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Published by enquiries@chrishelme-brighouse.org.uk, 2022-02-27 11:56:20

Brighouse and District Heritage Newseum No. 16

Brighouse Local history magazine

Keywords: Brighouse and District Heritage,Newseum,Brighouse

BRIGHOUSE & DISTRICT

Heritage Newseum

Issue 16 Spring 2022

Edited and Published by Chris Helme

This was a big day for these children from the Harriet Street area of Brighouse. The photograph was taken on
June 2, 1953, for the Coronation celebrations of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It is possible that some
of these younger children will still be around in the Brighouse area to remember that day.

Brighouse Borough Council had a special programme of events for the Coronation week along with local
unofficial street parties organised by friends and neighbours. The programme of events was issued free.

The official events started on May 30 to run through until June 13 with a touring exhibition organised by
the Central Library in Halifax Road. On Sunday, May 31, there was a thanksgiving and civic service
at Brighouse Parish Church. On Monday there was an eve of Coronation Ball at the Assembly Rooms,
with Aub Hirst and his dance band leading the dancing from 9pm through until 3am. Tuesday was the
big day for all the local people with the public entertainments, a fancy dress parade, torchlight
processions and finishing off with a fantastic firework and bonfire event in Wellholme Park. The
Wednesday was a day designed for the town’s younger people when they could take part in a youth
sports festival at the Brighouse cricket ground. This week of celebration closed on the Sunday with an
open air united service held in Wellholme Park. The older residents had special events throughout June
which were organised by the Old Folk’s Treat committees. A beacon erected by the Brighouse
Scouts Association was lit at Round Hill.

This was a wonderful occasion which brought Brighouse together to celebrate and now here we are
with the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, another time to celebrate.

© Christopher D. Helme (2021), Tower House, Holme Mews, Wakefield Road, Lightcliffe, Halifax,
West Yorkshire HX3 8TY. This publication is copyright and apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of

study, research, criticism, review or as otherwise permitted under the Copyright Act, no part including text
and/or photographs and/or other images may be reproduced by any process without written

permission. All enquiries and payments should be directed to the author and publisher.

Frontispiece: This horse and cart appears to be turning right into Commercial Street from Bradford Road
c1910 .The shops from right to left are: William Naylor & Sons painter and decorator;

R.W.Ambler hairdresser and tobacconist; Sharpe and Waller, architects, Walter Cunliffe butcher,
and finally the Royal Engineers beerhouse, licensee Joseph Speight.

BRIGHOUSE & DISTRICT

HERITAGE NEWSEUM

From the Editor Issue 16 Spring 2022

Welcome to the Spring 1 Notes from the Editor.
edition of the Newseum. Let 2 Twenty years in Till Carr Cottage.
us hope that now our daily 4 Good luck, all workers!
lives are beginning to get 5 RMS Lusitania’s Brighouse connection.
back to some degree of 6 Field Lane fields, those were the days.
how it used to be things 7 Chambers & Co — Local Solicitors.
can finally get better. 9 All Change on Mill Lane Corner.
10 Customers were spoilt for choice.
In this edition we have some fascinating stories 11 Anyone for tennis?
of how things were yesteryear. There are some 12 Mill Lane corner.
more examples of how the town centre has 13 Hipperholme such an Unhealthy Place.
changed and with the recent publicity in the
world of international tennis we take a look at
just a few of the tennis clubs/courts dating
back over a century.

Can you remember the first telephone you had 14 The changing face of shopping in King Street.
and its number? That is just one of the questions 15 Memories from Wellholme Park.
we are asking readers to consider in this edition. 16 Can you remember?
17 Window Dedication St James’ Church.
How many readers can remember the District 18 What a Transformation.
Nurse Pat Eastwood? We have a wonderful story 19 Slead Syke Mill and the Holland family.
of the 20 years she lived at Till Carr Cottage, in 20 Can you remember Mrs Crossley?
Lightcliffe, before retiring and moving out of the
district.

We also look at some of the high street 22 A Letter from Ireland.
solicitors, names that have been around
for generations. Who were they and when did Remember to look at our website where you can
their practice begin. also contact the editor and you are able to
purchase various local books, including some that
We also have the sinking of the RMS Lusitania
in 1915 and its connection with a young Brighouse are no longer in print, through the online shop,
man. He was one of the lucky ones to survive, where PayPal is available:
who was he and why was he on this ship and
what direction did he take throughout the rest of www.chrishelme-brighouse.org.uk
his life?.

We are always pleased to hear from
readers who would like to share their
memories or photographs… Enjoy!

Chris Helme

1

Twenty Years in Till Carr Cottage

In 1961, newly married, we moved into Till Carr ‘Here lies the body of John, son of William’ - a bit of

Cottage, Till Carr Lane, originally known as the a shock to realise the builders had pinched

curate’s house, in Lightcliffe Old Church graveyard. someone’s gravestone to make a hearth!

It still belonged to The kitchen contained a
St Matthew’s Church and stainless-steel sink and a few
we were to pay a very shelves. We added some
favourable rent of ten cupboards but it remained little
shillings per week and changed in the time we were
undertake our own repairs there. I had a twin-tub washing
and maintenance. In machine which lived under the
addition, Jim would wind up slope of the stairs and I would
the clock in the tower of the pull it over to the sink to fill it with
old church, which was still water and then drain the water
intact in the Sixties. We out again. I was allowed to hang
were grateful and delighted my washing out in the graveyard
with the bargain. provided there wasn’t a funeral

The date on the stone taking place.

above the door was 1634, The only form of heating in the
which we took to be the
original build, but the Pat shares the moment with one of the cottage was the open fire in the
cottage was not in its many visitors to the cemetery her house living room which ran a Baxi
original location. A plaque on boiler to heat the water. A door in
the back read: overlooked. one corner led down three steps

to a small, whitewashed stone cellar with a

‘This house was removed from the west end of huge stone thrall running round two sides.

the churchyard and the churchyard enlarged by Enclosed solid stone steps led upstairs from the

Evan Charles Sutherland Walker and Alice his wife, living room. We decided not to carpet these and
AD 1866’.
instead painted them white. There were two bed-

The cottage can still be seen in its original rooms, either side of the stairs, and we engaged in

location in an old engraving (see page 3). a long battle with damp upstairs. There was a tiny

The cottage had a lovely traditional roof made of bathroom containing a bath and a sink.

heavy local stone slabs, and mullion windows. To The Diocesan surveyor instructed us to have the

the side was a yard, partly taken up by a coal place cottage rendered and painted to help with the

and the only toilet. Behind the yard, but sharing a damp. We did this reluctantly, feeling it was a

wall with it was a dilapidated stone building we shame to cover up the beautiful original stone, but

knew as ‘the gravedigger’s shed’. there was no choice. We had it painted a very pale

All the cottage doors, internal and external, were blue. This measure made no difference at all to the
damp.
painted white with black iron door furniture. The

back door, which opened from the kitchen onto the In those days the graveyard was very overgrown,

yard, was particularly heavy and ancient, with a with many of the graves so old they had been long

huge iron key, and it had a gap at the bottom, abandoned. Funerals were infrequent.

allowing almost unrestricted entry to the grave- Our daughter Carolyn was born in 1964. She
yard’s mice as well as to the icy draughts in winter. loved to play out and all her friends wanted to come for

In order to improve the kitchen and make a bit tea because she had a graveyard instead of a garden.

more room we knocked out an old fireplace and When asked to write an essay on ‘The view from

chimney. Sweeping up soot and rubble, we noticed my bedroom window’, she began ‘From my bed-

words on the hearthstone: room window I can see Walter Greenwood’s grave’.

2

One day a little schoolfriend called John came to Sadly, without immediate neighbours and with the
tea. He came into the kitchen just as I was lifting a graveyard being so overgrown, the cottage was
large marrowbone out of the pan of soup I was vulnerable to crime. We were burgled several times
making. His face paled - ‘bones, Mrs Eastwood, in the Seventies; not that we had a lot to steal, but in
bones!’. He politely declined the soup and heaven those days things like small electrical goods -
knows what he told his mother when he got home. transistor radios or the black-and-white TV Carolyn
had in her bedroom – were relatively expensive and
had a resale value.

One burglar took all the food from our cupboard
except for a jar of pickled onions! Another used a
ladder to get into Carolyn’s bedroom and took a pub
- sized bottle in which we’d been saving small
change for holidays. It wasn’t so much the loss of
things that was upsetting, as we were insured, it
was the mess, and the invasion of our home. Over
time it made me more and more uneasy, so in 1981
we left the cottage and moved to Shelf where we
had near neighbours.

There are many happy memories of our time at
the cottage. Some people may remember me from
my working life – I was then Pat Eastwood, district
nurse in Lightcliffe and Hipperholme – but that’s
another story.

Till Carr Cottage as it looked when Pat and
her daughter Carolyn lived there.

