Lancashire Lantern

David Whitehead - His early life and family

 

 

David Whitehead was born at Meadowhead near Gambleside on the 11th of December 1790, the fourth child of John and Ann Whitehead. 

Ann Whitehead, the daughter of Lionel Blakely was John's second wife and 28 years his junior. 

John and Ann had eight children.  John had ten children from his first marriage to Peggy Nuttall, four dying in infancy.

The image shows David Whitehead's family tree (Click the image to enlarge).

In his diary, David Whitehead wrote:

"My Father lived on his own estate which came to him by entail", which supposes that David's Father had some wealth, he was a man of property.

John Whitehead died in 1802, bequeathing his estate to be divided between his widow and his thirteen surviving children, £3 to each male child, £2 to each female. 

His widow was to have £15 each year to maintain herself and her seven children until the youngest reached the age of twelve. 

The estate was then to be divided up, in the ratio of £3 to each son and £2 to each daughter.

In spite of her husband's estate, on his death, Ann Whitehead took her family to a cottage in Brockclough where she stretched out the family finances by hand-loom weaving.

David wrote in his diaries:

"I have wakened in the night and heard her looms going "Tip-a-tap,tip-a-tap,tip-a-tap,tip-a-tap" and her praying "Lord bless me, Lord bless me, Lord help me, Lord help me, Lord bless me…"

Ann Whitehead was a deeply religious woman. She had seen John Wesley preach at Burnley where he was pelted with eggs. According to her son David, "She felt very much grieved believing him to be a man of God".

Shortly after hearing John Wesley preach, Ann Whitehead joined the Methodist Society and her religious beliefs were to be a strong influence on her sons and daughters.

"After my Mother was converted, she was rigidly strict with all her children; so much so that she would scarcely allow them to play with any other children except when she was present"

As a young man, David Whitehead appeared to have no liking for the trade of weaving. 

The trade that was eventually to make his and his brothers' fortunes.

David and Peter were sent to work at a cotton factory. 

Whilst working there, David's career in weaving was nearly over before it had begun. 

His clothes were caught up in the machinery:

"I seized hold of a machine and held fast, and cried out with all my might. The factory was stopped immediately. The overlooker came to see me, and was so glad to see me alive, he dashed his hat upon the floor and said "He is no more dead nor my hat !" and so made a joke of it, although I believe he was much alarmed"

"I never did like to weave, so if possible I thought I would make myself fit for something else"

Many attempts were made to learn other trades. He wished to be a mechanic but his Mother hoped to apprentice him to a tailor in Rochdale. However, he had no liking for this trade. Ann Whitehead was very disappointed as the family of tailors were Methodists. Soon after, she gained him a place to weave "fustian" but he was accused of stealing milk. Then came a spell of learning to weave flannel but again he had no success at settling to a trade.

David wrote: "I am a great deal of trouble to my Mother. I can do for myself, I will not be bound prentice"

He decided that he would set off for Blackburn to try and find employment in the various public houses along the road. He was successful in gaining employment at the New Inn in Blackburn for some months.

After this, he tried many other methods of earning his living, including joining the Militia, as there was talk at this time of the French invading England. David was made a drummer boy, but as the other drummers and fifers "were the wildest and wickedest set I joined in my life", he was soon looking for work again.

David even walked to Wales from Manchester after spending his savings on his coach fare from Rossendale to Manchester. After arriving in Capel Curig he discovered that "there were no jobs for a youngster". After his adventures in Wales, David wrote in his diary: "I began then to be more diligent at my weaving".

When David and his brothers Thomas and Peter came into their inheritance from their father's estate, they decided that "when a suitable time came, we would go partners in the cotton trade"

In 1814, in partnership with William Clegg as manager, the brothers set up in a room in a small mill at Balladen Brook spinning cotton. 

Later, they bought out William Clegg's share of the business.

The brothers employed their mother as a weaver. She was one of their most skilled weavers and was given the pieces that other workers found too difficult.

As Balladen Brook had no shop and the workers had to go to Rawtenstall to purchase provisions, David began to sell meal flour and other groceries.

In 1815, with money borrowed from Thomas Hoyle, a Quaker of Manchester, a distant relative of their Mother's, the brothers set up their own firm, which was to be called "Thomas Whitehead and Brothers".

Thomas Hoyle requested that when David visited the market in Manchester, walking there and back, he would stay with him and give him the news of the business.

"He was a good friend to us with both his money and his advice"

All quotes are taken from "The autobiography of David Whitehead of Rawtenstall" published by Helmshore Local History Society, 2001