Early Man in the District
of Huddersfield
By James A. Petch
PREFACE
In the bringing together the fragmentary records relating
to the advent of man in the Huddersfield District, we are
aware of the many pitfalls awaiting those who attempt to
interpret the facts and a good deal of courage was necessary
to hazard the task. This could not have been done single
handed with any hope of success, but with proffered help
of a substantial kind, Mr. Petch undertook the task.
During the past fifty years many workers have interested
themselves in collecting flint implements, so often exposed
on our moors after heavy rains. Most of these, however,
were surface finds, and little attempt was made to excavate
the sites or correlate the results. Keenly interested in
this work was a band of working men whom George Marsden,
Ammon Wrigley and Robert Law were pre-eminent. The former
often searched the moors of day-break, to return to work
at the factory at six in the morning, and notwithstanding
these difficulties, accumulated a considerable collection.
It was he who discovered the Bronze Age burials on Pule
Hill, Marsden, and after arduous excavation secured an interesting
collection of remains. To his family we owe the first stimulus
towards a more scientific presentation of the facts relating
to Early Man in this neighbourhood, and for this purpose
they very generously presented his collection to the Museum.
His friend, Ammon Wrigley, has also been a very generous
donor, and to them we owe our sincere thanks.
Since the war, the study of the remains of Early Man in
this district has been taken up against by Mr. Francis Buckley
in a new spirit and with great enthusiasm. His keenness
and trained intelligence soon yielded striking results.
He undertook the examination of the sites disclosed by the
above named workers, and decided to excavate the sites in
a scientific manner with a view to determine their true
position in the deposits. Soon many new facts in relation
to Man’s early history in the neighbourhood were brought
to light. It is to his energy and knowledge that we owe
so much concerning that remarkable industry of “pygmy
flints” and the culture of the Mas d’Azil Tardenois
people who left so many traces of their handiwork on the
high moors of the Southern Pennines. Much is hoped from
further researches in this direction, but with the generous
and interested help of the Abbé H. Breuil, of Paris,
and the Belgian archeologists, MM. J. Hamal-Nandrin, E.
Rahir and L. Lequeux, it has been possible to correlate
our local industries with those on the continent.
We are greatly indebted to Mr. Buckley for placing his
time and knowledge at our service, and for so generously
presenting his valuable finds to the Museum. Without his
constant and active aid this Handbook could not have been
written.
Mr Petch’s task has been one of great difficulty,
and we hope that the energy he has shown and the cautious
and skillful handling of the material at his disposal with
be rewarded by a full appreciation of his efforts which
have resulted in such a happy blend of guide and history.
We also wish to express our thanks to Mr. Reginald A. Smith,
of the British Museum, for his kindness in looking over
the manuscript and for his many helpful criticisms and suggestions,
also for the block of Fig, 23, which he has prepared for
use from details supplied by Mr. F. Buckley. Figures 20
(1-5) and 22 are from drawings made by Mr. S.L. Mosley.
The plan of Castle Hill, Almondbury, Figure 29, was made
by Mr. J. W. Cocking as the result of a detailed survey
of the camp in 1914.
The illustrations are due largely to Mr. W.H. Sikes, who
has devoted so many years to the task of a photographic
record of objects of historical interest in the neighbourhood,
and we thank him sincerely for his generous and willing
assistance. To Miss H.M. Sikes we are indebted for many
drawings of flint implements, also to those who have so
kindly leant objects in their collections for the purpose
of illustration. In this connection we desire to thank Mrs.
M. A. Jagger for the loan of the block for figure 41; Mr.
F. Buckley for the loan of the blocks for figures 5, 8 and
9 from ‘A Microlithic Industry,’ 1924; Mr. G.F.
Hill, of the British Museum, for his help in connection
with the Honley hoard; Mr. Thomas Brooke for so kindly allowing
these objects from Honley to be deposited in the Museum;
also Mr. Hanson Green for facilities for using the material
left by the late Dr. H.J. Morehouse; Mr. J. W. Jackson of
the Manchester Museum, Mr. J. W. Barrett, Mr. D.G. Wheelwright
and Mr. J.W. Priestley, of Rishworth; Mr. T. Darby of Ringstone;
Mr. Geo. Radford and Mr. Norman Garside, of Denshaw; Mr.
Fred Allen and Mr. G.B. Buckley, M.C. of Greenfield.
The results here brought together are due to the help given
by many workers in different fields, and this willing co-operation
has made it possible to produce a work which we hope will
be a helpful contribution to our knowledge of Early Man
in Britain, and a stimulus to further research in this obscure
branch of knowledge.
T.W. Woodhead
Technical College, Huddersfield,
July 31st, 1924.
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