Spen Fame Trail
The
trail covers plots and bloody battles, fighter jets, the Rolls-Royce grille,
the lunar golf ball from the Apollo 14 mission, revoluntionaries, pioneers, a
hangman and a ratcatcher - and that's just for starters! Celebrating the famous
and infamous characters of Spen Valley in West Yorkshire England this scheme,
funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is a trail of 48 floor plaques. We
want to make everyone aware of the very special, as well as some quirky, people
who have come from Spen Valley and instil a sense of pride in our history and
achievements.
“This
is a great fillip to our area, and well done to the society for the work you
are doing on behalf of the residents of Spen Valley. At school I hated history,
but I am now avidly a local history fan, and can't wait to visit all the plaque
sites.” John & Mags Rhys-Vivian
Liversedge residents
We've
had a lot of interest from our customers about the Trail. We had one chap pop
in and announce he was starting from plaque 8 across the road and he'd
travelled over 150 miles from Bedford. Owner, Shears Fisheries
The
Fame Trail leaflet is brilliant. Some of the people we knew about but there was
a lot of new stuff. Somebody's done a lot of research. We clearly live in a
much more interesting area than many people might think. Kathy Aveyard,
Roberttown resident
The
leaflets are so popular we've had to ask for another display stand so there's
leaflets in each bar room! There's plenty more information about the Luddites
in the pub as well. Landlady, Shears Inn
If you have any comments to make about this
scheme you can either call 01274 870072 or email plaques@svcs.org.uk.
Free leaflet guides and map, showing all
plaque locations, are now available.
Click here for details.
"Heritage is not just
about castles, museums and old buildings. Memories, stories and reminiscences
are a popular way of learning about our past and sharing this with future
generations. The Spen Fame Trail has encouraged the local community to
learn about their past; helping bolster community pride in the local area by
celebrating their rich and diverse heritage." Fiona Spiers, Regional
Manager of the Heritage Lottery Fund
Click on a number to go straight to the
plaque details
UPPER HIGHTOWN, HARTSHEAD and ROBERTTOWN
[1] Roger
Hargreaves,doodler [2] John Wesley [3]
Patrick Brontë [4] John Green
[5] Feargus O'Connor,
revolutionary [6] Lisa Brambani [7]
John Booth, Luddite
LOWER HIGHTOWN AND MILLBRIDGE
[8] Shears Inn and
John Walker [9] Ken Mackintosh, band leader [10] First ever state school
[11] Old Yew Tree Inn
– Headlands Hall [12] Leslie Heward [13] George Humble
[14] John Fozard [15] Hammond
Roberson
HECKMONDWIKE
[16] Arthur Wood
[17] John Curwen [18] Thomas
Cassidy, Ratcatcher [19] James Berry, Hangman
[20] Heckmondwike
Illuminations [21] Francis Popplewell [22] Hubert Houldsworth
[23] Stanley Matthews’ boots
[24] Brian
Tattersfield, designer [25] Joseph Pinder [26] Thomas Redfearn and Samuel Wood
[27] Father Brown and
Roche [28] Joseph Priestley
CLECKHEATON & LITTLETOWN
[29] William
Cartwright [30] Marsh Mill Tragedy [31] Plug Rioters
[32] Rebecca Sugden
[33] Elymas Wadsworth [34] Phelon and Moore [35] Philip
Barton, cabbage man [36] John Wesley Hillard
[37] Abel
Blackburn [38] Westgate Bridge crash [39] Edward
Wadsworth [40] Poor Ben
[41] Cleckheaton
Conspirators [42] Whitechapel Church [43] William Fenton
[44] Jeff Butterfield
and John Bentley
OTHERS
[45] Sam Pearson [46] Toffee Smith
[47] Adam Hart-Davis [48] Mary
Taylor
Acknowledgements
UPPER HIGHTOWN, HARTSHEAD and ROBERTTOWN
[1] Roger
Hargreaves, doodler
Born, Charles Roger Hargreaves on 9th May
1935 the son of Alfred Hargreaves, then a woollen manufacturer, and Ethel
Pickles. The family home where Roger
lived until the age of 4 was High Lees, 703 Halifax Road, Cleckheaton. In 1971, while working on an advertising
campaign for a client, Hargreaves doodled a character with exceptionally long
arms, though an alternative story says he drew it after his son, Adam, asked:
“What does a tickle look like?"
Either way Mr Tickle, with his long arms, was born. There are now 46 Mr
Men and 33 Little Misses who have entertained children in over 22 countries.
The Mr Men books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, making their
creator the third best selling author in British history, outsold only by JK
Rowling and Jacqueline Wilson.