Carolyn’s other playground was Bottom Hall, where

she and her friends spent hours paddling in the This is a south-east view of St Matthew’s Church, which

stream getting soaked, and making dens in the for many years after it was first erected was known
woods beyond the viaduct. as Eastfield Chapel. The image in this illustration shows
the church as it looked when built in 1775. There is an
The old church had been unused for a long time epitaph in the cemetery recording the name of the builder

but it was sad to see it fall into disrepair and the William Mallinson of Halifax, he died in Hove Edge on

interior be desecrated and destroyed by vandals. It April 25, 1798, aged 48 years.

was pulled down in the early Seventies, leaving only Forgotten customs in connection with Lightcliffe
the tower. We had long since had to give up winding Church include, any person having killed a hedgehog

the clock by then, because of the vandalism. on producing it to the Churchwarden received the

A new vicar took charge in the mid-Seventies, and sum of 4d and for a pole-cat the sum of 8d. The
in 1975, now a single parent, I was allowed to buy history books tell us that this custom existed as late
the cottage from the church. I installed central as 1826. The evidence of these payments are
heating and a gas fire, which made a world of difference shown in the Churchwarden’s books.

– it was really no fun going out into the yard on a In 1884, the church was only used as a mortuary
dark wet winter night to fill the small coal scuttle. chapel for burials, since the erection of the
new St Matthew’s Church in 1875.

3

‘Good luck, all workers!’

Workers' Playtime was a British radio variety throughout the borough. One of their most noted
programme transmitted by the BBC between 1941 performances was at the grand concert held at the
and 1964. Originally intended as a morale-booster Parish Hall, (this is the Rydings Hall Surgery)
for industrial workers in Britain during World War II, Church Lane in 1942, when Blakeborough’s
the programme was broadcast at lunchtime, three organised their major fundraising event as part of
times a week, live from a factory canteen Brighouse’s ‘Warship Week’.
"somewhere in Britain".

Initially, it was broadcast simultaneously on both
the BBC Home Service and Forces Programme, then
from 1957 onwards solely on the Light Programme.
For all its 23 years each show concluded with the
words from the show's producer, Bill Gates: "Good
luck, all workers!"

The programme had the support of the Government

because the shows were seen as supporting the Brighouse Warship Week March 14th - 21st 1942.

war effort on the home front. Workers' Playtime was
a touring show, with the Ministry of Labour choosing Returning to our 1950s photograph the members
included back row from the left: Frank Haigh,
which factory canteens it would visit. Clement Rukin, Lawrence Ellis, Arthur Squire, Herbert

Airey, Willie Smith, Joe Ramsden, Albert Ellis,

Stanley Duckles, Roland Forbes and Unknown.

Middle row: Unknown, Clifford Eckersall, Ronnie
Castle, Milton Holdsworth, Unknown, Unknown,
Jack Marsden, Herbert Ainsworth, Jimmy Robertshaw
and Ned Nester.

Front row: George Lord, Tommy Skitmore, Percy

Boocock, R.A.Blakborough (who died in 1953 and

was always referred to as ‘Mr Robert)’, Leslie

Quarmby (the choir’s conductor), A. D. Jackson the

Blakeborough’s Male Voice Choir c1950s. choir’s pianist, who took on this role after Roy

Hallam, Ernest

We can only guesstimate when this photograph was Nelson and Tommy

taken we can only guesstimate, perhaps during the Shackleton, who for

1950s. Someone may recognise a family member many years was

and be able to assist with a more accurate date. associated with the

It was c1941 when the first choir at Blakeboroughs St John Ambulance.

got together back in the very early days when The choir kept

’Workers’ Playtime’ would capture the mass radio going until the 1970s

listening audience of the nation. when it was f i n a l l y

The choir’s first serious performance and probably disbanded. This
the reason for forming was in fact for the ‘Workers’ was probably
Playtime’ programme, which was broadcast from the through the lack o f
works canteen. Their performance included ’The Two available substitutes.

Roses’ and ’Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes’.

From that first performance the choir were in regular
demand to perform at all kinds of concerts

4

The Sinking of the RMS Lusitania and its Brighouse Connection

Fred Bottomley was and like most other children at Yangon (Rangoon), the capital of Burma. This was

the time left school at the age of 10 to become what during the first years of the new century when most

was then called a 'half-timer'. This meant being at youngsters back in Brighouse hadn't been much

school for half the day, which one week could be further than a half day out to Sunny Bunces or if you

the morning and came from a better off

the afternoon family a day out on

the following the train to Blackpool.

week. Some RMS Lusitania torpedoed by an Imperial German Navy U-boat The sights, sounds
readers will be during the First World War on May 7, 1915. and sheer experience
familiar with this of travelling to that
old way of com- part of the world all
bining schooling those years ago is
and working now almost unimagi-
which to many nable in the twenty
of you usually first century when
meant cold early travel and distance
morning walks aren't a barrier (aside
to the local mills. from during the
pandemic)..
Fred was lucky

because he worked at a local butcher’s shop. As a After several months Fred and the rest of the
child he was an errand boy for a local butcher’s
regiment were on the move once again, this time
shop. He worked on Friday nights and Saturday
mornings taking out meat deliveries and was paid to India. They landed at Mumbai again with their
half a pound of sausage and a currant pasty as well, ultimate destination another 600 miles inland which
surprisingly good wages for a seven-year-old a little they had to travel by rail, road and on foot. He spent
two years in India with most of his time spent as a
over a hundred years ago.
butcher. Then having completed his three years

This job put in him good stead when he became a enlistment he was discharged and returned to civvy

half timer. By the time he was 11 he could kill and street.

dress a sheep in a little over 10 minutes, a real asset In 1908 he opened Brighouse's first frozen meat
to his employer.
shop in Commercial Street but that only lasted for 18

As an apprentice he worked for a local butcher, months when once again he was fed up. He worked

but it must have seemed boring compared with what for Eastman's butchers in their King Street shop for

was to follow in years to come. a while, but it was the sea that was in his veins, and

He left the quite life of Brighouse and joined the he soon became bored of the humdrum existence in
regular army in Liverpool. He was posted to the 1st his hometown.

Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment not as a regular With his bags packed off he went again, eventually

soldier who was instantly setting off to foreign and finding himself trudging up and down the Liverpool

exciting parts, but as a butcher. docks looking for work. It wasn't long though before

He was billeted at Seaforth Barracks but after he was fixed up with the White Star Line as a steward.

three days was posted to Limerick in Ireland. That What a life, with an eight-day sail to New York, an

posting lasted five months when he then found eight-day stay in America and then an eight-day

himself back in England. Then the chance of a return sail.

lifetime came, a trip to the East. Surprisingly even with earning an estimated £7 a

The first leg of the trip was to Mumbai (Bombay) week he eventually grew tired of that too. This time

where he did some meat slaughtering for the local he signed off in New York and began working for the

Indian authorities. Their eventual destination was butchering firm of Webber and Sons on Third Avenue.

5

His next job was working in a bar in the Harlem Once fit again he returned to his old regiment at
district, where, instead of accepting a drink from Seaforth Barracks, to be met with, no not a hero’s
customers he accepted a cigar instead. Once he welcome as he was immediately arrested for failing
found he was being given between 100 and 150 to report to the regiment in August 1914 as a
cigars each night he sold them back to his boss for reservist. Fortunately, he was seen by a senior
a few cents each. Although he got bored easily, he officer who recognised him from the old days and
always found a way of paying his way in the world. instead of being Court Marshalled and sent to
prison he was sent back home to Brighouse on a
By the time, the first war had broken out he was month’s paid leave to recover from his ordeal.
back working at Webbers but like many other
expat's he felt he should return to England and do In January 1917 he married Millie Thomas a
his duty for King and Country. young lass from Pembroke Dock.

He booked his passage on the RMS Lusitania Once he was demobbed Fred and Millie went to

and sailed from New York on 1st May. At about live at Milford Haven and he opened a butcher’s

2.30pm, Friday, 7th May, he was stood on the deck shop which for a few reasons didn't work out and

talking to some friends when they felt a sudden they had to sell up. After a spell working with other

thud. Other passengers began running about the butchers, he

deck and the ship began to reel and shudder with decided to go to

the shock. sea working on

Passengers were jumping and diving into the the trawlers.

water all around him and his friends. The ship was Between the

listing quite badly so he and some others began two wars Fred

throwing empty boxes over the side to help the must have sailed

people who had jumped into the sea through sheer thousands of

panic without any thought of how they were to keep miles working

afloat once they were in the water. out of Fleetwood

He went to the boat decks and helped to get the and then Grimsby
last of the lifeboats away. Having helped as many and finally
passengers as he could the time had arrived when back at
it was time to help himself. Over the side he jumped Fleetwood.

hitting the water like a stone and came back to the In 1939 he

surface just as quick but on his way up hit his head found himself

on something and he began sinking again. As Private 8644 his war service b a c k i n
was confined to Wales and Ireland, Fleetwood, it was
Shortly afterwards he found himself near an and he did not serve overseas and time to finally
upturned lifeboat. He helped a woman to cling onto was discharged from the Army on
the boat, something he managed for three hours all May 1, 1919. settle down. He
told until they were both picked up.
and his wife had

two sons and two daughters Enid, Earnshaw,

On June 16th, 1915, he received a reply to a Lewis, and Stella. The two lads followed their

letter he had sent to the Cunard Steamship Company father's trade by working for local butchers.

