Part 92 – St. Bartholomew’s Church In medieval times, the parish of Halifax, more or less the same area as Calderdale covers today, was only served by three churches, those at Halifax, Elland and Heptonstall. The people of Ripponden therefore had to walk or ride to Elland in order to attend church services. Local people…
There is something lovely about a bright red telephone kiosk. Perhaps it reminds the older generation of when, before there were mobile phones and most of us didn’t even have a land line, we had to walk to the nearest one if we wanted to call our friends and family. The one on the A58…
In 1914 a whole generation of young men from Sowood, Stainland and Holywell Green answered the call to arms and 87 of them were never to return. The ladies of Sowood WI are determined that they shall not be forgotten and are fundraising to create a memory walk in their honour. To be known as…
Oyez, Oyez! Before modern communications we relied upon the Town Crier for news and notices. ‘On Tuesday evening Mr W. Rawson of Westgate, Elland was appointed Town Crier. The following were fixed as the maximum charges for his services in ‘crying’ in different parts of the township:- West Vale, Greetland and outer district…
Local History Notes – by David Cliff Part 90 – Boulderclough Today, Boulderclough is a quiet rural hamlet with no facilities other than being at the terminus of a bus route. It wasn’t always so; at one time it had a chapel, a shop and a pub and if the residents worked at Swamp Mill…
July 1927 – A new working men’s club was opened by Councillor Fred Holroyd. The new building, which replaced less commodious premises on Huddersfield Road, is situated on a site in Rosebery Street, and has been designed by Mr Exley Fisher, who is architect to Elland District Council. The cost of the building, exclusive of…
One of the main causes of the demise of the Rishworth Branch Railway was the increasing popularity and convenience of road transport. One local entrepreneur who saw the possibilities was John Hirst Snr who founded Ripponden and District Motors in 1921. His son, John Hirst Jr, later became the managing director of the company. Although…
On 11th March 1921, Elland was in mourning as the death of Elizabeth Smithies was announced. Mrs Smithies, of Ellen Royd, was the wife of the late Joseph Smithies (Albert Mills), the mother of the late John William Smithies and the grandmother of John Stansfield Smithies. All three men had been active in the public…
The Cross The original Elland Charter is ‘missing’. The replacement Charter from 1889 may be ‘missing’. Whatever happened to ‘The Cross’? It is believed that the former Market Cross stood in the centre of the Cross opposite the Savile Arms. Was this Market Cross erected in 1317 when the Charter was granted or earlier as…
Local History Notes – by David Cliff Part 86 – Ripponden Female Society On 1st October 1802, a time of grinding poverty, a number of women of the Ripponden area decided to emulate their men-folk by forming a Friendly Society of their own. The venture was highly successful and membership grew to be larger than…