Where: High Lees, 703 Halifax Road,
Cleckheaton, BD19 6LJ nr. Pack
Horse
Links
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1018&id=1650052006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4872780.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6557177.stm
[2] John
Wesley
John Wesley, founder of Methodism, paid
several visits to the Spen Valley, a hotbed of Non-Conformity. Even the
smallest settlement has its Methodist chapel here. Wesley is said to have
stayed at Lower Blacup Farm and to have preached at the Theyked Chapel in
Hightown, then thatched. The Sunday School is now two houses.
Where: Opposite the post office in Halifax Road, Hightown
Links
http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wesley.htm
[3] Patrick Brontë
Father of the famous Brontë sisters, Patrick Brontë married
Maria Branwell in 1812. They made their first home at Clough House, Hightown,
from 1812-1815, whilst Patrick was the curate at Hartshead Church. Their daughters
Anne, Emily and Charlotte were born after they moved to Thornton.
Where: Clough House, Halifax Rd, Hightown
Links
http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/patrick/patrick.asp
[4] John
Green
Quakers were
considered dangerous and persecuted until the Toleration Act of 1689. John
Green (1596-1669), buried in the
Sepulchre in Hare Park Lane, Hightown, refused to pay tithes to the Church or
swear the oath of allegiance and was imprisoned. His family was the leading
Quaker family in Liversedge in the later 17th and early 18th centuries.
Where: Buried in the Sepulchre in Hare Park Lane, Hightown
[5] Feargus
O'Connor, revolutionary
The biggest political rally in England that
was ever held took place at Peep Green, Hartshead in October 1838. A quarter of
a million people gathered to hear the fiery orator from Leeds whip up sentiment
in support of the People's Charter. So dangerous was O'Connor seen that among
the huge crowd Government agents looked for weapons and signs of revolution.
Other huge rallies with famous speakers were held at Peep Green as it was
equidistant between all the main woollen district towns. In 1839 a march of 20,000
workers from Todmorden arrived led, all the way, by a brass band.
Where: The Common stretched from Liversedge cemetery over to
Prospect Road and then into Roberttown (6)
Lisa Brambani
Links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/oconnor_feargus.shtml
[6] Lisa
Brambani
Olympic cyclist
Lisa was born on 18th August 1967 and has lived in Hartshead village since the age
of nine months. She is a four times national road race champion and twice
national 10-mile time champion. She represented Great Britain at the 1988
Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, and won a silver medal at the Commonwealth
Games in Auckland, New Zealand in 1990.
Where: Plaque in Hartshead Lane
[7] John Booth,
Luddite
The Star Inn at
Roberttown gave shelter to wounded Luddites after their attack on Rawfolds
Mill. Local legend has it that a wounded man, John Booth, was tortured by the
Rev Hammond Roberson to name his accomplices. On his death bed the mortally
wounded man whispered in the vicar's ear "Can thi keep a secret?" to
which the holy man replied he could. In reply John Booth said "So can
I" and passed away. A street off Child Lane is named after him.
Where: Far Common Road, Roberttown
LOWER HIGHTOWN AND MILLBRIDGE
[8] Shears Inn
and John Walker
This pub was a drinking hole and base for
croppers' meetings. Luddites plotted their revenge against mill owners and mechanisation
in an upstairs room. John Walker used to lead the singing of the Croppers’ Song
(see below) and was remembered long after being executed for taking part in the
attack on Rawfolds Mill (see 29). Real place in Charlotte
Brontë’s novel Shirley.
Where:
Halifax Road, Hightown
The Cropper’s Song
Come cropper
lads of high renown,
Who love to drink
good ale that's brown
And strike each
haughty tyrant down
With hatchet,
pike and gun.
Who though the
specials still advance
And soldiers
nightly round us prance,
The cropper lads
still lead the dance
With hatchet,
pike and g'un.
And night be night
when all is still
And the moon is
hid behind the hill,
We forward march
to do our will
With hatchet,
pike and gun.
Great Enoch
still shall lead the van,
Stop him who
dare, stop him who can.
Press forward
every gallant man
With hatchet,
pike and gun.
Refrain:
Oh, the cropper
lads for me,
The gallant lads
for me,
Who with lusty
stroke
The shear frames
broke,
The cropper lads
for me.
[9] Ken
Mackintosh, band leader
Ken Mackintosh was one of Britain's most
distinguished band-leaders of the 20th century accompanying singers of the
stature of Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Matt Munro. He was born in Halifax
Road, near Knowler Hill, in 1920 and devoted his life to music after buying his
first alto sax at the age of 15. After a period in the army he went to London
and joined various big bands such as Oscar Rabin. He then formed his own
orchestra and toured extensively at home and abroad. Ken also wrote his own
music such as The
Creep and played regularly on the Music While You Work radio
shows. Among his countless fans was the Queen Mother for whom he played twice
at Windsor Castle. He died in November 2005.
