There’s great news for Cheshire history fans – funding to restore Northwich’s famous Lion Saltworks at Marston has been agreed at last. There’s a new blog where you can see updates on the works and photos of the restoration work.
Salt was made by evaporation in huge pans at the works, which were owned by the Thompson family. Salt was transported in narrowboats along the Trent & Mersey Canal down to the Anderton Boat Lift, then continued its journey along the River Weaver.
If your ancestors were Cheshire salt workers, I recently wrote a feature for BBC Who Do You Think You Are? on tracing your family tree.
There are plans to open the restored salt works to visitors again in 2014 as a ‘living museum’. It would be great if the new visitor centre could include salt-making demonstrations, but we’ll have to wait until more details are available to find out.
Photo: Lion Saltworks prior to restoration. A salt waggon at the Lion Saltworks, Marston. © Sue Wilkes.
2 comments:
Hi, my great grandfather is John J Thompson. His father owned the Lion Salt works, I believe it would have been Henry? He immigrated to Canada, and settled in Edmonton Alberta. I don't know his birthdate. He had a falling out with the family in England. I'm curious to know the scandalous side of the Thompson family. I believe they were not the best employers. Thanks!
Hi, thanks for stopping by. The salt Thompson family tree is quite complicated. Was your ancestor Henry Ingram Thompson? His father John Thompson junior (1824-1899) and grandfather John Thompson senior (1790-1867) owned the saltworks. A brother of Henry Ingram Thompson, James Edwin, emigrated to America.
The expert on the Lion Saltworks is Andrew Fielding - he has published some books on the salt industry, including 'A Guide to the Lion Salt Works, Marston', 2000. The Lion Salt Works Trust http://lionsaltworks.org/, which published the book, may be able to give you more info on the family. You could also try searching the British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ online - alternatively you could contact the Northwich Guardian http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/ via letter/email - its readers may have memories of the Thompson family and the Works.I hope this helps with your quest. Best wishes,
Sue.
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