Manchester's Great & Good

[RAB]

can anyone name (without googling/yahooing) any famous influential men or women in the history of Manchester, beginning at least before Industrial Revolution times ?

I have to admit I will be scratching my head to remember, and trying to force myself not to open any books or computer references
There must at least one or two pioneers or benefactors or inventors at the tip of someone's tongue, and perhaps for a special reason ?

I might manage to think along the right lines eventually when I've had a cup of tea !!
 

[RAB]

.....someone connected with a library or university (note the full name !!)
perhaps

[celeste]

John Rylands?

[RAB]

...that's the first one that springs to my mind
Was it first a library which later became placed into a University ? ?

not sure 

[celeste]

It's a library now on Deansgate

[arthurchappell]

It's a library now on Deansgate

Feranti, - the main factory run by the family business near my home only shut down about ten years ago - they were very important in developing computer technology -

Rutherford split the atom at Manchester university - I see the plaque commemorating his action often when pasing there. 

The Pankhurst sisters - leading Suffrragettes, lived in Manchester for many years.

[celeste]

and John Dalton who has a street named after him off Deansgate

Joule

[RAB]

..presumably Manchester had civil war heroes (or rebels) and I believe that an M.P. or M.P.'s in general were denied to Manchester for a period of time as punishment for the part it played during the Civil War
Whether the population at large were particularly to blame for supporting one side or another would be better known by arthurchappell

 

[arthurchappell]

Yes, we had a strong role in the Civil War - Manchester itself being besieged early in the conflict in Sept/Oct 1642.  The first English fatality of the conflict was  Richard Percival, a Royalist who tried to attack opponants to the Earl Of derby who was attacked when attending a banquet here with his supporters.  (The first casualty of the overall conflict was a Scot, David Prat, - at the siege, the Parliament were dominant - Manchester being a Puritan city -  Sir Ralph Assheton has a pub named after him in Middleton, there was also a John Middleton - Captain Dukinfield has a statue commemorating his efforts in Dukinfield.  The real hero was however a german mercenary, John Rosworm who built the city's earthwork defences and held off the Royalist advances for a week with just a handdful of men.

Royalist Wythenshaw Hall was besieged - a statue of Cromwell stands outside though he was never there - the statue originally stood in the city centre outsidethe Corn exchange - The Earl Of Derby was executed in Bolton for his attack and massacre of the town population there - the pub where he spent his last hours, The Old Man And Scythe, still stands.  A Victorian mural depicting the Manchester siege (and full of innacuracies) is in Manchester town Hall and was done by Pre-Raphaelite artist Ford Maddox Brown.

[RAB]

Thanks Arthur    ...is there no hiding place from religion ? 
I suppose the Puritans left in Manchester were the ones who had not already emigrated to Massachusetts to escape religious persecution by the Catholics in this country
Not sure what date the Huguenots arrived in Britain from ? France? to escape persecution there by the Catholics ?
Perhaps the Puritans found it easy to get on with their 'brother' Huguenots in Manchester ?
Or possibly that is my wishful thinking !! 

Anyway the next 'Great  Good' name I can think of is Trafford, without googling, does anyone know anything at all connected with this 'name' ?

[celeste]

wasn't it originally De Trafford, I think there is a pub (or was) called the Trafford Arms in Alderley Edge or thereabouts, I also thought Lymm had a connection- of course two of the station on the metrolink line, one Old Trafford (football and cricket ground respectively) and Trafford Bar, not forgetting Trafford Park

[RAB]

John Rylands?

Chetham springs to mind as another Library !!
..or is that part of a College ?
 

[celeste]

It's Chetham School of Music, near Victoria Station at the back of the Cathedral

[RAB]

I thought there was a Chetham Society ? - Arthur would know probablement !! 

[celeste]

yes I forget 'I know nothing'  .......................or is that you?