Abraham Laverton
Encyclopedia
Abraham Laverton of Westbury
, Wiltshire
, was a cloth mill owner, philanthropist
, and Liberal
member of parliament
for the parliamentary borough
of Westbury
from 1874 to 1880.
, the Whig Member of Parliament for Westbury and his brother William bought Bitham Mill in the same town. In 1856, the Wilson brothers sold their mill to Laverton. For part of the middle of the 19th century he also owned Boyer's Mill, Westbury. As well as being a manufacturer, Laverton was also a speculative buyer of cloth and wool.
In 1869, he built Prospect Square, Westbury, a development of thirty-nine houses, of which thirty-two were homes for his mill workers and seven were almshouse
s, around three sides of a large open space which was originally used as allotment
s.
In 1873, he founded and built the Laverton Institute in Bratton Road, Westbury, as a recreational centre. This included a room for a school which already existed and which soon moved into other premises. In 1884, Laverton also built a new school in Bratton Road, near the Laverton Institute, and presented it to the town. This was associated with the British Society and opened its doors in 1885 with 73 children. In 1907, the Westbury British Boys School changed its name to the Westbury Laverton Institute School and later to the Laverton County Infants' School.
The great west window of Westbury's All Saints parish church was donated by Abraham Laverton.
He is sometimes stated as the founder of the public baths in Church Street, Westbury. While these were his conception, they were completed and given to the town in 1887, shortly after Laverton's death, by his nephew William Henry Laverton.
The firm Laverton founded, called A. Laverton & Co. Ltd., was still making cloth in Westbury in his Angel and Bitham Mills in the 1960s.
, and in 1864 a dispute arose between him and Charles Paul Phipps
as to their seniority as magistrates.
In 1866, he was named as an additional Commissioner "for executing the Acts for granting a Land Tax and other Rates and Taxes", when he was described as "Abraham Laverton Esquire, Westbury House, Westbury".
From 1868, Laverton stood unsuccessfully for parliament in Westbury
as a Liberal, first against the Conservative
John Lewis Phipps
, when he lost by only twenty-seven votes. Although Phipps was elected, the result was declared void as a result of an election petition
brought by Laverton. Mr Justice Willes found that, although Phipps himself was personally innocent of any corrupt practice, his agent, Harrop, had carried out acts of intimidation on voters. The Judge found that Harrop, who was an agent of Phipps and a manufacturer in Westbury, "had told his workmen that no man should remain in his employment who voted for the Petitioner, who was
his rival in trade, and that these men or some of them were obliged to leave his employment in consequence of their refusing
to abstain from so voting". A by-election was thus held in 1869, at which Laverton lost by only eleven votes, defeated by his rival's brother, Charles Paul Phipps
, standing for the Conservatives. At the 1874 election
he was finally elected as the borough's Member of Parliament, but he was defeated at the 1880 election
by yet another Phipps, Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
.
In 1874, a poem called Warblings from Westbury was published, poking fun at Laverton in his new role as Member of Parliament. In the same year, he printed a circular to the shareholders of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
offering himself to them as a director.
Following his defeat in 1880, Laverton filed a petition to have the result of the election annulled on the grounds of bribery, treating and undue influence on the part of his Conservative opponent Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
, but this failed, being rejected by Sir Robert Lush
, and Sir Henry Manisty, Judges of the High Court of Justice
.
He died in 1886.
Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, was a cloth mill owner, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the parliamentary borough
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
of Westbury
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
from 1874 to 1880.
Mill owner and philanthropist
In 1849, Laverton leased the Angel Mill, Westbury, from the trustees of William Matravers and converted it to produce cloth. In 1852 he bought the mill, while in the same year James WilsonJames Wilson (UK politician)
James Wilson was a Scottish businessman, economist and Liberal politician. He founded The Economist and the Standard Chartered Bank.-Early life:...
