(1780 - 1860) Common Carrier

John Hargreaves was born in 1780 in Lancashire the son of John and Ann Hargreaves. At the time his family controlled a common carrier business based in the village of Hart Common, near Bolton, that was described as having ‘wagons to be seen on highways all over the North of England’. Following the death of his father he would take over the business, which at the time as based mostly on using packhorses to transport materials over the rough terrain of the Pennines. Beginning in 1808 this was expanded to include the newly built canal system which allowed goods to be transported all across the north of England, especially Lancashire and Yorkshire. The company would also later expand into railway operations. John Hargreaves died in 1860 and was buried at All Saints’ Chapel, Hindley.