a terrible accident at the works involving 30 year old George Kay who fell into a vat of boiling size. He was rescued by workmate but he was not expected to live. Fortunately, the father-of-three did survive and went on to have four more children.
Above: An OS Map of Lowton from 1891. Oaklands can be seen listed, as can John Green’s soap and glue works near the railway line and Pocket Nook House, his former residence. (Source: National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/view/101103698)
Sadly, Emma Green died at the age of 37 in 1875. Three years later, John remarried to Anne Price (1854-1919) in Liverpool. There was 18 years between John and Anne and just 11 years between her and her eldest step-son. This age gap could be the reason why Anne applied to the Diocese of Chester for a license to marry John. John and Anne had two children together: Beatrice Mary (b.1881) and Philip Sydney (b.1883). John became a prominent figure in the local community and he served as a County Magistrate from 1889.
John Green only got to enjoy his new home and family life for a decade as he died suddenly whilst in Blackpool in September 1893. He was only 57 years old. He died from ‘syncope’ due to an insufficient blood flow to the brain (this is more commonly associated with fainting). It is likely John had other medical conditions regarding his blood pressure too, to cause the fatal result. His estate was valued at £29,698/16s./10d. which would make him a multi-millionaire by today’s standards, as this is over £3.3 million in modern terms.
The Green Family: 1890s-1950s
Anne Green, her step-children and her children continued to live at Oaklands after John’s death. Anne joined the Golbourne, Lowton, Culcheth and Keyon Education Sub-Committee. Education was important to the Green family. All of the sons were sent to Manchester Grammar School and even Beatrice was still recorded as a student at the age 20 in the 1901 census. It is not known what she studied but her mother and brothers were clearly in favour of higher education for women. In 1907 Beatrice married Robert Jaffrey Forbes, a professor of the pianoforte. He taught at what is now the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he was later the principal. Beatrice and Robert had one child and Beatrice died aged 99.
William, Alfred and Fredric (known as Fred) took over their father’s business. John brought his sons into the business at a young age and he had them various different roles. In 1886, 17 year old Fred was nearly blinded in an accident at the glue works and there was an emergency trip to Manchester to save his eye. In 1903 he married Rachel Thompson and moved to Newton-le-Willows, where his family lived at Hetherlea, a large house on the edge of Mere Road.
In 1908 William Lees Green married Rose Agnes de Braunstein (nee Monaghan) and in 1913 they moved across the road from Oaklands to Green Lawn. Unfortunately, William and Rose had a tough time and William died aged 55 in June 1920. More can be found about William, Rose and Green Lawn here.
Philip Sydney Green took a different path to his brothers. He studied at Wigan Grammar School and Manchester Grammar School. He then studied medicine at University of Manchester and he eventually became a surgeon at the Crescent Road Military Hospital in Crumpsall around 1911. He later studied radiology at the London Hospital and he was regarded as a specialist in X-rays, which were still somewhat in their infancy at the time, having only been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Röntgen.
In 1916 he married Margaret Katharena Jackson but the couple only had a matter of months together before Philip was shipped off to serve at Mesopotamia for two years. He was a Captain in the Royal Medical Corps. He returned to England in June 1918 and was sent to France in July. Unfortunately, Philip died of pneumonia caused by influenza on 13th November 1918 at Wimereux, two days after the Armistice was signed. There is no doubt that the death of her son would have deeply saddened Anne and she died a year after he did, in 1919 at the age of 65.
Above: Philip Sydney Green (1883-1918) (Source: Leigh Journal, 26 June 1919, Wigan Archives)
Margaret Katharena was awarded a widow’s pension of £75 a year in 1919 but she had to give this up in 1921 when she re-married. Her second husband was her brother-in-law, Alfred Henry Green. Alfred had never married at that point and he had lived always lived at Oaklands with his step-mother. He had studied chemistry and was a member of the Chemical Society of Great Britain. I think it’s rather lovely that these two found each other after so much sadness. Alfred and Margaret still owned Oaklands but did not live there. During the Second World War, Oaklands was given over to the Admiralty for the duration of the war. Alfred and Margaret later lived in Southport, where they both passed away in the late 1950s. Their estate was left to their nephew and niece; Arthur and Freda (children of Fred and Rachel).
Oaklands Children’s Home
In December 1945, the Primary Education Committee of Lancashire decided to purchase the house to use it as a remand home for girls. It was estimated to have needed £3,500 worth of repairs and alterations to adapt the domestic residence for its new purpose. The alterations eventually cost £3,250 and the home could accommodate 26 girls. Oakland’s Children’s Home eventually became a boys’ home and it could accommodate around 29 boys. An extension was added to the side of the house in the 1960s. Lowton became part of the Wigan Borough in the 1970s and thereafter children from around this area could be sent to Oaklands.
