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With regret we record the death, which took place at his residence, Queen-street, Rushden, on Tuesday evening, of Mr. Nathan Crick, of the firm of Crick and Patenall, boot manufacturers of Rushden. The deceased gentleman, whose wife died about 14 months ago, was 66 years of age. He belonged to a Yelden family. His father and mother lived at Yelden, in which village all the members of the family were born with the exception of the deceased. For a time his parents left Yelden for Rushden, where the deceased was born, but they subsequently returned to Yelden, where the late Mr. Crick spent his boyhood days. At the age of about 12, however, the deceased removed to Rushden, where he resided for over half-a-century. For some time Mr. Crick was in the employ of Mr. Ebenezer Claridge and of the late Mr. William Green. Nineteen years ago he started in business in partnership with his son-in-law, Mr. W. A. Patenall, and the progress of the firm has been uninterrupted. Starting as manufacturers of boots and shoes in a small way, with from six to eight employees, the firm of Messrs. Crick and Patenall is now one of considerable importance, and about 120 hands are regularly employed. When they commenced, Messrs. Crick and Patenall took the bottom floor of the factory in North-street, the other two storeys being occupied by other firms. In course of time these floors became vacant, and, with their growing business, Messrs. Crick and Patenall were able to take them over. Since that time, further extensions have been necessary, and a spacious wing has been built at the east end, three storeys high. The firm, in which Mr. Crick took a personal interest almost to the last, catered mostly for the home trade, though some exporting business is also done.
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When, in August, 1908, Mrs. Crick passed away, from cancer, Mr. Crick felt the blow very severely, and, as a matter of fact, he never really recovered. The doctors think that in all probability he caught the infection of the malignant disease from Mrs. Crick, cancer in the stomach being the cause of death in each case. It is about three months since Mr. Crick took to his bed, though signs of failure in health were noticeable as long ago as last Christmas. The last day he was about was the day of the cycle parade at Rushden – August 21st – and during the last few weeks he had been gradually sinking, passing away quietly on Tuesday evening.
The late Mr. Crick was the first working man member of the old School Board at Rushden, and he showed considerable interest in the duties of that office. He was a consistent Liberal, and a warm admirer of Sir Francis A. Channing, Bart., the member for East Northamptonshire. He was a total abstainer of long-standing, like his wife, who for so long was a devoted member of the B.W.T.A., and he was a staunch advocate of the temperance movement. In the days of the anti-vaccination movement, the late Mr. Crick was one of the leaders in Rushden. Some years ago he devoted himself closely to the study of phrenology, and was a very clever delineator of character.
The late Mr. Crick leaves two sons and three daughters – Mr. J. Crick, Mr. C. G. Crick, Mrs. George A. Sanders, Mrs. W. A. Patenall, and Mrs. Charles Ashby.
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