Nat Gould

John Gould Irwin

John Gould Irwin was born in 1804 in Manchester, the son of John Irwin and his wife née Mary Sterndale Gould. He was baptised on 26 December 1804 in St Ann's Church in Manchester.

Signatures in marriage register

He was twice married. He married Hannah Whitehead on 23 February 1826 in Manchester Collegiate Church (1), and they had the following children:

John Irwin. Born in 1828, he died on 4 June 1832 aged four years (2).

Elizabeth Irwin. She was born in 1830.

Fanny Irwin. She was born in 1831, and died on 5 August 1852 aged 21 years.

Mary Sterndale Irwin. She was born in 1832, and died on 5 July 1835 aged three years.

Hannah Amelia Irwin. She was born in 1834, and died on 5 April 1835 aged fifteen months.

Their mother Hannah Irwin née Whitehead died on 9 January 1835 aged 32 years, and was buried at Rusholme Road Cemetery in Manchester.

He married secondly Amelia Lowe (3) on 12 December 1837, and they had a son:

Henry Gould Irwin. He was born in 1838 in Manchester. When the Census was take in 1861 he was unmarried, living with his parents and employed as a commercial clerk in the cotton fustian velvets trade.

His mother Amelia Irwin née Lowe died died in Chorlton in Manchester in 1872 aged 60 years.

John Gould Irwin was a surveyor and architect. His architecture includes the Theatre Royal (4) and the Lancashire Independent College (5), both in Manchester. He was also in partnership with Francis Chester until that partnership was dissolved on 29 September 1852 (6).

He became involved in bankruptcy proceedings from 1842 to 1856 in a drapery and cloth business with his brother Richard Irwin (7).

In 1841 the family were living at Langston Street in Cheetham, but by 1851 they had moved to Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, and by 1861 to 86 Bloomsbury, Chorlton-on-Medlock, all being within Manchester.

John Gould Irwin died on 21 June 1866 aged 61 years.

(1) They were married by licence dated 22 February 1826 : Cheshire Marriage Licence Bonds and Allegations 1606-1905.
(2) The dates of death of the children of John Gould and Hannah Irwin, and of their mother, are given in the book of gravestone inscriptions in Rusholme Road Cemetery transcribed by the Manchester and District Family History Society.
(3) The 1851 Census Return for Manchester records the birthplace of Amelia Lowe as Chatham in Kent, and that for 1861 as Stockport, Cheshire. The latter may be an enumerator's mistake for Gosport in Hampshire, where an Amelia Lowe was baptised on 9 March 1808 at Holy Trinity Church in Gosport, the daughter of John and Harriot Lowe.
(4) The Public Sculpture of Greater Manchester by T. Wyke and H. Cocks (2004) pages 107-108.
(5) Lancashire Independent College 1843-1893 Jubilee Memorial Volume by J. Thompson (1893) page 46.
(6) The London Gazette Issue 21420 dated 9 March 1853 page 768.
(7) The London Gazette Issue 20066 dated 1 February 1842 page 279 (reported in the Derby Mercury dated 9 February 1842); The London Gazette Issue 20075 dated 25 February 1842 page 559; The London Gazette Issue 20177 dated 13 December 1842 page 3718; The Law Journal (1842) page 8; The London Gazette Issue 20184 dated 6 January 1843 page 63; The London Gazette Issue 21932 dated 17 October 1856 pages 3425 and 3426; The London Gazette Issue 21943 dated 21 November 1856 page 3904; The Law Journal (1843) page 2.