Haslingden Old and New...

Haslingden derives from Hazeldean or Valley of the Hazels. It lies 19 miles north of Manchester in the County of Lancashire. A area at one time noted in particular for its Stone, it also played a big part in the Woollen and then later Cotton Industries from the 18th and through the 19th and early to mid 20th Century... It is steeped in Local History and can also boast to have one of the most beautiful Natural Valleys around, where thousands come and visit annually

Sunday, 22 December 2013

Memories of Sheep Shearing high above Ullswater

A shearer’s assistant for the day,

High on Cumberland heights,

“Dadd-y-ing" * sheep along their way,

To each shearer’s delight,

Or carrying chalk to shearer’s shouts,

If nicked a sheep to stop the bleed,

And taking ale or juice at regular bouts,

Throughout that “magical” day”.

The day’s finish was signalled to all,

And to the barn we did retreat,

Laid out was a meal fit for a King,

Home killed, homemade, homebrewed!

It was a Saturday morning when we set off and I remember us catching the 244 Ribble bus which at that time went over the Haslingden Hud Hey and through Blackburn to Preston. Then at Preston we changed buses onto a old double decker Ribble bus that took us all the way to Eamont Bridge near Penrith. And little did I know then, that the week was going to throw up some great experiences, but the main memory was of becoming a “Sheep shearer’s helper for a day.

The summers then (1959/1960 period) were generally sunny and very hot on most days especially during July. We had arrived on summer vacation to my friend Malcolm’s relation who fortunately for us just happened to be the River Bailiff on the River Eamont near Penrith. It was great to stay here in his family home which was built on the banks of that fast flowing river. As the week went on we would try our hand at fishing on most days and also had the pleasure of slipping the bank and accidentally ending up within the river. On another day we visited the fabulous waterfall named Aira Force.

But still the best had to come, and that was the day we went along to help (or I wonder if we hindered) with the sheep shearing at a farm which was so high up in the monstrous heights somewhere overlooking the great lake of Ullswater. The account of that very special day as I remember it went as follows:

“The day had been previously arranged for us, and can only think that perhaps our host farmer was some relation or close friend of Jims, the River Bailiff at Eamont Bridge where we were staying.

We certainly didnt complain about
"Peripheral Vascular Disease" those days

We set off peddling those bicycles, it was hard work climbing the ascent to the farm which seemed to us at the time, the highest building on the planet. The long road ascension seemed to go on and on and on with such painful leg challenging work as I remember, but at the tender age of 12 you would never have considered complaining of things like “Peripheal vascular disease” . Everything was a new challenge and we were young and active and filled with excitement of the unknown!

Eventually we arrived at the farm, and I remember that just looking back to Ullswater below and the long twisting road we had come up looked so small, set within that far bigger picture. And that “pain peddling” achievement was now so well rewarded by the beautiful feeling of being on top of the whole wide World in front of you. It did not stop at that, much more was on offer as well with that farmhouse set out in such a picturesque setting of oldy, worldy. It seemed idyllic even before the eyes of a sprouting (almost) teen. With local stone flags and cobbles as well set out in true “westmorland/cumberland style”, and the buildings were well aged with weather worn stone which you immediately thought could date back to the “arc”, there was character all around with lots of small windows which were very narrow and tall, which today I understand would be called “mullion” windows, and the door to the farm was very old and very thick and heavy, in fact you wondered how on earth did those hinges support such a weight, but they did and had done for probably decades. All the tops of the surrounding walls were covered in a thick most beautiful green coloured moss which lay there perfect and looked like the whole area had been fitted into a green velvet garment.

All around the farmyard there were several wooden chairs which had seen better days, forming a poor shaped circle, and these were to house the buttocks of the dozen or so “shearers”, who were the local collection of neighbouring farmers who had come today to carry out the annual sheep shearing duties. They all helped one another at this very busy time, moving around from one farm to the other, until all the farms in the neighbouring collective had been completed. What a beautiful way of doing things and I wonder if this is still the practice today.

Prior to this most spectacular of days, lots of preparatory work had obviously taken place with the farmer and his family members or their appointed shepherds together with their agile working dogs gathering the sheep, and driving them down from positions higher up on the fell sides, and down to the few noticeable enclosures dotted around the farm, and near to where we were stood.

