Victorian Britain was a nation transformed by the unrelenting rush of new techlogy and new opportunities which created great wealth for those who were bold eugh to meet the challenges. Abraham Laverton, the son of a humble West Country weaver, took advantage of these changes and helped transform the market town of Westbury in Wiltshire from ecomic poverty to prosperity. For a period of thirty years he breathed new life into the woollen mills which until then had been in sharp decline. Laverton was a lifelong bachelor who lived very modestly; his remarkable journey saw him rise to prominence as a generous benefactor to Westbury. In later life he became liberal member of Parliament, amid scandal and accusations of bribery which would lead to a change in voting legislation. By building a fortune of over GBP50 million in today's money Abraham Laverton was able to improve t only the lives of those that worked for him, but also the people of Westbury.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Silverwood Books Ltd
ISBN-10
1906236712
ISBN-13
9781906236717
eBay Product ID (ePID)
114957903
Additional Product Features
Place of Publication
Bristol
Author Biography
Tony Laverton was born in Bath and after a few years living in Canada has worked for the last 30 years as a Chartered Surveyor in Bristol. Tony and other members of his family have retained active ties with Westbury, Wiltshire for many years. Now nearing retirement, research in to his family history lead him to his great great great uncle Abraham Laverton, a Victorian West Country mill owner who revitalized Westbury and about whom little had been written.
