Thomas, Ralph and Samuel Waller
Mill owners and Methodists and the influence they had on the town.
Author: Ann Hearle
Published: Marple Local History Society, 2001
A5 booklet, 52 pages, 15 illustrations
Price: £4.00
ISBN: 09540582 0 8
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Content
- Early days
- Ralph and Samuel - business and religion
- Family quarrels
- Thomas & family in Mellor
- Samuel Waller and family
- Difficult years
- Fires
- Scandals
- Last of the Wallers
- Post script
Foreword
The original study of the Waller family started many years ago with the gathering of information on the mills of Mellor for the book 'Historic Industries of Maple and Mellor’. Many pieces of information has been added to the file on the family as they have been discovered, and with the Mellor Heritage exhibition in 1984, more detailed research was undertaken. This was intensified when the wife of a descendant of Thomas Waller visited Mellor some years ago and shared her knowledge of the family with me. Since then, searches have been made in many places including the Public Record Office for Court records and the Methodist Archives for details of their religious activities. The Manchester side of the family was also investigated in detail for the first time.
Slowly and patiently all the different strains of information were pieced together but it is very difficult to reconstruct economic and social history of a small firm when there is a complete absence of business records. The story of the brothers and their families can now be told, in part at least.
This book could not have been written without the immense amount of help in research, typing, checking but most of all the friendship of Tom Oldham.
Ann Hearle
2001
