258:
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". In 1869, a by-election was thus held to fill the vacancy, at which Laverton lost by only eleven votes, defeated by his rival's brother, Charles Paul Phipps, standing for the Conservatives. At the
257:
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
218:
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 a speculative buyer
194:
As well as being a weaver, Laverton’s father was a contractor with clothiers, sharing his contracts with other weavers. The
Laverton children had some education, but in their youth they also worked as weavers. Abraham gained a job in the counting house of Court Mill, Trowbridge, before moving to
190:
on 9 October, Laverton was one of the four sons of
William Laverton, a master weaver, and his wife Penelope Davis, who had married in Trowbridge in October 1803. Laverton grew up there in Newtown. Apart from three brothers, he also had a sister, Charlotte. In March 1825 his mother died, aged 41.
319:
In 1873, the year before his one election success, Laverton founded and built the
Laverton Institute in Bratton Road, Westbury, as a recreational centre; the building continues in use as a community facility, managed by the Town Council. The Institute included a room for a school which already
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A lifelong bachelor who lived his whole adult life with his sister, Charlotte, Laverton was succeeded by a nephew, W. H. Laverton, who continued the firm he had founded, A. Laverton & Co. Ltd. This was still making cloth in
Westbury in the Angel and Bitham Mills in the 1960s.
342:
Laverton 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 his death, by his nephew
William Henry Laverton (1845–1935).
331:
In 1884, Laverton also built a new school in
Bratton Road, near his Institute, and presented it to the town. This opened its doors in 1885 and was known as the Laverton Infants' School, then the Laverton County Infants' School, after being adopted by
336:. In 1958, it moved into premises in the churchyard, the former Church of England Junior School, and in 1968 moved again to Eden Vale, becoming the Westbury Infants' School. The original building in Bratton Road is now a private house.
238:
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".
324:, which moved into the Laverton Institute in 1874 and in 1907 changed its name to the Westbury Laverton Institute School. It remained in the building until 1925, when it was merged into what is now
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In 1869, shortly after his second election defeat, Laverton built Prospect Square, Westbury, a development of thirty-nine houses, of which thirty-two were for his mill workers and seven were
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210:
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
461:
Probate of Last Will and Testament of William Laverton, of Newtown, Trowbridge, granted to Frederick Laverton, Executor, 22 October 1842 (Wiltshire and Swindon Archives)
288:
to have the result of the election annulled on the grounds of bribery, treating, and undue influence on the part of his Conservative opponent. This failed, rejected by
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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
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he was finally elected as the borough's Member of Parliament. However, there is no record that he ever spoke in the House of Commons.
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449:: "Penelope, Wife of William Laverton, Trowbridge, March 29, 41 Years, John Crabbe]", ancestry.co.uk, accessed 13 March 2021
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797:"LAVERTON Charlotte. Personal Estate £3,669 1s 11d... formerly of Farleigh Castle in the parish of Farleigh Hungerford" in
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253:, when he lost by only twenty-seven votes. Although Phipps was elected, the result was declared void as a result of an
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An Act to appoint additional Commissioners for executing the Acts for granting a Land Tax and other Rates and Taxes
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Banns of Marriage between William Laverton of this Parish Batchelor and Penelope Davis of this Parish Spinster
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Law Times Reports relating to Magistrates, Municipal, Parichial, Ecclesiastical and Election Law, vol.5, 1870
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William Laverton, of Newtown, Trowbridge, died in October 1842, leaving property valued at less than £200.
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A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 8, Warminster, Westbury and Whorwellsdown Hundreds
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A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 8: Warminster, Westbury and Whorwellsdown Hundreds
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The great west window of Westbury's All Saints parish church was donated by Abraham Laverton.
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598:(House of Commons Debate 22 June 1880, vol. 253, cc. 534-5) at api.parliament.uk
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308:, around three sides of a large open space which before that had been used as
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Reports of the Decisions of the Judges for the Trial of Election Petitions
199:, where he worked in sales and made contacts useful in his later career.
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Baptisms Solemnized in the Parish of Trowbridge in the County of Wilts
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801:, p. 206, at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 13 March 2021
788:, p. 200, at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 3 August 2016
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784:"LAVERTON Abraham Esq. Personal Estate £647,416 16s 6d." in
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From 1868, Laverton stood unsuccessfully for parliament in
443:
Burials in the Parish of Trowbridge in the County of Wilts
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Laverton’s sister Charlotte outlived him, settling at
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at £647,416, equivalent to £89,081,581 in 2023.
284:. Following this defeat, he filed a petition in the
810:
A history of the firm of A. Laverton & Co. Ltd.
