PRESS RELEASE

Members of the society under the Peel Statue in Bury. Click the picture for a bigger view.

The Tamworth based Peel Society recently made a visit to the birth place of Sir Robert Peel in Bury, Greater Manchester.  The prime minister’s father had made his fortune in cotton manufacturing in Lancashire in the 2nd half of the C18th and lived in Bury at Chamber Hall.  His first son was born there in 1788 and named Robert.  His father dedicated his life to the service of his King and country.

Two years later the family moved to Drayton Manor and the young Robert spent his earliest years in Staffordshire before going onto Harrow School.

Bury are as proud as Tamworth of the connection with the man who was twice Home Secretary, when he founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829, He was also twice Prime Minister and MP for Tamworth.  There is a commemorative statue in front of the Parish Church and the Bury Museum has a number of artefacts including his crib.

Cllr John Wells, past mayor of Tamworth and Cllr. Jack Walton, Mayor of Bury exchanging gifts.

The Peel Society was greeted by the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Jack Walton and he and Councillor John Wells from Tamworth exchanged gifts.  The Society was hosted by Cllr Roy Walker, a long time member of the Peel Society.

The Society saw some of the artefacts in the collection in Bury Museum and also visited the lovely art gallery, which is a credit to the Borough of Bury.  After an excellent lunch in the Peel room, Cllr Walton showed the party around the Town Hall opened in 1953 by the Queen.  They then proceeded to the Parish Church, where there are memorials to the Peels.  On the way out of Bury they passed the Peel tower on Holcombe Hill, another memorial to the great man.

The following day, the party made an interesting visit to Knowsley Hall, the seat of the Earls of Derby.  The 14th Earl was a minister in Peel’s cabinet and three times Prime Minister.