Huddersfield Trivia Page 2

Huddersfield - A Brief Guide	Early Huddersfield History
Huddersfield Since 1940	Recollections
Huddersfield Narrow Canal	Places of Interest
Huddersfield Trivia 1	Huddersfield Trivia 2
Huddersfield Trivia 3	Huddersfield Trivia 4
The Holmfirth Flood of 1852	A Huddersfield Man At War
Steve Gaunt Pontificates	Yorkshire Philosophy
Local Dialect	The Woollen Industry
Huddersfield Recognized	Famous Old Boys/Girls
Huddersfield In Print	Huddersfield Publications
Old Huddersfield In Prints, Postcards And Photographs
*NEW* Tolson Memorial Museum Booklets *NEW*
Huddersfield-Related Links Page

The Holmfirth railway line opened in 1850.

c1850 The Penny Savings Bank started in Huddersfield Mechanics Institution and was the forerunner of the Post Office Savings Bank.

The first edition of the Huddersfield and Holmfirth Examiner (now the Huddersfield Daily Examiner) was published on Saturday, September 6, 1851 with Joseph Woodhead, who was a Holmfirth woolen manufacturer, as its editor. There was also a number of other publications around at the time including the Huddersfield Daily Chronicle (founded in 1850), Huddersfield Weekly Chronicle, the Huddersfield Observer and the Halifax and Huddersfield Express.

The Model Lodging House, in Chapel Hill, was constructed out of an old warehouse in 1854. It was stated at the time to be the only lodging house in England constructed and supported out of public rates. in 1917 the number of lodgers accommodated were as follows;

The cemetery at Edgerton was opened in 1855. By 1918 the cemetery covered 18 acres of ground of which one half was consecrated and the other half unconsecrated. There were two chapels - one for the Anglicans and one for the Dissenters - and were apparently joined by a wide arch.

A description of Huddersfield town centre in 1861 went "The town was a miserable village; the houses poor and scattered, the streets narrow, crooked and dirty." This described the home of the 7628 people who lived there.

Mr Joseph Sykes built the Huddersfield Industrial Home in Fitzwilliam Street in 1861. Herein the young and destitute children of the area were taught the rudiments of education free of charge and care was taken that they should be decently clothed and not hungry. After the adoption of the Elementary Education Act in 1870 there was less need for this type of establishment and the School became a Home run on the lines of a Dr Barnado's home.

Two institutions for the sick and poor were founded. In 1862 one was founded at Deanhouse for 300 chronic sick and harmless mental cases and the second was at Crosland Moor (now St Lukes) which catered for 400 poor and sick of every type.

A lifeboat called "Huddersfield" was launched at Colne Bridge in 1865. It was stationed at Hasbrough.
There has also been a railway locomotive and a trawler named after Huddersfield Town football club.

A public meeting of ratepayers voted for the incorporation of Huddersfield at a meeting in the Philosophical Hall. There were 4,993 'for's' and 2,049 'against's'.
Huddersfield Corporation was founded in 1868 after the Home Office issued the Charter of Incorporation on July 7th although it did not reach Huddersfield until July 9th.
The first council consisted of 14 Aldermen and 42 councilors representing 12 wards.
The first mayor was Charles Henry Jones J. P. The Corporations coat of arms was registered in the College of Arms as follows;

"Or on a chevron between three Rams passant Sable as many towers argent. And for the Crest on a Wreath of the Colours a Rams head couped argent armed Or gorged with a collar sable in the mouth A Sprig of the Cotton-tree slipped and fructed proper"

The first Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Mr John B. Abbey, M.Inst.C.E., took office under the then Commissioners in 1868. He continued to carry on an extensive private practice, as well as his public duties.

In 1870, the daily attendance at public schools was 4,000 despite there being 13,596 children of school age. At the time child labour was rampant. In connection with juvenile labour a special enquiry was instituted in 1912 and it was discovered that 967 school children aged between seven and eleven years were working outside school hours, from 6 to 40 hours per week, for wages varying from 6d to 4/6 weekly. The great majority earning 2/6 or less, mainly selling newspapers and running errands.

After the Elementary Education Act of 1870 the first Huddersfield School Board was elected on February 6th 1871. Thereafter the Board undertook to build the following schools, financed from the public purse

The Meltham Convalescent Home , donated by Charles Brook, opened its doors. This was used by patients from the aforementioned Huddersfield Infirmary. Some patients were also sent to Buxton and Southport to recuperate.

In 1872 a workhouse was opened in Crosland Moor. This was to become St Lukes hospital. It cost £26,000. Later a fever ward and two vagrant wards were added.

In 1872 the existing system of privies or earth closets was amended according to the "Rochdale System" whereby a system of tubs were used by domestic customers and these were emptied by the Scavenging Department of the Council.

A statue of Sir Robert Peel (unveiled in June 1873, removed due to being in poor condition in 1949) once graced St Georges Square. There were also two cannon from Sebastopol on a stone plinth by the central portico of the railway station.

