Catalogue description JAMES BUTTERWORTH (1771-1837)

Some of James Butterworth's publications are held by Oldham Local Studies and Archives. These include an original first edition of his History of Oldham (1817) (Ref: L4308). Within this is a brief biography, entitled "Oldham's Litterateur - The Life-Struggle of James Butterworth", cut from the Manchester Chronicle.

Hollinhead, John "The works of the Butterworths", in Local Notes and Gleanings: Oldham and neighbourhood in bygone times, Vol 1, (1887), pp.204-237. A bibliography of works by both James and Edwin Butterworth.

Shaw, Giles "James Butterworth, Poet, Historian &c.", in Annals of Oldham and District..., Vol. 2, pp200-204, (1905). This contains a biography and bibliography.

Shaw, Giles "James Butterworth of Oldham", in Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society, Vol. XXVI-1908. Manchester, (1909).

• Butterworth, James, 1771-1837, of Oldham, Lancashire

James Butterworth was born on 28 August 1771, at Pitses in the hamlet of Alt, within Ashton-under-Lyne parish. He was the youngest of eleven children of James Butterworth and Jane (nee Ogden, daughter of Nehemiah Ogden, of Loeside in Ashton-under-Lyne). His father hailed originally from Royton. James (junior) attended school in Alt, and aspired to become a school master, although he seems to have been apprenticed as a weaver.

In 1792, aged 21, he married Hannah Boyton (1774-1836) of Oldham. They had ten children, of whom only three sons, Biram, Edwin and another James, survived into adulthood.

By 1799 James was conducting a Sunday School at Mumps, and for some years he held the office of Postmaster, at Manchester Street, Oldham. The Oldham Directory of 1814-15 describes him as "postmaster, bookseller, and stationer," and in 1816-17 as "agent to the Atlas Fire Office". On losing the office of Postmaster he became a schoolmaster again, at first in Manchester Street, and later, until 1833, at Heyside School, near Oldham.

Hannah Butterworth died on 13 December 1836 "after many years agonising illness" (D-BUT/F/39). James Butterworth died a year later, on 23 November 1837, aged 66 years. He had, according to his son Edwin's obituary, "... sunk into a state of premature dotage and extreme feebleness." Edwin added bleakly:

"In his early years he published several poetical pieces, which were favourably received by several gentlemen of acknowledged literary taste; at a later period he produced a number of publications descriptive of Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Rochdale &c. which he entitled Histories; they were not destitute of interesting facts, but the composition bore evidence in some degree that the author was calculated to be more successful as a pastoral poet than as a provincial Historian." (D-BUT/F/52).

James Butterworth was buried in the northeast corner of Oldham Parish Church (St Mary's). His books were sold to defray expenses. Some of his books, and the papers listed here, were eventually purchased with those of Edwin Butterworth, and presented to the Oldham Lyceum.