So the working day began! And we were quickly shown our duties, one of us was to carry the sheep out from the enclosure to the shearer, whilst the other was to “run with the chalk”. After a hour or two we would swap over jobs. If you was the carrier you had to quickly get the knack of sort of getting the sheep into position by a sort of twisting movement, then to perform the art of what we called “dadd-y-ing”* the sheep whilst upright and between your legs and with your hands holding the sheep under its front legs and taking them towards the shearer where he would then take the sheep from you and re adjust the sheep into a more comfortable position, before he carried out his shearing duties. The shearing was carried out with specially designed “shears” which were made from a springy metal.

The other person who carried the chalk, was to run to the shearer as soon as he shouted for the chalk. It meant he must have “nicked” the flesh of the sheep whilst shearing and the white ground up chalk powder rubbed into the wound seemed to quell the small amount of blood and dry up the wound almost immediately.

There was also another job that day, but we were were not allowed to take part directly in this particular job, which was to carry around a large white jug of ale to each of the shearers every now and again and when they had worked up a sweat. But guess what, every so often we did manage to get the odd glass spilling over our way.

"Everything you could think of"

Another memory is at the end of the sheep shearing day, probably around tea time we were all invited into the barn of the farm, where in the middle of the barn surrounded by wooden benches stretched this very old large timber oblong table and it was absolutely full up with home killed meats, homemade foods and lots of homebrew to swill it all down. They had their own butter and it tasted so good, I can still remember the taste today, I have never tasted butter like that since, they had their own peanut butter, their own cream, milk, cheeses, jams and chutneys and lots and lots of other home produce. The meat had been a product from their own fields. All this good food had to be swilled down with some good beverage and although the orange juice was OK it seemed far better at the time to manage to quietly squeeze yet another “jill”* or two of ale.

Now it was almost time to leave that farm to return back to Eamont Bridge. We could see Ullswater lying in the distant bottom. So on our bikes in our semi inebriated one eye open and one eye shut state we began to freewheel all the way down that bendy road to the bottom.

What a very special day that was, and one that has stayed within my memory now for well over 50 years.

(* Dadd-y-ing is probably a Lancashire slang word for the motion of moving a large oversize object (similar to a flag),

whereby you would rock it from side to side whilst at the same time edging one of the corners forward and then edge the other corner even more further forward. I suppose it is not unlike the “waddle” motion of a duck.)

(* Gill pronounced Jill is a measure of ale between a quarter of a pint, or a third of a pint and as in our case was a half pint measure)

It is with much sadness I have in the last couple of days learnt of the death of my friend Malcolm (Birtwell) who is mentioned in this article posted: Bryan Yorke 19th Nov 2016

Monday, 16 December 2013

Haslingden, Edenfield and Goodshaw Gravestone Photos

Friday, 29 November 2013

Vale Street and the passing Peace Procession.

St. Mary's RC Peace Procession - September 6th 1919
- Showing the procession at Vale Street

I’ve always found this particular photo fascinating! It really does give a lot of interesting information.……

Dustbins and Dustbinmen – Today if I traverse this section of Blackburn Road, the very first thing I will notice is lots of “green wheely dustbins” in a line and stood there regimental at each of the front entries to the individual properties along this stretch, they look like “sentry boxes”.

When this photo was taken in 1916, and for a further 80 years afterwards, one thing for sure is that you didn’t see any “wheely bins” outside of the front doors. It does not seem so long ago and I can easily remember and picture in my mind the old dust cart going up the side of Vale Street, (opposite Bob Gardner’s shop) and were the old bus shelter used to be (Vale Street Bus Stop and Fare Stage), from were they then collected the filled “dustbins” from the REAR of the properties shown in this photograph.

Those days the bins were made of thick heavy duty galvanized tin and must have been so heavy, especially when 50% of the bin was filled with yesterday’s coal ashes. Yet them dustbin men seemed to lift them up and sort of twist them around and onto their backs. They did it in a way that they made the whole exercise look so easy, so it was obvious there was a “knack to it all”. Then they had to carry the fully loaded bin anything up to 50 yards before they could empty it into the dustbin wagon.

Bob Gardner’s Grocery Shop - I can also see old Bob Gardner’s shop in the photo above which shows advertising boards to the exterior walls. I wonder if it was a grocers shop back in 1916 when the above photograph was taken. I can only remember Bob Gardner’s shop from the 1950's, but it may have been going for many a year before that for all I know. Unless I am looking back with “Rose Tinted”, the shop was special, much like a delicatessan shop you would see on the high street today and selling lots of well known old established products like “epicure” and others.

