On 17 January 1883, William Gawthorne joined the staff as a bath attendant at the age of 20.
His actual title was Baths Assistant, though his position in the company was graded as a labourer.
Some time before 1897 he was promoted to the position of Baths Manager. This entitled him to move with his family into the accommodation above the baths.
It is not known when he retired, or even if he was still manager when the baths closed—at which time he would have been 73.
But when he completed the 1921 census, he was still living at the baths with his wife Sarah Ann and two adult sons, Reginald, a 26 year old LNWR engineering draughtsman, and Clifford, a 23 year old cabinet maker employed by the Co-op.
Graham and Kendal Coombs for the information about William, and Kendal for the wonderful
photograph of her great-grandfather

© Malcolm Shifrin, 1991-2025