Florence May Mather
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Research by Liz Bickerstaffe
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Sulby Glen by Max Crouse was donated by Florence May Mather in March 1945 when she was widowed and living on Knowles Road, St Annes. She was born in Heywood, Lancashire, in 1875 to Ruth and John Rogers, a yarn agent. They were an educated family with both Florence and her sister, Sarah, working as assistant schoolmistresses in 1901 and their brother, William, as a bank clerk. (1)
Florence married widower, James Arthur Mather, born 1866, in 1907 in the Barton on Irwell district. His first wife, Kate, had died in 1905 at the age of 36, leaving a 10 year old daughter, Constance. James Mather had grown up in Little Marsden, Nelson, with his parents, Mary Ann and William Albert Mather, who worked as a cotton mill manager and later as a cotton and worsted manufacturer employing 15 males and 11 females. (2)James had an elder brother, William, and a younger brother, Walter, who worked as a bookkeeper. James took over his father’s role after his death. (3) In 1902 Mather and Company, cotton manufacturers, operated at Vale Street Mill in Nelson, (4) with James being successful enough to afford homes in both Nelson and Ansdell. (5) By 1914 he owned a large residence, named 'Sunnyside', in Reedley Hallows as well as a house in Lytham St Annes. (7) In February 1907 Mather Brothers was constituted with Directors J A Mather, W Mather and C H Mather, operating at Scholefield Mill in Nelson with 920 looms. By 1923 the mill was manufacturing 'sateens, worsted, Italians, jeans, twill and fancies'. (6) By 1923 James and Florence were living at 'Thoresby', 42 St Annes Road East and Florence remained there after her husband's death in 1931. (8) At the time of his death the business had moved to Hapton Mill, Hapton, near Burnley. (9) His daughter, Constance, married Charles Ellison, vicar of St Thomas’ Church, St Annes in 1924. Florence May Mather died in Blackpool Victoria Hospital on 12 May 1966, aged 91. Her final home was 5 & 7 Osborne Road, St Annes. (10) |
REFERENCES
(1) 1891 Census, Ancestry (2) 1871 and 1881 Census, Ancestry (3) 1891 Census, Ancestry (4) Barrett’s Directory of Burnley & District 1902 (5) As above: Mather, James A (Mather & Co), Ansdell, Lytham. (6) Skinner's Cotton Trade Directory 1923 (7) 1911 Census and Burnley & District Directory 1914 (8) Skinner’s Cotton Trade Directory 1923 & Barrett’s Blackpool & Fylde Directory 1934 (9) Kelly’s (Slater’s) Directory of Manchester, Salford & Suburbs 1932 (10) Wills & Probate, Ancestry |