Two larger than life guys ran the shop, but the main man was Bob Gardner, who you would see wearing his dark rimmed spectacles and always had his full length bleached white overhall smock on and sometimes wearing a white linen hat, which would always be spotlessly clean, that was Bob and he was so proud of his pork specialities which he offered from the shop.

Most days you would see the full sides of pork hung up in his shop. You may have been lucky enough to be able to smell the light aromas offered up by “smoking or curing” processes which would have been taking place in the back rooms of the shop.

As a young one them days, I suppose one of the most jolly memories was the mural which was painted on the left side of the shop entrance on a 10ft recess wall It mentioned something about “Bobs is the best for home cured bacon and illustrated three large fat pigs holding hands whilst in a upright dancing pose. I wish I had taken a photo of that mural at the time.

The Procession - But what is so interesting to me about this particular photo is the actual length of the line of participating marchers doing the Peace Procession, you can clearly see what appears to be the front of the procession with the choir and bandsmen, but never would I have believed that the marchers would have stretched so far as to see the tail end of the procession still going the other way (in a Accrington direction).

So what was the length of that procession? I would have expected the marchers column went as far as Worsley Park, via Hud Hey for a little way before doing a sharp right into Brook Street and then right again and back onto Blackburn Road and showing it as in the photo having just past Vale Street. That must have involved hundreds of persons.

The Tram - It will have been about 30 years previous to this photo that trams had started to come through Blackburn Road and so they would have become well established as the chief mode of public transport of the day.

It must have felt strange having a tram held up part way down your procession. I guess there would be plenty of excuses going why the poor tram driver could not keep to his strict timetable.

All the young chaps wore flat caps – It was without doubt the “in thing” those days for young males to wear “flat caps” and this is seen within this photo and many more photos of the period.

Vale Street – As shown on the left of the photograph would have been the main thoroughfare those days for the “clink and clank” of clogs and clog irons has all the surrounding people would have used this Street to access their places of work in the many textile factories in the bottom, which would have included: Union Mill, Grove Mill, Albert Mill, Britannia Mill etc.

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Carter Place Hall and The Worsleys

This is my sketch of the late "Carter Place Hall".

I remember it well from when I lived up Hud Hey.

Click over illustration to enlarge.

Some very early historic accounts

Checking out some of the "early day" history of Carter Place, its quite obvious there were dwellings on this land (estate) prior to the main hall being built. I can now refer to this historic information given here by the late Thomas Woodcock in his corrigendum to the Short Account of Haslingden Parish Church.

"It is not correct to say that Carter-place is a corruption of chantry-place or the mansion of the chantry. Carter-place (not the modern property but a much larger area) was in 1424-5 the property of Thomas Carter, who in that year transferred it to his son Henry le Carter. In 1507 William Carter, Richard Carter, Nicholas Durdon and Richard Durden gave the Carter-place estate to John Holden (clerk) and others and this was obviously the endowment of the chantry, which existed in the chapel for a few years until Henry VIII dissolved the chantries and seized their property. Carterplace however takes its name from the family which owned it not from its having been chantry property".

(Moving on the following undermentioned historic accounts have been documented and so kindly offered to me by Annie Taylor who is currently researching Carter Place and the general area of Acre. "Thanks Annie". And if anyone has any further information on Acre or Carter Place they would like to offer Annie, just let me know and I will gladly pass it on to her)

The historic naming has always been Carterplace and in some documents it is spelt Carter Place. The name derived from the Carter family who owned the land during the reign of Henry VII, and the Carter's along with the Dearden family who owned adjacent land at Dearden Place (Hud Hey). Later Carterplace sold into private hands.

Photo: Courtesy of Rossendale Museum

Which Chadwick's owned the copyhold estate of Carterplace?

1) Ellis Chadwick of Wolstenholme and Great Grandfather of Sir Andrew Chadwick bought Carterplace and was admitted in 1580 which was the 22nd year of Queen Elizabeth's reign.

2) in 1603 Ellis Chadwick's son and heir at law Robert Chadwick of Spotland was admitted.

3) Another Ellis Chadwick who was son and heir at law of Robert was admitted on 8th October 1684, he is Sir Andrew's father and court rolls record him as living in Dublin.

