By M.L. Walling

Some time ago the Mourholme Society published an article on two nineteenth century doctors in Yealand Conyers. I wonder how many clergymen the Mourholme area produced? Two come to mind. Thomas M. Postlethwaite, bornYealand Conyers about 1810 and William Walling, son of John and Ellen Walling (nee Burrow) of Bradshawgate, Silverdale, and brother of one of the Yealand doctors mentioned in the previous article. I have not investigated the Postlethwaite origin, but in 1845 these gentlemen both applied for the vacant vicarage of Witherslack, then a Chapelry under the large Beetham Parish. By this time the Vicar of Beetham seems to have had little influence on the affairs of Witherslack. The Dean Barwick Trustees, consisiting of a few local yeomen and several of the gentry in the area, such as the Duke of Devonshire and W.H. Wakefield of Sedgwick controlled affairs.

At the 1845 election the Vicar of Beetham revived his claim when he presented the Rev. William Walling. The Trustees of the Barwick Charity, however, appointed the Rev. T.W. Postlethwaite. He remained vicar of Witherslack for forty years. Reading between the lines one gets the impression of rival factions at work. The Vicar of Beetham was a friend of Dr Walling, the Rev. William’s brother. Since Mr Postlethwaite had been born in Yealand Conyers it is more than likely that the two gentlemen were known to each other; both would attend Warton Church when young.

There is more information about the Rev. William Walling to be found in his obituary notice1. He was born in 1806, the son of a “respectable yeoman”; he graduated at Trinity College, Dublin; he became minister at St. James, Preston. There were “difficulties” there, which the obituary notice tactfully skates round. However, although he felt it his duty to resign, “a large number of his congregation, the main section who were operatives, opened a subscription for a new Church … “. The foundation stone of the new church was laid in 1846. William Walling was appointed to the incumbency of All Saints, this “poor man’s church” as it was called. It was presumably after his voluntary departure from St. James and before his appointment at All Saints that he applied for the incumbency at Witherslack.

Mr Walling remained at All Saints till his death in 1863, having been too ill to do much active work in the last few months. His parting moments are described in a rather touching detail that tends to be missing from modern obituaries. “On Saturday morning … shortly after he arose, he told his housekeeper that he had had a severe attack and expressed a doubt that he should overcome it. Mrs Chadwick, at his request, took some vinegar upstairs and bathed his temples with it. He bade her to go and bring Dr Walling, his brother, who resides in Stephenson Terrace. When they returned the Rev. gentleman was in the water closet in the back yard. She informed him of the arrival of his brother and he said ” I am coming”, but on finding he had not moved in 2 minutes they proceeded to the closet and found him on the floor apparently in a fit. He was conveyed to the house immediately and expired in about10 minutes.”

The funeral took place in Warton church, “of which place Mr Walling was a native and to which he was much attached. His grave is at St John’s The Evangelist Church at Yealand Conyers and his buried with his parents.

Notes

  1. Lancaster Guardian, 17.10.1863, p.5. A copy of the whole obituary, supplied by Mr M.L. Walling, is in the Mourholme Archives. ↩︎