-
Eliza Ainsworth (née Bentley)
Reproduced with permission from Lancashire Archives, Lancashire County CouncilWCW/Supra/C950/7 / Signature on Eliza Ainsworth’s Will The name Mrs Ainsworth will be familiar to those who have seen the television series “Gentleman Jack”, as the wife of Rev Thomas Ainsworth. This blog will fill in some of the blanks surrounding Eliza and her friendship with Ann Walker. Family Eliza was the fifth and youngest child of Michael and Sarah Bentley. She was baptised on 4 August 1786 in Manchester.1 Sarah’s father was a Justice of the Peace in the County of Lancaster. 24 July 1787 Manchester Mercury ©The British Library Board Listed in The Admission Register of the Manchester School Vol…
-
William Priestley Letters
Believe me to be My dear Sir Your’s [sic] most truly W. Priestley . Reading someone’s letters cannot only bring them to life, but also shed light on their personality as well as their relationships with other people. We will look at some excerpts of letters, written by William Priestley, that span from 1823 to 1834. His letters are interesting to the reader because they are quite detailed, with a touch of gossip. William and his wife Eliza Priestley played a significant role in Gentleman Jack series one, which portrayed them as rushing to Scotland to rescue Ann Walker and bring her back to Halifax. That storyline was for drama…