Where: Born in Halifax Road, behind Liversedge Town Hall in 1920
Sample of other
music he played
Tin
Pan Alley Ball featuring Beryl Reid in character as the brummie
"Marlene"
Links
http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,1658869,00.html
http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Ken_Mackintosh%20Interview.htm
[10] First ever state school
A legacy of the Rev Hammond Roberson, the
National School was opened in 1812 and restored from ruinous condition in 2006.
Roberson also secured the erection of a similar school in Birstall. The Rev. Mathew
Helstone in Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley
is said to be modelled on him. (See also [7] and [15]).
Where:
Halifax Road, Hightown
[11] Old Yew Tree Inn – Headlands Hall
This historic building stands opposite the
old Toll House at the junction with the Roberttown bypass. In 1812 injured
Luddites John Booth and Samuel Hartley were first taken there after the
abortive attack on Rawfolds Mill. When a crowd began to gather the authorities
removed the men to The Star Inn. See
also [7].
Where:
Junction Huddersfield Road and Roberttown Lane
[12] Leslie
Heward
Talented conductor and composer Leslie
Heward was born on 8th December 1897 at 15 Station Lane, Littletown - now
Halifax Road. He was extraordinarily gifted as a child, becoming choirboy and
organist at Lower Wyke Moravian Church before attending Manchester Cathedral
Choir School and the Royal College of Music. He was assistant music master at
Eton College, conducted the British National Opera Company, was musical
director of the South African Broadcasting Corporation and conducted the Cape
Town and Birmingham Symphony orchestras. Heward was "one of the brightest
stars of the English musical firmament" but was dogged by ill health and
died on 3rd May 1943 aged 45.
Where: 15 Station Lane, now Halifax Road, adj. Millbridge Park
Links
http://www.moeran.com/Writing/Heward.html
[13] George
Humble
George Humble was
the landlord of the Globe Inn at Millbridge over 200 years ago and a racing
fanatic. This important coaching inn stood on the highway between Leeds and
Manchester facing up what is now Halifax Road but was demolished in the 1960s.
Royal Mail coaches stopped there and people took their post to the pub. A lover
of hunting and horse racing George organised the Peep Green Races at Hartshead
in the 1780s. After 1800 he organised an annual mid summer big race meeting
known as the Roberttown Races. The course went from The Star to the Gray Ox
pub. The races ceased when a rider crossing the main road (Far Common Road)
collided with a haulier’s wagon, killing the jockey.
Where: Almost opposite Millbridge WMC. Demolished in the 1960s
[14] John Fozard
This Heckmondwike Grammar
School pupil became design chief for the Harrier Jump Jet from 1963-1978 via an
apprenticeship as a draughtsman age 16. Once the design was complete and
production of the vertical take off plane underway he travelled round the world
selling it. The plane went on to see glorious service in the Falklands War . In
1987 he moved to Washington DC. (Lived 1928-1996)
Where: Holme Street, Millbridge
[15]
Hammond Roberson
Arriving in the area in 1795
this irascible vicar bought
Healds Hall where he set up a boys' boarding school. He lived there until his death
in 1841. It later became the home of Samuel Cooke, owner of the biggest textile
mill in the valley, just down the road, and is
now part of Healds Hall restaurant and hotel. Roberson also built Liversedge
Christ Church in 1812, at a cost to him of £7,474,11s 10 pence and 3 farthings,
and the first ever state school, the National School in Halifax Road. All these
buildings remain today. He is said to be the model for the thunderous Rev
Mathew Helstone in Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley.
The National School was restored from a ruinous condition in 2006. (See 10)
Where:
Entrance to Healds Hall Hotel, Leeds Road, Millbridge
[16] Arthur
Wood
Mention The Archers to anyone and
you'll be greeted with a rendition of "Dum di dum di dum di dum..."
But did you know it was composed by a son of Heckmondwike? The tune is Barwick
Green from the suite My Native Heath by Arthur Wood in 1924. Wood
was born at a tailor's shop near the Green in Heckmondwike on 24th January
1875. His father encouraged him to play the violin, flute and piccolo. After
leaving school at 12 he became a church organist and at 16 was lead flautist,
pianist and deputy conductor of the Harrogate Municipal Orchestra. In 1903 he
became director of music at Terry's Theatre in London later conducting
orchestras at the Apollo, the Shaftesbury, His Majesty's Theatre and the Theatre
Royal, Drury Lane. Comedian Billy Connolly once said The Archers theme
tune should replace God Save The Queen as the national anthem.