Ltd which read as follows:.... We note that through In November 1956 Fred, then 73 years of age
the disaster you lost all your belongings but regret was employed as a trawler watchman at Fleetwood
to say that compensation is not payable by dock when he suffered a major heart attack and fell
the company for loss of baggage etc, in these into the sea and sadly died.
circumstances. However, if the loss is a substantial

one you should write to the Under Secretary for Fred Bottomley had certainly lived his life to the

Foreign Affairs, London, with a view to receiving full and although several hundred other lives were

compensation from Germany after the war..... that plucked from the sea on the day back in 1915, he
seems just as bigger joke today as it would have can be remembered for the help he gave to many

seemed all those years ago. others who were less fortunate than himself.

6

Local Family Solicitors — Familiar names on the high street

During a person's life there may be a time when the Thomas Bradley Chambers was a local young man

advice off a solicitor is needed. Whether it be for who was born in Rastrick on January 12, 1825, and

family matters, civil actions, court actions, sorting moved to Brighouse and lived at Field House, Upper

out a Will, moving house or a multitude of other Bonegate. He was originally articled to George

matters that need a legal eye. Higham on July 24, 1850, for five years. He practised

But which do you get? It is quite common for the in Brighouse between 1855 and 1885 and was in
same firm of solicitors to act for a person or family partnership with George Higham from 1855 until
throughout their life or generations of the same family. George Higham's death in 1862. He was then the

sole solicitor in the practice.
It does not seem that long ago when these were
familiar names in Brighouse, Chambers and Co, Like many solicitors of that day, he too had other

Ayrton and Cornwall both on Bradford Road; legal interests, which included being the Clerk to

Bearder's on King Street; Rice Jones and Smith's at Shelf Local Board, between

Mill House, Mill Lane; Sugden's on Bradford Road; 1862 and October 9, 1885.

Robert's Son and Hinchcliffe and Swarbrick and Co When he died he was in part-

on Bradford Road, I am sure there will be some I nership with his son, William

may have forgotten. John Chambers. He married

Looking back to 1946 we had John Ayrton at Esther Washington in 1863 and

Hutchinson Lane; Arthur Bastide in Briggate; Chambers they had six children. She was

and Morris in Bradford Road; Charles Cornwell at from another prominent local

11, Church Lane; George Jessop who was further family. Two of their sons Thomas

up the road at number 23, Church Lane; Robert's, Washington (1865-1929) and

Son and Hinchcliffe; Walter G. Robertshaw in Edward Percy were also solicitors.
Briggate; John P. Wilson was at 1, Church Lane and
there was George Thompson up at Whitehall Major Edward Edward Percy (1868—1949,

Percy Chambers. Leeds), was admitted into the

Chambers, Hipperholme. Many of the same names Chambers and Chambers in 1893. He served in the
1st World War in both France and Belgium from
that appear today. 1915 to 1918. He was awarded the Chevalier du

But we must delve much Merite Agricole. In 1939 he was Deputy Clerk to the
further to find the origins Justices at Brighouse under Ernest H. Clegg the
of many of these old
Town Clerk.
established firms or for just a
little background to their history Keeping it in the family George William Chambers,
or the partners in the firm. William John’s second son, married a Grace Corbett

in June 1904, in Caerphilly and became the local
The name of Chambers solicitor, he died on January 17, 1918.
has been in Brighouse longer
than anybody can remember. Another family of solicitors was the Barber family
Associated with this firm was who originated in Southowram when Joseph Barber
George Higham. George Higham who was born the son of William Barber was born in 1805. He was

in Castleford in 1801 and was articled to an Edward articled in Dewsbury in May 1821 and later went to
Sykes of Thornhill. He came to Brighouse on practise in Church Lane, Brighouse.

November 25, 1819, where he stayed until his death He was married to Marianne, who was born in
in 1860. He was in partnership with his son George Knaresborough. On his death on March 19, 1862,

William Higham from 1852 until his death the following he was survived by his wife, two daughters and five
year. He was then joined by Thomas Bradley sons; William Barber Q.C. and a County Court
Chambers in 1854. For many years he lived at Judge in Derbyshire; Fairless Barber, who
Bonegate House with his wife Ann (died, 3rd succeeded to his father's practice; John Barber an
March1858) who originated from Littleborough in Engineer in Leeds; the Ven Archdeacon Joseph
Lancashire. Barber, Canon of Chester;

7

and Henry Jocelyn Barber who also succeeded served during the war with the

in his father business. 49th. Searchlight Regiment

Fairless Barber, the second son, was born on Anti-Aircraft, in Belgium and
January 11, 1835, and having been educated at St Germany, with the rank of
Peter's School, York he joined his father and was Major. He was a keen philatelist
articled to him for five years and went on to continue and after coming to Brighouse
his father's practice. he developed an interest in
Scouting, becoming chairman
This man was a well-known antiquarian and
archaeologist and one of the of the local association and
District Commissioner for
founder members of the
Huddersfield Topographical Rover Scouts.
Association and went to be
the secretary, a job he held Walter Greenwood Robertshaw was articled
until his death. to Bernard Hartley Richardson of 22, Briggate. On
October 16, 1914, as a Private, he joined the
Another familiar name in 2/4 Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding
Brighouse was John Ayrton Regiment and in the November, he was promoted
who was articled to R. L. to sergeant. In July 1916, he transferred to 2nd
Divisional Train Royal Army Service Corps. He was
Rayner of Brighouse and was once mentioned in dispatches and was also awarded
admitted 1881 and practised the Meritorious Service Medal. During his active
in Brighouse in 1881 to 1895. service he served in France, Belgium, and Germany.

In 1927, Walter Greenwood Robertshaw and Thomas Herbert Gooder DFC was born in
Bernard Hartley Richardson, solicitors, with offices Brighouse and was educated at Rastrick Grammar
at 22, Briggate Brighouse terminated their School and at Durham University. Shortly before
partnership. On the 29 April 1931, the firm of the Second World War he was employed at
Chambers, Chambers and Scholefield was Brighouse Town Hall where he was training to be a
dissolved by mutual consent. In 1933, town clerk.

Edward Percy Chambers went into partner- An interest in flying
ship with Thomas Morris, and the company was fostered when the
was re-named Chambers and Morris. In 1935, opportunity to join the
Edward Mallinson Tregoning joined the Chambers 394 Brighouse Air Training
practice, and it was renamed as Chambers Tregoning Corps came along. He
and Robertshaw (the same Walter Greenwood was 21 when he joined
Robertshaw). the RAF and was taught

Edward Mallinson Tregoning was born in how to fly whilst in Canada

Oxenholme, on September 11, 1909, and died on and then in Scotland. In

the 26th July, 1980. He was the son of the Reverend 1942 he was posted to

Henry, a Wesleyan Methodist, and Agnes Tregoning, 102 Halifax Bomber

a member of a well-known Colne Valley manufacturing Squadron in Pocklington

family. He never married and his only sister, Mary, and went on to complete

predeceased him in 1979. In his younger days the a tour of 33 bombing

family lived in various parts of North East Yorkshire, operations. By 1944 he was considered to be a
veteran pilot and was awarded the Distinguished
moving from time to time in response to the
Flying Cross by King George Vl.
demands of his father's calling. After school, he

took a Law Degree at Jesus College, Cambridge, As the war drew to a close in 1945 he was
followed by his articles in York and in 1935 he working as an RAF recruitment officer in Leeds and
joined the Chambers practice, retiring as senior then he returned to Brighouse when he became a
partner in the late 1970s. practising solicitor at Chambers, Tregoning &

In the late 1930s, he joined the Territorials and Robertshaw,

8

where he stayed until his retirement in 1988. In A last look at Spring Street
1952 he was elected as a councillor on the Brighouse
Borough Council and in 1960 he was elevated to During the late 1960s and early 1970s Brighouse
the position as an Alderman. He served as the town centre went through a major redevelopment
Mayor of Brighouse with his wife Margaret as his programme. Many streets were demolished which
Mayoress from 1969 - 70. Mr Gooder was known saw these communities cast to the four winds.
throughout Brighouse not just for his legal work but People who had been neighbours in some cases
also through his connections and membership of for generations were now all moving to each
many local organisations. corner of the borough. Whilst moving to a new
council house with an inside bathroom and toilet
In 2005 although the name of Chambers
disappeared when it was merged into Armitage and even a
Sykes solicitors who took over the Brighouse office. garden must
In 2016 Armitage Sykes itself merged with the law have seemed
firm Schofield and Sweeney and from July 1st like moving to
Armitage Sykes were fully integrated into the new paradise. It was
and enlarged practice and the Brighouse office was a big price to
closed. pay considering
that old
It is almost 200 years since George Higham neighbours and
opened his practice as a solicitor in Brighouse, with friends in many
cases would
rarely be seen
again.

