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MORLEYLOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

Talks Programme for 2017-18

12 September 2017 Marilyn Joice Illustrated Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)

10 October 2017 John Wallis Variety in Wartime

14 November 2017 Ken Cothliff Illustrated Yeadon above the Rest

12 December 2017 Eric Scaiffe Tyke Talk

9 January 2018 Geoffrey Forster Illustrated The History of Waxwork

13 February 2018 Jackie and Bob Lawrence Illustrated Victoria Cross holders in Leeds

13 March 2018 Cyril Pearce Illustrated New Thoughts on British War Resisters

10 April 2018 Annual General Meeting and Clive McManus: will give an Illustrated talk on Morley’s Heritage

MEETINGS are held in the Labour Rooms, Commercial Street at 7.30pm.EXCURSIONS are arranged to places of interest in the Summer months.The society publishes booklets from time to time.MEMBERSHIP is £9.00 per Member per year and VISITOR’S CHARGE is £2.00. Further details from the Secretary, MAURICE SYKES (0113-2535128).

MORLEYLOCAL HISTORY SOCIETYNewsletter

September 2017 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightGood evening and welcome to the first meeting of the 2017-18 season. Our first speaker, Marilyn Joice, will give an illustrated talk about Jane Austen (1775-1818), who remains so popular and acclaimed for her novels about the English landed gentry of her day. Marilyn has been closely associated with the Jane Austen Society for many years so we are assured of an authoritative guide.

The Last meetingWe had a good AGM with no points to cause anxiety and our attendance in the Labour Rooms is assured for the next year or so, at least. The price remains very reasonable and we have accommodated the slight increase with the yearly membership fee which is now £9. Later, I gave an illustrated talk on Health Care in Morley during the 19th Century and up to the beginning of the Great War. Details were given of the difficult times as disease swept the town and folks argued about the necessity of a Health Board. Eventually reason won out and measures were taken, particularly after the formation of the Borough in 1886 when an improved water supply system was introduced. The organisations and personalities who struggled to improve the public health of the town from the shocking conditions of mid-Victorian times were high-lighted and I took the story up till the time of the Great War, just after the social reforms of the Asquith Government when the National Insurance scheme of David Lloyd-George was introduced.I would like to continue the story during the 20th century at a later date.

Events, Research and PublicationsThe society helped the British Legion commemorate the 36 men who are remembered at Tyne Cot in Belgium. These men were killed during the latter days of the Great War in the Ypres area. We have made a booklet about them and Julie has some copies to show.Jeff Chambers, a friend of Morley Heritage, has reformulated one of the MLHS Yearbooks, making it easier to read. The text is practically the same as when originally printed. Again, Julie has copies to show. Please let us know about this. We would like to do other editions.A number of us showed groups of people around the Town Hall and the Dartmouth Park area of Morley over the last weekend. We will be leading another Heritage Trail walk during the Arts Festival, on 1-October.

Left: Dr William Gisburn (1805-1878), Morley PhysicianRight: Sheard’s Chemist’s Shop, Queen Street. 1910c

The Society TripThe trip was on Sunday 11-June when we centred our venues on Stockport. Considering the summer in general, the weather was reasonable, with rain interfering only slightly. First we went to the Air-raid shelters in the town and spent an agreeable couple of hours there, looking at the area where folks went for safety during the ferocious air raids of the Second World War. Of particular interest was how the planners had catered for parents with young children.After this we went to Bramall Hall on the outskirts of the town. This is a delightful Tudor mansion set in large, well-kept parkland and run by the local council. We had a guided tour of the building and it is satisfying to report that these were well organised and delivered. Our party had plenty of time to explore the grounds and also take refreshment.

When we left the area, our driver decided to avoid the M62 motorway, travelling to the south of this into Derbyshire. We met with a number of problems which led to us arriving late in Holmfirth where our meal was booked but I think most took this with good humour and, more important, found their meals enjoyable. Overall, the party showed the happy demeanour which is usually evident after such trips. Thanks are due to Robert for organising this lovely and interesting day out. Clive McManus

Upper left: Alan Briggs outside the Stockport Air Raid Shelter.Upper right: The front of Bramall Hall. Bottom left: Peter Waugh and Julie Heeley dress up, inside Bramall Hall.Bottom right: Holmfirth Brian Dykes and friend leave the bus to go to the Old Bridge Inn.


