Two important mill owners

How I discovered GHAS

It was a Saturday morning in August 2002. Mrs Kerr and I were wandering around the Town Clock at the Calling of the Fair, or it may have been the Charter Fair Charity Market spin-off. Anyway, I was approached by a tall, furtive looking, tall chap wearing glasses and a big grin, both on his face.
As he tried to thrust an official looking business card in my hand, I thought "Ey up, it's a gypsy, a didecai. I thought they gave heather, not business cards."
It wasn't a person of gypsy descent, it was John Duckworth inviting me to "come on down." I did and I've never regretted it. Rawden, C-L-M

James Boardman (1847 – 1930)

James was the son of a farmer and at 13 years old had been a weaver, in 1871, at the age of 23, he was working as a sizer. In the 1881 census James is managing the farm but in addition is manager of St Lawrence Mill and is married with 3 children. Living with him are his two unmarried sisters and his father who is employed on the farm. From 1882 until 1899 he also managed Wellington Mill at the bottom of Queen Street along with partners. In 1899 he and J.W. Baron took over Deveron Mill and as Boardman and Baron went on to build and run Palatine Mill and Waverledge Mill. During this time the family lived at Curate Street but in 1903 they moved into Northlands on Park Lane, which on his death, James left to his three sons, Arthur, Milton and Alfred.

James is buried in Great Harwood Cemetery on Blackburn Road.