PAGE 26

HOLMFIRTH

At Rotcher, a continuation of Hollowgate, a tailor named James Lee, and his grandson, Job, were engaged in the lower room making some clothes for a funeral, when the water rushed upon them. 

Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey

The flood burst open the door, and the elder Lee, being unable to help himself, was drowned.  Job, however, managed to swim around the house until his cries were heard by a man and his wife who lodged in the house, and were then in the bed upstairs.  They ran to his assistance, but were unable to open the chamber door.  They managed, however, to force open one of the panels of the door with their feet, and the lad, being of a thin nature, was dragged through a small aperture of only five inches, and thus his life was saved.

Victoria Bridge, Holmfirth was dismantled, and the whole of the shops in the locality were flooded and suffered much damage, and the County Bridge was greatly injured.

In Cuttell Bottom stood a dwellinghouse in which a young man, a servant to Mr. Floyd, solicitor, and a little boy were sleeping. 

When the water burst into the house the man took up the boy and attempted to pass up the staircase, but, unhappily, just as he passed the threshold himself, the door was closed by the force of the water and separated them, leaving the boy in the lower room to drown, as was expected. 

Providentially, however, the boy was borne up by the force of the water, and, catching hold of the top of the joists, he held by them until the water had subsided.  He had to remain about an hour in this position, with the water nearly up to the ceiling.

THE MEMORIAL PLAQUE ON VICTORIA BRIDGE, HOLMFIRTH

Holmfirth parish church sustained no very serious damage, but a most remarkable proof was afforded in the churchyard of the amazing power of the flood.  One of the massive pillars of the gateway was lifted from its bed, twisted half-way round, and yet, singularly enough, left to maintain its perpendicular.

On the left hand of the river opposite Towngate  stands Eldon House, then the residence of Joseph Charlesworth, Esq., J.P.  The premises, being at a low level, were flooded to a great height, and at one time was completely surrounded by water.  The damage done here was considerable, but no lives were lost. 

The residence of Joshua Moorhouse, Esq., J.P., in Victoria Yard, was also flooded, and the extensive warehouses, dyehouse, &c., belonging to that gentleman, were entirely destroyed.

The Holmfirth Mill sustained very serious damage. 

A little above the mill, and between that building and the stable, stood two small cottages, one of which was occupied by Sidney Hartley, and his wife and eight children, and the other by Richard Shackleton, joiner, and his wife and three children. Both these families, except four members, and the cottages also, were swept away. 

Mrs. Hartley had heard that the Bilberry reservoir might burst, and she put her eight children to bed and waited in the hope that if the catastrophe did occur she would receive sufficient warning to ensure the escape of herself and family. 

She sat up until one o’clock, and then becoming more hopeful went to bed; but soon afterwards the flood was upon them, and all were drowned except three of her children and an apprentice boy named John Dearnley. 

When the devoted mother found that they could not escape she held her infant above water outside of the window, hoping to save it, but, finding the front of the house giving way, she bade her family farewell, and was swept away by the foaming torrent. 

Three of her little daughters and the apprentice lad caught hold of the rafters in the roof and clung to them, and when the flood began to abate, the lad got out upon the roof and helped the girls out also, and there they remained for about twenty minutes. 

The plucky lad afterwards carried them one by one into the portion of Holmfirth Mill Yard which was out of the way of the flood, where, in their nightclothes, standing up to their knees in mud, they were exposed to the inclemency of the night air and to the falling rain.

THE PLAQUE ON THE MOMUMENT SHOWING THE HEIGHT OF THE FLOOD

Mr W.Dyson, the landlord of the White Hart Inn, had a narrow escape from drowning, but, escaping miraculously, he was able to render much assistance to some of his neighbours.

Immediately opposite the White Hart Inn stood the dwelling occupied by Mr. Shackleton, his daughter and granddaughter.  The flood did great damage to the houses and furniture.  A desperate attempt was made to rescue the inmates.

On the opposite side of the river to Holmfirth mill stood the old Wesleylan Chapel, built in 1810, surrounded by a graveyard.

Damage was done to the latter, and also to the vestry near the river.  The Chapel was flooded to a depth of about three feet, reaching nearly to the top of the pews. 

The residences of the ministers, the Rev. Benjamin Firth and the Rev. Thomas Garbutt, were also flooded, although they stood at a little higher level than the Chapel.  Their wives and families ran out of the houses in their nightdresses, and took shelter on the hillside.

Several strange sights were to be witnessed in the graveyard.  Several coffins were washed up and floated away from their resting place.  The vault in which the body of the late John Harpin Esq., sen., of Birks House, was interred about ten years before, was torn open, and the coffin, with the remains of the deceased, was carried away.  What made this more remarkable was the fact that Mr. Harpin was one of the chief promoters of the “Holme Reservoirs” scheme.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service.

On the right hand side of the river, there was an old fulling mill worked by Messrs. Broadbents, and this was completely wrecked.

On leaving Holmfirth the river is crossed by a County bridge leading to a railway station.  Great damage was done to this bridge, the whole of the battlements being carried away. 

Near to the bridge on the right hand side stood the cottage of George Exley, the front of which was washed away, together with some outbuildings.  The family had a narrow escape.