October 2017 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightWe welcome the return of John Wallis and this is long overdue. John talked to us a couple of times in the early millennium. We found that he was always in charge of his subject and entertaining. He is a specialist in the History of Variety Entertainment and tonight he will be talking about Variety in War time.

The Last meetingAfter problems with a bad traffic jam in Leeds, Marilyn Joice quickly settled down and gave us an extremely comprehensive, illustrated talk about the life and work of the novelist Jane Austen who is now gracing our new £10 notes. Marilyn has had her obvious deep interest since the days at school when she was inspired by an English teacher and she has been a member of the Jane Austen Appreciation Society for many years. It’s unfortunate that many left after refreshments because Marilyn gave us a lovely, intimate question and answer period. Here she expressed some forthright and pertinent opinions on the various interpretations of the author’s works in recent years and also some guides on how to make the most of the wit and beliefs of this woman who has left us with such a complete record of life amongst a section of English life which remains relevant to this day. PublicationsOne of our new members, Jeff Chambers, has started to transcribe MLHS materials which were printed in times when reproduction techniques were rather limited due to the use of stencils. Last time, I told of his work on Yearbook 4 which contains articles on Gildersome. Now he has completed Yearbook 6. This has been considerably enhanced with much better graphics, particularly in the articles by David Atkinson and Frank Horsnail. Yearbook 25 is in preparation with tributes to George Atkinson and Bob Dennis. The cost of these is £4 with £1 of this going to MLHS funds. It is likely that we will make collections of individual articles, such as the various biographies of Morley personalities.On our recent tours of the Town Hall we had requests for copies of the booklet on the building which David Atkinson and I wrote on the occasion of its centenary. The supply of the original printing has now run dry so we have made a copy of the booklet which can be printed at will. Such are now available at £5 each (£1 to go to MLHS).

Senior members Bob Dennis and George Atkinsonat the MLHS Silver Jubilee. December 1991

The New White Bear and Christopher Saxton What could the link here possibly be? Well, the disused pub restaurant at Tingley roundabout is to be demolished and, some time ago, the Yorkshire Society put up a plaque there in memory of the locally-born cartographer Christopher Saxton. The Society has decided to move the plaque to the New Scarborough Inn and the ceremony will take place at 2pm on Thursday-12-October. I will be giving a dedication to Christopher but I think a few words and pictures on both topics are appropriate here.

There has been a New White Bear at the Tingley Crossroads for over 150 years. Sadly it has now met the fate of many pubs, due, perhaps, to the No-Smoking Ban and ready availability of cheap beer.

**********As with many people of his period, we know more about the map-making achievements of Christopher Saxton than we do about his personal life. It can be said with certainty that he was born in this area but now it’s thought his birthplace was Sowood, these days consumed into Ossett, in the 1542-44 era. Later his family came to live in Dunningley which remains the small hamlet it was in his day. It seems that he had a good education and that he came under the influence of John Rudd, the vicar of Dewsbury, learning the skills needed to be cartographer from this man.At this time, the country’s knowledge of its landscape was poor and Queen Elizabeth’s brilliant first minister, Lord Burghley, realised this had to change if the country was to grow economically and also meet the often ferocious competition of other European countries.Saxton proved to be the ideal man to deal with this task. Starting in 1570 he began the enormous task of mapping the whole country, county by county. He was given official authority and recompense by the Queen to carry out this task but I think he must have needed and obtained help from locals.His first maps appeared in 1574 and by 1579 he was able to publish his Atlas of England & Wales. This beautiful work remained the starting point of English mapmakers until the advent of the Ordnance Survey in the 19th Century.Although the Queen granted him a Coat of Arms and he cannot have been without money, Saxton remained true to Dunningley all his life and his map of Yorkshire contains a reference to it. It is likely that he died here around 1611 and that he was buried at Woodkirk.

Clive McManus

Left: The entrance way to Tingley Hall and the New White Bear in the distance at Tingley Crossroads. After a rebuild. 1940cRight: The refurished New White Bear in the early 1980s after the crossroads was turned into a roundabout.Photos by kind permission of Peter Aldred.

