Page:A History of Horncastle from the Earliest Period to the Present Time.djvu/171

152

Lord Allerton, formerly Mr. William Lawnes Jackson, is a member of a Horncastle family. A near relative was a well-known object, a few years ago, in our streets as a cripple, going about on a donkey, lying flat on a large saddle or "pad," his only means of locomotion. Lord Allerton's father, William Jackson, left Horncastle for Leeds, somewhere in the "thirties," or the "forties," going it is said, with only half a sovereign in his pocket, given by an aunt, and a spare shirt given by an uncle. At Leeds he found employment in the tanyard of a Mr. Robert Barker, where he presently became foreman. He afterwards returned to Horncastle and worked in the tanyard of the late Mr. Hawling; but went back to Leeds and commenced tanning on his own account, at Meanwood near Leeds, and afterwards on a still larger scale at Buslingthorpe. He speedily began to prosper, and in due course was succeeded by his son; who made a large fortune in the same business. He became a magistrate of Leeds, and was elected to the Mayoralty in 1895. He represented North Leeds in Parliament for many years, as a conservative, being first elected in April, 1880, and re-elected five times, with ever increasing majorities. He was for many years a Director and Chairman of G.N.R. Company, and held other public offices. In 1896 he succeeded Mr. A. J. Balfour, under Lord Salisbury's administration, as Chief Secretary for Ireland, being also, for several years, Financial Secretary of the Treasury; and was raised to the peerage in June, 1902. He was born in 1840, married in 1860, Grace, the only daughter of George Tempest, Esq. He owns, as his country seat, Allerton Hall, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, and 27, Cadogan Square, as his town residence. His uncle, Mr. John Green, still lives in Horncastle, on the Edlington Road.

Edward Gilliat was the eldest son of the late Mr. George Gilliat, of the Manor House (now called "Banovallum"), by his second wife. He was educated partly at the Grammar School, being afterwards a pupil of Canon Sanderson, at Seaford, Sussex. He entered at Pembroke College, Oxford, where he obtained a scholarship in 1861. In 1862 he took a 1st class in Classical Moderations, and 1st Literæ Humaniores, 1864. In 1867 he was Proxime accessit for the Latin essay. He was appointed Assistant Master at Westminster School, Sept., 1867, holding the post to Dec., 1870. He was ordained deacon in 1870 and priest in 1871, by the Bishop of London. In Sep. 1871, he was appointed Assistant Master at Harrow, where he remained till 1900. He has been a voluminous writer, publishing his first work, Asylum Christi, 3 vols., in 1875; On the Wolds, 1879; Under the Downs, 1882; Forest Outlaws, 1886; John Standish, 1889; In Lincoln Green, 1893; Wolf Head, 1898; The Kings Reeve, 1899; Romance of Modern Sieges, 1907; and God save King Alfred, in the same year. He also published, for the S.P.C.K., Dorothy Dymoke, and Champion of the Right. He has now retired from scholastic work and resides at St. Catherine's Hill, Worcester.

We have already in our notice of the Grammar School (p. 98) given an account of the Rev. Francis Grosvenor, son of an ironmonger in the town;