Robert Postlethwaite (1788-1859)
Written by Tim Cockerill
Occupation: Landowner
Family Background
This branch of the numerous Postlethwaite family can be traced back in the Millom Parish Register as living at Bankside in 1639, but a branch of their descendants moved to Broughton-in-Furness during the 18th century. Here they set up as tanners and mercers and John Postlethwaite (1744-1832) became so successful that he was able to build Broughton House, in the main street, a substantial mansion. Moreover, in 1786, he married Margaret Hodgshon, daughter of Robert Hodgshon of The Oaks, Millom who was the eventual heiress of that property. Their first son Robert Hodgshon died in infancy. Robert was the second son and was baptised at Broughton-in-Furness on 30 June 1788. Two further sons followed: William in 1790 and Thomas in 1792.
Education and Career
Presumably young Robert went to a local school and it appears that during his childhood the family had ceased trading as mercers and become gentrified, putting their fortune into buying land so that by 1825, when Robert was in his late thirties, he appears in the local directories as one of the principal landowners of Broughton. This is emphasized by Branwell Bronte, when employed as a private tutor for a short time in 1840 , who described his employer as ' a retired County Magistrate and large landowner'. So I think we must conclude that Robert's main occupation was farming or the letting out his estate. He also took part in public life as a Justice of the Peace and became a Deputy-Lieutenant for Lancashire as Furness was then part of that county. Other members of his family owned slate quarries in the area, so he may have invested in these and also diversified in other directions.
Additionally, Robert was known locally as a keen foxhunter. Between 1831 and 1837 his pack of Harriers were reported in the local newspapers as not only providing good sport but killing both hares and foxes. For example, during three weeks in1831 his pack killed 'five full grown foxes which have been committing unprecedented ravages on lambs, geese and even full grown sheep and a ram'.
Family Life
On 23 September 1823 at Thwaites, Millom, Robert Postlethwaite married Agnes Lewthwaite, the second daughter of William Lewthwaite JP, DL of Broadgate, Thwaites. This event was followed on 30 August 1825 by his brother William marrying Mary Lewthwaite, sister of Agnes. Robert and Agnes had two surviving sons, the Revd John Postlethwaite (1828 -1886) (q.v.) and William Postlethwaite (1829-1908) (q.v.) both of whom married and left descendants.
The family seems to have lived mostly at Broughton House, Broughton-in- Furness but they also inherited The Oaks, Millom. In 1873, Robert's sons John of Broughton and William of The Oaks were recorded as owning a total of 1,726 acres; 677 in Cumberland and 1049 in North Lancashire. Their father Robert probably owned a similar amount.
The Latter Years
Mrs Postlethwaite died at Broughton on 13 September 1853 and her husband followed her on 15 February 1859; they were both aged 64. In his will, dated 12 June 1848, Robert mentioned his various properties which were basically left to his two sons equally. His probate (Lancaster) was granted to his solicitor J.P. Myers of Broughton on 23 July 1859, the estate being sworn for probate purposes at 'under £4,000', which would have comprised only his personal estate and not his extensive landed estates, which at that date were exempt from duty (£4,000 is now at least £220,000 ). They were buried at Broughton and commemorated by stained-glass windows by William Wailes in St Anne's Church, Thwaites.
Sources
- Boumphrey, R.S., Hudleston, C. Roy, and Hughes, J, An Armorial of Westmorland and Lonsdale, Kendal, 1975
- Burke, Sir Bernard, A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, pp.1214-1215, (for Postlethwaite of The Oaks), London, 1863
- Dickinson, Robert, editor, The Registers of the Broughton-in-Furness Chapel in the Parish of Kirkby Ireleth 1634-1812, Preston, 1950
- Dunn, G.S., transcriber, The Registers of the Chapelry of Thwaites in the Parish of Millom, 1724-1837, privately printed, 1986
- Greenhalgh, W and E.B., compilers, Monumental Inscriptions at St Anne's, Thwaites, privately printed, 1986
- Haswell, J.F, Colonel, The Registers of Millom, Cumberland, 1591-1812, Kendal, 1925
- Hudleston, C. Roy and Boumphrey, R.S., Cumberland Families and Heraldry, Kendal, 1978
- Mannix and Whellan, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Cumberland, p.348, Beverley, 1847
- Parson and White, History, Directory and Gazetteer of Cumberland and Westmorland with Furness and Cartmel, p.717, Leeds, 1829
- Salisbury, Neil, compiler and editor, Tales of Olden Glories, A Hunting Miscellany, pp. 79,89,95,178 and 249, Ambleside, 2020