Background
Author: Nev. Ramsden
The Littledale Family of Whitehaven
The Littledale's seem to have originated in the Ennerdale-Lamplugh area, the earliest reference to the family occurring in the Lamplugh register which records the marriage of John Littledale of Winder in Rowrah, to Agnes Gill of Rowrah on July 17 1586. The family was represented in the Weddicar area in 1687 when John Littledale’s daughter Anne was baptised and in 1639 when William Littledale’s daughter Frances was baptised.
The Littledale's of Ennerdale
The family of Littledale, which appears to have resided at Ennerdale in Cumberland at the time of the Reformation, descended to a Joseph & Janet [Sharpe] Littledale of Rowton, who had four sons, Thomas, Henry, Joseph & John. Whether Joseph & Janet made the move to Whitehaven has not been determined but Thomas [b:1686] and Joseph [b:1690] made the transition and forged successful careers in the new town. This Joseph, often referred to as Joseph Littledale the elder, produced a family favouring this name and his eldest son, Joseph Littledale married Mary the eldest daughter and co-heir of Isaac Langton, Esq. of the ‘How’ in Ennerdale, by Frances his wife, the eldest daughter and co-heir of Anthony Patrickson, Esq. of the How and Linethwaite, and had seven children; Isabell, Isaac, John, Anthony, Henry, Hannah & Thomas. This family flourished and in time went on to live in many parts of England’
A note from the site editor, Chris Dickinson
The ’How’ refers to the home of the Patrickson family in Ennerdale, looking over Ennerdale Water. The estate or manor consisted of a number of farms - surviving estate documents can be found in the Dickinson archive at Whitehaven RO.
The house was in the past known as ‘Caswell How’ or ‘Carswell How’, but is now How Hall. This was one of those ‘prestige’ properties that gave the owner (even if not in residence) some social clout. In this case, ownership gave rights over Ennerdale Water itself.
Whitehaven
The handsome Georgian town house, located at 14 Scotch Street, Whitehaven, was once the home of the wealthy merchant family, the Littledales, and is now the offices of a group of solicitors.
Isaac Littledale, born 1771 - died in 1843 and there is a tablet commemorating him and other members of the family on the north side of the tower of St. James’ Church.
The “Cumberland Pacquet” for February 14, 1843, has the following note on the passing of Isaac Littledale:
“On Sunday morning last, at his home in 14 Scotch Street, somewhat suddenly, though he had been in a declining state of health for some months past, Isaac Littledale, Esq. Mr Littledale’s removal forms a remarkable feature in the annals of the town, the family whose name he bore being one of the oldest and most remarkable of which it can boast, and the gentleman whose death we now record is the last male descendant in the town in which his family, we believe, originated. Whitehaven is consequently now, for the first time for above a century, without a male descendant of the Littledale family. Mr Littledale, it will be remembered, was an unsuccessful candidate for the representation of this borough in the year 1832.”
His father, Isaac Littledale (1735-1791), merchant, married Mary Hartley at St. James’ Church, on 19 September 1764. They had four sons and five daughters. Elizabeth, the youngest daughter, married in 1816, Capt.John Wordsworth, the poet’s cousin. The witnesses on this occasion were Thomas Hartley, William Wordsworth, Ann Spedding, Anthony Hamilton, Elizabeth Wordsworth and Mary Ann Hartley.
taken from - Copeland Notes and Queries by ‘Scribe’ of the Whitehaven News: date unknown.
Littledale and Dixon
Joseph Littledale [born 1710] had a son Thomas Littledale [1744-1809], who appears to have migrated to London and built up a considerable continental business, as is shown by a marriage announcement in the “Cumberland Pacquet” for 13 July 1802:-
“Tuesday last, a marriage at Great Mary-le-bone Church, London; John Dixon, Esq. late of this town, to Miss Littledale, daughter of Thomas Littledale, Esq. of Harley Street, London, & late of Rotterdam, and formerly of this town. The new married pair are going to their intended residence at Rotterdam.”
