The Butcher's Tale
On 26 September 1788, as England's Industrial Revolution was gathering pace and George III suffered a second period of mental instability, William Pilkington married Margaret Adamson at St Andrew's church in Leyland, a small market town just south of Preston. Born in the 1740s, William was well into his forties and may have been a widower who had lost his first wife, Grace, the year before. Margaret's life before her marriage to William is a mystery; when and where she was born has been lost. William and Margaret married by licence, which was more expensive but quicker and more private than announcing banns in their parish churches over three Sundays. Perhaps William and Margaret expected one or both of their families to object to the marriage, or they thought there was a need for urgency. Or, they simply opted for convenience! William Pilkington was a butcher by trade, a physically demanding and often messy job. His daily routine likely involved slaughtering animals, butch...