Where: Plaque to be placed in Green Park Heckmondwike
[17] John
Curwen
Without the brilliant inventive mind of
John Curwen, there might never have been The
Sound of Music!
Heckmondwike-born
Curwen invented the tonic sol-fah method of teaching vocal music, made world
famous in the film's iconic song Do-Re-Mi.
He was born in 1816 at Hurst House in Oak Street, the son of Spedding Curwen
and Mary Jubb. As a Sunday school teacher the young Curwen developed the system
to help his pupils learn hymns and gave up full-time ministry to concentrate on
music. In 1879 the Tonic Sol-Fah College was opened and later run by his son,
John Spencer Curwen. He died in Manchester in 1880.
Where: Hurst House, Oak St. Plaque to be placed in Green Park
Heckmondwike
[18] Thomas
Cassidy, Ratcatcher
Poor drainage and filthy ashpits were
responsible for much vermin, and rats in particular, were a menace. Thomas Cassidy
claimed to be the champion rat catcher of the world. His method was to drive the rats out of the holes with a
preparation, the composition of which was a secret, catching them with his bare
hands as they came out. In 1908 at one
Heckmondwike skin factory he caught 153 rats out of 155 in 13 minutes - using
neither dog nor ferrets. Tom wasn’t daft either. He always made sure he left
one or two behind so his services would be required again.
Where: Plaque to be placed in Green Park Heckmondwike
[19] James
Berry, Hangman
James Berry was born in 1852 in
Heckmondwike, the son of a wool stapler. He joined the Bradford borough police
and became an executioner in 1884 when he executed William Innes and Robert
Vickers at Calton jail, Edinburgh. They were poachers who shot and killed two
gamekeepers. Mary Lefley, who poisoned her husband with arsenic, was his first
English execution at Lincoln County jail. Berry carried out 131 hangings in his
eight years in office, including five women. He is best known for his attempts
to hang John Lee - three times he pulled the lever and three times the trapdoor
failed to release. The sentence was then commuted to life in prison. Berry's
memoirs “My Experiences as an Executioner” is still available at libraries.
Where: Plaque to be placed in Green Park Heckmondwike
[20]
Heckmondwike Illuminations
In
1868 gas fired illuminations celebrated the opening of the Market. Plumes,
crowns and feathers decorated the town. In 1885 the gas illuminations appeared to
celebrate Christmas, and a combination of gas and electric have ensured
fantastic displays ever since. In 1930
the first set pieces were added, based on pantomime characters and nursery
rhymes. In 1953, “An illuminated bus, like a box of jewels on wheels, toured
the town followed by the awestruck stares of children” (Guardian & Herald).
“One Christmas Eve, a bloke fell out of a pub, quite merry, and was later
chased by the local constabulary because he was carrying two of Snow White’s
dwarves, one under each arm. They were presumed to be Sleepy and Dopey!"
The lights deteriorated in the 1970s but in 1985, their centenary year, a huge
effort was made to rekindle their former glory and 9,000 people came to witness
the switch on. Green Park now has a permanent lights
display, called the Crown of Lights.
Where: Plaque to be placed in Green Park Heckmondwike
[21] Francis
Popplewell
White blankets
were the staple of the handloom weavers of Heckmondwike. Francis Popplewell
conducted trade in these blankets at the George and Dragon in the market place
and the first Blanket Hall was built here in 1811. The second Blanket Hall was
built where Woolworths now stands in 1839. In 1869 this was sold as the trade
had gone to the new factories.
Where: Plaque to be placed in Green Park Heckmondwike
[22] Hubert Houldsworth
Sir Hubert rose from humble beginnings to become the chairman of
the National Coal Board. He was left fatherless at 6 but won a scholarship to Heckmondwike
Grammar and became a barrister. He served on the town's Council for many years,
chairing its Electricity Committee. He was Controller General at the Ministry
of Fuel and Power from 1944-1945 and in 1951 became chairman of the NCB. He
died in 1956, less than 24 hours after he had been confirmed a baronet, in
London.
Where: St James Cottage (now demolished), James Street, nr Sir
Robert Peel Heckmondwike
[23] Stanley
Matthews’ boots
In its heydey Heckmondwike footwear company
Goliath - the Co-op Boot Company - made football boots for the wizard of
dribble Sir Stanley Matthews. Sir Stanley, who died in 2000, had a long and
illustrious footballing career with Blackpool, Stoke City and England. Every
year he went through several pairs of the special light boots which made him
quick on his feet and he often made the trip to the Heckmondwike factory in
Brunswick Street to see how they were made and meet the workers. He put his
name to a special brand of boot also made in Heckmondwike.