4) Sir Andrew was admitted to Carterplace on 11th October 1726, though he married had no children and upon his death Carterplace was claimed by his first cousin Sarah Law.

5) Sarah Law (nee Chadwick) admitted on 31st May 1768, on this same day she promptly surrendered the whole of Carterplace to her son-in-law John Taylor, a blacksmith of Bacup "for the better promotion advancement and preferment of her said son in law and his family in the World".

Please note the old painting above right (click over to enlarge) which is currently in the Rossendale Museum and it shows Carterplace painted in 1790 from oil on canvas. This was the original Carterplace hall which was built in 1769 and then later extended during the nineteenth century when it was the home of the Turner Family.

Sir Andrew Chadwick

During Sir Andrew Chadwick's lifetime Carterplace was a farm estate and consisted of the following:

1) There are two dwellings at Carterplace from at least late c15 to late c18th century and these could be on the footprint of/incarnations of what is now number 1 Carter Place Cottage and Chantry Cottage (created in 1980s (?) from outbuildings of Carter Place Cottage and reads as a vernacular c18th century farmhouse with possible remains of an earlier building in the structure. 2 - Carter Place Farm which architecturally looks like an old "Hall House" that incorporates later additions/alterations.

2) Three barns

3) One kiln containing twelve bays of building and other the buildings to the same belonging.

And parcels of land called:

* The Chadwick Croft

* The Holme Meadow

* The Acre Meadow (possibly the origin of Acre village name?)

* The Wood

* The Shutts

* The Two Cross Fields

* The Kiln Meadow

* The Ryall Meadow

* The Adam Hill

* The Low most Meadow

* The Backside.

In addition near to Carterplace but not at Carterplace there was also two acres of common situate upon the High Moor and also other two acres of common lying near to Fryer Hill.

Sir Andrew Chadwick appears to have never actually lived at Carterplace and certainly never lived at Carterplace Hall as it was not built until after his death. During Sir Andrew's lifetime Carterplace appears to have been occupied by some of his relatives including a Benjamin Chadwick, and also to Sarah Law (nee Chadwick and Sir Andrew's Cousin).

This is the crest which used to hang on the apex of the Hall high above the front porch

The Sir Andrew Chadwick (knight) "coat of arms" which was identified at the "apex" of the grand building (see photo) and also that same "coat of arms" displayed on the nearby Carter Place Cottage. It is documented that Sir Andrew Chadwick never lived at the hall, there is evidence of him probably growing up in Dublin and later moving to London where he spent the rest of his life. He owned Poland Street and also Golden Square in what is now Soho. He died in St James Westminster. He and his wife are buried at St. Mary Le Bow Church in Marylebone, London.

Records show him having visited Lancashire on one occasion which was 22nd November 1726 and at the time of his admittance to Carter Place.

Look up "Chadwick Millions" as he was a very wealthy man and had mills in Haslingden, and also owned a brewery/pub in Westerminster London SW1. It is said that when he died his will was falsified and the solicitors at the time seemed to disappear with a lot of the money, so we are told!

John Taylor after gaining Carterplace from his mum in law (Sarah Law), starts to call himself John Taylor Esquire and sets about buying new land and building the georgian Great House (Carterplace Hall), a farm called Farmer Barn (now Carterplace Farm) and Carterplace Lodge. These buildings formed part of the Carter Place estate.

John Taylor Esquire surrenders everything to trustees on 13th July 1792, and his son John Taylor inherits. He in turn sells Carterplace to James Turner.

James Turner - admitted on 20th October 1807, this did not include any of the extra land and buildings that John Taylor had purchased, just Carterplace. Martha Turner admitted on 18th April 1853

Tom Worsley

Worsley's - Nicholas Worsley purchased Carterplace in 1907. In 1912 the next owners were his son Tom (see photo on left) and his wife Evelyn. In 1923 Tom dies aged 39. (Obituary: We much regret to record the death of Mr. Tom Worsley on April 8th, aged 39. Mr. Worsley resided at Carter Place Hall, Haslingden, Lancashire, where he had formed an excellent collection of Orchids, the principal feature of which was a fine seclection of over a thousand choice Cypripediums - The Orchid Review)

In 1929 his wife Evelyn puts Carterplace on the market and the estate appears at this point in time to have been separated into individual lots and offered for auction.