The Coat of ArmsGranted to Chrisopher Saxton


November 2017 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightKen Cothliff is our speaker and he will be giving an illustrated talk about Yeadon Airport. Mr Cothliff has been described as a life long aviation enthusiast and he has written a book about the airport. From what I’ve read about his background and views I think we can expect an authoritative and stimulating evening.

The Last meetingWe had a lovely meeting with John Wallis who entertained us with stories and songs about Wartime periods which have been used by Variety artists. He took us from the time of the Boer War and the Great War up to that of 1939-45, choosing songs by popular artists from each period which had a cheerful and humorous element. He added jokes and used various musical instruments throughout. It was a joyous time even with such a sombre subject.

Local History Society Yearbooks and BookletsOur new member, Jeff Chambers, is continuing to transform the old yearbooks into a new A5 format. The latest one is Volume 1 from 1965-68, giving details of how our society was shaped, with ideas and activities. He has added some lovely new graphics including the Gildersome Manor House and the Crank Mill well. It costs £4.

Remembrance Day 2017Last Sunday, an enormous number of folk attended the ceremony at the War Memorial for those service personnel who have died in the service of our country. It is also just over 100 years ago that the Battle of Passchendaele (3rd Battle of Ypres) ended. Julie Heeley and I were privileged to lay a special wreath on the Memorial for all the local men who are commemorated at the Tyne Cot Memorial for victims of this conflict.36 Morley men are remembered here and Morley Community Archives has produced a booklet which gives details of them.

It’s a tricky problem mentioning just one of these men but I think the story of Pte Herbert Hardy of the Yorkshire Regiment highlights the awfulness of this time in full detail. He is thought to have been killed on 16-November-1917 but his body was never found. Even in February 1919, two months after the end of the war his mother could not accept this and was still asking if anyone had details of her son. I have to say that we have heard of numerous similar incidents in this terrible time for the soldiers and their families.Herbert Hardy

Morley’s Passchendaele Wreathwith 36 named Poppies

Christopher SaxtonMany of you will know that the New White Bear pub at Tingley Cross-roads has been demolished. Some time ago the Yorkshire Society erected a memorial plaque there to commemorate the locally born map-maker Christopher Saxton. It was felt quite rightly that this tribute should be preserved and so a new plaque has been made and placed on the nearby New Scarborough Public House. It was formally dedicated on 12-October in the presence of the Mayor of Morley, Cllr Robert Finnigan and I gave an account of Saxton’s life and work.Nowadays folks take maps for granted but few realise the great debt that we all owe to this man who rose from relatively obscure beginnings to become the Father of English Map making.Christopher Saxton was born in the age of Queen Elizabeth I. Extensive work on the sparse, available records by Evans and Laurence indicates that, contrary to previous ideas, he was born in Sowood, a district which has now been taken into Ossett, somewhere between 1542 and 1544.His parents, Thomas and Margaret moved to Dunningley in his childhood. This part of West Ardsley still exists as a separate entity and remains relatively isolated, just off Thorpe Lane. His family had the means to educate him, probably in Wakefield and also, it’s thought, at Cambridge.In 1570 he came under the influence of John Rudd, Vicar of Dewsbury and passionate map-maker. The evidence is strong that he learned his skills here and that they were such that he became known to Thomas Seckford who had direct links to the Royal Court and, in particular, the chief minister William Cecil. A recent TV series has shown how the Cecils guided English policy and William, aware of a threat from Spain, felt that the layout and resources of the country must be fully known.The result was that in the early 1570s, Cecil instituted a grand project to map the whole country with Saxton leading the team of surveyors organised by Seckford. A beacon signalling system had already been set up on high points around the country and Cecil instructed locals to give Saxton all the help he needed in locating and using these points.Even so, in an astonishingly short period of three years, Saxton had completed the whole survey in 1577 and that of Wales by 1578. In 1579, his work was published in one volume with beautiful art work decorations - the first British Atlas It remained the standard for accuracy until the advent of the Ordnance Survey. In 1579, he was granted a Coat of Arms but he returned to Yorkshire and Dunningley in 1588 when his patron Seckford died. Thereafter he worked on local surveying projects including maps of Dewsbury and Manchester, often with his son Robert. He died around 1610 and was likely buried at Woodkirk Church. The inclusion of Dunningley in his map of Yorkshire must, surely, indicate that he felt this was his home and he was proud of it.Leeds Libraries have one of the 47 existing copies of the original atlas , now valued at around £150,000.

