Abraham Laverton facts for kids

Abraham Laverton (born October 3, 1819 – died October 31, 1886) was an important person from Westbury, England. He owned cloth mills, which are factories that make fabric. He was also a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Westbury from 1874 to 1880. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the country's parliament. Besides his business and political work, he was also a philanthropist, meaning he gave money and time to help others.

Abraham Laverton's Early Life

Abraham Laverton was born in Trowbridge in 1819. He was one of four sons of William Laverton, who was a master weaver. A master weaver was skilled at making cloth. His mother was Penelope Davis. Abraham grew up in Trowbridge with his three brothers and a sister named Charlotte. Sadly, his mother passed away when he was young.

His father was not only a weaver but also worked with clothiers, sharing his contracts with other weavers. The Laverton children went to school, but they also learned to weave from a young age. Abraham got his first job in the office of a mill in Trowbridge. Later, he moved to another mill in Frome. There, he worked in sales, which helped him meet people who would be useful in his future career.

Becoming a Mill Owner

In 1849, Abraham Laverton rented the Angel Mill in Westbury. He changed it to produce cloth. In 1852, he bought the mill. That same year, another important person, James Wilson, who was the MP for Westbury, bought Bitham Mill in the same town with his brother.

In 1856, the Wilson brothers sold their mill to Abraham Laverton. For some years in the mid-1800s, he also owned Boyer's Mill in Westbury. Besides making cloth, Laverton also bought and sold large amounts of cloth and wool. He was a very successful businessman.

Abraham Laverton: The Politician

Abraham Laverton became a Justice of the Peace (JP) in Westbury. A JP is a local judge who helps keep the peace. In 1866, he was also named a Commissioner. This meant he helped with collecting taxes.

From 1868, Laverton tried to become an MP for Westbury. He ran as a Liberal candidate. In his first attempt, he lost by a very small number of votes. The election result was later cancelled because of problems with how some people tried to influence voters. Even though Laverton's opponent was not personally involved, his agent had acted unfairly.

In 1869, there was another election to fill the spot. Laverton lost again by a very small margin. Finally, at the 1874 election, he was elected as the MP for Westbury. However, there is no record that he ever gave a speech in the House of Commons.

In 1874, a funny poem about Laverton as an MP was published. He also offered to become a director for a railway company.

Laverton lost his seat in the 1880 election. After this defeat, he tried to have the election result cancelled. He claimed there was bribery and unfair influence. But his request was turned down by the High Court.

Helping the Community

Abraham Laverton used his wealth to help the people of Westbury. In 1869, he built Prospect Square in Westbury. This was a group of thirty-nine houses. Thirty-two of these houses were for his mill workers. The other seven were almshouses, which are homes for people who need help. These houses were built around a large open space. Some of these houses are now listed buildings, meaning they are protected because of their history.

In 1873, Laverton founded and built the Laverton Institute in Westbury. This building was a place for people to relax and enjoy themselves. It is still used today as a community center. The Institute also had a room for a school called the Westbury Boys' British School. This school moved into the Laverton Institute in 1874. It stayed there until 1925 when it joined another school.

In 1884, Laverton built another new school in Westbury. He gave it to the town. This school opened in 1885 and was called the Laverton Infants' School. It later became part of the local council's schools. The original building is now a private home.

Abraham Laverton also donated the large west window to Westbury's All Saints parish church.

He also had the idea for public baths in Westbury. While he started the project, they were finished and given to the town by his nephew, William Henry Laverton, after Abraham's death.

His Legacy

Abraham Laverton passed away on October 31, 1886. He left behind a very large amount of money, which was about £647,416 in 1886, equivalent to £50,555,426 in 2021.

He never married and lived his whole adult life with his sister, Charlotte. His nephew, W. H. Laverton, took over his business, A. Laverton & Co. Ltd. This company continued to make cloth in Westbury's Angel and Bitham Mills even into the 1960s.

His sister Charlotte lived longer than him and passed away in 1890.