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James ATTWELL came to Accrington between 3 Apr 1871 (census) and 10 Jan 1878 (marriage). He was born in North Tawton, Devon in 1856 to parents Samuel ATTWELL, bread baker and Eliza HOOPER.

Perhaps he travelled from Devon with Thomas FLOOD and they had boarded with the WHITTAKERs as Thomas FLOOD is a boarder in 1881 and James was married from the street of his brother-in-law James WHITTAKER.

James ATTWELL married Mary Ann WHITTAKER of Water St, Accrington at St James Church, Haslingden on 10 Jan 1878, witnesses were his brother-in-law James WHITTAKER with his wife Sarah.

Mary Ann WHITTAKER was born about 1855 at Crawshawbooth to parents James WHITTAKER, weaver and wife Ann.

The WHITTAKERs hailed from Haslingden, though James WHITTAKER had married an Accrington girl Ann SHORROCK who was the niece of John Emmanuel LIGHTFOOT, and daughter of Meadowcroft SHORROCK and Mary LIGHTFOOT of South St, Accrington.
James and his wife Ann had lived at Crawshawbooth and moved on to Back St, Accrington in 1861 and then to Water St, Accrington taking employment as a labourer at the print works, living at Water St until they died between 1891 and 1901.

James and Mary Ann ATTWELL had 5 known children, all baptised at St John the Evangelist Church, Accrington:
John born 11 Apr 1878
William born 5 Jun 1880 and died in 1882
Eliza Ann born 7 Dec 1882
William born 25 Jan 1885
Samuel born 1 Jan 1888

In 1881 the family are at 4 Water St, Accrington, in 1891 at 7 Water St, Accrington, and in 1901 21 Manor St, Accrington, though John ATTWELL is not on the census as he is away in the Army.

James ATTWELL died 26 April 1922 aged 65 at 21 Manor St, Accrington, he was an Iron moulder at the Textile Machine works, it was registered by his daughter E.A.HEAP daughter, 21 Manor Street (Eliza is calling herself HEAP though the marriage did not take place until 1926)

John ATTWELL enlisted into the 3rd Bn Liverpool Regiment before 4 Jan 1896, so obviously enlisted before the age of 18, then we have records showing: 

#5014 Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 4 Jan 1896 - 3 Jan 1908
12 years in the Boer War including service in Ceylon and South Africa
#3271 Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 28 Aug 1914 - 21 June 1915
He enlisted in Bury, just reaching France in November 1914 but after a bomb exploded next to him in a trench and damaged his ears in December 1914 was discharged medically unfit on 21 June 1915 
#SE29926 Army Veterinary Corps 8 Jun 1916 - 29 Jan 1919
Discharged medically unfit after to being admitted to hospital in-the-field on 20 Sep 1917 and being invalided to England on 2 Oct 1917.
#613104 Pioneer, Royal Engineers No. 3 Stores Sect, date of enlistment unknown - 1 Feb 1920
Found drowned 1 Feb 1920 in France, buried Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle-D'armentieres

John ATTWELL had a common-law wife Elizabeth Beatrice ADDY of Huddersfield and they had 2 sons - James Arthur ATTWELL born 26 March 1913 and Jack ATTWELL born 3 March 1919 - it looks like they were never married though Elizabeth used the name ATTWELL, she would not have got the widow's pension and this is probably why the death of John ATTWELL was kept quiet and no-one knew the circumstances until I managed to obtain some of his war records from PRO.

Eliza Ann ATTWELL was living with her parents at Water St in the 1901 census, but the St Caths records show that she married Albert HEAP in the March Quarter of 1926 in the Haslingden Registration district.
No issue has been found of this marriage after 1926, though prior records need to be checked..

William ATTWELL enlisted as Private A/202620 10th Bn., King's Royal Rifle Corps killed on 2 Dec 1917 in the Battle of Cambrai, Louveral Nord, France.

Samuel ATTWELL perhaps also known as Jack ATTWELL served in the war as Cpl. 8664. 7th East Lancs Regt, discharged in March 1919. He married May THORNTON in the September Quarter of 1925 in the Haslingden Registration district. No issue has been found of this marriage and Samuel died on 14 March 1929 at 147 Blackburn Rd, Accrington age 41, his occupation was a Taxi Cab Proprietor and the informant was a Marian SMITH.