Where: Brunswick Street, Heckmondwike
[24] Brian
Tattersfield, designer
Armani, Peugeot, Fendi - names you wouldn't
necessarily link with the Spen Valley. But Heckmondwike-born Brian Tattersfield
helped propel them to the forefront of design. Brian, born at Kilpin Hill, was
co-founder, partner and creative head of Minale Tattersfield, which he
launched with Italian designer Marcello Minale. They became two of the top
designers in Europe with Harrods, Giorgio Armani, Nivea, London Transport and
the Imperial War Museum among their client list. The artwork in the three
subways connecting the central terminals of Heathrow Airport is that of the
Minale Tattersfield studio.
Where: Kilpin Hill (at the junction with Halifax Road)
[25] Joseph
Pinder
Joseph Pinder deserves his own place in
Spen's history because, as one of the Kilpin Hill traditional handloom weavers,
he was the last of his kind. In the 19th century there was an enclave of
handloom weavers making blankets in Kilpin Hill. The cottages incorporated loom
chambers and scouring places while tenter frames for drying the finished cloth
were placed on adjoining plots of land. By 1850 when most handloom weavers had
been reduced to starvation wages, the Kilpin Hill weavers could still enforce
piece rates for their work. Joseph continued in this occupation until his death
in 1910. He and his wife Mary lived firstly in Kilpin Hill and then round the corner
in Occupation Lane.
Where: 39 Kilpin Hill, now used as a garage
[26] Thomas
Redfearn and Samuel Wood
The census of 1891
shows these two “loyal Heckmondwickians” as neighbours on Eldon Street,
Heckmondwike. At the time Samuel had
seven children and Thomas, five. The pair were determined not to be outdone by
the Cleckheaton Conspirators in gaining a good school for Heckmondwike. They
fought with the Cleckheaton Conspirators to gain a good school for Heckmondwike
- the result being the building of both Heckmondwike and Whitcliffe Mount
Grammar Schools.
Where: Heckmondwike Grammar School, High Street
[27] Father
Brown and Roche
The distinguished writer G K Chesterton
based his famous Father Brown detective books on his friend Father John O'Connor,
parish priest at the Holy Spirit from 1905-1922 - and it was Father O'Connor who received the author into the
Roman Catholic Church there.
Father Paddy
Roche was parish priest at the Holy Spirit from 1963-1977. He was a keen golfer
and chaplain to the Ryder Cup team. He also befriended the Apollo astronauts,
watching the two moon landings in 1972. He gave them a blessing that they left
on the moon - along with a prayer written by the children of the Holy Spirit
School. In return he was given a golf ball that had been all the way to the
moon and back. Father Roche was also a friend to Hollywood film stars - Bing
Crosby being a golfing partner.
Where: Holy Spirit, Bath Road, Heckmondwike
Ode to
Heckmondwike
In Spain the sad guitar they strike,
And, yearning, sing of Heckmondwike;
The Papal guard leans on his pike
And dreams he is in Heckmondwike;
Peru’s proud horsemen long to bike
But for one hour in Heckmondwike;
Offered a land bill, Pat and Mike
Cry "Give us stones - in
Heckmondwike!"
G K
Chesterton
[28] Joseph Priestley
The Old Hall, our most historic public
house, was the childhood home of Joseph Priestley. Scientist and radical thinker,
Priestley is most famous for his discovery of oxygen. A priest, his radical
thought led to his eventual decision to seek a new life in America. There is a
also a Blue plaque at this location.
Where: Old Hall pub, New North Road, Heckmondwike
CLECKHEATON & LITTLETOWN
[29] William Cartwright
This mill stood at the northern end of
Primrose Lane, down which a throng of Luddites marched on the night of 12th
April 1812 to attack the mill of William Cartwright where new cropping
machinery had been installed. The mill was well defended and during the gunfire
two attackers were killed and others wounded. Eight men were later hanged at
York. See 8 also. Dramatised in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Shirley
Where: Bradford Road, Littletown
[30] Marsh Mill tragedy
One of
Spen Valley’s greatest tragedies took place at the premises of Wesley Barraclough,
flannel manufacturer. The 150ft chimney at Marsh Mills collapsed in February
1892, killing 15 people. The 500 ton chimney crashed through the roof of the
four storey building burying workers under tons of rubble. Other workers
remained stranded in the upper floors and were helped down by men with ropes. A
plaque marking the spot was unveiled in 1992, 100 years later.