Here is a street that some readers may be familiar
with - Spring Street. Looking down from Elland Road
with what used to be the Employment Exchange and
Bull Fold Garage at the bottom and not forgetting A.
&J.R. Davison’s coaches on the right (not in view):

Here are the families who were some of the last
to live there before it was demolished.

The Bonegate House offices of Armitage Sykes, Spring Street 1969
which closed in 2016.
1 Patrick and Elizabeth O’Connell
Thomas Bradley Chambers joining him in 1850. 3 Wilfred and Dorothy Harrison
Throughout its long history the names of Higham 5 Kathleen and Martyn Collier
and Chambers and those associated with the 7 Blanche and James Town
practice always displayed professionalism and 9 Arnold and Alice Thornton
integrity, with their clients’ interests always to the 11 Rennie and Lilian Allum
fore. Although the names of Higham and Chambers 13 Winifred Wilby
have now faded into the annals of Brighouse history, 12 Annie and Norman and David Hodgson
whilst the names may have changed the same high 8 Eric and Dorothy Probert
professional standards are maintained. 6 Florrie Lee
4 Fanny Jagger
Did you know: After
World War II petrol Perhaps some of these are your relatives?
rationing continued

until 1950.
Although it was
re-introduced for
five months during
1956 for the Suez.

crisis.

9

Customers were spoilt for choice

Here are some more local people once again show- I wonder what James Maude Stott, the son of

ing just how Brighouse folk support a needy cause. Jonathan Stott, the head of the cotton spinning family

These are customers at the Stotts Arms public would think about the place today? James acquired

house, taking part in a cheque handing over ceremony the licence in 1874, and whilst the premises had never
at the pub in February 1988. I am sure these been licensed before, the magistrates thought it
customers will all have some happy memories at the ideally situated to serve weary travellers.

Stotts Arms.

The Stott’s Arms opened in 1874 and closed in 1998 The Malt Shovel, Wakefield Road: The licensee is
shown as Mary Robertshaw, the widow of Crossland
This was a nineteenth century pub that dated back
to the 1870s. With an address at 17, Wakefield Robertshaw, she ran the pub from 1882 until 1897.
Road, it was a pub that was on the doorstep for
workers turning out of the mills and factories, in and On what we would describe today as being the
around the Mill Lane area. Customers were spoilt motorway of its time, the Elland, and Obelisk Turnpike
for choice with the Robin Hood, Malt Shovel, The Road. Records show that James died the following
Round House along with the Stotts Arms, all within year and was interred in the family grave at Brighouse
a couple of hundred yards of each other. Parish Church.

Today, all four of these well-established pubs

have gone. It was 1998 when mine host at the Stotts

hung the towel over the pumps for the last time. There it

stood, effectively nothing more than a roundabout

for traffic entering and leaving the town centre. For

many years it looked a disgrace with first time

visitors driving into Brighouse the sight of the old The Robin Hood shortly before it was demolished in 2017.

Stotts did not give a good impression of the town. Whether it is true or not, but it used to be said that
The Malt Shovel closed in 1972, the Robin Hood the Stotts Arms had the longest bar in the North of
closed more recently and was replaced by Lidl, the England. It was common to see pints being sent
latest supermarket to arrive in the town. Finally, the from one end of the bar to the other, just like you
Round House closed in 2000 and was re-developed would see on the old cowboy westerns.
into office accommodation.
Returning to our photograph: The cheque valued
Since 2005 the appearance of the old Stotts Arms at £183 was handed over to Anne Walker (pictured
has changed and looks much better. Having
left holding the cheque) who received it on behalf of
been redeveloped it is now occupied by two suc- the renal unit. I wonder how many of these customers
cessful businesses the Subway sandwich shop are still in the Brighouse area now almost 34 years
and the Retreat Beauty Lounge, whose address is since that night at the Stotts.
now 'Stotts Island', Wakefield Road.

10

Anyone for tennis?

With tennis having been in the news in recent As the years have rolled by the interest in tennis
months it is an ideal time to look back at what the and membership at clubs has gone up and down,
opportunities of playing in tennis were in our own area. often dictated by how our own international tennis
players are doing.
One of the earliest clubs to be established in our
area was the Victoria Tennis Club at Lightcliffe in The Brighouse tennis club began c:1886 using a
1883. The actual courts where this club started court in Brighouse Wood Lane. The club then
have long since been built over with the houses moved to a larger site in Church Lane with the
and gardens between Victoria Road, Wakefield membership having out grown the original site. In
Road, Victoria Terrace, and parts of the Sandholme May, 1912, the Brighouse club moved again to an
Estate now filling that site. even better site at Lightcliffe Road.

Victoria Road will no doubt have taken its name During the 1920s the sport was on a high and saw
from Queen Victoria just as the tennis club did and the opening of some new courts at Lightcliffe which
the house in that street called Tennyson Bungalow were presented to the Lightcliffe Cricket and Lawn
could have been named from the fact tennis was Tennis Club. Whilst the courts are no longer there the
once played on that site. tennis pavilion still is.

In this photograph taken on July 3, 1926, there are
more than 30 members and family from the Park
Tennis Club. Caught on camera that day include:-

Members of the Victoria Tennis club enjoying afternoon

tea. The tall buildings in the back ground are part of

Brooke’s nonslip stone flag works. Frank Roberts, Alfred Halliwell, Leonard Hirst, Mrs

Not to be left out Clifton also had some courts and Mabel Holdsworth, Miss Emily Colbeck, Mrs Lucy
by the turn of the century so did Bailiff Bridge. Hirst, Alfred Wood, Miss Edith Colbeck, Mrs Kitty
Walton, Mrs Elsie Womersley, Mrs Rosa Roberts,

Here Jack Walton, Arthur Naylor, Willie Smith, Mrs Elsie

is a ticket Whiteley, Kathleen Shillitoe, Mrs Nellie Halliwell, Mrs

for a Nellie Denham, Miss Edith Smith, Miss Hilda Roberts,

Grand Jack Brook, Lascelles North, Arthur Marsden, Philip

Variety Marsden, Mrs Arthur Marsden, George Brook, Willie

Night Womersley the team captain, Jack Sibley, Frank

held at Holdsworth, Bernard Shillitoe, Floyd Saunders and

the St Clifford Durrance.

Aidan's These are just some of the tennis clubs in and
Mission Room on April 30, when the special around Brighouse. There are others which I am
attraction was the northern 'Teddy Brown'. This was sure readers will remember and may have even
an entertainer who had modelled himself on Teddy been members. We would be pleased to hear
Brown the American musical act. Sadly, the ticket your recollections of tennis activities at any of the
does not say the year when this event was held. clubs/courts.

11

Flashes All Change on Mill Lane Corner Flashes

A remarkable bequest to Can you remember the antique shop at the end of Mill In 1907 the Probation of
help the Government. Lane, Police Street (Lawson Road) junction? It was Offenders Act was
In 1781. Mrs Elizabeth called Kershaw’s (our middle image) and I remember
buying a coachman’s post horn from this shop. The passed. In 1908, a joint
Holmes of Smith House, shop in the above photo shows the antique shop pre- meeting of magistrates
bequeathed to Nathan 1910 when it was Sykes & Co, French polishers, for Halifax, Brighouse,
Jowett of Clockhouse, upholsterers and house furnishings. Just when it closed and the Halifax West
Manningham, Bradford, Riding met to consider
£50 in trust, to be paid to will need further research.
the Right Honourable the new act.
Frederick Lord North, Here is the shop when it was Kershaw’s, and no roof!
This photo was taken during the town centre Brighouse Magistrates
the First Lord of the decided to appoint
Treasury and Chancellor redevelopment and the contractors carving their way
through the town to create the new bypass during the J.B.Hepworth, the school
of King George III’s early 1970s. Everything in this photo was swept attendance officer, as the
Exchequer, to be applied first probation officer. In
and employed in support away and the outcome in the bottom photo.
of the present government the first year a total 23
and constitution and in This scene is now the junction of Mill Lane/Sainsbury’s juveniles were placed on
supressing the present car park. The four storey building down Mill Lane is Wood probation, and in 1909
Rebellion in America, or there were seven and
Robinson’s Wilkin Royd Mill, to get to that you have to
other insurrection or pass what was the Victoria Tavern which is now called the following year that
rebellion which may was down to just three.
happen in any of the The Barge.
Majesty’s dominions or In June 1909, the first
in any defence of his Juvenile Court was held
said dominions, and in in Brighouse. The first
support of his Majesty’s involved four boys steal-
arms by sea or land. ing roller skates from the

These days we take Albert Theatre. They
street lighting for granted, were all placed on six
well, that is until one of months probation. It was
from this time that news-
them goes out. papers were asked not
to publicise the names
It was 1951 when of juveniles. This was
Brighouse town centre adhered to most of the
had electric street lighting. time but not always.
In October 1957 the
decision was taken to During the 1970s and
light all streets in the 1980s a familiar face
borough. This was to at the Brighouse Court
cost £47,000. Gas was Mrs Eva Mullen,
production in Brighouse the Probation Officer,
came to an end in 1954 someone who was
when the town joined always firm and fair

the grid. The with her clients.
transformation was
complete when in 1971
Brighouse was converted

to North Sea gas.

