Wilkinson Pickles was born at Haigh Farm, Sowerby [25th February 1855]. He was the 7th son of David Pickles.
Around 1879, he started working at the Halifax Steam Laundry as a clerk.
Around 1882, he opened his own steam laundry at King Cross.
Around 1884, the Halifax Steam Laundry business was wound up and he bought it, combining it with his own King Cross business.
He represented South Ward on Halifax Town Council [1889-1891].
He served on the Halifax School Board for 6 years.
He was a member of the Boulderclough Henpecked Club – a forerunner of the Halifax Henpecked Club of which he was a founder member and held official positions for many years.
He was active at Hanover Street Church – where he was the oldest lay-preacher – and at the Sunday school there, and at Boulderclough Methodist Chapel where he held most offices open to a layman. He was a teacher of the Young Ladies' Class, and for 39 years, he was a lay preacher on the Nonconformist Circuit.
He went out of business and for 20 years lived a life of retirement, writing books and travelling. He visited and inspected laundries in New York, London, Paris, Switzerland, Cairo and Rome – but liked none so much as his own!
Around 1890, he made a 3 month's tour of the USA, and his journals mention his visits to Kentucky and the Rockies. An account of his travels in the USA appeared in the Halifax Courier.
In 1894, he visited the Holy Land, and sent articles to the Halifax Courier describing his journeys. He brought back two foundation stones which he laid in the rebuilt Boulderclough Methodist Chapel on August 28th 1897.
In July 1921, at the age of 66, he caused considerable local interest by acquiring his old laundry business. He replaced the horse-drawn delivery vans with motor wagons. In 1927, he sold the business and went into retirement.
He had only have one foot, having lost one in a fight.
In April 1873, he married Mary Lumb [1855-1???], in Halifax.
Children:
The family lived at 57 King Cross Road, Halifax [1881].
He was very fond of the works of Charles Dickens and built a house which he called Gad's Hill at King Cross for his family.
He also had a house at Turvin which is said to have had a well and no electricity.
He died at Clough House, Sowerby [28th July 1931]
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Malcolm Bull 2017 /
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Revised 14:42 on 14th May 2017 / zz_129 / 6