William "Owd Chum" Cowcill of Farnworth (1796 - 1849)

Local Notes and Reminiscences of Farnworth

by Simeon Dyson
p20-21



"The Vitriol Makers' Arms" in Albert Road, was built during the time Mr. George Cottingham had his chemical works where Mr. Nicholson's bleachworks now are, near which Mr. Cottingham then resided until he built the house and works now occupied by Mr. Warburton at Kearsley Moss.  About this time, or shortly afterwards what was called the "Beerhouses Act" was passed, whereupon a number of beerhouses suddenly sprang into existence in Halshaw Moor, amongst the first of which were Bird i'th' Hand, Bull's Head and Nut Inn, which was first established at Cheapside by William Coucill, better known as "Old Chum", who was quite an original and well-known character.  He regularly attended the fairs and wakes of the surrounding hamlets.  He was always a conspicuous object at the Whitsuntide fair held in front of the Bowline Green Inn.  The space was crowded with standings, on which were displayed cakes and sweets of various kinds on Whit-Friday and Saturday.  "Old Chum" was the principal vendor of "Barcelona Nuts" and Eccles cakes: in which edibles he literally did a roaring trade, through the medium of a lottery board, on which was painted in a circle the figures 0 to 100, and the centre revolved on a pivot a nicely-balanced long finger, pointed like the fingers of a clock.  "Old Chum" coaxingly invited the children to put their halfpennies into a tin can, something like a lobster can, and this he kept shaking and rattling the coppers inside, and the same time loundly bawling "One deawn, Nooa makes two", and on another copper being invested he called "two deawn, Nooa makes three", increasing the number as each fresh investment was made until it reached ten or twelve, when he emptied the pile of copper he placed its value in nuts and Eccles cakes, when the subscribers each took a turn at the lottery finger, spinning it round with all their might.  The highest number of which the finger pointed when it ceased revolving was declared the winner of the prize.  If a considerable number were eager to invest, "Old Chum" would divide his cakes and nuts into first, second, and third prizes.  The young men and women played for higher stakes, never risking less than a penny, and going even up to threepence a turn, and the winners were seen walking away from the lottery with their pockets distended with nuts and several Eccles cakes in their hands, to the manifest delight of "Old Chum", who by means of the is ingenious and open system of gambling managed to dispose of an enormous quantity of nuts and cakes during the fair, the profits from which enabled him to build the Nut Inn (now changed to the Duke of York), and all the adjoining cottages.

Barcelona is a variety of hazelnut

The Story of Halshaw Moor Independent Chapel

by Harold A Barnes, 1908

It refers to William Coucill being Superintendent at the Irwell Bank Sunday School in Kersley, and him pioneering the building of a Sunday school (amongst other people)

1841 Census

Nut Inn, Farnworth

William Cowcil, 45, Beerseller
Esther, 40
Nathan, 15
Charly, 14
Hannah, 12
George, 8
Joseph, 5
Ellis, 3
William, 4

The street before the Nut Inn on the 1841 census is Nelson Lane, and the street after is Chapel Lane.  This leads me to believe that it was probably somewhere around where the Lloyds Bank now is in Farnworth.  The fact that it's called "Coucill Square" strengthens the likelihood that this is the right place.

Approximate location of the Nut Inn (Google Maps 2016)

Location of Coucill Square - 1844 Ordinance Survey Map

Annals of Farnworth

By B. Higginbotham, 1911

Some Old Farnworth Worthies

There was no such thing as advertising in a local nespaper, the custom then being for "Owd Dan Chum", the bellman, to go round with his bell and announce anything that was lost, stolen or strayed, and he could cry "Th Notchill" with any man living.  Crying "Th Notchill", in those days, was what the papers do today when a man and his wife have separated, and they publish the fact that he or she will not be responsible" and etc.  Owd Dan used to wind up his peroration with "God save the Queen", this being followed by ringing his bell several times, which he could manipulate to perfection.

[I assume this relates to Dan Cowcill, William's son, who from the age of about 48 was described as a bellman, town crier, and bill poster]