I believe I have discovered the facts behind William Torkington’s somewhat contradictory records of Chorlton-cum-Hardy during the final year of the Queen Victoria’s reign.
Incidentally, this information also highlights the shortcomings of rate books vis a vis census records.
The former shows only the owner and the occupier of a property who are registered to pay its rates, while the latter details all the individuals physically present at each address on a specific date.
William Torkington was born in Tintwistle, Nr. Glossop, Derbyshire (1) in the March quarter of 1859.
He was the son of James Torkington and his wife Maria Lyne (née Blakely).
His father was the manager of a cotton mill who later retired to open a grocer’s shop in Leigh, Lancashire. William married Ada Pettit in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire in the September quarter of 1882. The 1891 census shows him running a grocer’s shop on Norfolk Street, Glossop, Derbyshire.
As the 1890’s decade progressed William’s business expanded including the opening of another shop on Beech Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Around 1895 he formed a company, “Torkington’s Household Grocery Stores (Limited)” with John Herrick.
This company consisted of a total of five shops at Glossop, Hadfield, Bolton, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, and Farnworth. The venture did not prosper, however, and in 1898 it was forced into receivership and wound-up.
Charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud were brought against William Torkington and his fellow director John Herrick. In quite a convoluted case it was basically an attempt to “hide” cash and goods from the liquidator and therefore cheat the company’s creditors.
At their trial, in April, 1899, at the Manchester assizes John Herrick was acquitted of all charges, with the conspiracy charge against William, therefore, falling by default. He was, however found guilty of committing the fraud and sentenced to six calendar months hard labour on the 26th April, 1899.
William served his time in Strangeways Prison, Manchester and, on his release, he continued in trade as a grocer and draper. The 1901 census records him at 141, Mount Street, Bolton, Lancashire.
William and Ada had six children; the eldest,
Ada, was born in Bolton in the March quarter of 1883.
William Willis, born in the December quarter of 1885, Edward James, born in December quarter of 1887, and Hilda, born in the March quarter of 1890 were all born in Glossop, Derbyshire.
The couples youngest two children, daughters, Mildred and Mabel were both born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy in the December quarter of 1891 and the September quarter of 1894, respectively. This would have been whilst the family home was at 4, Edge Lane according to the rate books of Chorlton-cum-Hardy in that period.
Pictures: Tintwistle by Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3752234 Strangeways prison m57033 and m56981 Courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information, and Archives, Manchester City Councill, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
Notes:
1) Although its nearest town is Glossop in Derbyshire, Tintwistle was historically in Cheshire.
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