A snow scene from around 1915
(Please click over to enlarge)

The 1950's as I remember it

(although the photos here are much older)

Its some years now since I used to look over towards Carter Place from where I lived on Hud Hey Road. I still remember as kids spending lots of time over there "sneaking around" as kids do. Cant remember for sure whether we were collecting birds eggs, collecting conkers or having the gardener chasing us around, probably all three!. Without doubt during them early 1950's it was the Manor.

I also remember the "Rookery" which was on the North East side of the house, it was the first rookery I had ever seen with scores of the noisy corvids calling from above your head. Regularly finding dead young birds which had recently fallen from their respective nest above you, how ugly these chicks looked without any feathers on them.

The Carter Place Lodge snow scene
(Please click over to enlarge)

I remember the Carter Place Lodge (see photo on right and below) which had its entry from Blackburn Road, quite near to the Worsley Park (North entry). The Lodge always seemed so dark having been built into the side of the large banking to its rear so there was very little natural light and in addition it was always shadowed by the nearby overhanging large decideous trees, I remember that gatehouse used to get so damp with constant water dripping through the soil and tree roots to the rear of the property. The photo on the right is a beautiful snow scene showing the "Lodge" in its prime. Also check out the fabulous photo below which was kindly sent in by ex pat Alison May (nee Heywood), thanks Alison. I wonder who that is on the horse?

A closer look at the Carter Place Lodge
(gatehouse - click over to enlarge)

Besides the "Lodge" entrance there was also another way to Carter Place which was approached from its West side by going along Rising Bridge Road, and about halfway, would turn right and go across the bridge which in turn crossed over the Railway below. This entry/exit also seemed to be the preferred used at that time for the Carter Place Farm, which lies just to the rear or North of the Carter Place Hall. The farm had long been independant from the Hall and Mr and Mrs. Tom Barne's was the farmers helped along by their son and daughters Dorothy and Sylvia.

The main doorway is all thats
left now of the Carter Place Hall

It was many, many years later in the 1960s or 70s

that I again became associated with the Carter Place, having received a phone call from Geoff Holden who by then had bought the old Hall and its grounds, which he had started to put "mobile homes" there. He had also made a Licensed Social Club (separate from the Hall), and also had a grocers shop within the hall, and also a laundry on the site for the many residents who lived there. I was contacted by him to give advice on the entertainment and supply some of the cabaret acts they were to have on Saturday night events at the social club.

Around the 1979 period Granada Television filmed "Hard Times" at Carterplace.

Fifteen factory chimneys!!

Here is a very old photo (below) which is looking down from Carter Place towards Haslingden. It must be a very old photo because just look at all the "factory chimneys" I can manage to see fifteen!! - Click over photo to see how many you can see!

Looking from Carter Place towards Haslingden.

At least 15 large smoking chimneys (very old photo)

Another nice photo outside of the Carter Place Hall, Who is that on the horse?
and look at them Lions! (Photo kindly supplied by Joyce Thorne)

(5th April 2013) Christine Howarth has kindly added:

Just read with interest your piece in the blog about Carter Place Hall. It was great to read.

I actually lived in a caravan there around about 1965. It was owned by Geoff Holden then (as was the old caravan site behind Hollands Pies which is now where all Hollands vans are kept). On the site part of the old grounds were quite clear, such as the "old fountain and gardens". There was an old building in the lower area which was used as a laundry area for the caravan owners and the ground floor of Carter Place Hall itself had a little shop where you could buy day to day things. I remember one Christmas, Geoff Holden put a party on for the children on the site and it was held in a large first floor room of the Hall.

Brought back happy memories reading your piece. It also reminded me of the little bungalow that was at the bottom of the long driveway (little bit further up Blackburn Road from the top entrance to Worsley Park). There was an old lady who lived there (I think she may have been called Marjorie). Lovely old building - pity somebody did'nt save it.

Chris......

(7th April 2013) Annie Taylor added:

The porch of Carterplace Hall along with its two carved stone lions (on the ground at either side of the porch in the photographs), along with the large pediment at roof level bearing Sir Andrew Chadwick's coat of arms (which can also be seen in your photos) were saved as monuments by the Secretary of State and are supposed to all be erected at Carterplace, they are grade 2* listed. Sadly the lions and the pediment are currently missing, does anyone know where they are so they can be returned to their rightful home?

cheers

Annie.

