I HAVE recently received a letter from Mr C Houlker, a retired architect who lives in New Zealand who is trying to trace his family ancestry.

HIs father, William Houlker Jnr was born in 1881 at 23 Dukes Brow and his father William Snr had also lived on Revidge.

William Snr worked as a wine merchant for Messrs J Pickup in Church Street and in 1886 emigrated with his family to New Zealand.

In 1906 William Houlker Jnr returned to England to go to University in London. He paid a visit to the North West, staying with Mr Henry Higson JP of St Annes.

He also visited family friends Mr and Mrs Nuttall who had a stud farm in Langho.

Mr Houlker believes that if there are any of his relatives living in the Blackburn area today, they will be descendants of Thomas or James Houlker, born around 1826.

If anyone has any information about the Houlkers or their background, I will be pleased to either pass the information on or put them in direct contact with Mr C Houlker.

Pam Simon

Dukes Brow

Blackburn

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