Abraham Walter Paulton (1812–1876) was an English politician and journalist.

Life

He was son of Walter Paulton of

Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...

, Lancashire, where he was born into a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

family. He was sent to

Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College or Stonyhurst is a co-educational Catholic Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing education for boarding school, boarding and day school, day pupils, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition. It is ...

to be educated for the priesthood, but on leaving at the age of sixteen or seventeen he was apprenticed to a surgeon named Rainforth at Bolton. Paulton took interest in politics, especially in the

Corn Laws The Corn Laws were tariffs and other trade restrictions on imported food and corn enforced in the United Kingdom between 1815 and 1846. The word ''corn'' in British English denotes all cereal grains, including wheat, oats and barley. The la ...

, and became a public speaker. In July 1838 he was in the Bolton Theatre when a lecturer on the corn laws faltered. Paulton took the stage, succeeded with audience, and undertook to lecture on the same subject the following week. Paulton gave up on the medical profession, was introduced to

Richard Cobden Richard Cobden (3 June 1804 – 2 April 1865) was an English Radicals (UK), Radical and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician, manufacturing, manufacturer, and a campaigner for free trade and peace. He was associated with the Anti–Corn Law L ...

, and engaged himself as a lecturer for the Anti-Corn-Law League. Paulton was asked in April 1839 to edit the ''Anti-Corn-Law Circular'' (''Anti-Bread-Tax Circular'' from April 1841) published in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. It was succeeded in September 1843 by the ''League'' newspaper, which had its headquarters in London, and Paulton moved there as editor. The operations of the League were brought to a close in 1846 by the repeal of the corn laws, and in 1848 Paulton returned to Manchester, and with Henry Rawson, purchased the ''

Manchester Times The ''Manchester Times'' was a weekly newspaper published in Manchester, England, from 1828 to 1922. It was known for its free trade radicalism. From 1828 to 1847, the newspaper was edited by Archibald Prentice, a political radical and advocate ...

'', a newspaper representing the views of the more advanced section of the Liberal party. It was later amalgamated with the ''

Manchester Examiner The ''Manchester Examiner'' was a newspaper based in Manchester, England, that was founded around 1845–1846. Initially intended as an organ to promote the idea of Manchester Liberalism, a decline in its later years led to a takeover by a group w ...

'', becoming the ''Examiner and Times''. It was run by Paulton from 1848 to 1854. His successor as editor was Henry Dunckley. In 1854 Paulton married the daughter of James Mellor of

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, and from that time resided in London, or at his country house, Boughton Hall,

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

. He died at Boughton Hall, on 6 June 1876, leaving a son and a daughter, and was buried at

Kensal Green cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Paulton, Abraham Walter 1812 births 1876 deaths English male journalists 19th-century English journalists 19th-century English male writers

Life

See also

References