Clive McManus

The Slate Plaque at The New Scarborough

Part of the Saxton map of Yorkshire, Dunningley shown. The principal waterways around Morley clearly changed later.

An original exists in Leeds Central Library


December 2017 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightA warm welcome to our Christmas meeting. Also to our speaker Eric Scaiffe who will be entertaining us with some ‘Tyke Talk’. Eric has not visited us before but the reputable word is that his talk will be a mix of Yorkshire dialect, tradition, folklore, history and humour - something to gladden our hearts, I’m sure. As is our custom, you are invited to take a drink beforehand and the break-time coffee or tea is free. We thank Peter and Christine for continuing to give us such wonderful fare.

The Last meetingKen Cothliff gave us an extremely fluent and detailed talk on the History of Yeadon Airport. As they say, and it’s true in this case, I think: what Ken does not know about Yeadon is hardly worth knowing. Though perhaps he might disagree with that as I was most impressed with the matter of fact way he presented his knowledge with the help of slides. It was really quite marvellous, the way he picked out the details on the photographs he presented.The many changes in the landscape as the airport has expanded were related to present day features and he told us of the extensive network of folks who have developed it, clearly knowing many of them personally. Thank you, Ken.

Edwin Gentry and the Great WarOne hundred years ago, the war was very much on people’s minds with no end in sight and the Morley Observer was giving Casualty data every single week. We are keeping a record of these and, as I’ve already indicated, we are storing them locally and on the Imperial War Museum site. Over 250 names are now stored on the latter.One man who preceded us, Edwin Gentry, the Librarian of the Borough from 1906 to 1940, made, in conjunction with his wife Frances, a massive Roll of Honour containing the names of all the men who had left Morley to fight. We are told it contained 3000 names. Sadly we do not know what became of it, despite extensive searches. Our own records are of the order of 1500.In December 1917 Edwin himself was in Beckett’s Park Hospital in Leeds, recovering from wounds received in the conflict. He appealed to the people of Morley for a piano or a record player for his ward because the inmates had no other form of entertainment. I don’t know if this wish was fulfilled but Morley preferred to fund Leeds hospitals at this time rather than that at Dewsbury. Since Morley was part of the Dewsbury Union this did cause it to have unpleasant publicity from other towns in this area.

Edwin James Gentry (1880-1940)

The McCutcheons and the ClarkesRecently, Robert McCutcheon, the son of Dr Gregory and Moira has lent me some family photos and documents which give us insight into the family and the work that they did in looking after people’s health.As some of you will remember, Robert’s father held his surgery at Brean Down, High Street for many years. However, the surgery dated back to the very early 1890s when Dr Arthur Clarke moved here from Street in Somerset. Brean Down is a beauty spot close to Street.Arthur Clarke was the brother of John Chaundy Clarke, another doctor in Morley, who came to the town in the 1860s and whose son, Travers and grand-daughter Ella also became local doctors.In the mid 1890s Arthur was joined, in his practice, by Dr William Robert Clarke, recently qualified and born in Ireland. As far as both Robert, Julie Heeley and I can tell there is no family connection between the two men.In 1908, Arthur Clarke left the practise due to ill health and his place was taken by Dr William Thomas McCutcheon, recently qualified, who moved into Brean Down where he remained all his life. He quickly settled into the practice and was one of the first Morley doctors to buy and use a car, a Renault. I suspect that the model shown above was one of his later cars.In the early days his surgery was only open two hours a day. However his records show that he would make many visits to folks’ homes. For instance we know that he made 17 visits on Saturday, 3-February-1912 and 6 on the next day, a Sunday. Each patient paid him 2s-6d (12.5p).He married Elizabeth Florence Clarke, the daughter of his older partner, on 23-July-1914 in St Paul’s Church, Morley. They honeymooned in Eastbourne and very shortly afterwards Britain declared war on Germany. Dr McCutcheon served with the RAMC from mid 1916 and we note that Dr Clarke died in December 1917. The strain on local medical services during the War were great indeed as these men were not easily replaced, if at all, at the time.Dr McCutcheon became deeply involved in local affairs and he was a member of the Borough Council from 1925-1933, taking particular responsibility for local health matters. He and his wife had three children with Dr. Gregory succeeding him at Brean Down. I am reliably informed that Dr. Gregory would often work until 10pm in his surgery but he still maintained his interest in local history and church affairs.