Above: An advertisement for the roles of ‘house mothers’ for various children’s homes, including Oaklands. (Source: Liverpool Echo, 18 June 1965, p.19)
*NOTE: The following part of this article covers sensitive topics, including abuse*
The poet and author, Lemn Sissay (b.1967) lived in four children’s homes in the Wigan Borough, including Oaklands, between 1979-1984. Sissay has been transparent about the abuse he suffered and witnessed during his time in these homes. He wrote a blog post in 2013 to raise awareness about what went on in these locations which were supposed to be caring for young, vulnerable children and teenagers. The post can be found here. As early as 1951, potential cases of abuse were highlighted at Oaklands. In that year a superintendent at the home was found not guilty on the charge of ‘improperly assaulting boys under 16’ but the fact that it made it to court would suggest that acts of misconduct did happen even in the early years after the home was founded.
It is important to share and acknowledge this darker side of the building’s history. Tied within these walls are the memories of real people and many people who passed through this property are still alive today. It is also import to note that these experiences will not have been shared by all the children who resided at Oaklands and that this is in no way reflective on all the staff who worked there over the years.
Oaklands Today
The Children’s Home closed in the early 1990s and in 1992 the building was converted into offices for the use of Wigan Council. Oaklands was used for this purpose until 2016, when the council decided the property was no longer suitable. It has since stood empty for a few years and unfortunately has suffered some vandalism during this time.
Above: The gateposts at Oaklands (Source: Thomas McGrath, 2021)
In 2020 plans were approved to demolish Oaklands and build 19 houses and an apartment block containing 6 flats on the site. This historic house will go the same way as its neighbouring buildings: Sycamore House, Green Lawn, The Elms and Lowton Hall. In 2018 Ed Thwaite, the chairman of Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum stated:
“This is the last straw. It has all happened very quickly. It would be sacrilege to see it go. I do think it is a shame the extension was put on it as that has spoiled it somewhat but it is very sad to think it might be pulled down […] The grounds are full of mature trees and there is a lot of wildlife in there because it hasn’t been maintained or manicured for years.”
A petition to save the building was started by Nicole Broome and it is such a shame that the house itself couldn’t have been converted into apartments but in the 21st century, land is worth more than our historic environment. For the time being, whilst the house remains, it stands as a tangible link to the history of Lowton.
Researched and Written by Thomas McGrath
Hidden Histories: Oaklands, Newton Road, Lowton
Date: February 10, 2021Author: Thomas McGrath7 CommentsOaklands is a spacious Victorian villa which was built to reflect a time of prosperity and comfort. However, over 140 years later it is now derelict and awaiting demolition. Just 30 years ago Lowton’s Newton Road contained several substantial historic houses which reflected the changing history of the area, unfortunately one-by-one these have all been lost. 2021 will likely be the last year that Oaklands exists, so here is its history.
Where is Lowton?
Lowton is located in Greater Manchester, some 11 miles from Manchester city centre and 2 miles from Leigh. Lowton itself encompasses a large area including districts known as Lowton village, Lowton St. Mary’s, Lowton Common and Lane Head. It was first recorded in 1201 and like much of Lancashire, it was involved in the cotton spinning and silk weaving industries. Glue and sweets were also manufactured there.
In 1911, A County History of Lancaster, described Lowton as being “situated in flat uninteresting country, covered for the most part with bricks and mortar, for the very scattered town of Lowton spreads itself in every direction, leaving spaces only for pastures between the streets or groups of dwellings.” Despite this, it was still largely rural compared to neighbouring towns and in 1901 it had a population of only 2,964 persons.
The post will focus on Oaklands, a house situated in Lowton St. Mary’s. The name of the property is also sometimes recorded as The Oaklands. The area was named after the church established there in 1861 and it was also widely known for the train station which was located there between 1884-1964.
Construction
Oaklands was built between 1882-1883 on a two-acre plot on the corner of what is now Newton Road/ Hesketh Meadow Lane. Although the current address of the property is 196 Newton Road, until the 1890s the road was named Mather Lane. For the majority of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, Mather Lane/Newton Road was a prestigious residential location. Originally only containing some farms, large houses such as Lowton House (also referred to as Lowton Hall) and Sycamore House were built in the first few decades of the nineteenth century. After the construction of other houses later in the century, such as: Green Lawn, The Elms, and the Vicarage, the neighbourhood became distinctively upper-middle class.
