William’s father was the apothecary Edwin Howarth Barnish who had his shop in Market Place. His mother was Ellen Croudson. William initially worked in the family business. In 1862 he sold two bottles of almond essence to a customer, Mary Ann Ramsey from Ince, who died of cyanide poisoning after deliberately consuming both bottles together. The inquest, reported in great detail in the Wigan Examiner, determined that this was a deliberate act of suicide. 

William was sponsored by his aunt (probably Martha Croudson a spinster of independent means who lived at 21 Dicconson Street) to study at Manchester Royal School of Medicine from where he qualified in 1868. After two appointments in Manchester, he joined Thomas Fisher’s practice at number 23 King Street. This property had previously been the home of his great uncle, John Croudson. (Thomas Fisher moved out of the premises back to Stone House Farm, Pemberton.) The 1871 census shows William to be resident in 23 King Street. In 1872 he married Jane Ann Jardine of Manchester, and by the time of the 1881 census the couple were residing there with their first two children, his sister and his wife’s cousin. William remained with his family in 23 King Street until after 1887.

William was appointed a Medical Officer for Health for Wigan and in 1873 he became the Senior Honorary Medical Officer and secretary of the Medical Board and Vice President of the newly opened Royal Albert Edward Infirmary on Wigan Lane. His association with Thomas Fisher lasted from 1861 to 1876.

William Barnish was instrumental in establishing the building of Wigan Sanatorium in Whelley in the 1870’s. This later became Whelley hospital and closed in 2009. 

William’s aunt Martha died in 1881 and around that time William Hesketh Lever might be associated with her Dicconson Street address. 

William Hesketh Lever, later to become Lord Leverhulme, founded Lever Brothers and built his soap factory and community for the workers near Liverpool, Port Sunlight. It was named after Lever Brothers’ famous and innovative Sunlight Soap product and the village can still be visited today. 

In 1888, Dr Barnish attended Lever’s wife in the pregnancy and safe delivery of his heir, William Henry Leverhulme.  Elizabeth Ellen née Hulme, had previously suffered several miscarriages and it appears that a firm friendship developed following the birth of the baby.

At the 1891 census he was in residence in Park View, 2, Bridgeman Terrace overlooking Mesnes Park with Jane, two daughters, four sons and two servants.  

The couple’s son, Croudson William Barnish, went on to become a director of Lever Brothers continuing the association between the two families. Two other sons became architects, one of whom, Frederick Jardine, designed cottages on the Port Sunlight estate, another connection between the families.

William died at home in 1895 of pneumonia following a family holiday to the Isle of Man. He was buried at Wigan Parish Church.

His family moved out to Formby to a property provided by William Lever. After William’s death William Hesketh Lever provided the family with a house in Blundellsands, Crosby. 

Jane died in 1922 and is buried at Christ Church in Port Sunlight.

Wigan Examiner, 5th July 1895

FUNERAL OF THE LATE DR. BARNISH.

Few men in Wigan were better known or more respected than Dr. Barnish, medical officer of health for the borough, whose death on Thursday last at the comparatively early age of 55, came as a great shook to the community. 

A native of Wigan, and closely identified with several of the public institutions of the town, it was only to be expected that he would have a host of friends, and his removal from our midst will cause a gap which will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill. 

The funeral took place on Monday at the Wigan Parish Church, and the great esteem in which the deceased gentleman was held was evidenced by the large congregation which assembled in the sacred edifice. The hour fixed for the interment was 2.30p.m., and the cortege left the residence of the deceased, Bridgeman-terrace, and proceeded past the Grammar School, up Market-street, to the Parish Church. The order of the procession was as under:

