Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1880 & 89

James Lightbown (1817 - 1884)


 James Lightbown was the elder brother of Henry Lightbown and went into partnership with him and William Aspinall in 1854 to make wallpaper in Pendleton.


He was born in Darwen, Lancashire in 1817. His father was John Lightbown (born 1791) who had a small farm in Darwen and also carried on hand loom weaving. His mother was Esther (nee Duckworth) Lightbown who died in 1832 when James was 15 years old.


In 1844 James married Sarah Walsh (born 1822 in Darwen) at St Mary the Virgin Church, Blackburn, (later Blackburn Anglican Cathedral). The 1861 census shows the couple had moved to Salford and six children are recorded: Thomas Henry (born 1848 in Darwen), Sarah R (born 1850 in Pendleton), Elizabeth (born 1853 in Pendleton), John James (born 1856 in Pendleton), Sarah Jane (born 1857 in Pendleton) and Joseph (born 1860 in Pendleton).


The 1881 census shows the family lived at 29 Fitzwarren Street Pendleton with James aged 64 and Sarah aged 59. Also in the house was their eldest daughter Esther Ellen (born 1849 in Darwen) aged 30, John James aged 25 who is a Paper Traveller, and Sarah Jane age 23.


There are three references to James Lightbown's business interests. In 1873 a partnership as Wasbedealers (?) in Blackburn with Thomas Fairbrother, was dissolved by mutual consent. In 1854 he formed a partnership with his brother Henry and Henry's brother-in-law William Aspinall which set up a new factory, Hayfield Mills in Pendleton, manufacturing wallpaper. It was named Lightbown, Aspinall and Company and became one of the largest producers of cheap, machine-printed wallpapers in 19th century Britain. And in 1880, this partnership was dissolved as James decided to retire.


James died on 25th March 1884 in Pendleton and was buried in the Dissenters portion of Weaste Cemetery. He was 67 years of age. By 1901, his widow Sarah was living with her married daughter Sarah Jane and her husband Henry Roper at 82 Bolton Road Pendleton. Sarah died two years later on 15th February 1903 aged 81 and was interred with her husband.


James and Sarah's eldest son Thomas Henry also went into the wallpaper business. The 1881 census shows his occupation as Under Manager, Paper Staining Works. Thomas Henry married Annie Bradley in 1876 and in 1881 they were living at 43 Seedley Grove, Pendleton with two daughters, Elizabeth aged 4 and Beatrice aged 0. Thomas Henry died in 1895 aged 47 and in 1901 his widow Annie lived at 11, Madelaine Street, Pendleton with children Beatrice aged 20, Florence aged 15, James aged 13 and Alice M aged 10.