Events in the 1900s

there were 15 patients at the Drill Hall, all doing well, and 19 at Lee Bottom, one dangerously ill

a breach of duty

The fireman was fined 40/- and costs at Halifax.

Opening of tram routes to Cote Hill and Ogden

Route Number 7 tram service began from King Cross to Cote Hill

Route Number 8 tram service extended from the Cavendish Inn to Queensbury

Route Number 7 tram service extended from Causeway Head / Tuel Lane to Luddendenfoot

Route Number 7 tram service extended from Luddendenfoot to Brearley

Fire caused £500 damage at Levi Harwood's Stoney Springs Mills, Midgley

200 people were killed in gales in Britain

Heavy local snowfalls

Serious flooding at Bailiff Bridge

The Halifax-Hebden Bridge service ended in 1936

alighted on his head and shoulder

and received concussion of the brain, and was unconscious for some days

The service ended in 1934

He was about 35 years of age and was dressed as a navvy. It was suggested that he was in search of work widening the line which was in progress nearby.

There were no reports of the man being identified. He was said to be known as Little Jim. In his pockets, he had 1/9d, a handkerchief, a brass ring, and a Coronation medal presented by C. W. Bartholomew, Blakesley Hall, North Hants

There was a serious fire in the Dene Mill at Kebroyd Mills, Triangle. The mill was rebuilt

In March 1903, it was decided to rebuild the mill

See Alexander Oldfield Stocks

Fire at the Clifton Mill of Firth's Carpets caused damage estimated at £5,000

Tram Number 40 and Tram Number 86 were used on the service.

The service closed in 1929.

A photograph of the first tram can be seen on the page of Photographs of Trams & buses

The runaway tram had no passengers, the 3 passengers on the other tram were Fred Laycock, Paul Standeven, and Mrs Kershaw.

The two trams were single-deck one-man vehicles and had only been in service for 10 days when the accident occurred; it was later found that the trams did not conform to Board of Trade regulations. There was an alternative mechanical brake, but the driver did not know about it

Nothing was salvaged – except a Bible which had remained intact although nearby stonework was severely blackened. The Bible was displayed in the new mill.

The mill was rebuilt

See Halifax Citizens Guild

On 28th June, there were terrific thunderstorms across Lincolnshire and the East Riding. Cattle were killed by lightning in Knaresborough

See Henry Barber fire engine and Neptune fire engine

Tram service Route Number 1 was extended from Dudwell Lane, Salterhebble to West Vale. The service terminated at The Shears Inn

Shortly after 2:00 pm, the first motor bus started from Todmorden Town Hall to Walsden. Although the roads were in a shocking condition, owing to a recent thaw, an excellent run was made

The service to Walsden was

postponed until further notice owing to the inclement weather

On 18th March 1907, there was the first bus crash.

See Todmorden Omnibus Company

alarming fire

at Portsmouth Mill, Todmorden caused £1,000 damage

Fire damaged the works of Harrison & Singleton in Halifax

Large crowds turned out to see the Princess, but she drove in a closed carriage and spoke very few words at the Gallery. William Smith – who had given the Art Gallery to the town – was so disappointed that the Town Clerk, James Parkinson, accompanied the Princess back to the railway station at Cooper Bridge

the breaking of a draw-bar of a long luggage train

The station wrecked and the assistant station master – William John Pim – was killed when a goods train ran off the rails. The station was not rebuilt

A sensational affair at Charlestown, Hebden Bridge; waggon load of furniture in the river and terrible experience of a Halifax driver named William Helm

Bad winter caused economic depression.

See Halifax Citizens Guild

run over by his own lurry at Copperas House, Walsden

He was taken to Halifax Infirmary where he died from his injuries 4 days later

The snow delayed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton getting to a meeting at the Victoria Hall

See the Foldout

Fire at Turner & Wainwright's confectionery factory at Brookfoot Mill

Different track widths prohibited the service linking with the earlier service from Brighouse

Motor Lurry

in Halifax Road, Todmorden

Conductresses were introduced on Halifax trams

Annis Pearson [4] was killed by falling masonry, and two other people were injured.

Wartime censorship meant that details of the event could not be reported in the media

5 people died in an explosion of Brooke's chemical factory at Hove Edge: James Begg [31], John Cockburn [52], Herbert Moore [30], Thomas Smith-Shannon [29], and the foreman, Thomas Walker Wilson [58].

