The eldest son of Thomas Leven Rushton, JP, of Moor Platt, Horwich, who was the Mayor of Bolton 1848-50.

Thomas was educated locally and entered the family business of Dobson and Barlow Ltd., manufacturers of textile machinery, becoming head of that company in due course.

In his younger days he was a keen and active playing member of the Bolton Cricket Club when they played at the Back-o'-th'-Bank ground. On 23-25 August 1866 he played for XXII of Bolton against the All England XI, scoring 5 and 0 and on 5-7 August 1869 he played for XXII of Bolton against the All England XI making 30, the top score for his side.

His only first-class match was for Lancashire against Hampshire at Old Trafford on 21st to 23rd July 1870.

His residence was at Halliwell Hall, Bolton and it is there that he appears in the 1881 Census. He was then aged 35 and described as a machine maker employing 1400 men and 250 boys. His wife, Emily Jane (nee Ormrod), was aged 31, and their children James Lever aged 8, Lucy May aged 6 and Violet Mary aged 1. There was a governess and six domestic servants.

A short time after this he gave up Halliwell Hall and purchased the Barnacre Estate, near Garstang, from the Countess of Bective. He died rather suddenly of a perforated appendix, having only a week before his death been on the Manchester Exchange. He was buried at Scorton Churchyard.

He had been a Justice of the Peace in Bolton and transferred to the Amounderness Hundred Bench, on his move to Barnacre.

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Don Ambrose)

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