12

A time when Hipperholme and District was a very unhealthy place

Once Brighouse had gained its Local Board status Diphtherias, were frequently rife in the district and
in 1865 it effectively left Hipperholme, its old the cause of many deaths.
Township partner, very much out on a limb except
for one or two minor administrative matters. Once the Local Government Act was adopted, on
their second meeting the new Board made an
Hipperholme residents stuck it out for three years agreement for the Halifax Corporation to supply the
before they too decided to seek the same status area with water. The next step was to discuss the
because they could see it would inevitably bring an drainage problems of the area with Sir Titus Salt
unwelcomed rise in the rates. There was however with a view to drain through his land at Crow Nest, a
another and more important reason for seeking proposal which he refused and objected to most
Local Board status other than simply wanting to strongly.
follow suit and that was to have decent drainage
and water facilities in the district, and this was going With no legal powers to force him to allow this the
to cost a lot of money. matter was left in
abeyance for a
On December 5, 1868, the whole area was given few years. How-
the opportunity of voting either for or against the ever, following
proposal to adopt the necessary Local Government the introduction
Act. of the Public
Health Act of
In favour of the Act....260 1875, which
increased the
Against the Act..........181 powers of the
Local Board, they
Majority in favour.........79 decided to apply
for the necessary
The election of members for the first Board took funding to carry
place on March 20, 1869, with the first meeting
being held on March 24, when Mr Jonas Foster of Sir Titus Salt did not want the new out the drainage
Cliffe Hill was elected Chairman, a position he held drain through his land at Crow Nest. and to send a
until 1874. deputation to see Sir Titus Salt.

The earlier health reports about the district had an

adverse effect on house building in the area. With

Hipperholme and Lightcliffe beginning to attract the

wealthier business people it was important to get

the drainage problems sorted out. This was high-

lighted in 1874 when Messrs Keith and Taylor waited

for the Board to say whether there would be new

drainage or not before they would finally commit

themselves to building 12 detached and 20 semi-

Those first Hipperholme Local Board meetings were held detached houses in the area.
at the Whitehall Inn and would last well into the night. Sir Titus Salt finally did agree but with several

Before the residents were given the opportunity to conditions, which included that if any workman
vote several sanitary examinations had been carried whilst working on the new drain on his land and in
out in the area and showed that Hipperholme was a the course of that work they 'misconducted them-
decidedly unhealthy place to live, mainly through the selves' against him, any member of his family or
lack of proper drainage. The illnesses which could servants they had to be instantly dismissed.

be attributed to lack of hygiene through the existence Another clause was that he could at any time
of cesspools included Typhus, Typhus fevers, extend his own drainage into the Board’s new drain
Scarlet Fever, and other ailments particularly

13

at no cost to himself. In fact he had already started were soon knocked into one shop. It was here

to drain the estate and the Board had to pay him where the discerning housewife could buy from a

£500 for the 462 yards of drain, he had already wide variety of drapery, yarns, household drapery,

done which would then become the property of the oilcloths, linoleum, velvets and velveteens (a cotton

Board. Once the agreement was finally worked out fabric with a pile resembling velvet), silk dress

the rateable value cost increased from £11,000 goods, costume cloths, hardware furnishings,

(1876) to £20,000. A loan was finally taken out from haberdashery — the list was almost endless.

the Public Works Load Commissioners in 1876 Knitting by machine was something his business
which was to be repaid over a period of 60 years. carried out in the workshops at the rear of the

Hipperholme had come on a lot over the previous premises.

60 years - in 1841 the population was 2,836 with a After the Second World War life on the high street
total of 573 occupied houses and an average of five was going to change. Charles Hollingdrake, whose

people living in each house. Although the population business had served generations of Brighouse
went down in 1861 by 1881 it had risen to 2,920 families, finally closed its doors for the last time in

and by 1911 had soared to 4,438 with 1,148 1947.

inhabited houses and an average household of four The Brighouse Co-op town centre expansion

people. was underway as they expanded into the

Another problem in the area, and there were Hollingdrake’s old fent premises and also into other

complaints as early as 1877 was the lack of street long established shop premises on King Street
lighting. But this amenity did not arrive until 1890
when the Local Board came to an arrangement with including Tate’s Corner.

the Halifax Corporation to supply gas for the street

lighting. This for some was the last straw and in July

1892 the Ratepayers Association was formed which

sponsored candidates for reflection to the Board to

keep a closer eye on local affairs.

The Changing face of King Street

Charles Hollingdrake is a name that few may Tate’s Corner which became the Co-op mens’
remember. His ‘King Street Fent Warehouse’ outfitters. It is now M&Co.
claimed to be the cheapest wholesale and retail
businesses in the whole of Yorkshire.

He opened his business in 1885 at numbers 8
and 9, King Street. Opening solely as a retailer his
business was very soon expanding into the wholesale
market as well. The two properties on King Street

Here is the new Co-op self service supermarket c1957,
little did they know how much supermarkets would go
on to dominate the food store market. A sad by-
product of this new age of shopping was the shoplifter.

14

Memories from Wellholme Park

Visit Wellholme Park these days and you may see After the First World War the question in the council
the gala in full swing, tennis, bowling or one of the chamber was what to do with such a large open
popular park runs. In a different era you would have space. One initial thought was to build houses and
seen a brass band concert or the wartime ‘At shops on the whole site - but it failed to have the
Homes’ concerts. necessary support.

This image c1908 takes you back to the days The land did come on the market in 1924, but
when it was known as Camm Park and the only having considered it the council decided the asking
entry point was through these large iron gates on price was just too much. A popular way of raising
Bradford Road. Note the tramcar tracks in the road, money was through public subscription and the
those were laid for the new 1904 tramcar from council believe they could buy it if the public helped
Halifax to Brighouse and from Bailiff Bridge. to raise the money as well. But this was the 1920s
local people were on hard times, so the subscription
idea never got started.

By the 1930s the council decided they would buy
but what should they do with it. A new Civic Theatre
was a strong contender or even a new school but
the public demanded it be retained as an open park
where they would have open and free access.

Feelings reached fever pitch with local people
forming the Wellholme Protest Committee. Within
12 months the people won but still left the council in
a quandary what to do with it.

During the Second World War a large area of the

The main gates on Bradford Road in 1908. park was used for wartime trenches and eventually
filled in. The wartime ’At Homes’ events proved to be

Camm Park was the last piece of open greenery so popular and concerts were held on a makeshift
stage.
close to the town centre up until the First World

War. It was owned by the Camm family who lived at

Wellholme House. Some readers may be familiar

with Camm Street and Alfred Street, two small streets

off Bradford Road which are named after the family.

The stage is set for the ‘At Home’ 1943 performances.

Camm Park - children playing with not a care in world For a very short time it was used as an open air
pre-1914. cinema. Whilst the Americans had the drive-in move
Brighouse had its own version of a walk-in movie.
Reports from the time said that as many as 600
movie enthusiasts attended. It is likely that most
turned up out of curiosity. There was one major
problem and that was what they had to do in the
event of it raining.

15

This of course is decades from having domed For further information about our local jewel check

covers to keep the audience dry. It was decided out its website: https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/

that in the event of rain the audience had to make a residents/leisure-and-culture/parks-and-open-

dash out of the park down Bradford Road and seek spaces/parks/Wellholme-park

shelter in the Oddfellows Hall. Can you remember ?
Having been in this building many times I cannot

imagine how up to 600 people would be able to fit I am often asked about shops in the town centre, do

inside comfortably, if at all. I know who was in a certain shop before the current

business was for example. Whilst I do know some

of them I cannot claim to know them all.

For example I am sure many readers will remember
the Dolphin fish and chip shop and its restaurant at
43, Bethel Street. But, where was this fish shop before
it moved into this prime town centre location?