2 were killed by the explosion and 3 died later of their injuries.

The explosion caused some damage to St Ann's in the Grove, Southowram.

Many local residents suffered when their skin was turned yellow by chemicals in the atmosphere – see Crow Nest Mansion

It affected about 40% of the world's population and killed 250,000 in Britain and a total of 30-40 million people worldwide.

These were mainly healthy, young adults 20-50 years old. Many of those who survived may have acquired immunity after surviving the 1891 epidemic.

This was 4 times the number of people who died in World War I.

There are various suggestions as to the source of the epidemic

• The outbreak have started in French army camps and was carried from there by those returning from the war
• The infection began in America and was spread by US soldiers

Many soldiers who had survived the war died of the flu – see Spanish flu victims.

The first outbreak in Halifax was on 1st July 1918.

This was influenza type A, H1N1 strain

The body of Levi Holroyd was found amongst the debris.

The list of injured included

• Walter Bottomley (aged 17) fireman of Northowram
• Frank Cheetham (aged 47) fireman of The Lodge, Brighouse
• Edgar Clegg (aged 36) fireman of Brookfoot
• Edward Ellis (aged 40) labourer of Northowram
• William Flaherty (aged 45) fireman of Mellor Square, Brighouse
• Herbert Hanley (aged 37) of Hill Top, Southowram
• Edward Holmes (aged 45) labourer of Bradford
• Albert Whitworth (aged 45) fireman of Back Bonegate, Brighouse

Serious explosion of gas meters at Queensbury: meters exploded, windows were shattered, cupboards were forced out and crockery shattered

John Foster & Son Limited produced gas for Queensbury, and there had recently been complaints about the poor illumination provided by the gas, so Foster's increased the gas pressure

For greater efficiency, the Railways Act amalgamated over 100 railway lines into the 4 companies: GWR, LMS, LNER, and SR. This came into effect on 1st January 1923

The service was withdrawn in 1936

The vehicle was carrying 10 people – although only equipped to carry 7 – but the driver and the company were cleared of blame

There was unemployment in the local silk industry

His wife went to Cragg Vale Post Office and the fire buzzer at Mytholmroyd sounded at 7:45 pm.

This was the first occasion on which the Mytholmroyd Fire Brigade used their new motor fire engine.

The frosty & snow bound roads and the blizzard slowed the engine on the 5-mile journey to the farm, and it was 8:25 pm before the engine poured water on to the fire. The farm well was pumped dry and a local stream, 800 yards away, was called into action.

Damage was estimated at about £200

On Wakes Tuesday, one man was killed and 10 others injured when a motor-bus crashed at Brearley, as it travelled from Siddal to Blackpool

An improvised motor bus was wrecked at Brearley after it collided with a tram. Eleven passengers on their way to Blackpool were injured, one of them died three days later

The Prince came to open Shibden Park, and toured Dean Clough Mills and Ladyship Mills, where he was greeted by J. W. Standeven and his son, Jack Standeven.

The Souvenir commemorating the Royal visit to Ladyship Mills records:

The highlight of the tour was when Mr Jack Standeven asked the Prince to accept two or three suit lengths as a memento of the visit. His Royal Highness eventually decided on two grey Glen checks and a brown bird's eye pattern and suit lengths were duly forwarded

Rain fell heavily throughout the afternoon and the Prince had to ride in a covered car.

See John Marsh & Sons

There had been another accident in the same spot a few weeks earlier when a car collided with a Halifax tram car

A loss of £23,434 on Halifax tramways reported

There were smallpox outbreaks and epidemics in several parts of the district in 1928/1931

Floods caused serious damage at Mytholmroyd in February and March, and flash floods at Bolton Brow, Sowerby Bridge in June

Wharf Mill, Sowerby Bridge was badly damaged when a cloudburst sent a flood of water running down Bolton Brow and into the mill. The side of the mill was demolished. Women working in the winding and warping departments lost their belongings but were themselves unharmed

The Rochdale Canal froze from Brearley to Sowerby Bridge.

The Calder froze.

A gasometer collapsed at Redacre, Mytholmroyd when the low temperatures buckled metal plates. No-one was injured in the consequent gas blast.