(19th April 2013) Ann Taylor added:

As part of my research into the local history of Acre and Carterplace I am looking for historic images. I am wondering if anyone has any old photos of Acre including the farms, buildings. people and Carterplace that they would be happy to let me copy?

In addition the owners of the Sun Dragon Cantonese, which you may know is what was 'Acre Garage' have said that they would like some photos to display on their restaurant's walls, especially if they are ones of Acre Garage.

If you are able to help I can either scan and print from your original images or if you e-mail me high resolution images I can print these.

you can email to me at acrevillage@gmail.com and please pass this message on to anyone you feel may be able to help.

thanks

Ann Taylor

(22nd June 2013) Myra Frohnapfel added:

My great great grandfather Lewis Hall was employed at Carter Hall as a coachman/domestic servant). The family of five children and his wife Margaret came from Sandal Magna, Holbeck in Yorkshire and they are shown on the 1871 census. The writing is so bad and difficult to make out who the master and head of the house was but think perhaps it could have been Matthew and Matilda Turner.

Myra.

(2nd August 2013) Chris Miller added:

I was very interested to stumble upon your web site about Carter Place Hall. My Grandmother, a Worsley, grew up and was married there. I think a few of your photos are of that part of my family. All very interesting.

Thank you for pulling it together.

Regards, Chris Miller.

(18th September 2013) John Hindle - Ex Pat (Australia)

Bryan - Photos attached are 1) my Grandfather in 1961 outside Carter Place, and 2) is me in 1953 on the lion outside Carter Place. We were living with my grandfather while our house was finished. I know that the Hall was sold by my father and his brothers and sisters when he died in 1964. As you say in the 1950s the gardener used to also chase me and refused to believe me it was my grandfather's house. I remember the inside had a very large entrance hall with large paintings down either side of the passage which led to a single staircase that split into two with a landing and then went up on either side.

There was a ballroom upstairs I used to roller skate in much to the horror of my parents.

My grandfather owned mills in Blackburn and Haslingden in latterdays only in Haslingden.

I used to play in the woods and watch my cousins shoot crows.

There was a grave there some kids thought it was a persons, it had Taffy on it and dates etc. This was my Grandfather's corgi.

I now live in Australia and have never seen the place for 30 years, it is a shame it was knocked down.

Mr. Hindle - John's Grandfather and the last owner of Carter Place

John Hindle sat on one of the Lions in 1953

Keith Burton (ex pat from Harrogate) has kindly sent in the following photo of the Lodge:

Carter Place Lodge (please click over to enlarge).

A lovely photo of Carter Place sent in by Jackie Ramsbottom (Click over to enlarge)

A garden party held at Carter Place Hall (no further information)

Carter Place from the Lake (kindly supplied by Keith Burton)

Filming of "Hard Times" at Carterplace in 1977 (Click over to enlarge)

Kindly shared to us by Chris Kirby

Filming of "Hard Times" at Carterplace in 1977 (Click over to enlarge)
Kindly shared to us by Chris Kirby

Carter Place Hall (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: Kindly shared by Terry McGuire

***

It’s a bonny place so knock it daaern,

So all can watch with a drooping fraaern.

There’s tons and tons of Hassy’s best,

Millstone Grit can’t be seen to rest!

Knock it daaern, Knock it daaern!

Vicarage that stood up on that bonk!

In its shadow was Martins bank

Grammar School was a buried Road,

Good few ton did mek that load,

Knock it daaern, Knock it daaern!

Major, would turn over in his grave if he knew,

What had happened to his Highfield view,

Lions at Carter Place have gone with rest,

We're left with a porch without its crest,

Knock it daaern, Knock it daaern!

Town Hall! Council will have a Ball,

With all thi hard earned cash,

So lets get shut for once and for all,

Before they have their Annual bash.

Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

It's only a building is yon Con Club

For some I suppose it was their hub,

Another fine place was Workhouse past,

Who needs a hospital on yon hill,

Knock it daaern, Knock it daaern!

And now another bites the dust,

Which once a brewer’s dream abode,

And later a place where prayers were said,

And now all but memories are read,

Knock it daaern, knock it daaern.