The Oddfellows Hall built in 1850 and demolished

during the redevelopment of the town centre during The Dolphin was at the top of Briggate directly
the late 1960s and 70s.
opposite Church Lane. On this 1960s photograph it is
The park has changed a lot since the 1960s, with a the shop with the white globe style external light.
number of new and improved facilities. Today, it is a
colourful town park with bowling, tennis courts, crazy From there it moved to 43, Bethel Street. In time it
golf, a play area, skate park and cafe. It is famous change hands again with the new name of
Blakeley’s. The old Dolphin along with all the
for its spectacular floral bedding displays.
property on

that corner

was demol-

ished as

part of the

to w n

centre

redevelop-

ment of the

late 1960s

and early

70s.

Wellholme Park during the 1960s when brass band Blakeley’s
concerts were every Sunday throughout the summer. It moved to its
was on these occasions that the audience which rarely current site
involved more that 20 people would have to make their and in time
shoppers saw the arrival of the ’No. 43’ café.
way to the Oddfellows Hall if it rained. Interestingly number 43 in 1943 was occupied by
Altham’s, the tea company. Readers will know this
Altham’s is now a travel agency with the nearest
branch being in Halifax.

16

Window Dedication at St James’ Church

The last service to be held at St James’ Church was the entire church being redecorated, the roof boarded

on December 27, 1970, and to mark the occasion it out, the old organ repaired, and the floors re-laid.

was attended by Brighouse’s Mayor Things had obviously got into a

and Mayoress, Alderman and Mrs poor state of repair by the summer of

Herbert Gooder DFC. 1908 and the church had to be

A little over 100 years earlier the closed for public worship for four
Church of England had tried to months.

establish itself in the town centre area With the final account amounting

of Brighouse, but with little success. to £530, once again the church

Efforts were made at one stage to authorities had to call on the
make the old St Paul’s Chapel into a generosit y of the church-goers.

satellite mission church, but this had A special service was held on

failed. Sunday, May 5, 1918, to dedicate a

In 1867 a familiar method of raising new window which had been erected
money in those days was by public in memory of the Rev Alban
subscription. Whilst money was being raised for a Bodley Mace.

new church where it might be built had not yet been The Rev Mace was a native of Hampshire and

decided. was the youngest son of The

With £1,427 safely banked Rev J.A.Mace of Hawley. In
away, the site eventually chosen 1910 he was the Curate at
was a small piece of land in a Lightcliffe, but after 12 months
corner of Wellholme Park. In he returned to Hampshire. In
those days the park was part of 1913 he returned to Brighouse
a large estate and owned by as the new Curate at the
Mrs Camm. Once the building Parish Church.

was finished the new St James’ On May 15, 1916, he left

Church was a Chapel of Ease England for war-torn Europe

for the Parish Church of St where he became a Chaplain to

Martin in Brighouse, opened in the forces in Salonika. Sadly,

December 1870, for a congregation of 450. on October 3, 1916, he was killed in action. Much

During the following July before the new Jardine loved by the congregation at St James’ the new
church organ was installed, it was a further 12 window was a fitting memory.

months to July 1871 before the fitting of two new Once the church was

stained glass windows were completed. The demolished some of the

windows were manufactured by the Morris Company church’s architectural

of Bloomsbury and were the church’s outstanding antiques were found new

artistic features which put the final cost of the homes. The dedicated

church to be almost £4,000. window is now at Cliffe

Over the years a number of improvements were Castle, Keighley on
made to the church, the first alterations were made display.

in 1903. The first items to be removed was the original In 1989 the church

pitch pine altar which was replaced with a fine site was redeveloped for

chastely carved oak altar, and was first used on housing. 26 flats were

Easter Day 1903. built and is now St James’

In 1904 further major renovations took place with Court and part of the EAC Rev. Alban Bodley
Housing Care group. Mace

17

Flashes What a transformation. Flashes

On June 25,1952, Mrs The Brighouse Cricket club was founded At a special Coronation
Armstrong, Rose Cottage, i n 1 8 7 3 b y t h e amalgamation of Alexandra Sub-Committee meeting
Cricket Club, who played behind the Parish on April 13, 1953, at the
Norwood Green was Church, and the Working Men’s Club. Town Hall, the Town Clerk
appointed from three submitted quotations in

applicants to be the new A new ground was developed and laid out at Clifton respect of every child
part-time caretaker at Road, Brighouse, and was given the name of t he under the age of five in
New Alexandra Cricket Ground. The first the Borough receiving a
Norwood Green Library. match saw Brighouse beat Clifton by two runs on coronation mug. The
Perhaps she still has May 30,1873, the gate receipts were just over £3. accepted quote came
from Keele Ltd Pottery,
family connections in the Stoke on Trent. The price
village. was 12/6d per dozen
ordered with a 2½ %
At the Housing and
Property committee discount. Just how
meeting at the Town Hall many were ordered the
on July 22, 1952, the council minutes do not
say. I wonder how many
c o m m i t t e e discussed have survived the last 69
years. If you still have one
an application they had In early 2000, an agreement was made between in your family we would
received from a tenant Tesco and the Brighouse Sports Club. Planners
at 12, Aysgarth Avenue, gave the go-ahead for the club to relocate and a be pleased to hear
Stoney Lane Estate. The about it.
application was a formal new Tesco supermarket to be built on the old
request to be able to s p o r t s c l u b s i t e . T h i s i m a g e s h o w s t h e At the Parliamentary,
install a telephone in redevelopment of the Clifton Road ground with the Reconstruction and Town
the house. Approval was demolition of the old cricket pavilion in 1996.
Planning Committee
given on the under- The deal also enabled the sports club to build new meeting on November
17, 1952 at the Town
standing of a satisfactory premises almost a mile away on land at Russell Hall, a letter had been
inspection by the Borough Way, which is off Bradford Road, Brighouse towards received from the North
Engineer once the work Eastern Region of British
had been completed. Bailiff Bridge. Railways. The letter stated
that it was propose to
Can you remember your close the Wyke and
first telephone? Norwood Green railway
station. Owing to its
In 1951 many of the Courtesy of Humphrey Bolton uneconomical use, keeping
Smith House estate it open could not be
children took part in the Here is the new Tesco Supermarket on the old justified. The committee
annual Smith House cricket ground in 2006. raised no objection to the
Community Association railway station being
pantomime which was to
be ‘Mother Goose‘ and closed. Having first
proved to be a huge opened on August 17,
1850 as Pickle Bridge
success. Were you Station and then as the
amongst the cast?
Wyke and Norwood
Green Station, it closed
on September 17, 1953.

18

Slead Syke Mill and the Plug Riots of 1842

These two illustrations are dated c1893 and was held during the summer of 1842 on Skircoat
show two different views of Slead Syke Mill. Moor at Halifax, when resolutions were passed
touching on the ‘people's rights’ and a deputation
despatched to the Mayor to demand the release of
the prisoners who had been captured by the
authorities during the day's ‘melees’.

It is recorded that even the women were very
excited and were heard urging the men to attack the
prisons in which the rioters were confined.

The mill was built by the Holland family, but who At another local gathering the occasion was
were they? There is very little written information opened with singing and prayers, as was customary
about this family or their business interests. This at most Chartist gatherings. The speakers were far
does seem strange considering the size of the mill more temperate in their language than on the day
in the illustration and the number of local people before. After the meeting the crowds divided into
they must have employed. smaller groups and left for Greetland, Elland,
Brighouse and other places to continue the work of
stopping the mills.

At Brighouse they first attacked Samuel
Leppington's mill at Brookfoot, where they drew the
plugs and then went to John Holland's, Slead Syke
Mill; then on to Perseverance Mill (where the Waterfront
Lodge Hotel was, opposite Sainsbury’s); Victoria
Mill which was then owned by the Rev Benjamin
Firth and is where the Sainsbury Supermarket is
today; Upper and Lower Mills; Robin Hood and Little
John Mills, were all visited.

At Little John Mill a local man, Joseph Baines,

drew the Cloughs in connection with the water

wheel, an incident which resulted in him appearing

at York for the offence and then sentenced to six

months imprisonment. Thornhill Briggs Mill was also

The mill did however, have its moment in history visited and part of the crowd then went to Bailiff
during the Plug Riots of 1842. With the industrialisation Bridge and drew Holdsworth's plugs.

and urbanisation, new economic pressures arose The 'Plug Plot' riots refer to a couple of days in

which included depression, high unemployment and August 1842, when thousands of workers and
Chartists were intent on pulling out the drain plugs
other grievances which primarily arose from the
of recently installed boilers in the mills. They were
Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.
met by troops of Hussars, Lancers and Infantry. The
This was this act that gave rise to a new radical inevitable result was a series of clashes in the area,
movement that flourished between 1838 and 1848 with people killed on both sides and the Riot Act
because it appeared to blame the poor for their own being read out.

poverty which directly led to their support in Chartism. Skirmishes occurred at Skircoat Moor, Perseverance
Mill in Brighouse, the bottom of Salterhebble Hill,
Chartism, said to be the first true working-class and North Bridge in Halifax. Many of those arrested
movement in Britain, was named after the People's were sent for trial at York Assizes, with one of those
Charter, which set out six political demands.

