THE QUALTROUGH FAMILY

From the Isle of Man to worldwide

JOHN JAMES QUALTROUGH

Articles from the Isle of ManPart 1 of 2

John James Qualtrough 1863-1953 and his Descendants

John James Qualtrough can be found onChart 11of A QUOTA OF QUALTROUGHS however, it was only recently that information on all his descendants was acquired.

A bootmaker by trade, John James opened his first shop in Port Erin in the1880s.He later opened another shoe shop and bootmaker business in Port St Mary and made that town his home.

John James interest in the community was demonstrated by his service. He was first elected as a Town Commissioner for Port St Mary in 1891 and he served in this position faithfully for 52 years, retiring in 1946 with only two short periods of two years when he did not hold office. The following news article appeared in the Isle of Man Examiner on 18 October 1946:

"Notable retirement from public life is that of 84 years old Mr. J.J. Qualtrough J.P. "father" of Port St Mary Commissioners, of which he has been a member for 52 years.

"He retires by rotation ……. and informed an "Examiner" reporter this week that he did not intend to seek re-election. He was one of the candidates in the first contested election for a seat on the Port St Mary Board in 1891, a year after the Governor of the Island had appointed six men to be the first "city fathers". He has been on the Board ever since with the exception of one break of two years,(this is incorrect) and in that time he has been identified with every phase of development in the district. He has taken part in change from a fishing village into a flourishing visiting resort. Mr Qualtrough was Chairman of the board when only 28 years of age."

In 1941, the Town Commissioners honoured Mr Qualtrough with the following, proposed by the Chairman of the Board, Mr Moore, and seconded by Mr Maddrell, mentioned in the Town Board Minutes and reproduced here:

It says: Mr. J.J. Qualtrough, JP, was first elected a Member for this Board on the 1st April 1891and took his seat and signed the declaration book on 28th April 1891.

Proposed by Mr Moore, Chairman, Seconded Mr Maddrell and carried "That the Board appreciated the faithful service rendered by Mr Qualtrough to the District over a period of 50 years, during which time his office as a Commissioner has been continuous with the exception of two short periods. Signed A Moore April 22/41

The Town Board then presented Mr Qualtrough with a commemorative certificate to mark his 50 years.

This beautifully prepared Certificate given to John James Qualtrough by the Port St Mary Town Board in 1941, marking his 50 years of service.

An entry in the MANX YEAR BOOK of 1935 states:

QUALTROUGH, John James, T.C. J.P. …"Member of Port St Mary Town Commissioner for over 40 years, chairman several times; represented the Southern District on the Board of Advertising alternately for over 30 years; been Chairman of the Isle of Man Municipal Association. A long and outstanding association with friendly society work in Rushen, secretary of the Harbour of Peace Lodge for over 35 years and a delegate to the A.M.C. Oddfellows on several occasions. He is chairman of the Port St Mary Lifeboat Committee and has been a Member of the War Pensions Board since its inception. Appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1925. Address: High Street, Port St Mary."

John James wife Margaret died in 1932, but he continued to serve his local community well on into his later years. As stated above, he retired at the age of 84 years.

Death finally caught up with him on the 17 July 1953 at the age of 90 years. His obituary notice in the IOM Examiner of 24th July 1953 reads, in part:

"Port St Mary lost one of its most prominent citizens and a leader of public life on Saturday in the death at "Le Moirrey", Queens Road, of Mr John James Qualtrough, J.P. in his 91st year.

"By trade a bookmaker, Mr Qualtrough had a long and distinguished record of service…………….

It then goes on and lists his many community involvements as already discussed. One that hasn’t been touched on is his candidacy for the House of Keys (the Manx Parliament) in 1919. His health broke down during the campaign so he withdrew and never did re-enter the parliamentary area.

