MONUMENT TO THE LATE JOHN HORROCKS, ESQ., M.P.
Sometimes, perhaps often, things are not quite what they seem.
I had been on an intermittent 'wild goose chase' looking for this monument. I visited St. Mary's Church in Penwortham on several occasions, and whilst it wasn't the sole purpose of my visits, I was always keeping an eye out for it. The fatal flaw was that I had made an assumption that it was outside. I can't remember how I came to realise otherwise, but the item is safe inside the church protected from the elements. By the time I had come to this conclusion, I had completed several dozen laps of the church graveyard.
This information is taken from the Preston Chronicle of Saturday 15th August 1863 (Issue 2692)
MONUMENT TO THE LATE JOHN HORROCKS, ESQ., M.P.
Within the last few weeks, a very handsome monumental tablet has been placed in Penwortham Church, to the memory of this remarkable man, by his nephew, Mr. Walter Horrocks Whitehead, of Liverpool. So long a time has elapsed since John Horrocks was removed by death, that some of the younger inhabitants of Preston may be expected to enquire who John Horrocks was. Sixty years since he was one of the members of parliament for this borough; and he may be considered the founder of the cotton trade of Preston. He died in 1804, and was interred in Penwortham church-yard, having shortly before his death erected Penwortham Lodge, (now called Penwortham Hall). The monument has been sculptured by Mr. T. Marsh, of Euston-road, London.
The inscription, which is as follows, does justice alike to the eminent qualities of the deceased, as it does to the judgment and good feeling of Mr. Whitehead :-
"In Memory of JOHN HORROCKS, Esq., M.P. Born November 4th, 1766; Died March 1st, 1804.
Commencing a commercial career at the age of twenty-one, at Preston, he founded works and organized a business which, to this day, remain a record of his talent, ability, and judgment, resulting in the attainment of fortune and reputation, and securing to him the high distinction of being elected representative of the borough in Parliament, a substantial and gratifying proof of the deserved estimation in which he was held by his fellow-townsmen. This tablet is erected in grateful recollection of his kindness, and in admiration of his genius, capacity, and benevolence, by his affectionate nephew,
WALTER HORROCKS WHITEHEAD, Commander H.C.S. 1863."
It has often been a matter of observation that some memorial of the public spirit of the deceased, and of the services he rendered to Preston, has not been erected. Most of those who knew the deceased personally have gone from among us. It may have been their excuse that the growth and prosperity of Preston were in themselves sufficient testimony of his talents and ability, and that, as is inscribed on the tomb of Sir C. Wren, in St. Paul's, they could for John Horrocks point to Preston, and say "Si monumentum quæris, circumspice." There have been several suggestions, however, for the erection of an appropriate monument, but they never proceeded beyond suggestions. We are glad that there has been at last erected, though proceeding from a private individual, and its locality is a neighbouring village, a memorial of our distinguished and energetic townsman.
Mr. Horrocks was the younger of the two surviving sons of Mr. John Horrocks, of Edgeworth, the lessee of a quarry at Edgeworth, where he carried on the business of a manufacturer of millstones. When he was quite a young man, the cotton trade was rapidly developing itself, and he obtained two or three spinning frames, which he worked by hand in his father's mill, and sold or "put out" the yarns at Preston and other places. Mr. Watson was then the only cotton manufacturer in Preston, and young Horrocks sold him his yarns. Some differences arising, he determined on establishing himself in Preston, and in June, 1791, he commenced business in Preston, occupying a small building at the bottom of Turk's Head-court. He afterwards built a mill at the end of Church-street, which is still standing, and bears the date of "1791;" it was the first of the now numerous mills of Messrs. Horrockses, Miller, and Co. In the following year he built another mill adjoining it, called the Yard mill; in 1796 he erected the old Moss factory and Frenchwood factory; the new Moss factory in 1797; the Canal factory in 1799; and another factory at "the yard" in 1802. In 1796 he unsuccessfully contested the borough with Lord Stanley (the late Earl of Derby) and Sir H. P. Hoghton, Bart., (grandfather of Sir H. de Hoghton), but in 1802 he was returned, along with Lord Stanley, with-out opposition. He, however, died in two years after-wards, and was buried in Penwortham church-yard, at the early age of thirty-seven.
