History
of the Huddersfield Water Supplies
By T. W. Woodhead
CHAPTER IV - WATERWORKS COMMISSIONERS
INCORPORATION OF THE BOROUGH. WATERWORKS UNDERTAKINGS.
On July 7th, 1868, the Charter was granted and Huddersfield
became a Municipal Borough. The Charter was issued from
the Home Office, July 9th, and brought to Huddersfield the
same night by Joseph Batley, Clerk to the Improvement Commissioners,
who became the first Town Clerk of Huddersfield. By an indenture
dated 10th October, 1868, the Improvement Commissioners
transferred to the Corporation all their rights, powers,
estates, property and liabilities. The first Council met
on September 7th, 1868. A full account of the proceedings
lasted "above six hours" was issued as a pamphlet
of twenty-seven pages entitled "Inaugural Meeting
of the Huddersfield Town Council."
At the date of Incorporation the population was estimated
at 72,455, rateable value £199,477, and an average
of 10,436. There were twelve wards with fourteen Aldermen
and forty-two Councillors.
Twenty years later, by a Local Government Act of 1888,
Huddersfield was created a County Borough from April 1st,
1889, and had a rateable value of £358,808, and in
1890, Longwood was added to the Borough, bringing the acreage
to 11,870 acres to 14,149 acres, the population from 113,475
to 123,030, and the rateable value from £847,394 to
£909,444. One new ward, the Milnsbridge Ward, was
created ; the remainder of the added area was incorporated
in existing wards. The Council was increased to sixteen
Aldermen and forty-eight Councillors.
In 1938, by a rearrangement of the wards, the number was
reduced to fifteen with fifteen Aldermen and forty-five
Councillors. The wards now are Longwood, Lindley, Birkby,
Deighton, Fartown, Marsh, Paddock, Milnsbridge, Crosland
Moor, South Central, North Central, Dalton, Almondbury,
Newsome and Lockwood ; West Central and Moldgreen are no
longer ward names.
 The
first Mayor of the Borough was Charles Henry Jones, who
served from 1868 to 1871 (See Figure 31 below).
He was a member of the Improvement Commissioners from 1853
to 1857 and served as a Chair man of that body. He was a
vigorous, experienced and far-sighted man and a tower of
strength in the early years of the Incorporation of the
Borough. One of the first problems to receive the attention
of the Council was that of an adequate water supply for
both domestic and trade purposes, and to develop the schemes
already planned by the Waterworks Commissioners. Application
to Parliament was made for powers, and on July 12th, 1869,
the Huddersfield Waterworks Act was obtained. "An
Act for transferring to the Corporation of Huddersfield
the undertaking of the Commissioners for the Huddersfield
Waterworks, and for empowering the Corporation to construct
additional waterworks, and to supply water within extended
limits." The Waterworks Authority is governed by this
Act, in conjunction with the Waterworks Clauses Acts of
1847 and 1863, where these apply. Mr. George Crowther’s
valuation for the undertaking dated August, 1869, was £58,663
14s. 2d.
At a meeting of the Waterworks Committee held on Friday,
the 12th November, 1869, the Mayor, Alderman C.H. Jones,
was appointed the first Chairman, and Councillor Joseph
Crosland, Vice-chairman. Alderman Jones was also appointed
Chairman of the "New Works Sub-Committee." He
remained Chairman of these Committees until he retired from
the Council in 1872, when he was ably succeeded as Chairman
on November 14th, 1872, by Alderman Wright Mellor, with
Alderman James Crosland as Vice-Chairman, one of the Wessenden
Commissioners. Alderman Mellor continued as Chairman of
the Waterworks Committee from 1872 until his retirement
from the Council in 1892. during this period Deerhill, Blackmoorfoot,
and Wessenden Head Reservoirs were completed, and Wessenden
Old Reservoir purchased from the Wessenden Commissioners.
.
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