Where: Dewsbury Road, Cleckheaton
[31] Plug
Rioters
Four local men,
farmers and colliers, were among over 30 arrested for rioting outside St Peg
Mills on 17th August 1842. Charles Leighton, Richard Thomson, Thomas Barber,
and John Hey were taken into custody following a confrontation between
5,000-6,000 desperate men and women and hundreds of special constables and
soldiers. The throng of people were calling at mills to shut them down as part
of a northern rising of workers demanding better working conditions, cheaper
food and parliamentary reform (the People's Charter). After drawing two of the
three boiler plugs at the mill and closing it down they were challenged by the
constables, a troop of Lancers and a detachment of the Yorkshire Hussars.
Fighting broke out on a grand scale and the throng was eventually dispersed
without loss of life.
Where: St.Peg Lane, Cleckheaton
[32] Rebecca
Sugden
Rebecca Sugden was born on 3rd May 1873 and
was a pioneer of health care. In 1926 she set up the Gomersal Nursing
Association that paid for a nurse to look after the sick. But her greatest
achievement was the creation of the Ellison Clinic. It began when she sent a
souvenir of George V's coronation to all the disabled in Spenborough. The
responses to the gift led to her and her friends forming the Cripples League of
Love and engaging a physiotherapist. The name later changed to the Spenborough
Cripples League and after 1924, and the gift of accommodation, the name became
the Ellison Clinic in memory of her mother. It eventually employed three
physiotherapists and a social worker, treating thousands of local people. In
1948 the NHS took it over and she set up a voluntary welfare committee becoming
its president until her death in 1959 at the age of 86. She was awarded the MBE
for her work with the disabled.
She was one of the
first women to be appointed to the bench. She served on the West Yorkshire
Bench in Dewsbury for 20 years. Along with other family members she set up a
trust to provide Spenborough clergy with a Christmas dinner. Originally this
was a hamper but later a cheque and was only ended when the clergy were better
paid and no longer felt comfortable receiving the money.
Where: Ellison Clinic, Brooke Street,
Cleckheaton
[33]
Elymas Wadsworth
Elymas Wadsworth
established worsted spinning at Broomfield Mills, Moorbottom. In 1887, to
commemorate the golden wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, it was
decided that a town hall would be built. Elymas was elected chairman of the
committee and public subscriptions poured in. The foundation stone was laid in
June 1890 and on 10th February 1892 the town hall was officially opened. Elymas
had sadly died 9 months earlier.
Where:
Spenborough Town Hall, Cleckheaton
[34] Phelon and Moore (P
& M)
Joah Carver Phelon and Harry Rayner
(Phelon's nephew) made their first vehicle in 1896 and by 1903 were producing P
& R motorcycles at their Heaton Street premises. Rayner died in 1903 and
Phelon took on a new partner, Richard Moore, and the marque then became P &
M. Production grew and in 1910 they built Horncastle Mills. In 1914 they
secured the exclusive rights to manufacture motorcycles for the Royal Flying
Corps and the RAF, producing thousands of solo and sidecar machines that saw
active service abroad. In the early 1920s they introduced the first model to be
called a 'Panther' and had modest success in the Isle of Man TT Races. The
recession which saw off many motorcycle makers in the 1930s was grasped as an
opportunity when they produced their famous 'Red Panther' selling for £29 17s
6d. During the last war P & M produced precision components for Rolls
Royce, Fairey Aviation and other aircraft manufacturers, but in 1946 resumed
manufacture of motorcycles. The advent of the Mini car and more modern designs
from abroad meant a slow decline for P & M until production ceased in 1967.
General engineering including the manufacture of valves for the oil industry
continued until the 1980s when the works were sold.
Where: Horncastle Mills, Horncastle Street, Cleckheaton
[35] Philip
Barton, cabbage man
Philip
Barton was an amateur gardener who achieved national fame by growing a cabbage
weighing a staggering 115lb 11oz, earning himself a place in the Guinness Book
of Records. This incredible feat was achieved at the Mann Dam allotments at the
bottom of Valley Road in September 1977. He was presented with a certificate by
Garden News magazine.
Where:
Bottom of Valley Road, Cleckheaton
[36] John
Wesley Hillard
John Wesley
Hillard opened his first Lion Store in Cleckheaton in 1885. His first store,
founded with a £50 loan, grew eventually to the Lion Stores chain. The chain,
later known as Hillards, had 60 supermarkets in its heyday, and was eventually
sold to Tesco in the 1980s.
