Ollery Hall Farm - Abraham Dutton , Cattle Boy

Abraham Dutton 🌳 was born in Burscough on 30th June 1887 to Jessie Rowley 🌳 and Thomas Dutton 🌳 , a fireman at the local cornmill (probably Ainscough’s Mill in Burscough village).
We first see Abraham in the census records in the year 1891 when the family were still living in ‘Burscough town’; then in 1901, at the age of 14 he was working as a cattle boy for Mary Howard 🌳 and her son Thomas 🌳 at Ollery Hall Farm, Halsall.

In order to envisage the day to day life of a farm servant such as Abraham, we can refer to ‘Rural Life in Victorian England’ by G. E. Mingay:

‘… in the pastoral North it was still common for the farmworker to live in the farmhouse with his master, sharing his table and sleeping in a garret …’ or in the case of Olley Hall Farm, the Howards’ had a shant ( small cottage for workers).

‘Farm servants put in extra hours fetching hay, preparing teams and tending to the horses and cows, often starting at four or five am. These tasks had to be done every day of the week and Sunday work occupied three or four hours.’

Census for Halsall 1901 showing Howard family and their workers Edward Kirk and Abram Dutton
Crest of Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
It’s unclear how long Abraham worked for the Howards, however on 18th February 1911, he married Mary Ellen Shaw 🌳 daughter of Charles Shaw, a printer from Aughton, Lancashire. By then Abraham had left his farming days behind and pursued a career with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.

The young couple set up home at 13 Halsall Lane in Aughton. They had five children, including Ronald who was born on Christmas Day in 1921.

Marriage Register Christ Church, Aughton, 1911

According to the 1939 Register for England and Wales, the Duttons had moved further along Halsall Lane to number 53.  Abraham was still working on the railways – by then as a signal man. We also notice another unique date of birth in the family when viewing this Register – Mary Ellen, Abraham’s wife, was born on Wednesday, 29th February 1888…

Dutton family in 1939 Register
Ormskirk Advertiser , Nov 1961

Sadly, however, Mary Ellen died in October 1955 and Abraham passed away in November 1961. His funeral was conducted at Christ Church, Aughton and the following clipping details those who attended the service.