John Hawksford (5 October 1806—3 September 1887) was a successful and wealthy solicitor and attorney, a prominent member of the Roman Catholic laity of Wolverhampton and served as Mayor of Wolverhampton from 1863/64, becoming the first Roman Catholic to do so.
John Hawksford | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 October 1806 Aston, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 3 September 1887 (aged 80) Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Solicitor and attorney |
| Known for | Mayor of Wolverhampton, Catholic lay member, benefactor |
The Church
editHawksford had converted to Catholicism and by the late 1840s he had become a prominent member of the Roman Catholic lay community in Wolverhampton. At a cost of £2,000 he purchased land from the agent to the Duke of Cleveland for the building of a new Roman Catholic church for the town. He battled with the Bishop of Birmingham, William Ullathorne over funds for the building works and letters show that this continued through to the laying of the foundation stone for what was to become the church of St Mary and St John.[1]
Politics
editHawksford served as Mayor of Wolverhampton 1863/64.
Family
editHawksford was born 5 October 1806 in Aston, Warwickshire, the son of Samuel Hawksford and Elizabeth née Cope. He arrived in Wolverhampton in 1821 and converted to Catholicism aged 26, probably at the time of his marriage.[1] He had six children. Hiis wife died in 1849 and Hawksford remarried in 1853. He had no further children, and died on 3 September 1887.
References
edit- ^ a b "Ss Mary and John: strife with the laity". Wolverhampton History and Heritage Website. Archived from the original on 8 October 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
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