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| Monument to the Late John Horrocks, Esq., M.P. in Penwortham. |
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| A Monument to the Late John Horrocks, Esq., M.P. in Penwortham. |
TOMB CHEST at the CHURCH OF ST MARY
One of the reasons that I had been making an assumption about the monument being outside is that there is a Tomb Chest in the grounds of the Church. I was wrongly thinking that they would be together. On an earlier visit to Penwortham, I came to realise that the Grade II TOMB CHEST at the CHURCH OF ST MARY and John Horrocks' grave were one and the same thing.
I'd tracked down John's grave to the church in March 2025, and had independently photographed a number of listed items to upload to the Historic England website.
I was later at Hurst Grange Park (Penwortham) in April 2025, specifically visiting Hurst Grange Coffee House & Café, which is a renovated former coach house and stables. Hurst Grange in Penwortham was the estate of Lancashire judge William Adam Hulton, who built a large house, coach house, and stables in 1848. The estate included landscaped parkland. After Hulton's death, Hurst Grange was purchased by John Forshaw, a Preston solicitor. The mansion was demolished in 1938, but the coach house remains and is now a visitor centre and community hub. It's worth a visit.
Whilst there, I noticed a display that listed a number of local items on the Historic England register (NHLE - National Heritage List for England). John's grave was one of them. The penny then dropped, and I realised that they were not separate things. On my return home, I uploaded my previously taken photographs to the 'Missing Pieces Project' on the Historic England website.
JOHN HORROCKS
Late of Penwortham Lodge in the County of Lancaster Esq.
and Representative in Parliament
for the Borough of Preston
died
on the 1st Day of March Anno Domini
1804
aged 36 years.
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| John Horrocks Tomb Chest at Church of St Mary in Penwortham |
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| John Horrocks Tomb Chest at Church of St Mary in Penwortham |
TOMB CHEST CIRCA 5 METRES SOUTH OF CHANCEL OF CHURCH OF ST MARY, CHURCH AVENUE. A Tomb Chest from 1814, commemorating John Horrocks, who died 1804, and other members of Horrocks family, as listed on the National Heritage List for England.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1361872
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John Horrocks (1768–1804)
Industrialist and Politician
John Horrocks was a pioneering English industrialist and influential politician closely associated with Preston, Lancashire. Born in 1768 in Edgeworth, near Bolton, he was the son of John Horrocks, a manufacturer of stone printing blocks for the textile industry. From an early age, Horrocks showed a strong aptitude for business and manufacturing.
In the 1790s, he moved to Preston, where he capitalised on the town’s growing reputation in the cotton industry. Horrocks established a spinning business that rapidly expanded, thanks to his embrace of mechanisation and innovation. He built large mills, including the famed Moss Mill, and his company, Horrocks, Miller & Co., became one of the most important cotton manufacturers in Britain. His success helped transform Preston from a small market town into a major industrial centre during the early Industrial Revolution.
Politically ambitious as well, Horrocks entered Parliament in 1802 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston. He aligned with Tory interests and worked to promote industrial and commercial causes.
Tragically, John Horrocks' promising career was cut short when he died in 1804 at the young age of 36. Nevertheless, his contributions left a lasting legacy on Preston’s development, shaping it into a key industrial hub in the 19th century. His family and business partners continued his work, and the name 'Horrocks' remained prominent in Preston's commercial history for decades.
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This information was taken from the Preston Chronicle of Saturday 15th August 1863 (Issue 2692). The article can be viewed here:
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/Y3207462190/GDCS?u=lancs&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=f6e2277f
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