W. J. Ainsworth

William John Ainsworth (1855–1943), often referred to as WJA, was a businessman, lay preacher, and political activist who lived primarily in Bath and Swindon.

Early Life and Education

Born on September 18, 1855, in Clarendon Park, near Salisbury. He was educated at The Close in Salisbury under schoolmaster Dicky Lloyd, walking six miles daily to attend. After brief stays in Lymington and Christchurch, he began a four-year apprenticeship with a grocer in Reading in 1871.

Marriage and Family

William married Lydia Lucy Willway ("Lyddie") on September 15, 1881, at Manvers Street Baptist Church in Bath. The couple had six children: Reginald, Lucy, Bertram, Winifred, Norman, and Kathleen.

Professional Career

William’s career was marked by entrepreneurial variety:

• Business Management: In 1877, he moved to Bath to work for his uncle, James Humby, a coal owner and speculator. He later managed the Viking Food and Essence Company in London, which produced meat extracts.
• Canal Management: In 1891, he became the Secretary and Manager of the Wilts & Berks Canal in Swindon. He managed the canal through its steady decline, even supervising it on horseback.
• Estate Agency and Property: He served as the manager of the North Swindon Estate Co. and established his own estate agency and auctioneering firm, Ainsworth & Pilcher. He also owned and managed the Lowden Syndicate, a brickworks business in Chippenham.
• War Work: During World War I, he served as a volunteer in the Wilts Regiment and later worked for the Ministry of Munitions supervising stores.

Religious and Political Life

A devout Baptist, William converted in 1874 and remained active in church leadership throughout his life. He was a talented lay preacher and debater, known for his "judicial temper" and ability to see all sides of an issue. Politically, he was a staunch Liberal and a vocal supporter of women’s suffrage. In his later years, he became deeply committed to the League of Nations Union, traveling extensively as a speaker to promote international peace.

Character and Later Years William was described as unselfish, considerate, and possessing a "richly-stored mind". After living in Swindon (103 Bath Road, Old Town) for nearly 30 years at a house called Summerville, he and Lyddie returned to Bath in 1920. Following Lyddie's death in 1926, he built a new home, Pollard Ash, using bricks from his own company. He died in Bath on December 6, 1943, at the age of 88

W. J. Ainsworth - The Last Canal Manager

William Ainsworth (WJA) was appointed Secretary and Manager of the Wilts & Berks Canal in April 1891, a position based at the company's office in Swindon. This role provided him with a salary of just over £200 per year. His appointment was likely secured through business contacts in the coal industry or through his uncle, James Humby, who had invested in the canal.

Daily Management and Responsibilities

During his tenure, William was an active and hands-on manager.

• Supervision on Horseback: He famously supervised the 68-mile length of the canal by riding along the towpaths on horseback.
• Diverse Duties: His work involved a wide range of administrative and legal tasks, including issuing tenders for dredging operations, representing the company at Board of Trade meetings regarding toll rates, and even prosecuting local boys for throwing stones into the canal.
• Legal and Ethical Issues: He gave evidence in court cases, such as a prosecution for cruelty to a barge horse in 1896. He also served on a jury for an inquest into the death of a long-term canal employee.

The Canal’s Financial Struggles

The canal was already in a state of steady decline when William took over in 1891.

• Revenue Gap: By 1894, the canal’s toll income was only £575, while working expenses reached £1,700. The company stayed afloat primarily through rents from its properties, which totalled about £1,000 per year.
• Competition: The canal could not compete with the rising dominance of the railways.

Decline and Abandonment

The canal's condition worsened significantly during William's management.

• 1901 Collapse: Following the collapse of an aqueduct in 1901, the canal was closed to traffic and became increasingly neglected.
• Royal Commission Evidence: In 1906, William gave expert evidence to the Royal Commission on Canals, demonstrating an impressive knowledge of the industry. He argued that nationalization was the only potential (though doubtful) way to save the canal system.
• Abandonment Proceedings: In 1914, he appeared before a House of Lords select committee regarding the Wilts & Berks Canal Abandonment Bill. He famously described the company's financial state as one of "extreme impecuniosity".
• Winding Up: Following the Abandonment Act, William was responsible for the negotiations with landowners and public authorities, eventually managing the sale of the canal site to adjoining owners.

Family Connection to the Canal

The canal also played a role in the personal lives of the Ainsworth children. They spent many happy hours playing in a dilapidated houseboat on the canal and enjoyed free access to Coate Reservoir (which supplied water to the canal) for picnics, swimming, and skating during the winter.

Credit: Biograghy of William John and Lydia Lucy Ainsworth and their Ancestors by Brian Wates

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Article by Neil Rumbol

William Ainsworth was the General Manager of the Wilts & Berks Canal during its last 25 years of operation, prior to the Act of Abandonment, whilst it was in the hands of the United Commercial Syndicate.

He was a strongly religious man - a regular church-goer who was involved with the local Baptist Chapel, and who also ran a Bible class. He was well known as an excellent speaker, and was a staunch Liberal of the time. He had three sons and three daughters. William was a robust, fit and energetic man; his father was similarly endowed, and during an argument on one occasion is known to have picked up another man of no small size and to have thrown him over a high wall!

The family spent some time in Swindon when William was young, and they used to skate on the frozen canal. One day when his sister fell through the ice into water up to her waist the others were so scared about what would happen when their parents found out that his sister was left to go home on her own. The Wharf at Swindon was a great attraction for talking to the men working there, and if any of the youngsters went missing the chances were that they would be found at the Wharf (now the site of Swindon fire station). Picnicking and swimming were enjoyed at Coate Water whenever the family had time (swimming there is now prohibited).

During his time as Canal Manager, William Ainsworth used to supervise the canal on horseback, riding from place to place along the towing path. He was sometime resident at no. 2 Brunswick Terrace, Swindon.

The Group is most grateful to William Ainsworth's granddaughter and grandson and their families (who now live near Chippenham and Bath respectively), with whom i spent a most interesting and enjoyable morning recently, for their reminscences about their grandfather and about these times around the turn of the century.

Neil Rumbol.
February 1979