Past Lives, Forgotten Stories

In this richly woven tapestry of family, social, and local history, the lives of ordinary people unfold in extraordinary ways.

The Jaques brothers were part of the infamous Long Company — a criminal gang that brought fear to the streets of Prescot in the mid-nineteenth century. A silk winder rose to fame as a blackfaced performer on the variety theatre circuit across northern England. In a bold leap of faith, a pawnbroker from Bolton emigrated to Canada with his family in the 1870s, going on to build a new life as a successful prairie farmer. And in a true rags-to-riches story, the illegitimate son of impoverished weavers in Victorian England rose through the ranks to manage a thriving cotton-spinning mill in Bolton.

These compelling stories — drawn from the author’s own ancestors — reveal how individuals shaped and were shaped by the communities around them. From watchmakers and millers to miners and a possible link to landed gentry, this book explores the shifting landscapes of industrial Britain through deeply personal lenses.

Meticulously researched and richly documented with archival material and contemporary press reports, it offers fresh insight into the lives that formed the backbone of a changing society.

Author Biography

Author and public speaker Gareth Winrow worked in Istanbul for twenty years, where he was a Professor of International Relations. He was also employed as a consultant in Turkey. More recently, he has focused on local, social, and family history. He is the author of Whispers Across Continents: In Search of the Robinsons (Amberley, 2019) and The Butcher, The Tailor, The Picture-Frame Maker… Stories of Middle Way (The Book Guild, 2023).