A photo walk around Ash Hall, Werrington Stoke-on-Trent
Job Meigh & the Ash Hall Estate

Newspaper article on Job Meigh's death

 

The Staffordshire Sentinel, 8 February 1862:

"Our obituary last week contained a notice of the death of this gentleman, who, although of late years he resided in comparative seclusion, and was seldom seen in public formerly occupied no insignificant position in the district and took no small share in public affairs.      Mr Meigh was one of the original trustees of the Hanley market, and with his death the last of the original trustees of that property has passed away. He took an active part in the erection of the present market and the Town Hall at Hanley, and in developing the resources of the trust. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of the County and a county magistrate, but for four or five years before his death took no active part in magisterial business.     In the riots of 1842 Mr Meigh did good service in the cause of law and order, and while he took up the firm position which his character as a magistrate rendered necessary, he did not lose sight of the utility of a use of the “milder art” of persuasion, and to good purpose. Mr Meigh was associated with the late Mr Ridgway in the development of the then young cause of Methodist New Connexion, and in founding the spacious edifice belonging to that body in Albion Street, which the deceased gentleman attended up to a recent period. Beside the liberal support he afforded to the Connexion, Mr Meigh extended substantial sympathy to many other objects of piety, of philanthropy and charity. He was in early life a member of the late well known firm of Hicks, Neigh, and Johnson, china manufacturers, Shelton, and at the dissolution of the partnership he retired with an ample fortune.     While in business he was more than once honoured by medals from the Society of Arts for improvements in the ceramic art, and took great interest in all attempts to preserve the health of the class of workmen called “dippers,” by trying to dispense with the deleterious ingredients in the composition of the glazes. His well known probity and business ability led to his occupying positions of great trust, among which we may mention the duty of winding up the affairs of Sparrow and Nickisson’s bank at Newcastle, in 1825 or 1826, and afterwards the executorship under the will of the late Thomas Kinnersley, Esq., the well known banker and iron master.     Mr Meigh died at his residence Ash Hall, near Hanley, on Tuesday week at the advanced age of 78 years. The remains of the deceased gentleman were interred in the family vault in Bucknall churchyard, on Thursday. The funeral, like the life and character of the deceased, was unostentatious, but a number of Mr Meigh’s friends, and also his tenants, accompanied his remains to their resting place. The cortege consisted of some twelve or thirteen carriages, conveying the friends of the deceased, and of his tenants, who walked.  The following was the order of the procession: Carriage containing the Rev.T.Rider, the Rev.W.Longbottom, and the Rev.J .Coulton. Carriage containing J .M Blagg, Esq., and Thomas Goddard, Esq. Carriage containing J .W.Ward, Esq., W.Ridgway, Esq., & W.C .Gemmell, Esq. Carriage containing E.J .Ridgway, Esq., Thomas Brittain, Esq., & J.W.Pankhurst, Esq. THE HEARSE Mourning coach containing W.Meigh, jun., Esq., W.M.Neigh, Esq.,W.Brownfleld, Esq., & Thomas Peake, Esq. Family Carriage. Carriage containing Sparrow Wilkinson, Esq., R.Wright, Esq., & Joseph Clementson, Esq. Carriage containing Samuel Wright, Esq., W .Yates, Esq., & R.Scrivener, Ksq. Carriage containing Mr J.Watkin, Mr S.Cole, Mr W.Bates, & Mr R.Bates. Mr Meigh’ s Tenants. The Rev.C.H.Heath, Rector of Bucknall, performed the funeral service.  The arrangements of the funeral were intrusted to Messrs Bate & Son, and Mr J. Watkin, of Burslem"