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919:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
613:"Nos 1, 2, 38 and 39, Prospect Square (1364422)"
491:Wiltshire and Swindon Archives, ref. no. 540/297
829:contributions in Parliament by Abraham Laverton
577:Wiltshire and Swindon Archives, ref no. 540/323
558:Wiltshire and Swindon Archives, ref no. 540/302
271:Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
231:, and in 1864 a dispute arose between him and
700:"£350k revamp plan to bring Laverton to life"
8:
649:
647:
418:, thelaverton.co.uk, accessed 13 March 2021
850:
741:"Laverton County Infants School, Westbury"
430:, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 13 March 2021
20:
727:(Victoria County History, London, 1965),
396:, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 13 March 2021
273:offering himself to them as a director.
799:Probate Index for England and Wales 1890
786:Probate Index for England and Wales 1886
939:British textile industry businesspeople
847:, at geograph.org.uk, built by Laverton
469:
467:
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359:, leaving a personal estate valued for
147:(3 October 1819 – 31 October 1886), of
18:English cloth mill owner and politician
235:as to their seniority as magistrates.
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351:Laverton died on 31 October 1886 at
929:19th-century English businesspeople
155:, was an English cloth mill owner,
698:Thomas, Helen (8 September 2006).
678:National Heritage List for England
674:"The Laverton Institute (1180367)"
618:National Heritage List for England
14:
533:, full text online at archive.org
374:and dying there on 21 July 1890.
855:Parliament of the United Kingdom
246:as a Liberal, first against the
949:People from Westbury, Wiltshire
312:. Some of these houses are now
186:in 1819, and baptized into the
1:
276:Laverton was defeated at the
320:existed, the Westbury Boys'
80:Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
745:Wiltshire Community History
659:Wiltshire Community History
586:at history.wiltshire.gov.uk
567:at history.wiltshire.gov.uk
500:at history.wiltshire.gov.uk
227:Laverton became a Westbury
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845:Prospect Square, Westbury
639:Prospect Square, Westbury
280:by Charles Phipps's son,
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85:
44:
30:
723:"Westbury: Schools", in
481:at british-history.ac.uk
334:Wiltshire County Council
934:English philanthropists
451:(subscription required)
432:(subscription required)
398:(subscription required)
267:Warblings from Westbury
265:In 1874, a poem called
170:from 1874 to 1880, and
944:People from Trowbridge
840:The Laverton, Westbury
582:3 October 2011 at the
563:3 October 2011 at the
496:3 October 2011 at the
473:'Westbury: Mills', in
836:at theyworkforyou.com
775:at web.ukonline.co.uk
771:19 April 2010 at the
512:at londonancestor.com
477:(1965), pp. 172-175,
164:parliamentary borough
891:Charles N. P. Phipps
871:Member of Parliament
661:. Wiltshire Council.
548:at api.parliament.uk
282:Charles N. P. Phipps
229:Justice of the Peace
160:Member of Parliament
35:Member of Parliament
864:Charles Paul Phipps
834:Mr Abraham Laverton
766:Westbury, Wiltshire
747:. Wiltshire Council
655:"Westbury Timeline"
546:Mr Abraham Laverton
357:Farleigh Hungerford
233:Charles Paul Phipps
219:of cloth and wool.
68:Charles Paul Phipps
672:Historic England.
641:at geograph.org.uk
897:
896:
888:Succeeded by
596:Westbury Election
294:Sir Henry Manisty
255:election petition
251:John Lewis Phipps
188:Church of England
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924:UK MPs 1874–1880
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394:p. 152, No. 1209
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372:Bradford on Avon
326:Matravers School
314:listed buildings
296:, two Justices.
195:Sheppards Mill,
145:Abraham Laverton
134:Cloth mill owner
90:Personal details
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75:Succeeded by
54: –
46:
15:
914:1886 deaths
909:1819 births
827:1803–2005:
808:B. Little,
479:online text
111:Nationality
63:Preceded by
903:Categories
729:pp 188-191
378:References
310:allotments
306:almshouses
286:High Court
223:Politician
206:Mill owner
184:Trowbridge
178:Early life
131:Occupation
56:April 1880
153:Wiltshire
47:In office
875:Westbury
769:Archived
580:Archived
561:Archived
494:Archived
447:No. 1653
244:Westbury
182:Born in
168:Westbury
162:for the
149:Westbury
39:Westbury
824:Hansard
361:probate
157:Liberal
125:Liberal
115:British
751:21 May
709:21 May
683:21 May
624:21 May
214:, the
347:Death
197:Frome
884:1880
880:1874
873:for
753:2016
711:2016
685:2016
626:2016
292:and
216:Whig
106:1886
103:Died
98:1819
95:Born
37:for
392:,
166:of
905::
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.