The notice then finishes: "The funeral took place on Tuesday at the Rushen Parish Church. Opening the meeting of the Port St Mary Commissioners on Tuesday night, Mr W.E.Kelly J.P. asked the Members of the Board to stand in silent tribute to the memory of the late Mr Qualtrough"

A bootmaker by trade, John James opened his first shop in Port Erin in the1880s.He later opened another shoe shop and bootmaker business in Port St Mary and made that town his home.

This glass panel was in the door of the shop and is still in one piece, in the ownership of John James’s grandson John W.Qualtrough of Port St Mary.

This photo, taken in 2001, is of the shoe shop in High Street, Port St Mary as it is today. 

It is now a restaurant.

"Le Moirrey" was the home where John James spent his last 18 years. 

The home is still in the family and his grandson, John W.Qualtrough still lives there.

Richard Arthur Qualtrough - First Son

Richard Arthur (Dick) Qualtrough with wife Mary E. (Polly)

and daughter Phyllis. 1930s.

John James three sons followed him into business. The eldest Richard Arthur owned a draper’s shop in Port St Mary for many years. Richard (Dick) married Mary E (Polly) Bell and they had a daughter Phyllis.

Henry James qualtrough - Second Son

Henry James Qualtrough with his wife Emily and grandchildren 

Ann Qualtrough (now Gurney) and Juan Henry Qualtrough.

Photo taken about 1965.

Henry James ran the shoe shop in Port St Mary. Henry married Emily Elizabeth Quirk and they had two sons Henry Vincent who died in infancy and John William who still lives in "Le Moirrey" in Port St Mary in 2001.

Richard Arthur Qualtrough - Third Son

John Keig Qualtrough with his wife Janie.

The youngest son, John Keig Qualtrough took on the responsibility of running the shoe shop in Port Erin. He married Eliza Jane (Janie) Cubbon. They had no children.

Next Generations

Wedding photo of Phyllis Qualtrough and Eddie Elliott in August 1940. Richard A Qualtrough is standing at the back on the left, Eddie Elliott standing directly behind his bride, Polly Qualtrough, the bride’s mother to Eddie’s left. In front left a young John William Qualtrough, 

and with the flowers the bride, Phyllis Qualtrough.

There were also two daughters of John James Qualtrough and his wife Margaret. Florence May Qualtrough died at age 6 yrs, in 1897 and Margaret Evelyn Qualtrough never married and died in 1982 in her 84th year.

Phyllis (nee Qualtrough) and Eddie Elliott at their 60th wedding anniversary in August 2000.

John William Qualtrough married Beryl Margaret Karran in 1959. They had three children, Juan Henry Qualtrough, a Marine Engineer married to Kim Adams; Anne Marion Qualtrough married to Peter Gurney, and John David Qualtrough.

Family of John William and Beryl Qualtrough, Christmas 1999. Left to right at back: Juan Henry Qualtrough, his wife Kim holding young Juan James, Beryl Qualtrough, David Qualtrough, John W Qualtrough. In front: David Gurney, Anne Qualtrough Gurney, 

Peter Gurney and seated in front Karran and Hazel Gurney.

Juan Henry Qualtrough Marine Engineer

Dr David (born John David) Qualtrough at his graduation

To complete the family profile of John James Qualtrough’s family it seems appropriate to feature another J.J. Qualtrough.

Juan James Qualtrough, son of Juan Henry and 

Kim (Adams) Qualtrough of Fistard, Rushen, Isle of Man.

Juan is age 3 in this photo taken in 2001.

In completing this large family profile, I would like to thank John W. Qualtrough of Port St. Mary, Rushen, Isle of Man for his cooperation and assistance. John provided all the photographs and documents for this article.

Profile compiled by Elizabeth Feisst, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.

April 2001.

© 2021 by Malcolm Qualtrough, Elizabeth Feisst and the late John Karran Qualtrough. 

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© Copyright by Malcolm Qualtrough, Elizabeth Feisst and the late John Karran Qualtrough.