Where:
Corner of Northgate and Serpentine, Cleckheaton
[37] Abel Blackburn
In 1904
Abel Blackburn turned heads with a new-fangled four wheeled vehicle known as an
automobile. Abel was the founder of Abel Blackburn and Co Limited, card setting
machine manufacturers, of High Street and Tofts Lane in Cleckheaton. But it was
his 10 Horse Power Norfolk Car which became his most pioneering
achievement. It had a two-cylinder engine and could reach 40mph. However the
venture was short lived. Production ceased just a year - and 14 cars - later,
thanks to a large order from Argentina for carding machines which meant they
needed the factory space. Today's only surviving Norfolk was restored after
being discovered hidden away in a foundry in 1933 by a Barnsley motor trader.
In 2004 it made its 50th appearance in the London to Brighton vintage rally.
Where:
Plaque has yet to be placed at Tofts Mill, Serpentine Road, Cleckheaton
Extract from March/April 2004 The Flying Lady page ref 7271
www.rroc.org/media.asp?sid=1&ukey=396
from http://www.rroc.org/
With respect to the Royce (of Rolls-Royce) radiator grille, historians
have noted the general similarity in design with the little-known Norfolk car
of the time. On March 7, 1904 the 1st Annual Manchester Motor Show was opened
at St. James’s Hall, Oxford Street by the 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, a
pioneer motor manufacturer. Amongst the cars was the Norfolk made by Abel
Blackburn & Co. of Cleckheaton. Royce would surely have attended this show!
The earliest likely date for Royce’s version is August 1904. Royce had always
said that a good way to proceed was to take the best and improve it.
[38] Westgate
Bridge crash
Tom Fox, a wire drawer by trade, was the
only person injured - and only slightly - when several railway trucks almost
fell on top of him from Westgate bridge on the evening of 20th June 1928. He
scuttled underneath the bridge and received a cut hand from a flying stone. He
emerged covered in dust and looking like a chimney sweep. The wagons crashed
onto and demolished a butcher's shop owned by John Woodcock. Until half an hour
earlier the road had been busy with people going home from the Picture House in
Albion Street. There is now a detailed plaque at this location.
Where:
Bottom of Tofts Road, Westgate, Cleckheaton.
[39] Edward
Wadsworth
Wadsworth was one of the country’s most
respected 20th century artists and his paintings adorn art galleries and private
collections across the globe. He was born on 19th October 1889 in Prospect
Street, Cleckheaton, into the Wadsworth family of Broomfield Mills, later
moving to Highfield House, Waltroyd Road. He studied at the Slade School of Art
in London, became a fine tempera artist and was a pioneer of the progressive
Vorticist manner - representing nature in straight and angular patterns. He
helped decorate the Queen Mary liner and designed the initial letters used by
Lawrence of Arabia in his book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. He died in 1949
aged 60. His 1923 painting The Cattewater, Plymouth Sound fetched £165,000 at
Sotheby’s in 1992. (See his grandfather [33])
Where: Highfield House, off Waltroyd Road, Cleckheaton
Links
http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999961&artistid=2113&page=1
[40] Poor Ben
Founded in 1903 by Mr.
Hardill, sugar boilers Lion Confectionery have signature lines of gums and
pastilles. Their Midget Gems and Poor Bens have been famous for many years and
sold worldwide. In 1988 the factory – still working – was bought by Cadbury.
Where: South Parade/Westgate, Cleckheaton
[41] Cleckheaton Conspirators
The first sod
for Whitcliffe Mount Grammar School was cut on 1st March 1909. The school would never have come about but
for the tenacity of John G Mowat, George Whitley, J Walter Wadsworth, Reginald
Grylls and Will H Clough, known collectively as the Cleckheaton Conspirators,
strong in their conviction of the need for a secondary school in Cleckheaton
and determined that if Heckmondwike could have one, so could they. Whitcliffe
Mount can be claimed to be unique as being the only school founded by the will
of the people and not by any education authority.
Where: West
End, Whitcliffe Mount, Cleckheaton
[42]
Whitechapel Church
Whitechapel Church is an ancient foundation
almost unique in that it has been Catholic, Church of England and Non-Conformist
in its character. Known as the “Old Whitechapel of the North” its ancient font
was rescued from the churchyard and has interesting decorations. Rose Ann
Heslip, the niece of Patrick Brontë, is the only Brontë buried in Spen Valley. Her grave at
Whitechapel was rediscovered in 2006.
Where: Whitechapel Road, Cleckheaton
[43] William
Fenton
1901 was the year in which William Fenton
and Walter Willson Cobbett brought the company, which was to become BBA, to
Cleckheaton. This company made their patented twill belting and later the
Mintex brand of brake linings and grew to cover 30 acres. BBA was the major
employer of the Spen Valley until its decline in the 1990s.