The first report of the first Medical Officer of Health for Huddersfield (Dr Pritchett) is dated June, 1873. An extract from this report sheds much light on the deplorable conditions under which people existed in those days:-
"Before the water flows into the Reservoirs at Ash Brow, it is polluted by drains coming from W A.'s premises, and from a Public House and also from the High Road, the soap wash and other refuse from Ash Brow Mills does not appear to enter the stream, but is taken by an open superficial drain on to some grass fields, many feet above the level of the Beck, lower down, drains from cottages and a mistal of Mr J. W.'s enter the stream and pollute it with urine, excrement and washings; lower down still the drains from Mr H. D.'s stables pours its contents into the water, which, by these combined mixtures of animal matter, is converted into a fruitful source of enteric disorders."

Yorkshire Cricket Club played their first match at Fartown in 1874.

Huddersfield was one of the first municipalities to take advantage of the Artisans' Dwelling Act of 1875 which allowed local authorities to clear slums and rehouse the occupants.

Somerset Bridge, Aspley, was opened by Lady Ramsden on Whit Monday, May 25th, 1874.

The first Huddersfield School Board was elected on February 6th 1881.

In 1877 the Corporation purchased land from Sir J W Ramsden in Great Northern Street for the purpose of building a slaughter house. This was opened on May 14th, 1881. On July 5th, 1900, cold storage premises were added.

In September, 1878, the local authority purchased the market rights from Sir John Ramsden and built a covered market in King Street at a cost of £31,325 which was opened in March, 1880. In 1888 a covered wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market was erected in Brook Street at a cost of £14,700.

Huddersfield was one of the first municipalities to avail itself of the Artisans' Dwelling Act and 160 houses were erected in 1880-1882 at Turnbridge.

Huddersfield Town Hall was opened on Tuesday, October 18, 1881 by the Mayor, Alderman Thomas Denham. The foundation stone was laid on June 26, 1878 by Alderman Joseph Woodhead (Mayor).
There was a 3-day festival to celebrate the opening during which Sir Charles Halle said that the Huddersfield Choral Society was the best choir he had ever conducted.
There are also municipal offices (opened in 1878) adjoining the Town Hall at the Ramsden Street end and due to the internal communications between the two buildings they are regarded as one building.

The new Theatre Royal was opened on April 11th, 1881 in Ramsden Street. It was the first purpose-built theatre in Huddersfield.

Huddersfield was the first Municipality to construct, operate and develop its own tramway system. Work on the tramway system commenced in 1881 and the first trial run of an engine and car was on November 13th, 1882. Services commenced on January 11th, 1883, on the Lockwood section.
The first Tramway Depot was situated in Northumberland Street but, as the council purchased more rolling stock, it was moved to a new depot in Great Northern Street.
By 1932 there were 38.5 miles or 62.5 miles of single track. The trams were converted to electric power by 1901, the previous means of power were either steam or horse-drawn traction. A power station was built at Longroyd Bridge for the purpose of powering the trams.
Trolley buses were first introduced on December 4th 1933 on the Almondbury route. The last tram ran from Brighouse to Huddersfield on June 29th 1940.

On July 3rd 1883, there was an accident involving a tram on its way to the Town Centre from Lindley. As it was descending the gradient in Westgate it ran out of control and was derailed as it rounded the curve into Railway Street. Seven people were killed and 28 injured. Subsequent tram accidents occurred on June 3rd, 1891, when a fire box shell of a steam engine exploded whilst it was stopped at Longroyd Bridge killing one youth, scalding the driver and slightly injuring some pedestrians. On June 28th, 1902, an electric tram went out of control in Almondbury. It collided with the Somerset Arms killing three people and injuring several others.

Beaumont Park grounds were opened on October 13th, 1883 by the Duke and Duchess of Albany.
Greenhead Park was opened in 1884. The land was purchased from Sir John William Ramsden for £30,000. Near the main entrance is a memorial to the men who fell during the Boer War. The main war memorial, commemorating those who fell in WWI was unveiled in 1924.
Norman Park, Birkby, opened in 1896.

T.W. Rowley opened the Empire Theatre in St Peter' Street (now the site of the General Post Office. Rowley was Huddersfield's own celebrity. As a comedian he topped many a music hall bill.

SOURCES
- Huddersfield and Its Vicinity by D. F. E. Sykes LL.B
- History of Huddersfield and District by Taylor Dyson
- Huddersfield Official Guide - 1932
- Old Huddersfield 1500-1800 by George Redmonds
- Official Handbook of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, June 22 1897
- The Story of Huddersfield by Roy Brook - First Published 1968
- The Chronology of Huddersfield by Enid and Gordon Minter
- A Scrapbook of Huddersfield by Noel Spence
- Reminisces of Huddersfield 1891 by Joseph Broughton
- Jubilee History of the Corporation of Huddersfield by Owen Balmforth
- Tolson Museum, Ravensknowle Park, Huddersfield
- The Public Records Office, Kew
- Mr David Muxworthy