Above: Oaklands in March 2021 (Source: Thomas McGrath, 2021)
The house was designed by the renowned Bolton-based architectural firm of Bradshaw & Gass. Some of their other buildings (including some later ones) include: Mather Lane Mill and Leigh Spinners Mill, Croal Mill, Bolton, Atherton library, Astley Bridge library, Stockport library, Westhoughton Town Hall, Farnworth Town Hall, the Stock Exchange building and the Royal Exchange (both in Manchester). Oaklands cost £8000 to build, which is approx. £811,000 in modern terms. The house is built of pressed red brick and in typical late-nineteenth century fashion, it is a convolution of architectural styles; Gothic-revival, Queen Anne revival along with some Arts and Crafts elements. The house has an octagonal turret and terracotta details around the exterior. On the façade of the house is a plaque which bears the carving ‘EQUAM SERVARE MENTEM’ (to preserve an equal mind). The interior, although altered, still retains period features including: a tiled mosaic entrance hall with J. G. entwined in the centre, wooden panelling on the ceilings and carved doors with glass panels. The staircase window was stained glass featuring two Pre-Raphaelite women, unfortunately, one side of this window has been destroyed.
A Self-Made Millionaire
Oaklands was built for the Green family. The head of the family was John Green (1836-1893) who was the epitome of the self-made man of the nineteenth century and his story really is one of ‘rags to riches’. This was clearly something he chose to reflect in the design of his home as well. He was born in Atherton in 1836 to William and Margaret Green. He was christened at Chowbent Unitarian Chapel and even after the family moved away from Atherton, they returned to Chowbent Chapel to christen their children. They moved to Bolton around 1840 and then to Oldham Road in Manchester around 1848. John’s father was an engineer in the cotton mills, so his skills were highly sought after and he would’ve commanded a higher wage than those who worked as carder or weavers in the mills. This is likely the reason why the family moved so much and they eventually settled on St. Stephen Street in Salford. This was a working-class district centred around what is now Salford Central Station and the boundary with the River Irwell, where there was plenty of opportunity for employment.
By 1861 William Green had set himself up as a draper and his three daughters; Elizabeth, Martha and Ann were milliners. John, aged 24, was a glue manufacturer. By the time of his marriage in January 1864 he was living in the centre of the city on Lower King Street. His bride was Emma Lees Smith (1839-1875). Emma was the daughter of Samuel Lees Smith; a warehouseman and Margaret Forshaw and she grew up in Salford. John and Emma had the following children: William Lees (b.1865), Alfred Henry (b.1867), Frederic Arthur (b.1869) and Mary Annie (b.1871 – died as an infant).
John’s business also expanded and he started to manufacture glue, soap and size (a substance used to alter the absorption of paper and materials). His works were based on Hyde Road, however around 1868 he moved his business and his family to Lowton. The family lived at Pocket Nook House adjoining the railway line and next to John’s works. John adapted to the semi-rural environment. In the 1871 census he described himself as a glue manufacturer employing four men and as a farmer of 77 acres, employing two men. In 1870 there was a terrible accident at the works involving 30 year old George Kay who fell into a vat of boiling size. He was rescued by workmate but he was not expected to live. Fortunately, the father-of-three did survive and went on to have four more children.
Sadly, Emma Green died at the age of 37 in 1875. Three years later, John remarried to Anne Price (1854-1919) in Liverpool. There was 18 years between John and Anne and just 11 years between her and her eldest step-son. This age gap could be the reason why Anne applied to the Diocese of Chester for a license to marry John. John and Anne had two children together: Beatrice Mary (b.1881) and Philip Sydney (b.1883). John became a prominent figure in the local community and he served as a County Magistrate from 1889.
John Green only got to enjoy his new home and family life for a decade as he died suddenly whilst in Blackpool in September 1893. He was only 57 years old. He died from ‘syncope’ due to an insufficient blood flow to the brain (this is more commonly associated with fainting). It is likely John had other medical conditions regarding his blood pressure too, to cause the fatal result. His estate was valued at £29,698/16s./10d. which would make him a multi-millionaire by today’s standards, as this is over £3.3 million in modern terms.
The Green Family: 1890s-1950s
Anne Green, her step-children and her children continued to live at Oaklands after John’s death. Anne joined the Golbourne, Lowton, Culcheth and Kenyon Education Sub-Committee. Education was important to the Green family. All of the sons were sent to Manchester Grammar School and even Beatrice was still recorded as a student at the age 20 in the 1901 census. It is not known what she studied but her mother and brothers were clearly in favour of higher education for women. In 1907 Beatrice married Robert Jaffrey Forbes, a professor of the pianoforte. He taught at what is now the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he was later the principal. Beatrice and Robert had one child and Beatrice died aged 99.