Where: Bradford Road, Cleckheaton
[44] Jeff
Butterfield and John Bentley
Jeff
Butterfield was a Whitcliffe Mount pupil who played for Cleckheaton RUFC and
for England, including captain for one of his six years. He won 2 Triple
Crowns, 4 Five Nations Championships and 1 Grand Slam. He and team-mates Cliff Morgan
and Tony O'Reilly were the stars of the British Lions' 1955 tour of South
Africa. (Lived 1929- 2004).
John Bentley was the first Rugby League player to
return to Rugby Union and during his playing career has achieved dual
international status. When chosen to go for his England trial at Twickenham, he
wore his Cleckheaton socks - the only time Cleckheaton colours have been worn
on the "hallowed turf". Over the years he has played Rugby Union for
Cleckheaton, Otley, Sale, Newcastle, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England and the
British Lions (1997) on their tour of South Africa. In Rugby League he has
played for Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, Balmain Tigers (Australia) England and
Great Britain.
Where: Both: Sports Club, off Bradford Road, Cleckheaton
OTHERS
[45] Sam
Pearson
The Pearson
world-wide enterprise began with Scholes resident Sam Pearson who founded his
first company in 1856. Pearson began an enterprise which expanded into
publishing, oil, engineering and entertainment. He lived all his life in
Scholes and died in 1886 at his house “The Elms”.
Where: Scholes Lane (near village centre) Scholes
[46] Toffee
Smith
Walter Smith
founded Toffee Smith whose famous toffee works were on Oxford Road, Gomersal. He
began by selling 1d toffee bars to churches as fundraisers and to local miners
outside the pits as they clocked off. He retired to Morecambe in 1937, but the
firm continued until the 1990s. He is buried at the Pork Pie Chapel (Gomersal
Methodist Church).
Where: Works were at Smith Court, Oxford Road, Gomersal
[47] Adam
Hart-Davis
Born on 4th July 1943, Adam is a freelance
journalist, photographer, author and radio and television broadcaster and
presenter. In 1990 he was a producer at Yorkshire Television. He bought a mountain bike and started to
ride to work from his home in Norristhorpe. Whilst riding to work one day he
noticed a blue plaque at Field Head Farm - the birthplace of Joseph Priestley.
This led him to write Local
Heroes; so he says Joseph Priestley changed his life. He now lives in
the West of England with partner, Sue and her two children.
Where: Lodge Lane, Norristhorpe
Links
http://www.adam-hart-davis.org/
[48] Mary
Taylor
In the hard-fought battle for women’s
rights, Mary Taylor of Red House (born 1817) was an early pioneer. Refusing to
accept restrictions in law, employment, education and society she urged women
to win independence and financial security. Mary wrote important feminist
articles for a national magazine and published three books. Her extraordinary
life included teaching boys (unheard of!) in Germany, leading other women
mountain climbing in Europe and influencing her friend, Charlotte Brontë. Also lived at High
Rising in Spen Lane and is buried at St Mary’s, Gomersal.
Where: Red House Museum, Oxford Road, Gomersal
Acknowledgements
Heritage
Lottery Fund - for funding
the project
Chorion
Limited and Adam
Hargreaves - permission to use the Mr Men and Little Miss characters
Leander
Architectural - Ted McAvoy
for his patience and producing the beautiful plaques
GB Artstone - Adam Glover for creating the
wetcasts
Kirklees
Metropolitan Council:
Martin
Bowler, Dave Straw and Stuart Hampson for
getting the ball rolling at the council
Neil Conway and Darren Pickering for
supervising the plaques installation into pavements
David Colley for marking up all the plaque locations
Ziggy Gierula and Danny Ryan for installing the
plaques
Cliffehanger - Joanna Whitehead for the leaflet
design and production
Howard Cook
MBE – for use of his
workshop and transportation facilities
Sub-committee
members of the Civic Society
- for all the research and everything that was involved in delivering this huge
project.
Leaflet Guide Outlets
Cleckheaton
& Heckmondwike libraries, post offices – Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike,
Littletown, Hightown and Scholes, Oakwell Hall and Red House museums, other
outlets in Heckmondwike includes Morrisons supermarket, Cherry Tree Cafe,
Mortons Furnishings, New Charnwood and Council Rates office on Oldfield Lane.
In Cleckheaton they include the Town Hall, Body & Soul and Paperland. Spen
Valley public houses include the Marsh, Black Bull, Shears Inn, Old & New
Pack Horses, Star Inn, Old Hall and the Rising Sun. Other outlets are Healds
Hall Hotel Liversedge, New Wooden Hut and Gomersal Park Hotel.
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