John Watson (antiquary)
Encyclopedia
John Watson was an English clergyman and antiquary.
, Cheshire
, by his wife Hester, daughter of John Yates of Swinton
, Lancashire
, he was born at Lyme Handley 26 March 1725, and educated at the grammar schools of Eccles
, Wigan
and Manchester
. He matriculated from Brasenose College, Oxford
, 8 April 1742, graduating B.A. 1745 and M.A. 1748. On 27 June 1746 he was elected to a Cheshire fellowship of his college.
In December 1746 Watson took holy orders and entered on the curacy of Runcorn
, Cheshire; but moved three months later to Ardwick
, Manchester, where he was also tutor to the sons of Samuel Birch. From 1750 to 1754 he was curate of Halifax, Yorkshire, and in September 1754 was presented to the perpetual curacy of Ripponden
in Halifax parish. On 17 August 1766 he was inducted to the rectory of Miningsby
, Lincolnshire, which he resigned on 2 August 1769 on being promoted to the rectory of Stockport
, Cheshire. It was believed that he owed his preferment to hardline Whig views. He died at Stockport on 14 March 1783.
He also published four pamphlets between 1751 and 1764, one of them criticising the ‘absurdities’ of the Moravian hymn-book. He made extensive manuscript collections relating to local history, particularly of Cheshire, which were preserved, and were used by George Ormerod
, John Parsons Earwaker, and other antiquaries. Gilbert Wakefield
, who was Watson's curate at Stockport and married his niece, describes him as one of the hardest students he ever knew, as well as an agreeable man. In the Palatine Note-book (i. 24) is an account of a visit paid to Watson in 1780 by Thomas Barritt
.
, Cheshire; secondly, on 11 July 1761, to Ann, daughter of James Jacques of Leeds. He left one son by the first wife, and a son and daughter by the second.
Life
The son of Legh Watson of Lyme Handley in the parish of PrestburyPrestbury, Cheshire
Prestbury is a village, civil parish and ecclesiastical parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Prestbury is a long, narrow parish covering 1,165 hectares to the west of the Peak Park foothills and to the east of the sandstone ridge which is...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, by his wife Hester, daughter of John Yates of Swinton
Swinton, Greater Manchester
Swinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, he was born at Lyme Handley 26 March 1725, and educated at the grammar schools of Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
, Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He matriculated from Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
, 8 April 1742, graduating B.A. 1745 and M.A. 1748. On 27 June 1746 he was elected to a Cheshire fellowship of his college.
In December 1746 Watson took holy orders and entered on the curacy of Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
, Cheshire; but moved three months later to Ardwick
Ardwick
Ardwick is a district of the City of Manchester, in North West England, about one mile east of Manchester City Centre.By the mid-19th century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealthy suburb of Manchester, but by the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised...
, Manchester, where he was also tutor to the sons of Samuel Birch. From 1750 to 1754 he was curate of Halifax, Yorkshire, and in September 1754 was presented to the perpetual curacy of Ripponden
Ripponden
Ripponden is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England, near Halifax, on the River Ryburn. It is the site of a Roman settlement, and there is a Roman Road over nearby Blackstone Edge, a rocky ridge of Millstone Grit...
in Halifax parish. On 17 August 1766 he was inducted to the rectory of Miningsby
Miningsby
Miningsby is a small village in the parish of Revesby about south-east of the town of Horncastle and west-south-west of the town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England....
, Lincolnshire, which he resigned on 2 August 1769 on being promoted to the rectory of Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Cheshire. It was believed that he owed his preferment to hardline Whig views. He died at Stockport on 14 March 1783.
Works
He was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1759, and contributed six papers on Roman and other antiquities to Archæologia. His major works were: The History and Antiquities of the Parish of Halifax, 1775, 4to, a second edition of which was begun in 1869 by F. A. Leyland, but left unfinished; and Memoirs of the Ancient Earls of Warren and Surrey and their Descendants, Warrington, 1782, 2 vols.. The latter was heavily illustrated attempt to prove that Watson's patron, Sir George Warren, was entitled to the earldom of Warenne and Surrey. Two earlier limited editions were printed in 1776 and 1779.He also published four pamphlets between 1751 and 1764, one of them criticising the ‘absurdities’ of the Moravian hymn-book. He made extensive manuscript collections relating to local history, particularly of Cheshire, which were preserved, and were used by George Ormerod
George Ormerod
George Ormerod was an English antiquary and historian. Amongst his writings was a major account of the history of Cheshire, a county in northwestern England.-Biography:...
, John Parsons Earwaker, and other antiquaries. Gilbert Wakefield
Gilbert Wakefield
Gilbert Wakefield was an English scholar and controversialist.Gilbert Wakefield was the third son of the Rev. George Wakefield, then rector of St Nicholas' Church, Nottingham but afterwards at Kingston-upon-Thames. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. as second...
, who was Watson's curate at Stockport and married his niece, describes him as one of the hardest students he ever knew, as well as an agreeable man. In the Palatine Note-book (i. 24) is an account of a visit paid to Watson in 1780 by Thomas Barritt
Thomas Barritt
-Life:Barritt was born at Manchester in 1743, and came of Derbyshire yeoman stock, his forefathers having settled at Bolton and Worsley, but his father, John Barritt, was the first of the family resident in Manchester...
.
Family
He was twice married: first, on 1 June 1752, to Susanna, daughter of Samuel Allon, vicar of SandbachSandbach
Sandbach is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The civil parish contains four settlements; Sandbach itself, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock....
, Cheshire; secondly, on 11 July 1761, to Ann, daughter of James Jacques of Leeds. He left one son by the first wife, and a son and daughter by the second.