Biography of William Leslie Swinnerton

Malcolm Smith's Family History Archive

Biography of

William Leslie SWINNERTON

[Ref. R.10]

William Leslie Swinnerton was born at 28 Whittier Street in Liverpool on 16 June 1901, the eldest child of John and Rose Swinnerton and would always be known as Bill. He was baptised at St. Peter's church on 4 August the same year.

By the time the census of 1911 was taken, he had four sisters and the family had moved to 101 Ponsonby Street in Liverpool which would remain the family home. Being a two-up-and-two-down terraced house is bacame very cramped as more children were born, especially when sleeping for which they would 'top to tail'. Bill probably started at St.Silas school but went on to Tiber Street school on 20 October 1913.

Being the eldest of then siblings, Bill assumed charge of them as his father was away at sea most of the time. On the basis that if they had not been naughty then they may attempt to be, he gave each of them a beating every week, boys and girls alike. As with many of his brothers and sisters, he attended Tiber Street school having probably started at St.Silas school. He set his sights on becoming an architect and attended night school classes. Eventually he found it necessary to leave home in order to cencentrate properly on his studies. With the help of the headmistress of his school he gained an apprenticeship as a draughtsman with a Mr.Derbyshire. At the age of 17, went into the army at the end of World War 1 and was told that he could have his job back when he came out again. He joined the 1st/7th Lancashire Fusileers as Private number 52723 as listed on the medal roll and was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Bill's first job after coming out of the army was with a marble company and he found the work quite difficult. One of the contracts the company had whilst he was there was the construction of a large curved marble staircase for a client. Bill next worked for a company that designed public houses. One of his earliest was built next to a cinema and was later converted into a supermarket. The location is not known, but is probably in Liverpool.

Bill was living at 30 Gondover Avenue in Orrell when he married Ivy Doreen Wickes at St.Bridget's Parish Church in Wavertree on 5 September 1925.

In about 1926, Bill joined the staff of Woolworths Northern properties division in Liverpool as an architect and he remained until his retirement at the age of 60. Sometime after the Martins Bank district office building at 4 Water Street was completed in 1932, Woolworth's moved their offices into the building. The department covered Northern England, North Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Bill was involved with the building of many new stores, one of which was at Deangate in Manchester but the most notable was the flagship store at Blackpool. Bill's younger brother Norman joined the company and worked on this site. The building filled an entire block and was opened in 1936 having taken three years to complete as the existing store had to be kept operational. The ground level sloped so the floor was graded to follow the incline to avoid the danger of steps. Another store that Bill worked on was at Chester.

Son Leslie Wakefield was born in 1926, Derick John in 1928 and Peter in 1929. Bill and Ivy moved to 190 Mather Avenue which was a new house and that remained their home for their entire lives. Bill always had a Shadow Lake rhododendron in the garden and consequently named their house Shadowlake. Daughter Sylvia was born in 1932 and son Richard Washington in 1939. The General register taken in 1939 shows Bill and Ivy at 190 Mather Avenue, his profession being that of Architect F.F.A.S., F.I.A.P.

By 1930, Bill and family were living at 79 Barndale Road in the Wavertree area of Liverpool. Sometime by 1930 they moved to 190 Mather Avenue in Allerton. As an architect, Bill was good at sketching and this was demonstrated by a letterhead that he designed for his son Peter's business. Bill bought property which he rented out and used to make the rent collections himself each week.

On the occasion of their Silver Wedding Anniversary in 1950, Bill and Ivy held a celebration party at their home. He seemed to have retained a strict nature from his youth as, when his daughter was married in 1956, he banished all children, including young teenagers, from the ceremony. The teenage girls had to wear ankle socks rather than stockings.

Bill was a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons at the Lodge of St.Margaret in Hope Steet, Liverpool. He was Master in 1958 and Group Representative in 1964.

In 1960, Bill and Ivy made a sea voyage to Canada, arriving back at Liverpool on 7 November.

Bill enjoyed a bet in the horses and also attending race meetings. When he came down to Dorset to visit his sister Edie in 1972 he took her and her husband to a meeting at Ascot.

He continued to work after leaving Woolworths. His last job being the design of public toilets opposite the Botanic Garden public house. He was on the way to the council offices with the drawings on 24 October 1978 when he collapsed and died. He was buried in section CH-M of Toxteth Park cemetery, grave number M-52-352. Bill left Ł43,260 in his Will and Probate was granted in Mnchester on 12 December 1978. Ivy remained in the house in Mather Avenue and passed away in 1996, being buried with her husband.

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