William, Alfred and Fredric (known as Fred) took over their father’s business. John brought his sons into the business at a young age and he had them working various different roles. In 1886, 17 year old Fred was nearly blinded in an accident at the glue works and there was an emergency trip to Manchester to save his eye. In 1903 he married Rachel Thompson and moved to Newton-le-Willows, where his family lived at Hetherlea, a large house on the edge of Mere Road.
In 1908 William Lees Green married Rose Agnes de Braunstein (nee Monaghan) and in 1913 they moved across the road from Oaklands to Green Lawn. Unfortunately, William and Rose had a tough time and William died aged 55 in June 1920. More can be found about William, Rose and Green Lawn here.
Philip Sydney Green took a different path to his brothers. He studied at Wigan Grammar School and Manchester Grammar School. He then studied medicine at University of Manchester and he eventually became a surgeon at the Crescent Road Military Hospital in Crumpsall around 1911. He later studied radiology at the London Hospital and he was regarded as a specialist in X-rays, which were still somewhat in their infancy at the time, having only been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Röntgen.
In 1916 he married Margaret Katharena Jackson but the couple only had a matter of months together before Philip was shipped off to serve at Mesopotamia for two years. He was a Captain in the Royal Medical Corps. He returned to England in June 1918 and was sent to France in July. Unfortunately, Philip died of pneumonia caused by influenza on 13th November 1918 at Wimereux, two days after the Armistice was signed. There is no doubt that the death of her son would have deeply saddened Anne and she died a year after he did, in 1919 at the age of 65.
Margaret Katharena was awarded a widow’s pension of £75 a year in 1919 but she had to give this up in 1921 when she re-married. Her second husband was her brother-in-law, Alfred Henry Green. Alfred had never married at that point and he had lived always lived at Oaklands with his step-mother. He had studied chemistry and was a member of the Chemical Society of Great Britain. I think it’s rather lovely that these two found each other after so much sadness. Alfred and Margaret still owned Oaklands but they did not live there. During the Second World War, Oaklands was given over to the Admiralty for the duration of the war. Alfred and Margaret later lived in Southport, where they both passed away in the late 1950s. Their estate was left to their nephew and niece; Arthur and Freda (children of Fred and Rachel).
Oaklands Children’s Home
In December 1945, the Primary Education Committee of Lancashire decided to purchase the house to use it as a remand home for girls. It was estimated to have needed £3,500 worth of repairs and alterations to adapt the domestic residence for its new purpose. The alterations eventually cost £3,250 and the home could accommodate 26 girls. Oakland’s Children’s Home eventually became a boys’ home and it could accommodate around 29 boys. An extension was added to the side of the house in the 1960s. Lowton became part of the Wigan Borough in the 1970s and thereafter children from around this area could be sent to Oaklands.
*NOTE: The following part of this article covers sensitive topics, including abuse*
The poet and author, Lemn Sissay (b.1967) lived in four children’s homes in the Wigan Borough, including Oaklands, between 1979-1984. Sissay has been transparent about the abuse he suffered and witnessed during his time in these homes. He wrote a blog post in 2013 to raise awareness about what went on in these locations which were supposed to be caring for young, vulnerable children and teenagers. The post can be found here. As early as 1951, potential cases of abuse were highlighted at Oaklands. In that year a superintendent at the home was found not guilty on the charge of ‘improperly assaulting boys under 16’ but the fact that it made it to court would suggest that acts of misconduct did happen even in the early years after the home was founded.
It is important to share and acknowledge this darker side of the building’s history. Tied within these walls are the memories of real people and many people who passed through this property are still alive today. It is also import to note that these experiences will not have been shared by all the children who resided at Oaklands and that this is in no way reflective on all the staff who worked there over the years.
Oaklands Today
The Children’s Home closed in the early 1990s and in 1992 the building was converted into offices for the use of Wigan Council. Oaklands was used for this purpose until 2016, when the council decided the property was no longer suitable. It has since stood empty for a few years and unfortunately it has suffered some vandalism during this time.
In 2020 plans were approved to demolish Oaklands and to build 19 houses and an apartment block containing 6 flats on the site. This historic house will go the same way as its neighbouring buildings: Sycamore House, Green Lawn, The Elms and Lowton Hall. In 2018 Ed Thwaite, the chairman of Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum stated:
“This is the last straw. It has all happened very quickly. It would be sacrilege to see it go. I do think it is a shame the extension was put on it as that has spoiled it somewhat but it is very sad to think it might be pulled down […] The grounds are full of mature trees and there is a lot of wildlife in there because it hasn’t been maintained or manicured for years.”
A petition to save the building was started by Nicole Broome and it is such a shame that the house itself couldn’t have been converted into apartments but in the 21st century, land is worth more than our historic environment. For the time being, whilst the house remains, it stands as a tangible link to the history of Lowton.
Researched and Written by Thomas McGrath