At Hebden Bridge Post Office, mail had to be sorted by candle-light when the gas pipes froze

The 6-storey Cooper House Mill was part occupied by Robert Whitworth & Company and part by Lewis Whiteley & Sons Limited. The fire broke out at noon in Whiteley's section. All employees escaped without mishap, although 150 were thrown out of work

Princess Mary visited Halifax to open the Princess Mary High School

The Corporation Fire Brigade arrived but made little progress in extinguishing the flames. About 2:00 pm, the roof collapsed, carrying the 2 upper floors with it. Then the north wall collapsed inwards

The dispute was settled on 24th August 1932

Bus and tram services were disrupted

Tram service from Brighouse to Hove Edge was discontinued

Tram service to Stainland withdrawn

Tram service to Queensbury withdrawn

Tram service to Catherine Slack withdrawn

Tram service to Sowerby Bridge withdrawn

Tram service to West Vale withdrawn

Tram service to Stump Cross withdrawn

She had been playing hide-and-seek with 9-year-old Barbara Ann Washington, Donald Sharp and Willie Smith, and had run across the road when the accident occurred.

She was taken to Halifax Infirmary but was dead on arrival.

It is thought that the driver of the vehicle was unaware of the accident.

Marjorie was buried in the same grave as her grandparents, Ann and Herbert Ambler Sutcliffe. At the inquest, the jury returned a verdict of Accidental death

The last tram ran to New Road, Hebden Bridge

6 fire brigades attended the incident. Fred Greenwood [48] collapsed and died, due to over-excitement at the event

The plane was one of a formation of 7 heavy bombers which left Northern Ireland for Finningley. The squadron flew into dense fog and only one plane arrived safely

The last narrow boat Alice carried 20 tons of wire from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester on the Rochdale Canal

See John Marsh & Sons

Tram service to Triangle cut back to Station Road, Sowerby Bridge

Tram service to Highroad Well withdrawn

The south of England also had ice storms, when rain falling in sub-zero temperatures covers objects in clear ice

Most parts of the district were affected.

The Summit Tunnel was flooded when a culvert burst its banks near Walsden Station.

The goit from Leadbeater Dam to Spring Dam burst and Square Mill Dam burst flooding many parts of Wainstalls.

Relief funds were set up to help those affected.

Brighouse was badly affected, and the Ha'penny Bridge was torn from its base and blocked the entrance to the lock.

See Photograph of flooding at Copley and Photograph of flooding at Mytholmroyd

The company sold much of its property, leased many of its reservoirs to local authorities, and officially abandoned the through-route across the Pennines.

Except for a short section in Lancashire, between Castlefield and the Ashton Canal junction at Piccadilly, the canal closed to traffic. This section was still owned and run by the private Rochdale Canal Company

Brighouse town centre was flooded

Fire caused at Ash Grove works of W. T. Knowles & Sons

There were smallpox outbreaks in several parts of the district

The Ashton Canal was abandoned

Fire at the mills of Thomas Sugden & Son, Brighouse. The mills were rebuilt following the fire

Locally, it was the worst since 1947 and there were drifts several feet high. Streams and waterfalls in the district froze – threatening water shortages.

For 3 months in the winter of late 1962 and early 1963 there was 1½ inch thick ice at The Shay – Halifax becoming the first football league club to open its ground for public ice-skating. Fees were adults 2s 6d, children 1s 6d, and spectators 1s.

Customers of the Commercial Inn, Sowerby Bridge played five-a-side soccer on the canal there

C. W. S Union Flour Mills, Sowerby Bridge burned down

The 9 locks on the Rochdale Canal through Manchester city centre were almost unusable and an Act of Parliament gave permission for the section to be closed

Steam trains finally stopped running in Britain

The Rochdale Canal Society was formed and started a campaign to restore the Rochdale Canal

A Russian flu epidemic in many parts of the world

The situation was aggravated by an overtime ban by drivers of gritting vehicles

Ripponden Mill burned down

The last commercial use of the Calder & Hebble Canal – the coal traffic to Thornhill power station at Dewsbury – finally ceased

After a cold spell, the thaw burst water-pipes and caused chaos

A coal train was derailed at Underbank, closing the line for several days

Fire caused £1 million damage at Joseph Blakeborough & Sons Limited

Factory of Wattlid Limited, Mytholmroyd, destroyed in a suspected arson attack

The Camping Centre at Hipperholme destroyed by fire

The Calder flooded in Spring

© Malcolm Bull 2017 / [email protected]
Revised 15:23 on 12th December 2017 / c813-1900 / 186