There was a business association between these Dixon and Littledale families. On August 2, 1770, Harry Piper, of Alexandria, Virginia, wrote to John Dixon and Isaac Littledale, merchants of Whitehaven, for 110 square yards of flag-stones to lay in the aisles of the new Pohick Church that was being built in Truro Parish, Virginia.
The Littledale family and serious money!
Elizabeth Littledale, spinster married John Bolton Esquire of Liverpool, bachelor, in St.Marylebone church, London, 31/05/1797. Witnesses were Johnson Wilkinson, Mary Littledale, Joseph Littledale and Margaret Osborn. Elizabeth Bolton nee Littledale was an awardee with John Bolton's other executors of part of the compensation for the enslaved people on Bostock Park estate in St Vincent.
John Bolton 1756 - 24th Feb 1837, [an small extract from his Biography]
John Bolton was a Liverpool merchant, slave-trader and slave-owner, leaving £180,000 derived from the slave-economy in 1837. The subject of George Baillie's Interesting letters addressed to John Bolton Esq. of Liverpool, merchant, and Colonel of a regiment of Liverpool volunteers.
According to George Baillie, Bolton arrived in St Vincent 1773 as apprentice to Messrs Rawlinson & Chorley: 'You carried a bag of potatoes on your back and a cheese under your arm'; then he served as shop assistant in Mr Drinkall's store, which he took over on Drinkall's death shortly afterwards. Bolton became agent for Rawlinson & Chorley, then went to St Lucia 1778 and Barbados 1779. George Baillie took care of Bolton when the latter was sick in Barbados. Bolton returned to Liverpool c. 1782-3 with £10,000 and set up with Thomas Gudgeon, Bolton's 'principal correspondent in the West Indies'. Bolton operated as a slave-trader in Liverpool …………………… etc etc
taken from Legacies of British Slave-ownership by University College London.
Concerning Houses
Somerset House in Whitehaven was built in 1750 by Samuel Martin, a tobacco merchant. In 1779 he went bankrupt due to the debts racked up while trading with the colonies. Somerset House was sold to the Littledale family, but less than 10 years later it was hit by subsidence. The ground caved in, water broke through mine workings, and flooded the area. Two men, one woman and five pit horses drowned.
The result was that Henry Littledale [1741-1796] went to court seeking damages to cover his losses.
LORD LONSDALE v. HENRY LITTLEDALE.— August 2nd 1794
In January 1791 the plaintiff’s workmen, in working his coal mines at a considerable distance from the premises broke into an old mine, from which came a vast quantity of water, by means of which, it was alleged, part of the demised premises gave way and shrunk; and the buildings thereby sustained some damage. Henry Littledale, a mercer or merchant, brought an action in the Court of King’s Bench; and upon the trial it was ordered, by consent, that the verdict should be for nominal damages with costs; and that it should be referred to a person to be named by the counsel, to ascertain the value of the house and premises at the time of the accident; and that on payment of the same, with the costs of the action, Littledale should convey to the plaintiff. The order was made a rule of Court; and the valuer, being appointed to make the estimation, had certified the value to have been £3,517. The bill charged the said valuation to be manifestly unjust, partial, and excessive; that in 1782 the premises were sold under a bankruptcy for only £1,120, subject to the rent; that Littledale purchased them in 1775 for £1,575, subject to the rent, and expended very little subsequently in additions and improvements.
Lord Lonsdale lost the legal battle and immediately stopped all his mines from working until he got a legal agreement absolving him from all financial liability from any other mining accident! The result of this action was that the miners received no pay for the duration of the disagreement. Was the ill-feeling generated by this outcome the reason that Henry Littledale removed himself and his family to Liverpool ?
see also - rumbutter.info/gen-cumb-nr-places-whitehaven-19-century/coal-damage
The Whitehaven Museum has three Reform Bill pottery tumblers made at the Whitehaven Pottery for Isaac Littledale, one of the contestants in the 1832 election that followed the passing of the Reform Act dealing with Parliamentary representation.
Cumberland Pacquet June 1825:-
Announcement of a creditors meeting concerning the dissolution of the partnership of the firm ‘Joseph Bell & Co.’ on 2 June 1825. Partners were Joseph Bell - Merchant, Isaac Littledale & John Christopherson.