, the Whig Member of Parliament for Westbury and his brother William bought Bitham Mill in the same town. In 1856, the Wilson brothers sold their mill to Laverton. For part of the middle of the 19th century he also owned Boyer's Mill, Westbury. As well as being a manufacturer, Laverton was also a speculative buyer of cloth and wool.
In 1869, he built Prospect Square, Westbury, a development of thirty-nine houses, of which thirty-two were homes for his mill workers and seven were almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s, around three sides of a large open space which was originally used as allotment
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
s.
In 1873, he founded and built the Laverton Institute in Bratton Road, Westbury, as a recreational centre. This included a room for a school which already existed and which soon moved into other premises. In 1884, Laverton also built a new school in Bratton Road, near the Laverton Institute, and presented it to the town. This was associated with the British Society and opened its doors in 1885 with 73 children. In 1907, the Westbury British Boys School changed its name to the Westbury Laverton Institute School and later to the Laverton County Infants' School.
The great west window of Westbury's All Saints parish church was donated by Abraham Laverton.
He is sometimes stated as the founder of the public baths in Church Street, Westbury. While these were his conception, they were completed and given to the town in 1887, shortly after Laverton's death, by his nephew William Henry Laverton.
The firm Laverton founded, called A. Laverton & Co. Ltd., was still making cloth in Westbury in his Angel and Bitham Mills in the 1960s.
Politician
Laverton became a Westbury Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, and in 1864 a dispute arose between him and Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps , of Chalcot House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was an English merchant in Brazil and later Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire .-Origins:...
as to their seniority as magistrates.
In 1866, he was named as an additional Commissioner "for executing the Acts for granting a Land Tax and other Rates and Taxes", when he was described as "Abraham Laverton Esquire, Westbury House, Westbury".
From 1868, Laverton stood unsuccessfully for parliament in Westbury
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
as a Liberal, first against the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
John Lewis Phipps
John Lewis Phipps
John Lewis Phipps , of Leighton House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was a Brazil merchant, briefly Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire ....
, when he lost by only twenty-seven votes. Although Phipps was elected, the result was declared void as a result of an election petition
Election petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
brought by Laverton. Mr Justice Willes found that, although Phipps himself was personally innocent of any corrupt practice, his agent, Harrop, had carried out acts of intimidation on voters. The Judge found that Harrop, who was an agent of Phipps and a manufacturer in Westbury, "had told his workmen that no man should remain in his employment who voted for the Petitioner, who was
his rival in trade, and that these men or some of them were obliged to leave his employment in consequence of their refusing
to abstain from so voting". A by-election was thus held in 1869, at which Laverton lost by only eleven votes, defeated by his rival's brother, Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps , of Chalcot House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was an English merchant in Brazil and later Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire .-Origins:...
, standing for the Conservatives. At the 1874 election
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
he was finally elected as the borough's Member of Parliament, but he was defeated at the 1880 election
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
by yet another Phipps, Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps , of Chalcot House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was a Brazil merchant, Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire ....
.
In 1874, a poem called Warblings from Westbury was published, poking fun at Laverton in his new role as Member of Parliament. In the same year, he printed a circular to the shareholders of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
offering himself to them as a director.
Following his defeat in 1880, Laverton filed a petition to have the result of the election annulled on the grounds of bribery, treating and undue influence on the part of his Conservative opponent Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps , of Chalcot House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was a Brazil merchant, Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire ....
, but this failed, being rejected by Sir Robert Lush
Robert Lush
Sir Robert Lush was an English judge who served on many Commissions and Committees of Judges.Born at Shaftesbury, he was educated at Gray's Inn before being called to the Bar in 1840. He earned a reputation as a sound and acute barrister, specially familiar with procedure. He was appointed QC in...
, and Sir Henry Manisty, Judges of the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
.
He died in 1886.
External links
- Mr Abraham Laverton at theyworkforyou.com
- Laverton Hall, Westbury, at geograph.org.uk, built by Laverton
- Prospect Square, Westbury, at geograph.org.uk, built by Laverton