Even the "mighty" can fall but we'll not have a ball!
Salem, Trinity, Primitive and John Wesley preached!
but all went down with a "bang"
and no more did the bells ring or did the people sing"
so Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

Nah! dont let it stand still,

or tha'll get a bill,

"Knock it daaern"

Thought to be Mr. Tom Worsley of Carter Place Hall
Photo: Kindly shared by Joyce Thorne

Thought to be Mrs. Worsley and shows the large

greenhouses which

Mr Tom Worsley had at

Carter Place Hall for growing his prize winning Orchids

Photo: Kindly shared to us by Joyce Thorne

and uploaded here on 18th May 2017

Two photos here showing Mrs. Tom Worsley

and their daughter Mary - taken from the lawn area and steps of

Carter Place Hall during a Winter and Summer

Photo: Kindly shared to us by Joyce Thorne

The Lawn at Carter Place Hall
Photo: Kindly shared by Joyce Thorne
and uploaded here on 18th May 2017

Click over photo to Enlarge

Photo: Kindly shared by Joyce Thorne

Click over to enlarge

Photo kindly shared by Joyce Thorne

Mrs Evelyn Worsley and Mary of Carter Place Hall

Photo: Kindly shared by Joyce Thorne

Miss Mary Worsley - Carter Place Hall

Photo: Kindly shared to us by Joyce Thorne

Miss Mary Worsley

Photo: Kindly shared to us by Joyce Thorne

Carter Place Hall related

Photo: Kindly shared by Joyce Thorne

Carter Place Hall related

Photo: Kindly shared by Joyce Thorne

Carter Place Hall related

Photo: Kindly shared by Joyce Thorne

CLICK OVER THE FOLLOWING PAGES TO ENLARGE -

The following documents have been shared to us by the estate of the late

Alderman Joyce Thorne

13 photos showing the building just before demolition. (photographer unknown)

Request for Photos and Sending photos for the Blog

We are constantly struggling to find photos to fill the header on the front page and so your photos would be a absolute delight to receive and as long as they are yours and of historic value, we have no problem showing them on the blog, so many people get so much pleasure from these. The feedback has been quite remarkable. So please send your scans of the photos in so they can be put on the blog and subsequently filed within the blog, and can then be seen by the thousands who are watching on a regular basis. This way hopefully the photos will be preserved for not just us but also for the future generations of Hazeldeners, Haslingdonians, Ex pats and friends. Thank you.....

Also just as important as photos are memories or stories of the past and other snippetts of information which may give pleasure together with any posters, programmes and scans of memorabilia pertaining to Haslingden.

If at all possible can photos being submitted to the blog as jpeg images (or another image type file if preferred), and be sent to me in a "full" or at least "large" resolution size (eg: the original size which they are scanned at) and without any reductions in size, before sending through to me. If I have them in full resolution I can do far more with them especially when it comes to showing enlargements etc eg "click over the image to enlarge" etc.

Don't worry should this be a problem, I can still show them in smaller resolution sizes, because even small photos are better than no photo.

Thank you.

Bryan.

Preserve the past in words and pictures

Over the many years there must be lots of interesting facts and tales what have gone on within our Haslingden and Helmshore, some vintage, some old and some new....

And here in our blog we are trying to re-introduce some of this precious information and where possible also offer photographs...

As they say its probably only the tip of the iceberg, but its got to be worth "Passing it on or sharing it before it gets lost forever" ... Have you something you want to share? If so please let us know.

Description of the Arms of the Borough (shown above) - The Arms and Crest of which the following is a description, were assigned to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Haslingden, by grant from the Herald's College, dated 25th March, 1892 and are therein described as follows: Quarterly Or and Argent on a fesse wavy Azure between a Lion rampant purpure, holding between the paws a Quatrefoil ermine, in the first quarter; six Eagles displayed three, two and one; Gules in the centre chief point a Rose of the last barbed and seeded proper, in the second; a Cog-wheel Sable, in the third; a Pick-axe in bend surmounting a spade in bend sinister, entwined by a Chain in arch all proper in the fourth; a Shuttle fesswise of the first tipped and furnished with thread pendant of the second and for the Crest, on a wreath of the colours upon a Mount a Rock thereon, a Moorcock holding in the beak a Sprig of Hazel, between two branches of Hazel fructed all proper.

Haslingden in its own right was incorporated as a Municipal Borough in the year 1891 and ran most of its affairs from the Municipal Offices, Bury Road (now Car Park) - see photo below. Sadly in 1974 it lost most of its former Independance by being swallowed up to form part of the (then) new Rossendale Borough Council...