The Mayor of Wigan (Mr. D. Dix), who was accompanied by the following members and officials of the Corporation: Aldermen ffarington, J. Smith, J. Phillips, and J. Gee; Councillors R. E. Kellett, Riddlesworth, T. Ashton, J. Alker, P. Trickett, H. Litherland, J. Gaskell, T. Fyans, E. Molyneux, S. Laycock, and Jos. Wilson; Messrs. Wm. T. Wanklyn (borough treasurer), Capt. Bell (chief constable), W. Bolton (borough engineer), J. Yates (collector), J. Pettitt (park superintendent), T. Hughes (waterworks manager), J. Sumner (nuisance inspector), Mr. Short (assistant inspector), Mr. T. Lea (market inspector), W. Woods (veterinary inspector), W. J. Orsman (borough analyst), M. Moore (superintendent of Sanatorium). The hearse, with transparent sides, containing the coffin, which was covered with beautiful floral tributes, two boys representing the local branch of the Deaf and Dumb Society, the private carriage, containing Mrs. Barnish (widow), Master F. J. Barnish (son), Miss Edith and Miss Dorothy Barnish (daughters), carriages containing the chief mourners, including the Rev. S. Taylor-Taswell and Mr. Taswell (sister), Mrs. T. Ainsworth (sister), Miss Agnes Barnish (sister), Mr. W. H. Lever, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Price, Mr. H. Mitchell, Dr. and Mrs. Partrick, Mr. A. Clayton, Mr. Robt. Barnish, Mr. Norman Bower, and Mr. W. H Haines; the Wigan Medical Society on foot, consisting of Drs. W. M. Roocroft (president), W. Berry (secretary), E. H. Monks (treasurer), J. White, C. A. Graham, J. A. Marsden, R. Prosser White, C. M. Brady, C. E. M. Towe, C. F. Bennett, J. Blair, and Carter (Preston). Dr. Cowan, much to his regret, was unfortunately unable to be present owing to indisposition; the private carriages of the following gentlemen: Col. ffarington, Mr. R. Taylor (Woodfield), Mrs. Eckersley (Ashfield), Ref. C. W. N. Hutton (rector of Standish), Dr. Stuart (Mere Oaks), Mr. W. Bryham (Pagefield), Dr. White (Standishgate), Mr. Marsden (The Limes, Standish), Mr. J. Johnson (Park View), Dr. Roocroft (King street), Mr. Walter Simpson (Longhurst), Mr. W. H. Hewlett (Strickland House, Standish), and Mr. Thos. Fairhurst (Kilhey, Worthington). 

We also noticed amongst those present the Revs. E. A. Dury, G. C. Chambres, and C. Bluett: Messrs. J. Brown, J. W. Fair, W. S. Rawcliffe, R. Taylor, C. Appleton, W. Bryham, J. Dean, J. Parkinson, and W. Taberner (secretary), representing the Wigan Infirmary Board of Management; Messrs. T. R. Ellis, J. Marsden, J. S. Hopwood, A. Smith, W. H. Smith. A. Simpson, J. Aspinall, C. T. Broughton, J. Ditchfield, T. Ashton, J. Pearce, J. Riddlesworth, W. Ollerenshaw. J. McClure, B. Hill (representing Mr. G. L. Campbell, secretary of the Miners’ Permanent Relief Society), A. Parry, J. Bigg-Wither, J. Johnson, F.M.S., J. Rigby, J. Taylor, Dr. Buxton, secretary of the Adult Deaf and Dumb Society (Manchester), and Mr. J. B. Jones, missionary, &c., Colonel Blundell, Messrs. J. H. Johnson, W. Mayhew, J. Gaskell, G. L. Campbell, and W. D. Brown wrote regretting their inability to be present. The route to the church was lined with people, and the blinds of the various houses and of the Conservative Club were drawn.

On arrival at the church gates the coffin was met by the Revs. Canon Bridgeman (the Rector), H. F. Lloyd, A. C. Brown, and W. E. Kingsbury, and the impressive burial service of the Church of England was commenced. 

The coffin was taken into the sacred edifice, which was packed, the centre being reserved for the funeral party, and the remainder of the service was proceeded with.

