John Howarth was a former Stockport mill owner and employer of Alice Burgess.
Alice first worked for Mr Howarth at the end of World War II in the capacity of manageress at his mill canteen. Upon the mill's closure, she accepted his request of moving into his Cheshire home as a live-in housekeeper, whereupon he'd promised Alice that she wouldn't want for anything and would be taken care of in his will.
Following Mr Howarth's death in February 1961, Alice found herself out of work and instead of taking retirement, turned up at the end of the following month at her former family home of 7 Coronation Street - where her brother Harry was still living. With the intention of moving in to look after him and keep house, she explained that she hadn't been left as much in the will as she had expected - just £250.