The government of the place in 1825 was thus described: 'The district is formed into six divisions called posts or stations, and the executive consists of a constable and six churchwardens. Each churchwarden is charged with the care of a station and is made responsible for its good order.' The system appears to have been successful at the time. It was not till 1875 that a local board was formed. The district ruled by it was extended in 1883 so as to include parts of Haslingden, Henheads, Higher and Lower Booths in the parish of Whalley, and also Musbury and part of Tottington in Bury. In 1891 a charter of incorporation was granted, the council consisting of a mayor, six aldermen and eighteen councillors, chosen by six wards named Town, Acre, Syke, Helmshore, Holden and Grane. The borough area was consolidated into a single township, called Haslingden, in 1894.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company's (later LMS) line from Clifton to Accrington did run northward through the township, having stations at Helmshore and at Haslingden, it was opened in August 1848.

Dr. Aikin, writing in 1795, says:—Haslingden has been greatly improved within the last twenty years, chiefly from the increase of the woollen manufacture, though much of the cotton trade has likewise been introduced within a few years, particularly the branch of making twist for warps, for which purpose alone several factories have been erected in its neighbourhood. . . . The people were (forty years since) chiefly employed by moneyed men at Rochdale; but now the trade is supported by capitals acquired on the spot by the industry and enterprising spirit of the manufacturers, who have erected inns for the entertainment of travellers, shops and handsome houses for their own residence. A square is lately planned here, and some capital houses are already built in it. . . . A number of mills for carding cotton and sheep's wool and spinning them into cotton twist and woollen yarn for the flannels made here, are erected upon the Swinnell. There is also a corn mill on the river, formerly belonging to the Holden family, now extinct.

Haslingden was one of the chapels existing when Whalley was bestowed on the monks of Stanlaw, and in 1296 it was found that its tithes were worth 5 marks and the altarage 4 marks; the chaplain had a stipend of 4 marks, and the chapel had an endowment of 1 oxgang of land. The church, which is now called St. James's, was rebuilt in the time of Henry VIII and again in 1780, after having fallen down. There was no regularly founded chantry, but in 1548 the names of two priests were recorded in the bishop's visitation list, and the same in 1554; later there was only one minister, the curate. His fixed income was £4 a year out of the rectory of Whalley. The Commonwealth Church Survey of 1650 fails to give any account of the income of Haslingden Chapel, but in 1717 it had £17 8s. 7¾d. a year, including £11 10s. out of the rectory, various fees and the Easter roll. There were six chapelwardens. In 1719 George Hargreaves and others gave £200 to augment the endowment, and with later increments the net value is now £368. The vicars of Whalley formerly presented the curates, but about 1848 the Hulme Trustees acquired the patronage. The benefice is styled a vicarage. In the 16th century the north chapel was acquired by the Rawstornes of New Hall in Tottington. The south chapel belonged to the Holdens of Holden. 'In 1857, during alterations, there were found in a cavity under the floor of the church where the altar anciently stood a skull and crossbones with traces of gilding upon them, and therefore believed to be the relics of St. James, the patron saint.' A large 'plague stone,' with two holes in it, was found in the churchyard. The entries in the registers begin about 1620, but are only fragmentary until 1653.
From: 'Townships: Haslingden', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 (1911), pp. 427-433. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53147

Haslingden On Film

St. Mary's Class of 1951 at a 1991 re-union - kindly sent in by John McGuire.

St. Marys Class of 1951 (1991 Re-Union)

Films kindly given to us by Bernard Rostron - Chairman of the Friends of the Higher Mill Museums - Three films which were filmed by the late Maurice Edmundson:

Green Valley and part of the Walking Day (St. Thomas)

Walking Day (St. Thomas and also Mayor's Sunday

Films kindly sent in by Dave Rothwell (copyright: D. Rothwell)

HGS Staff versus Pupils Hockey Match 3:48

1964 St James Sports Day 3:50

HGS Camp 1965 31secs

HGS Rag Day 12secs

A film by the BFI

Haslingden Peace Celebrations July 19th 1919

Check out DJ Drone on Haslingden Grane (You Tube)

Haslingden Carnival 1950s - Shows Willie Horam and Georgie Berry as the King and Queen.

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"Old School Ties" (Haslingden High School) first broadcast on Radio 4 in 1988 -

Images added by Chris Kirby.

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"Old School Ties" Programme 2 - BBC (period of students 1940s to 1960s) Images added by Chris Kirby.

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