A meeting of between 10 and 15 thousand people from Salterhebble being convicted and transported.

19

Several local ringleaders at Brighouse and Who can remember Mrs Crossley?
Elland were punished with a period of

imprisonment. I have often been asked to deliver reminiscence

The Holland presentations to older peoples’ groups. Life at school

family first appear is a topic of conversation that always generates many
at Broad Oak, Hove memories. Whilst many had a happy experience at
Edge, with William school sadly some did not. Irrespective of how old
Holland being a the members of the group are we all agreed that if

manufacturer of one of our teachers just happened to walk through

‘stuffs’. So good the door we would all still refer to them as Mrs, Miss
was his business or Mr. It was the way we were brought up.

he and his family

moved to Slead

Hall as tenants in

1785.

His son John

John Holland the owner of the mill. styled himself as an
earlier version of the

Crossley’s or even Sir Titus Salt in religious matters,

commerce and the world of politics. He left Slead

Hall to the nearby Slead House which was his own

home and it was whilst living here that he built

Slead Syke Mill and a warehouse in Slead Syke. Retiring teacher Mrs Denise Crossley in 1995 with

In 1811 he was the first to introduce the the members of her class.

manufacture of ‘Moreens’ in the area, which I am sure if these children back in July of 1995, who
was a sturdy ribbed fabric of wool, cotton, or wool were students at what is now the St John's (C of E)
and cotton, which often had an embossed finish, Primary Academy Clifton, saw this teacher, Mrs
used for clothing and the upholstery industry Denise Crossley, the same respect would be shown
and something that he brought as a ‘first’ to the to her just as my older group members would with
district from Norwich. any of their teachers, and this was the day she

John Holland died in 1845 and was interred at retired.

Halifax with the funeral sermon being published and For readers who recognise themselves but with
made available for sale it was preached at Bridge the passage of time, 27 years, may have forgotten
End Church on October 12,1845.
their school days at Clifton. Mrs Crossley was a

Although he did have four sons William, Samuel, very well respected and well liked Key Stage 2
teacher.
John and Joseph all had died by 1885. None of

them having married or had heirs and although his

four daughters did and had families. There is no

records to indicate they or their families took any

part in the Slead Syke Mill or what eventually

happened to it.

At the West Riding Sessions in October 1839,
John Mozley was transported for seven years for
stealing wool and a sack at Hipperholme, the
property of John Holland and another.

I wonder if he ever made it back to Brighouse? This is 10 years earlier in July 1985 with Head Teacher
Perhaps he stayed after his seven years and made Mr John North and more Clifton school children.
a new life for himself.

20

A friend to everyone at Rastrick

Talk of the Toothill area of Rastrick and inevitably For years Mary Smith was on hand to both the poor

many people will think of Toothill Hall, Toothill and the more well to do folks: ‘Fetch Mary Smith’,

Grove or Toothill Cottage, the Blackburn, Firth or that was a cry often heard in the community.

the Fryer families. One night Mary Smith,

Frederick Fryer was having worked at the

born at Toothill on March Longdon's all day was

21,1824 and died at asked to stay overnight

Toothill Grove on rather than go home at

December 21, 1872. He such a late hour. It was

was married in Manchester during this stay that Miss

in 1850 to Elizabeth Longdon decided Mary

Longdon of Chorlton-on- Smith was the only person

Medlock and not long suited and respected

after they moved to live at enough to fulfil the role of

Toothill Grove her sister Sick-Nurse for the Town-

Miss M. A. Longdon and ship. In the middle of the

the remainder of the night there was a loud

Longdon family moved into Toothill Cottage, a knock at the door, a servant answered and a man

house opposite the Grove, seemingly just to be shouted in a state of some urgency, ‘Is Mary Smith

nearer her married sister. here, she is needed quickly my wife is ill’. It was this

Miss Longdon had suffered for many years with a request that had finally convinced Miss Longden.

spinal injury, which happened following an accident The very next day she consulted her friend Miss

as a teenager. For what must have given her an Ann Eddison, discussing the suggestion with her

obvious mobility problem but for all that she was still and offered to pay half the money needed to pay for

described in the area as a lady of high culture, Mary as long as she paid the other half. Although

intelligent and spent much of her time involved with initially she tried to persuade Miss Longdon it wasn't

charitable deeds particular in the local community in such a good idea, she finally conceded it was and

and around Rastrick. paid all the money herself. I understand that Mary

For many years she had the idea of providing and Smith was the paid Sick-Nurse for the Rastrick
funding the Rastrick Township with a Sick-Nurse. In Township for about 16 years.

fact she was often heard to say, ‘God sent her to Throughout that time Miss Longdon was always

Rastrick for this very purpose’. However, finding the ready to help the needy in the Township and in

right lady to carry out the job was no easy task. many ways to many people was almost considered

Eventually she did find someone, Mary Smith, a as an angel of mercy. Bedding, clothing and welfare
lady who at that time was living in Well Lane and of all kinds for the poor people of Rastrick was
was known to be both handy and more than never too much for her.

capable for such duties. Following the death of her mother and that of the

It transpired that Mary was already called on Fryers and finally her long-time companion Miss Eddison in
regularly to carry out the kind of duties Miss Longdon April 1887, she found that although liked and
had in mind in and around the Rastrick area. respected by the whole community she was now all
alone and beginning to feel quite lonely. She put up
As many readers will know, most villages and with this for almost four years when she finally moved
communities in those days and well into the to a new home at 'Castle Lodge' at Duffield near
twentieth century could usually muster a matronly Derby to be nearer her remaining relatives. She died
type lady who would carry out the role of either in October 1895 at her home and was interred at
midwife or laying out the dead. Duffield Cemetery.

21

A Letter from Ireland

I come from a family of six; five boys and just one eldest children were playing on the wide, flat beach
girl, poor thing! Mum had all six of us by the age of when we were encircled by the notorious tides of
31. With Mum and Dad being called Mary and the Lancashire coast. We didn't even realise the
Alwyn they decided to christen the children danger until Grandma, who had been sitting in her
alternately after the initials of their own names; and deckchair, came running towards us shouting and

waving, her skirt hitched up to expose drenched
bloomers. She then cajoled or hauled us back to
shore. On our struggle through the sea to safety
Michael was on his tiptoes in the water, which came
up to his chin. He was six, I was eight and Martyn
nine. I'll leave it to the reader to surmise what might
have happened had Grandma acted only minutes
later.

We three went on holiday with Grandma because

Dad was busy on the farm and Mum busy keeping

house, looking after the younger kids and feeding

our two or three farmhands, who could expect Full

English for breakfast, a dinnertime main course

(following pints in the Sun Inn at Rastrick with Dad)

and would stay for tea too before they got married

A family gathering, back row from the left: Grandad themselves. Dad would be in the gaffer's chair
Earnshaw, Dad, Grandma, Auntie Louie, Anne and now.

Granny. Front row from the left: Michael, Martyn and The farmhands were a big part of our lives, to
Anthony. such an extent that we even named our teddy bears

so the first four were called Martyn, Anthony, after two of them: Trevor and Nigel. Trevor sadly
Michael and Anne; but by the time they got to fell onto the electric fire and suffered life changing
Timothy and Robert they seemed to have given up injuries. The teddy, that is!

on this neat idea. When I moved to Cork at (what From the age of about 11 Martyn and I worked
turned out to be!) the tail end of the Celtic Tiger I every evening on the farm after arriving home from
got into the habit of explaining that our large family school at half four - until around seven o’clock.
was the result of a farming background rather than Then we would sit down for tea with Dad and the
a Catholic one! unmarried farmhands. Our duties consisted in

Grandma and Grandad Sam lived with us in the ‘drying and drawing’ our herd of Friesian cows in
farmhouse at the top end of Rastrick. Grandad died preparation for milking. This involved washing the
when I was four, but I can still remember him in the udders and teats with cloths and hot, soapy water
gaffer's chair at the dining table eating platefuls of and ensuring each cow was free of mastitis
infection by drawing milk from each quarter into a
tripe with salt, pepper and vinegar and trying to
tempt us with a forkful. Some chance! Grandma ‘stripping cup’.

used to have sayings. When forgetful or showing Then, as the milking went ahead, we’d bottle the

other signs of age she would say it would come to cooled milk apace ready for the milk round the next
us if we lived long enough and that we would eat a day; and stack the crates in the fridge. The cows all
peck of dirt before we died. She used to tell our
had names: Miss Brook, Jemima, Lady Lee, Tamie,
Uncle Keith, who was over six foot at the age of 15, Kicker, and so on. We had 31 cows altogether and
that he could get as tall as a church steeple and not when you brought them in from the field for milking
be t’boss over her!
each would stroll languidly into their own allotted

While on holiday in St Annes with Grandma, stall in the ‘mistels’ - which was our name for the
around the time of A Hard Day's Night, we three cowsheds.

