http://www.hartleyfamily.org.uk/Fame2SZ.htmWilliam Pickles HARTLEY was one of England's famous sons - he set up factories for jam making and preserving, whose products grew to be world famous.
Born in Colne, Lancashire 23rd February 1846, Sir William Pickles HARTLEY is probably best remembered as the founder of the "Hartley's Jam" empire. The only surviving child of his parents, he was educated at the British School and the Grammar School, Colne. William left school at the age of fourteen and worked at his mother's grocery shop. He started in business for himself in Colne at the age of sixteen.
William's HARTLEY family is thought to be Lancashire Huguenot Yeomen, some of whom had lived and farmed in the Trawden area since the 16thC, in particular near Barley at the foot of Pendle Hill since sometime around 1620. They later went from farming to become fairly modest local Grocers in the district. [The HARTLEY family only lived in Trawden for a short time and never farmed there. William and Christiana HARTLEY lived in a small shop/house that belonged to Christiana's father, Christopher LISTER: Gordon Hartley]
At the disforesting in 1507 Barley Booth was occupied by John ROBINSON the elder and John ROBINSON the younger. The two parcels of pasture called Hawbooth and Whitley-in-Hawbooth was occupied by John ROBINSON the elder, John ROBINSON the younger and Roger HARTLEY. In Barley Booth £1 each was paid by the wife of William ROBINSON, James HARTLEY and their successors in 1609 James HARTLEY, Christopher ROBINSON and John ROBINSON]. These are possibly William's ancestors but a link has not been found as yet.
[That ROBINSON family may be linked to Henry Robinson HARTLEY who was heir to a family of Southampton wine merchants: Gordon Hartley]
[It is said by some that Wycoller Hall nearby was built by a HARTLEY family in the 16th century, probably William's relations, but Gordon Hartley has not found any link]
Much work needs to be done to link William's family to these early Hartley farmers in the Trawden area.
William's earliest known ancestor is thought to have been his great great great great grandfather, Richard HARTLEY. His great great great grandfather was Robert HARTLEY who's first wife was Mary DUCKWORTH, his second wife Margaret; [Gordon Hartley]
Robert HARTLEY [b.abt.1679 at Woodend, Barnoldswick] married Mary DUCKWORTH [b.abt.1683 at Woodend, Barnoldswick] on 16 January 1704 at Barnoldswick, Yorkshire.
William's great great grandfather, John HARTLEY [1710-1763] of Yatehouse [gatehouse], New Barley Road/Ridge Road,between Barley and Roughlee at the foot of the Pendle Hills [postcode BB12 9LH]. His children were Robert, John, Lawrence and William [1746].
His great grandparents were William HARTLEY [1746-1808], a Cotton Twist Spinner born 3rd May 1746 at Barley, Pendle, and Mary ROBINSON [1749-1822]. They had ten children; John, Robert, James, Richard, Susan, Peggy, Peter, Margaret, Elijah and William. William owned two Cotton Mills, one at Barley Green [built on John ROBINSON land 1795, destroyed by floods] and the other at Narrowgates [Cotton Twist Mill 1799, later owned by Richard HARTLEY and Ann ROBINSON, now apartments][also a part share in a Mill at Malham, where he and Mary lived when William and Elijah were born [see next item]: Gordon Hartley]. William died 25th July 1808.
William's grandfather, William HARTLEY [b.1789-1848]
William Pickles HARTLEY's grandparents were William HARTLEY and Christiana LISTER.
1841 Census, Colne Lane, Colne:
William Hartley, Age: 52, Occupation: Schoolmaster, Not born in same county.
Christiana Hartley, Age: 49, was born in same county.
John Hartley, Age 17, was born in same county
Richard Hartley, Age 8, was born in same county
William HARTLEY was born 9th April 1789 at Malham, North Yorkshire [as was his brother, Elijah, but his eight other brothers and sisters were born in Lancashire: Gordon Hartley]. He was a Schoolmaster at Trawden and a Primitive Methodist Preacher at Barrowfield in the 1830's. He was in later life a Missionary on the Isle of Man, where he died from Fever in 1848. Christiana was the daughter of Christopher LISTER [who had a large Ironmonger business] of Horsfield Cottage, Colne. She died 27th April 1859. Here she is on the 1851 Census, along with William Pickles HARTLEY aged 5:
1851 Census: 38/39 Colne Lane, COLNE
Christiana Hartley b.abt 1792 Colne, Lancashire Widow Head [Proprietor of Houses] Colne Lancashire
Richd Wm Hartley b.abt 1833 Trawden, Lancashire Son Colne Lancashire
John Hartley b.13th July 1825 Trawden, Lancashire Head [Whitesmith] Colne Lancashire
Margaret Hartley b.abt 1825 Colne, Lancashire Wife Colne Lancashire
Wm Pickles Hartley b.abt 1846 Colne, Lancashire Son Colne Lancashire
William's father, John HARTLEY [1825-1892].
William Pickles HARTLEY's parents were John HARTLEY [Whitesmith/Drysalter and Primitive Methodist Choir Master] b.13th July 1825 at Trawden and Margaret PICKLES b.abt.1825 at Colne [her father was John PICKLES of Cowling Head, Keighley, North Yorkshire]. Margaret died young on 18th May 1870. [After Margaret's death John HARTLEY may have married an Elizabeth Ann [unknown surname] though she does not appear on the 1871/1881 Censuses]. John was Baptised in 1825 as a Wesleyan Methodist but was later Baptised as a Primitive Methodist in 1837. He died 27th January 1892.
William Pickles HARTLEY was born 23rd February 1846 at 8 Damside, Colne and married Martha HORSFIELD on 21st May 1866, the daughter of Henry and Ann Horsfield, Grocers of Colne. She was the youngest of thirteen children. They were Primitive Methodists.
As the business grew, William and his family moved into the wholesale trade, and a chance event in 1871 started the Hartley business rolling, as, so it is said, a supplier failed to deliver a batch of jam and William was forced to make his own. His jam, marmalade and jelly sold so well that he continued to make it. Hartley began to develop his business by producing his own fruit and packaging it in his own distinctive earthenware pots.
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