Here's an interesting story of a John Thomas Bancroft, which started with the find of an old machine oil bottle in a garage. who although came from humble beginnings, went on to be quite an entrepreneur in business.
John was born in Haworth in 1862, the son of Abraham and Martha Bancroft. His father was a Stone Quarry Labourer living in the Brow area of the village and with his wife had eight children. John's story started with the find of an old machine oil bottle in a garage, and although came from humble beginnings, went on to be quite an entrepreneur in business
The 1871 census shows John Thomas working at 9 years of age with most of his siblings in a local Worsted Factory.
By the 1890's he
had married an Emma Ruth Reddihough and had become a tailor with
three of his brothers George, Abel And William in what must have been
a reasonably profitable way of earning a living to support four men
and their families. I wrote an article about the tailoring business
which can be read HERE. https://bancroftsfromyorkshire.blogspot.com/2011/05/bancroft-brothers-tailors-of-haworth.html
While working in the tailoring business, he must have used light and fine oil to lubricate the various sowing machines, which probably gave him the idea of setting up business selling the oil as can be seen from the bottles.
I'm not sure exactly when he moved away from the family tailoring business but by the time of the 1901 census he had moved to Bradford with his wife Ruth and young family and had set up a new business as a “Mineral Water Manufacturer”, possibly connected to his earlier business using glass bottles....but a big change from his past employment!
By 1911 he had changed jobs again, and was now shown as a “Rag Merchant”
This business must have developed somewhat because when the next census was taken in the war years of 1939 he was a widower, his wife Emma Ruth having passed away in 1929, and his daughter and her husband Martha and her husband Harry White were living with him at a substantial house called “Thornfield” in the Pudsey/Stanningly area of Leeds.
John Thomas died in 1943, and was buried with his wife and later with his daughter and her husband ,Harry, at Haworth.
Inscription
Of A Devoted Wife & Mother
Emma Ruth,
Wife of John Thomas Bancroft,
of "Thornfield," Farsley.
Who Fell Asleep Aug.13th 1929
Aged 64 Years.
Also of the Above
John Thomas Bancroft,
Who Fell Asleep Oct.1st 1943,
Aged 81 Years.
"Dearly Loved."
His home in later life, Thornfield, was a substantial residence which was later turned into a Hotel and Wedding venue and still operates to this day.
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