The Fawthrop surname is common in Yorkshire, especially in and around Halifax. There are several ways to spell the surname, including Fawthorp and Fawthrope. Most of the information about John Fawthrop appears after his death.
- About 1787 John Fawthrop was born, location and parents not known.
- 1815, September 24th he married Judith Drake at Bradford Parish Church, (now Bradford Cathedral).
- About 1820 Daughter Mary Ann born
- About 1825 Daughter Martha born
- 1830. In the 1830 edition of the West Riding Directory of Clothing Districts, in the entry for Thornton, John Fawthrop is shown as a Surgeon.
- 1838, July, John Fawthrop was initiated into the St. James (Thornton) Lodge of Freemasons.
- 1841, June 6th Census shows John, and his wife, both shown as aged 50, which was wrong for both, plus daughters Mary Ann aged 20 and Martha aged 15, plus William Drake aged 20 (which age is likely to be wrong), living at “Townend”, which was the eastern end of what is now Market Street; no house numbers existed in 1841. John’s employment is shown as “Surgeon”. It is unclear what Wiliam Drake’s occupation was.
- 1842, September 22nd. John Fawthrop died aged 55, according to his gravestone in the Bell Chapel Churchyard.
- 1842, October 1st issue of the Leeds Times newspaper has an article entitled “LARGE FUNERAL” It reads: “On Tuesday, the funeral of Mr. John Fawthrop, of Thornton, cattle doctor, took place at that village. The deceased was very well known to a very large circle of acquaintances, being very skillful in his profession, and also in setting bones and dislocations in the human subject. His funeral was attended by 700 of his friends, 300 of whom were bidden to it. He was 56 years of age, and, we understand, died of cholera, after a very short illness. We may add that he was in this district what the celebrated Whitworth doctors were in theirs.” That last sentence puts him on a par with the “celebrated doctors of Whitworth” who are referred to in Footnote 1.
- 1843, April 1st issue of the Leeds Times, and the April 3rd issue of the Halifax Guardian tell us that a chaste tablet of white marble, having a suitable inscription, by subscription, has this week been erected in the church of St. James, Thornton to the memory of the late Mr. John Fawthrop, Veterinary Surgeon, of that place. The similar articles continue by stating that the execution of this beautiful tribute to a good and clever man, reflects the highest credit on the artist – Mr. J. B. Leyland, of Halifax. For brief details of the artist Mr. J. B. Leyland, sculptor, see Footnote 2.
When the original church of St. James, the “Bell Chapel” was demolished, the tablet was removed to the existing St. James church on Thornton Road and placed on the west wall, near the inner entrance door. The photograph is at a slight angle, but it will have to suffice until I take a better photograph. The tablet carries the wrong date of death.
In the 1849 Tithe award map, widow Fawthorp owned 4 cottages at the east end of Market Street. That area became known as Fawthrop Buildings, and the Fawthrop Hotel was erected at 2 Market Street. See also Footnote 3.
All links to further details and or illustrations are in dark green and underlined.
Footnote 1. The “celebrated Whitworth doctors”. Two articles giving information are on the Visit Rossendale website – Blacksmiths to Surgeons – the Whitworth Doctors, and at Manchester University’s Medical School archives, “The Taylors of Whitworth”
Footnote 2. Joseph Bentley Leyland was the son of a naturalist and a talented sculptor. He was a good friend of Branwell Brontë, and like him enjoyed alcohol and other substances. He was described by the Bradford Observer as a “Gentleman”. His work includes a relief carving of the head of Branwell Brontë, plus the head of an African greyhound, both in the Brontë Parsonage at Haworth, and a full-size carving of Doctor Beckwith in the north choir aisle of York Minster. He died at the young age of 39 in 1851.
Footnote 3. John Fawthrop’s widow, Judith, appears in the 1851 census at “Town Bottom”, the name then given for the east end of what is now Market Street, and she is described as a “Doctress”. She died on November 7th 1856, aged 69. Their daughter Mary Ann married William Drake, who is described as a Veterinary Surgeon on the grave she shares next to that of her parents in the Bell Chapel churchyard.
(updated 11 September 2023)
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