Trevor Haselton

[Steven Dowd]

Love to hear from anyone. Now living in the wild's of Northern B.C. Canada.St.Peter's school, Gas st. School[nobody mention's Gas St.] and of course Selwyn Jones, Patterson St; The real school, why did they name a school after a living person, e.g Selwyn, feedback anyone. I see they have changed the name again.Great site Steve,keep it up, Trev.

[Steven Dowd]

Hello Trevor

Thanks for the nice comments ..

Some neighbours of mine were in Canada last year, visiting relatives who had moved out there from Newton/Earlestown, Not sure where though, I know its a big place, but you never know..

Odd thing with my neighbours was they only found out about me doing the Newton website, because their relatives showed it to them while they were in Canada, they couldn/t believe that they went to Canada to find out that the person nextdoor but one to them, runs the website that there relatives use to keep contacts with the old home.

Its a small world really..

Hope your all doing ok in the wild's of Northern B.C. Canada..

Happy New Year

Steven Dowd
http://www.newton-le-willows.com

[Steven Dowd]

hi steve
the book you were interested in by mr lane as just been on e-bay it did not sell so it will no doubt be put back on again.
regards gray robi.

[Steven Dowd]

Hi thanks for the message, i did see it on ebay, but it was the Peter Riley edited version that was for sale

Peter wrote his 196 page version from edits of the two 250 page versions written in 1914/16.

I did manage quite some time ago to borrow the originals from Richard Peacock, from the newton gardners association.

but since then i have managed to buy both books, originals vol1 & vol2 from a canadian bookseller. advertised via www.abebooks.com.

interestingly the books went out to canada as a gift to a canadian woman over here in the uk, visiting newton relatives in the 1930's. her family originally went to canada in early 1800's and not having any church as per newtons st peters, the tried for grants of the canadian authorities to build one for themselves, a visiting clergyman from warrington area passed there way in canada at the same time as there fund raising efforts, and offered to take a note for help back with hime to newton when he returned to the uk.

i may get the dates wrong here but what happened next was that in about 1840 a collection was made at st peters which was then sent to canada, the collection was enough to start the building of a church, which the homesick newtoners later got consicrated as St Peters, ref there old newton roots.

anyway 100 years later 1930, a relative of the original church builders, visited the uk and on that visit was given the John Henry Lane books, Vol 1 & 2, because oddly the whole story is laid out in Vol 1 of the books.

she took the books to canada, along with a paper clipping from an early netwon gaurdian, relating the co-incidences, and the books somehow later ended up in a bookshop, advertised on abebooks, and eventuallt returned back to Newton to myself..

seems they are very well traveled books, as well as being quite rare and in excelent condition.

Since Peter Riley only used about 1/3 of the books contents and photos into his edited version, it leaves me lots to add into the website..

A book i do want to get hold of a copy of, is a third book by henry lane

Newton le Willows in Pictures and Verse .

still looking for that one ..

Steven Dowd
http://www.newton-le-willows.com