James Lees
.JPG)
of Lees and Co; of Lees and Graham?
1874 Membership proposal form of James Lees, engineer and ironfounder, Long Island Ironworks, Carlisle. With a note 'Proprietor of the Long Island Iron Works'.[1]
1875 of Long Island Iron Works, Carlisle. Pratchitt Brothers had the same address.
1887 'A CARLISLE VICTIM OF THE JUBILEE.— There is perhaps no family upon which the Jubilee celebrations have brought such direful consequences as they have upon that of Mr James Lees, formerly of Carlisle, but now of Goole. Mr Lees was superintending a public display of fireworks whan an inexplicable explosion occurred. A boy was killed, and Mr Lees was covered with wounds. He survives, but without sight, one eye having been removed, and the sight of the other destroyed. Mr Lees was once connected with the Long Island works in Carlisle, and was well known in this city and district as a machinist and engineer in irouwork fugerders(?), piers, and roofing. After leaving Carlisle he was with with Messrs Young and Co., of the Pimlico Foundry, London, [ H. Young and Co?] and he left them to take charge of the gas and water works at Goole. The local committee, in a circular which they have issued, say :
| "Through this terrible calamity Mr Lees has lost his situation and his means of livelihood, for, being totally blind, he has no means of obtaining work of any kind. His family consists of a wife and two daughters, and he has no relative to help him. Mrs Lees and her daughters enjoy only moderate health. At the inquest on the lad that was killed, it was shown that for the explosion Mr Lees was in no way to blame. Locally, subscriptions arebeing raised to meet the necessitous wants of Mr. Lees (who is 48[?] years of age) and his family. They will, however, be inadequate to meet the wants of the case, and this matter is placed before others as one of an exceptional character. It is one of the most serious accidents that occurred in any part of the United Kingdom in connection with the celebration of the Queen's Jubilee. Subscriptions will gratefully received by the secretary, Mr. G. W. Cutts, Goole; the treasurer, Mr R. T. C. Lyth, Goole; and by any of the banks in Goole.' [2]