Peter Whittle

Peter Armstrong Whittle (9 July 1789 – 7 January 1866) was an English antiquarian.

Biography Whittle was born at Inglewhite in the parish of Goosnargh, Lancashire, on 9 July 1789, and was educated at the grammar schools of Goosnargh, Walton-le-Dale, and Preston. He began business as a bookseller and printer at Preston in 1810, and became an active contributor to various journals. He was intelligent but ill-educated, and his works, though not without value, abound in errors. He styled himself F.S.A., but was not a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1858, Lord Derby, as prime minister, gave him a pension of 50l. a year for ‘literary services.’ After giving up business in 1851, he lived at Bolton for some years, and then removed to Mount Vernon, Liverpool. Whittle, who was a Roman catholic, died on 7 January 1866. He married, in October 1827, Matilda Henrietta Armstrong, and had two sons: Robert Claudius, author of ‘The Wayfarer in Lancashire,’ and Henry Armstrong.

He was the author of the following local histories: ‘A Topographical Account, &c., of Preston,’ 1821; vol. ii. 1837, 12mo (the first volume was published under the pseudonym of ‘Marmaduke Tulket’). ‘Marina; or an Historical and Descriptive Account of Southport, Lytham, and Blackpool,’ Preston, 1831, 8vo (anon.). ‘Architectural Description of St. Ignatius's Church, Preston,’ 1833. ‘Description of St. Mary's Cistercian Church at Penwortham,’ 8vo. ‘Historical Notices of Hoghton Tower,’ 1845. ‘An Account of St. Marie's Chapel at Fernyhalgh,’ 1851, 8vo. ‘Blackburn as it is,’ 1852. ‘Bolton-le-Moors and the Townships in the Parish,’ Bolton, 1855, 8vo.