22

On a Saturday morning we would help on the milk
round which was a much longer job on a weekend
because we had to collect the money. We were
always keen to get home in time for Football Focus
and so didn't stand on ceremony, but would knock
on the door, open it and shout ‘Milk Hello!’ before
being invited into the kitchen to be paid.

If you had a ‘bad payer’ and you didn't want to

face an awkward situation you might neglect to

knock; but when you The burnt out Smith’s Mill in the background. On the
arrived back at the Land back row from the left: Dad, Martyn, Anthony and

Rover without money you Mum. Front Row: Tim, Anne, Robert and Michael.

would always be asked if away across the road from the farmhouse. When
you had. Martyn would the mill set alight one night we had to evacuate post
joke that the way to avoid haste and seek refuge at their house while the mill
having to lie was to have burnt to the ground. The only thing that stopped
a sponge handy to knock our house going up too was the bravery of the fire-
with! A pint of milk was fighters who would periodically turn their backs on
10½ pence around this the blaze and douse the front of the house to cool it
time which meant if you down. Despite this, on our return home the following
had two pints a day you morning all our front windows were cracked, the
owed 12 shillings and 3 varnish was peeled off the front door and, most
pence. Martyn and I were strikingly, the plant pots on the front room windowsill
like walking Ready Reckoners as kids. had melted into terracotta-coloured pools of plastic!

There were the occasional delights though. On a Our story and picture (above) appeared in that Friday’s
Friday night after tea we did the egg round which Brighouse Echo. That week’s number one was Let It
involved collecting money too. The Yorkshire Be.
winters were just as dark as they are nowadays of
I drifted out of school around the time of Maggie
course but much colder; and some of the customers May and worked full time on the farm for four or five
would invite you into the living room for a years; but when free school milk was scrapped this
‘warm’. There you might find local girls of your own
age who you knew, fresh out of the bath and sitting led to a ‘milk lake’ and small farmers were subsidised to
get rid of their Dairy herds – which Dad did. At the
on the sofa in front of the fire, barefoot in their
pyjamas or nighties, perhaps drinking hot chocolate beginning of the long, hot summer of 1976 and the
and watching telly. Come on! If this didn't warm you advent of Punk I got the bus to Huddersfield with a
up nowt would! When we arrived back at the farm, suitcase, rucksack and offer of a job interview.

our other Granny, up with Grandad Earnshaw for Move to Cork

the evening, would stack up the takings on the dining It was almost 30 years later to the day – Lily Allen

table in piles of notes, shillings and pence, total had just released LDN – when my partner Karen

them up and deliver the tally to Dad in the front and I decided to move to Cork. Although we had

room. been bringing the kids to Ireland on holiday for a

Mum had a hard life but did have help from few years prior to moving here our eldest daughter

Grandma as well as the extended family of great Natalie decided to stay in the UK because she was

aunties, some of whom we just called auntie and 20 and already living away from home. The other
some who actually were our aunties. Auntie Louie two, Rebecca and Sam, were only 11 and 10 and
so came with us. If you weren't born in Cork you
and Uncle Joe lived just down the road in New
are always considered a ‘blow-in’ and County Cork
Road Square near where Mum lives now. Auntie has a very similar ‘county pride’ to Yorkshire; but
Louie was one of the regulars at the farm and Uncle after a few weeks you'd have assumed by their
Joe worked at Smith's Mill which was only yards
accents that Rebecca and Sam were born here!

23

Karen landed a nursing position with the Health health care worker in Bury. Sam has a degree in

Service and I managed to secure a job in my own Law from University College Cork and is working

profession too, helping people with disabilities find part time in Outsourcing whilst studying for his

work. When we took Rebecca to the local Masters. Rebecca has returned from an 18-month

Comprehensive in Cork to enrol her, the head teacher stint teaching pre-school kids in Vietnam and is

said she was much too young and, assuming we were studying illustration whilst working part time in

Protestants – we’re not religious - sent us up to the Hospitality. We are very proud of all our children.

nearest Church of Ireland Primary School. The Tony (Anthony) Henson
school had only twenty-odd pupils in total, sharing

two classrooms; with the two teachers, assisted by

the headteacher, presiding over years’ one to four in Scrap Book Memories

one room and years’ five to eight in the other.

The teaching would proceed as a very collective The Covid lockdown periods gave me an
affair, with the older children in each setting chipping opportunity to venture into my loft and rummage
in too under the direction of the teacher. But this through my vast local history collection. Tucked
unusual arrangement proved a real blessing in the away in a dark corner was a collection of scrap
end since the kids got a great education and made books dating back to the 1930s. Whilst most of
friends for life; and we also inherited a readymade the cuttings involved the abdication there was a
social circle of parents. few images cut from local newspapers.

Three years ago, Karen and I decided to apply for One of them is this team photograph of Clifton
Irish Citizenship by Naturalisation and attended the AFC who played in the Spen Valley League.
ceremony in Killarney, County Kerry, along with Whilst there is no indication why the photograph
had been taken it does give all the players names.

3,500 fellow applicants from 120 different Back row, from the left: F. Marsden (treasurer),
countries. The new citizens were congratulated A. Schofield, H. Lawton, A. Lockwood, N. Mulligan,
by the Minister for Justice and Equality whilst the F. Wood and C. Young (secretary).
presiding officer was a retired High Court Judge;
and musical accompaniment was provided by the Front row, from the left: W. Langley, L. Wood, F.
Army Band Brigade from Collins Barracks in Cork Robinson, N. Ingham (cpt), L. Bartle and H. Asquith.
which played well known covers, including Beatles
songs. It was a joyous affair. Whilst these young footballers will no longer be
with us I am sure they will have relatives still in
Karen continues to practice as a nurse in Cork, I and around the Clifton and Brighouse areas.
still work in Supported Employment and Natalie is a If you recognise any of them we would be
pleased to hear from you.

enquiries@chrishelme-brighouse.org.uk

24

Brighouse at Work - From a small hamlet and a bridge, the town of
Brighouse in Calderdale grew rapidly with the building of the Calder and
Hebble Navigation in the late eighteenth century. This led to the development
of the town’s successful textile industries. This is a book where almost a
few lines will tell the reader something about the industrial heritage of
Brighouse and its surrounding communities.

The book is £14.99 + £3 postage packaging, for overseas orders please
contact the author. PayPal is available as are cheques.

All in a Day’s Work — During the 1950s, Chris Helme was often
asked by relatives: 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' A
policeman was always his answer. A child of the Fifties, he was
brought up to respect the local police who seemed to know everyone.

All in a Day's Work: 30 Years as Brighouse Bobby is his journey to
achieving that ambition culminating with being awarded the British
Empire Medal for services to his community in 1990. A local bobby had
to deal with everything that happened on his 'patch'. This book takes
the reader through a catalogue of sad, humorous, and almost
unbelievable incidents in the life of a local policeman. £12.00 + £3 p/p.

This is now also available as an audiobook at Calderdale Library
Service and other audiobook sources on the internet.

Brighouse Through Time - 96 pages of both black and white and
coloured images of aspects with views of Brighouse and its surrounding
communities. Fascinating scenes displayed in a of 'then and now'
format. £12.99 + £3.

Sunny Vale Pleasure Gardens, near Brighouse, opened as a
garden in 1880 but with the inclusion of amusements in 1883 it
became a hugely popular venue for Sunday strollers, local Sunday
School groups and day trippers from around the north of England for
the next seventy-five years. This collection of more than 180 images,
complemented by detailed captions and reminiscences of the Gardens
throughout their long history, will delight all who remember visiting as a
child and provide a fascinating insight into this vanished, but
not-forgotten, institution. £12.00 + £3 p/p.

All these books can be purchased through www.chrishelme-brighouse.org.uk
from the on-line shop or by contacting Chris Helme email:

enquiries@chrishelme-brighouse.org.uk — or by telephone 07854-755756
and Harrison Lords, Bradford Road Brighouse. If you wish to advertise your
book on the website or in this magazine please contact the publisher.

Back page outer cover photograph: Park Chapel, Bethel Street c1910. The original chapel was built in 1795
and was big enough to have a congregation of about 200. Demolished in 1876, it was replaced by the current
building in 1878. In 1982, a number of Methodist congregations merged and with modifications needed at

Bethel Chapel (now the Central Methodist Church) to accommodate them the first united service was at Park
Chapel in 1982. The first service at the refurbished Central Methodist Church was on Advent Sunday 1983,
marking the closure of Park Chapel as a place of worship. Having been an indoor market which closed in 1999, it
re-opened as the Richard Oastler pub and restaurant, a popular venue for town centre shoppers and visitors.


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