John WRATHALL (The Craven Herald, Friday 7th October 1938, page 7 )
(contributed by Derek Wrathall of Skipton)
HIGH BENTHAM
NONAGENARIAN'S DEATH

Bentham suffered the loss of its oldest male resident in the death, on Sunday, of Mr. John Wrathall, of Goodenber Road, Bentham.

Mr. Wrathall, who was 93 years of age on June 5th last, had been in failing health for some months, but up to about two years ago he was exceptionally active, and was a well-known figure throughout the countryside. He took a walk of many miles most days.

His family had been engaged in farming for many generations. He was the only child of Mr. Stephen Wrathall, farmer, of Kirkstead, Ingleton.

After leaving school, he was employed in farm work at Half Way House Farm, Cantsfield, and later with his uncle at Barnoldswick. Subsequently, he was appointed book-keeper at the then Ingleton Colliery at Wilson Wood, a position in which he served for about seven years. He later proceeded to Burnley, where the most important part of his active working career was spent. Having secured an engagement at the Manchester Road Station of the old Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company, he was almost immediately appointed inspector in full charge of the depot, a position which he filled for 27 years. On his retirement from railway service, he returned to Bentham and for 20 years - until 1933 - took over the supervision of the book-keeping department of the corn and provision merchants business owned by his youngest son, Mr. W. Foster Wrathall.

His wife, who, before her marriage was Miss Eleanor Foster, of Ingleton, died about eight years ago. He leaves two sons and five daughters.

In politics, Mr. Wrathall was a staunch Conservative.
Also from The Craven Herald, 8th June 1934

BENTHAM’S “GRAND OLD MAN”
Mr. John Wrathall’s 90th Birthday
NORTH CRAVEN MEMORIES

The “Grand Old Man” of Bentham attained his 90th year of age on Tuesday. He is Mr. John Wrathall, who resides with his second daughter, Miss Isabella Wrathall, in Goodenber Road, and he is as bright and active generally as most men thirty years his junior. Mr. Wrathall is well-known throughout an extensive area, especially in the Bentham - Ingleton district, where the Wrathalls have engaged in farming for generations.

Mr. Wrathall was the only child of the late Mr. Stephen Wrathall, farmer, of Kirkstead, Ingleton. He was born in a little cottage in the main street of Austwick, on June 5th, 1845. He is the oldest male resident of Bentham, and there is only one Bentham person his senior - Mrs. Lund, of Main Street, who became 90 about two years ago. His mother was Miss Elizabeth Towers, who was born at Fowgill, and was the eldest daughter of the late Mr. John Towers, boot and shoemaker, Main Street, Bentham.

Mr. Wrathall’s early education was obtained at Westhouse (Ingleton) National School. He removed with his parents to a farmstead at Claughton, near Hornby, and a few years later, when his parents took up their residence at Manchester, having for the time being ceased farm life to work at a chemical factory. Mr. Wrathall finished his schooling at the Mechanics’ Institute in that city.

When about fourteen years old, he accepted employment at Mr. John Bargh’s Half-way House Farm, Cantsfield; afterwards worked on the farm of his uncle, Mr. James Wrathall, at Barnoldswick; and a year or two later secured employment at the Kendal Powder Works (recently closed). John’s parents left Manchester not long afterwards, and took over Broates Farm, Ingleton, now occupied by Mr. Charles Heald.


AN INGLETON BRIDE

Subsequently, Kirkstead was again tenanted by his father. About this time, Mr. Wrathall married Miss Eleanor Foster, New Road, Ingleton, third daughter of the late Mr. Leonard Foster, a calf dealer in a good way of business, and a substantial property owner, of Ingleton. Mr. Wrathall was appointed book-keeper at the then Ingleton Colliery at Wilson Wood, a position in which he served altogether for about seven years. It is noteworthy that during this period the manager of the pit was the late Mr. Edmund Danson, son of Mr. Robt. Danson, the learned headmaster of Ingleton National School for many years.

When between 35 and 40 years of age, Mr. Wrathall proceeded to Burnley where the most important part of his career was spent. Having secured an engagement at the Manchester Road Station of the old Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Co., he was almost immediately appointed inspector in full charge of the depot, and he filled this position with distinction for 27 years. at the close of his lengthy connection with the railway - in 1913 - he removed to Bentham and took over the supervision of the book-keeping department of the corn and provision merchant’s business there, owned by his youngest son, Mr. W. Foster Wrathall. For a score of years he discharged these duties, and in 1933 he retired.

Mr. and Mrs. Wrathall have had eight children, three boys and five girls, of whom seven survive. In 1930-31, Mr. Wrathall lost his wife at the age of 84 years.

A “downright Conservative”, to use his own phrase, Mr. Wrathall said to a Craven Herald correspondent: “I’ve always advocated Tariff Reform, and am heartily pleased it’s come right to the forefront of practical politics, because I’m quite confident the whole Empire will benefit by it”

RAILWAYS FOLLOW STAGE COACH

Recalling early railway days in the Ingleton district, he spoke of witnessing the building of the buttresses of the viaduct spanning the picturesque gorge running between the Bank and Thornton, and the carting from Burton of the wooden railings for enclosing the railway between Clapham Junction and Lancaster.

Alluding to pre-railway days, he touched upon the general use of stage coaches and other vehicles. The coaches, he remarked, ran through the district between London and Edinburgh, and travellers were unanimous in their opinion that Clapham Common and End Moor, Kendal, were the coldest spots en route.

Hand-loom weaving was a common sight in his boyhood days, being carried on rather extensively at Bentham, Austwick, Newby, Ingleton and Clapham.

Reverting to the developments in all sections of the English railway service, Mr. Wrathall expressed the belief that railways would never be completely superseded by any other form of transport. “I have faith,” he said, “in the railways gradually coming into their own again.”.

Referring to educational matters, he was loud in his praise of the earnest and regular manner in which the old dames’ schools were conducted upwards of eighty or ninety years ago, and said they lasted for quite a while after the national schools were founded. For some time the curriculum in the latter schools was of quite a restricted character. Scarcely any English grammar or geography was taught, and there was invariably a difficulty experienced in offices and business establishments generally in obtaining boys who could add up a column of figures correctly and quickly.

FUN OF THE FAIR

As to popular recreation and pleasure seeking, both are, he held, infinitely more freely indulged in to-day than ever before. “In my early years,” he proceeded, “ the folk at large in rural places had to be, and were, content with the “fun of the fair” as it came round.” The principal fair at Ingleton was held on the 17th of November, and it was as attractive, colourful and enjoyable as a fair could well be. This fair nearly filled the Main Street from the centre of the village to the Court House and continued for some distance down Back Gate. There were the shows and stalls pitched almost at will, attended by swarthy-faced, dark-haired gipsy-like men and women, who resorted to every known artifice to extract pennies from the pockets of the visitors from the hill-sides and dales.

This and other fairs have now become chiefly memories, just as the names and doings of Drummer Atkinson (of the Ingleton Band of long ago) and others have become to the writer and the few members of the old school.

Asked to what he attributed his long life, Mr. Wrathall replied, “Well, I was never a teetotaller, and I have been a heavy smoker. I believe that the secret of my longevity is mainly to be found in my good constitution, love of open-air life, and plenty of exercise, particularly walking. Fond of walking, I cover from five to six miles every day, weather permitting, and feel as fit as a fiddle. Still, you know, I am almost living on “memories”, and they fill me with thankfulness.”