Wigan Album
PEACE FAMILY
14 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 31157
Maskell William Peace, who was born in Wigan in 1834, died at Southport on 9th November 1892.
He was the son of the late Mr. William Peace, who from 1832 was formerly the mineral agent for the late Earl of Crawford, work his son Maskell inherited. William, his father was responsible for opening no fewer than 29 collieries for the Earl of Crawford. Maskell was admitted a solicitor in Trinity Term 1855.
He began on his own in an office in Standishgate before a series of partnerships operating over the years from King Street in Wigan. These were, Peace & Bell, followed by Peace, Ackerley & Appleton, and then Peace, Ackerley & Co., and finally Peace & Ellis.
Maskell was the husband of my maternal great great grandmother, Ann(ie) Lindsay Peace (nee Wood). They had no children, but Annie’s illegitimate son (born in Edinburgh 6 years before their marriage in 1860), was James Gorrie, a Wigan Tram Driver, was my maternal great grandfather.
Maskell and his wife lived the “upstairs” Victorian life while Annie’s son, James was firmly in the “downstairs” bracket. It’s a long story with heart aching moments. My family research was assisted by the fact the Crawford Archives are available and Ann(ie’s) father worked for 50 years for the Earl of Balcarres up in Fife (Colinsburgh), the same Lindsay family at Haigh Hall that employed Maskell and his father before him in Wigan and also one of her brothers James Wood to run the Haigh farms.
Maskell and Ann(ie) lived in 1860 at the Moat House, Haigh, then Greenhills on Wigan Lane and then at Ashfield House, Standish before leaving for Lynnwood at Southport. She died some 10 weeks after her husband.
I knew none of this when I started researching my mother’s side of the family, events which took place well over 100 years ago and which I’ve been able to find thanks to modern technology and saved archives. Also invaluable information from wigan world thanks to Friends of Wigan Heritage Service, in particular Freda Chorlton for her hard work in producing index records for local cemeteries, which are available on the wigan world website.
Maskell’s obituary revealed the work he was involved in, it’s too long to fully recount here but as well as Mineral Agent to the Earl of Crawford at Haigh Hall his other duties involved being
The first secretary of the Wigan Mining and Mechanical School, from its foundation in 1858 to the present time, a project dear to his heart.
Councillor, and subsequently Town Clerk of Wigan — a position he filled for a period of more than eighteen years, from 1866 to1885
Appointed an alderman of the borough, and was more than once invited to accept the Mayoralty, which he was compelled to decline owing to the state of his own and of his wife's health
Returned unopposed to the Lancashire County Council as the first Councillor representing the Standish Division, and, on his term of office expiring, was again elected without opposition
At the last annual meeting of the Manchester Geological Society, Mr. Peace was appointed President of that body for the ensuing year
On all questions affecting the law of minerals he was an admitted authority, whilst on questions arising on Private Bills in Parliament his opinion was frequently sought.
Amongst his numerous other appointments he was the solicitor for the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Permanent Relief Society, the Central Association for dealing with Distress caused by Mining Accidents, and the Colliery Managers' Association
While in addition to his public appointments, he was the secretary of the Wigan Coal and Iron Company, Limited, from the beginning of 1870, when collieries on the Wigan Coalfield owned by John Lancaster were acquired by Lord Lindsay, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, owner of the Haigh Colliery in 1865.
What a handsome couple Keith,I bet it's lovely getting all that information, it's a lovely photo..I know the people who live in the moathouse now..it's a very nice area.
So nice to see that photo & read the history. Thanks Keith.
You are very lucky Keith to have that photograph, so old of your great great grandmother. I was thrilled to bits to find one of my great great grandfather. A very interesting story it's so surprising to find out stuff you would never have imagined. I just wonder how Ann met Maskell.
Thank you all for those kind comments. In reply to your question Veronica, as with most family histories it's a combination of family tales, objective facts and a little imagination. One of Ann's brothers, James Wood came down from Colinsburgh to run the farms on the Haigh Hall Estate around 1851/52. A few years later his father John Wood, a Banker and the Land Agent to the Earl of Balcarres (a member of the vast and venerable Lindsay clan, one of the oldest in Scotland) in Fife came down to check on him and declared himself satisfied with the work he was doing. He brought his daughter Ann(ie) on the journey down to Wigan with him and I can only assume it was at this time that Maskell and Ann may have met. James Wood her brother, lived at the Moat House, married and raised a family in Wigan, sadly he died in 1868 aged 50, he's buried at St Davids Haigh.
It's marvellous to think you can still view the house where Maskell and Ann lived. Also an opening to research Scottish family history Keith - it's never ending; Hopefully easier than researching Irish roots.
Thanks Keith for a very interesting story
Thank you once again everyone. When I started my family research I was warned that it's a "disease" for which there is no known cure. I'm afraid it's true. Since I posted this I have found that two of Ann(ie's) brother's grandsons were killed in WW1. Lieutenant Guy Crawford Wood of the Welsh Guards at Ypres in 1916 and Lieutenant Peter Crawford Wood in 1917., as you say Veronica there's no end to it.
One of the Masonic Lodges in the Wigan area was called Peace Lodge. Wonder if there is a connection
Hi Dave, Maskell was a Freemason.
Keith, I uploaded previously a share certificate of MW Peace for the Wigan Cricket Ground Ltd.
I found information from the Westminster Rate Book between
1882-3, MW was at 66 Piccadilly sharing a house with Alfred Hewlett. From 1883-1893 he was at 6, The Strand sharing a house with Charles Johnson. Probably cheaper to rent a house rather than pay hotel bills.
Keith, my great-great grandmother was Maskell’s sister, Sarah. This is a beautiful photograph and thank you for the backstory.
Keith, Not sure if you are interested but just seen that there is a really fascinating letter for sale on ebay (nothing to do with me at all). It's dated 1853 and is a handwritten letter from William Peace to Lord Lindsey and relating to Haigh Colliery https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284526621917?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MryV_0PBT8O&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=sfBlOuoIRvS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL
I pass their grave every day in Duke St Cemetery, Southport. Always struck by the short gap between their deaths.