John Henry Proctor Leresche Q.C. …. another story from Tony Goulding

The above-named lawyer was the man who defended the Habron brothers when they were put on trial for the murder of P.C. Cock at the Manchester Assize Court on the 27th November, 1876. 

Manchester Assize Courts, 1868

His efforts were partially successful, in that one of the two brothers, John, was acquitted and although the jury did find his younger brother, William, guilty they did make a recommendation for mercy.

Mr. J.H.P. Leresche was born in Hulme Street, Salford but christened in, his mother’s home town, Leeds, Yorkshire (West Riding) in 1823. His parents were Samuel Leresche, a partner in a cotton manufacturing and calico printing company of 28, Cannon Street, Manchester, and his wife Jane (née Sunderland). When his father died, at just 37-years-old, on the 9th January, 1830 his mother supported her young family (John Henry Proctor had, at least, 3 younger brothers Charles Samuel, Edmund Sunderland (1) and Alfred) by running the Manchester and Salford Advertiser and Wheeler’s Manchester Chronicle Newspapers(2). She re-married a twice-widowed Manchester yarn merchant, Gerard Cowell, at St. John’s Church, Deansgate, Manchester on the 1st June, 1848. 

 As a child the future defending counsel of John and William Habron attended Manchester Grammar School. On leaving, he went to study for a legal career at The Middle Temple in London enrolling there on the 26th January, 1844; qualifying and being “called to the bar” almost exactly three years later on the 29th January, 1847.  After completing his studies, Mr. Leresche moved back to Lancashire, settling initially in Standish near Wigan where, for a short time, he had an interest in a colliery and coal merchants' enterprise. This company did not prosper and the partnership was dissolved on the 1st March, 1855. Debts due to this and other similar ventures led in February, 1857 to his appearance before the “Court for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors”

While residing in Standish he married the first of his three wives, Ellen Margaret Fitz-Adam the only daughter of Adam Fitz-Adam, a deceased Recorder of Wigan, at St. Wilfred’s Church in the town on the 24th May, 1854. The marriage was, sadly, a very brief one as less than a year later Ellen Margaret died on the 10th April, 1855. John Henry Proctor’s second marriage was to Anne Prior on the 24th June, 1857 at St. Bride’s Church. Liverpool. There were five children born to this marriage: Gerard Sunderland (b. 1859), Henry Proctor (b. 1861), Edmund Prior (b. 1863), Alfred Herbert (b.1865) and Ellen Fitzadam (b. 1867).

The second Mrs. Leresche died on the 24th May 1876 and John Henry Proctor married his third wife Annie Mather, daughter of mechanical engineer Colin Mather of Willow Bank, Lower Broughton, Salford at St. John’s Church, Higher Broughton on the 29th April, 1880. Although then entering his seventh decade this union provided Mr. Leresche with two more sons; Guy (b. 1881) and Percy Vere (b. 1883). 

The family home was on Broughton Lane, Salford, in the 1871 census they were recorded at 80 with Mr. Leresche’s mother, Jane Cowell, residing next door at 82. The censuses of 1881 and 1891 both record the family living at 174, Broughton Lane. His chambers were located at 2, St. James’s Square, Manchester next door to the prosecuting counsel in the P.C. Cock murder trial, Mr. William Housman Higgin Q.C.

St. James’s Square, Manchester

John Henry Proctor Leresche spent the majority of his career as a practicing barrister, however in January, 1886 he was appointed as the stipendiary magistrate of Manchester, taking up his duties at the Strangeways  Police Court on Tuesday 12th January. Prior to this appointment he had for some years served as an assistant Recorder or Manchester. 

Mr. J.H.P. Leresche died at his home, Limefield, Broughton Lane, Salford, in the evening of Monday the 5th March, 1894. His estate was assessed for probate at £13,799 -7s - 9d. (today’s value = £1, 252, 261) Part of his estate comprised of an interest in a number of properties one of which was The Ducie Hotel a lavish 22-bedroom hotel on Oxford Road, Manchester. There is a link to Chorlton-cum-Hardy in that the architects of The Ducie Hotel were Pennington and Bridgen one of whose first projects was the designs for the new St. Clement’s Church (1861-6).

The children from Mr. Leresche’s second two marriages led interesting lives with varying levels of success which may produce a follow-up piece. However, as there is a link to a recent story on this Blog, I will finish by writing of the two youngest children. They were both young enough to see service during the First World War. Percy Vere, who had trained as a mechanical engineer joined the Royal Army Service Corps and ended the hostilities with the rank of Captain and an O.B.E. in recognition of his service. After being de-mobilised he returned to his career in farming firstly in Honiton, Devon then later at Kendal, Westmoreland. Guy Leresche, an officer in the regiment’s cadet force, was a Lieutenant serving with the 19th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, from its formation in 1914. As such he was part of the attack of the 23rd July, 1916 on Guillemont, during the Battle of the Somme. His battalion suffered terrible casualties, which was the subject of a post on this Blog on 11th July, 2022. Guy was one of the luckier ones, in that he was captured and became a prisoner of war. Following the Armistice, he remained in the army having been promoted to Captain. Resigning his commission in 1921, in civilian life he returned to his profession as an architect.

Pictures: -  The Manchester Assize Court, Kell Brothers, 1868 m 55717 and St. James’s Square, Manchester, m 04530 - Courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Archives, and Information, Manchester City Council, http://manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

Notes: -

1) Edmund Sunderland died of consumption just after his 19th birthday in 1844. He was interred in the Cheetham Hill Wesleyan Cemetery, Manchester on the 16th May, 1844.

2) As a young man, John Henry Proctor would occasionally contribute articles for publication by his mother.