Dewhurst, George
CE I
The grave of George Dewhurst. He died on the 14th August 1857 and his grave is a stone needle on a base. He was an inaugural councillor and took a part in Blackburn's first reform election of 1832 as "Fugleman of the Masses". He was apprenticed as a reedmaker and addressed an early meeting of handloom weavers in Burnley which resulted in him being charged with traitorous conspiracy and sentenced to 2 years in Lancaster Castle. His return found him still addressing large crowds with fervour. In 1851 he was a veteran reformer and elected to the council. At the time of his death six years later, he was highly regarded by most of his fellow citizens. A fountain which is now under Darwen Street bridge was erected by his friends in a wall of the market house.
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