Joshua Fourness Perkington was born in 1817 to Thomas (an iron monger) and Sarah who was from Stainland. He was their first child and his middle name of Fourness is his mother Sarah’s maiden name. He was baptised at Halifax Parish Church.
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He probably grew up in Crown Street (his parents were living there in 1841 although he was not). However he spent most of his life living at Hazelwood in Skircoat with various family members. He does not appear to have ever married or had children and neither did his younger brother Thomas. They had a sister Catherine who was widowed and living with them in 1851.
Both Joshua and Thomas appear to have been well educated and successful. Thomas became a land surveyor and Joshua an attorney and solicitor.
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Joshua was a solicitor’s apprentice to James Stansfield. He started his clerkship in 1833. In 1840 he sat his law exam. His employer was still James Stansfield. By 1870 he has his own trainee - William Henry Boocock who was sitting his law exam and Joshua was his employer. Joshua’s law practice was on Silver Street in the centre of Halifax.
Drawing of how Silver Street looked C1860 by Joseph Rideal Smith. Calderdale Libraries
West Yorkshire Archive Service hold a number of family letters relating to the Perkingtons. Most intriguing is one dated 1839 from Joshua to his father Thomas.
It implies that there has been a family rift with Thomas behaving badly in some way, particularly in relation to Catherine (Joshua’s sister?)
Frustratingly the letter and subsequent documents don’t give any indication as to what actually happened!!
Perkinton [Perkington] family of Halifax correspondence, 1806-1855. West Yorkshire Archive Service Calderdale, WYC:1802/1
Following his mother Sarah's death, his father married another Sarah. Joshua lived with her at Hazelwood for many years. On the 1881 census taken in April he is still listed as a solicitor. He is living with his brother Thomas and three servants at Hazelwood.
He died in August 1881 in Southport. Initially the will was left unadministered by his brother Thomas but in January 1882 it was proved with a substantial sum (over £19,000 which is the equivalent of about £2million today) being left to Thomas.
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You can find out more about Joshua's family by reading these profiles:
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​​​​Researched by Sarah Rose
Photograph of gravestone made for exhibition