The lesson having been read, the hymn, “Brief life is here our portion,” was sung, and as the coffin was taken out of the church the organist played “O rest in the Lord” (Elijah). The party then walked to the burial ground attached to the church, and the ceremony was concluded. The coffin bore the following inscription: –

WILLIAM CROUDSON BARNISH,

Died June 27th, 1895,

Aged 55 years.

Flowers and wreaths were sent by the following:

Colonel and Mrs. ffarington, Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Ellis, Mrs. Willet, Dr. and Mr. Unwin, Miss Unwin, Mr. and Miss Roocroft, Mrs. I. D. Bower, Mr. and Mrs. Langshaw, Mrs. C. N. Hutton, ” a Schoolgirl,” The Lady Mayoress of Manchester and Dr. Meek, Wigan Medical Society, Dr. and Mrs. Mitchell Roocroft, Mrs. France, Misses Graham and Miss Ward, Mrs. Bateman (Middleton Hall), Mr. and Mrs. Rigby, Mrs. Oliver, the Clergy Churchwardens and Sidesmen of the Parish Church, Mrs. Hobson and family, Mr. and Mrs. Haines, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Hewlett, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Halliwell, Mrs Addison Crofton, Mrs. Frazer Woodcock, Mr. Trevor Wanklyn, Mr. and Mrs. T. Fairhurst, Mrs. Eckersley, Conservative Club, Mrs. James Smith, Miss A. W. Barnish, Mr. and Mrs. J. Isherwood, Officials of Wigan Corporation, Dr. and Mrs. Berry, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Smith, Mr. and Miss Timmins, Miss D. Henshaw, Friend.” the Misses Ainsworth, Matron and Nursing Staff of the Wigan Infirmary, Dr. and Mrs. Brady, Mr. and Mrs. Ditchfield, Wigan Deaf and Dumb Class. E. Mather, Dr. Angior,, Mr. and Mrs. Biggwither, Mrs. Mather and Mr. and Mrs.Laycock, Mr. and Mrs. Taberner, Mr. and Mrs. T. G. Griffin, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs J. Sayer, Mr. and Mrs. Meehan, Coroner Rowbottom, Mr. and Mrs. W Bryham, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Lever, Dr. and Mrs. Stuart, Mr. and Mrs. Philips and All Saints Guild, and Mr. and Mrs. White.

Messrs. Proe and Co., Wallgate, had entire charge of the funeral arrangements, which were most efficiently carried out.

Mrs. W. Croudson Barnish takes this opportunity returning her most sincere and heartfelt thanks to the many true and sympathetic friends who have sent letters of condolence to her family and many floral tributes in the memory of her dead husband the late Dr. Barnish.

Jane Ann Barnish (1851 to 1922) 

Edith Lilian Barnish (1874 to 1951) Edith married Stanley Herbert Edmonson, a Schoolmaster from Windermere. She died in a nursing home in Conway.
 
Frederick Jardine Barnish (1879 to 1950) Frederick moved to Appleton Cross, near Warrington, and became an architect and surveyor. His architectural projects included the design of cottages at Port Sunlight. He fought on the front in the First World War in The Prince Of Wales’s Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment) and achieved the rank of Captain.  He died in Runcorn at the age of 71 in 1950.

Dorothy Barnish (1881-1965) Dorothy married Revd. Frank Stone in 1912. The couple had four daughters and both died in Devon.

Croudson William Barnish (1883-1960) The association with the Lever Family continued with William and Jane’s second son William Croudson – known as Croudson William – who  joined the company age 15 achieving the rank of director of Lever Brothers/Unilever at 38 retiring at 65 after 50 years of service. 

Leonard Barnish (1885 to 1975)  Leonard joined the Liverpool Scottish Regiment at the start of the First World War and ended his military career as Captain in the Seaforth Highlanders. 

Geoffrey Howard Barnish (1887 to 1941)
Geoffrey joined the Cunard Steamship Company. He served on HMS Endymion in the First World War and died as a retired Cunard Captain aged 54 in 1941.