The Society Trip As yet, no firm plans have been made for the Society trip but, be assured, it is to go ahead. The initial plan is to visit Lincolnshire and Robert is looking for two suitable venues. We have had good success in this area previously and he is confident that he can make arrangements which would cost no more than £24. It will be on Sunday 3-June.

Finally, the Committee and I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas time and Peaceful New Year.Clive McManus

Brean Down in High Street

The groom is in the middle of the 2nd row.Dr W.R. Clarke is at the end of this row and his wife is to the left of the bride.


January 2018 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightGood evening and welcome to the first meeting of 2018. Our speaker is another new face, Geoffrey Forster who will give us an illustrated talk about the History of Waxwork - a depiction of some object made by a waxy substance. Geoffrey is the Administrator at Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel in Leeds and has been a professional librarian in past times.

Peter WaughIt’s with great sadness that I have to tell you that Peter Waugh has died as a result of complications during what was thought to be routine hospital treatment. Only last month, he and his wife Christine put on a really splendid drinks and food session as part of the Christmas meeting. In addition, he has been a valued member of our committee since 2012. In recent years, he and Christine have welcomed us into their house for the meetings and these have been happy times besides enabling us to organise the nitty-gritty of the society. I know that those of us close to him valued his friendship and his knowledge of historical matters. He will be sorely missed and I’m sure you will join with me in offering our condolences to Christine and their family.

The Last meetingEric Scaiffe, an old-style Yorkshireman, I would say, entertained us with an evening of Tyke talk after the usual Christmas Festivities so well organised by Peter and Christine. He gave us a grand mix of dialect words and their meanings along with stories which he felt characterised the county. It was a good humoured evening and I think that even those of our members who were unwise enough to admit to Lancastrian roots enjoyed it.

The Society TripBe assured that Robert is working hard, with definite plans for this. He is trying to arrange a visit to the Heritage Museum at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, together with a visit to the Museum of Lincolnshire life in Lincoln itself. I hope this works out as it sounds like a lovely trip. The scheduled date is Sunday 3 June.

Peter and Christine Waugh in December 2015

Tingley Mills and the Bradley FamilyYou may have noted that the Tingley Mills building which has been ill-used for many years is, at present, under development to create apartments. The site is within a proposed conservation area and I understand the plan is to create over sixty one- and two- bed apartments within the complex. While one likes to see such brownfield sites developed, I do wonder how the traffic situation in the area will be affected.

We are told that the present Tingley Mills were erected in 1886 by Humphrey Bradley (1831-1892). However we know that Bradleys were pioneers in textile manufacture in Morley throughout the 19th Century. It has been an interesting exercise trying to piece their family histories together. It would appear that there were two strands of Bradley who made cloth in Morley. One of these was associated with Queen Street Wesleyan Chapel but the Bradleys who manufactured at Tingley attended St Mary’s-in-the-Wood Congregational Chapel before 1800. We know of no link between them and it does look as though the religious affiliation was important to each strand.

We know that Humphrey, his brother Emanuel and their father William had shares in the profitable Gillroyd Mill created in the pre-Morley Tunnel era but they spread out on their own around 1856 at a time when the industry could expand due to improved transport. In September 1956, the company organised a centenary trip to London for the 300 people who were working at the mill so I assume they had their own mill by this time. Sadly I can say no more than this at present.. Certainly, the mill at Tingley was very successful up until the 1960s and it remained a family business. Family tradition has played its part. In particular, a review of the various generations shows that there has always been a Humphrey in the family since the Tingley Mills founder’s day and, in fact there was a Major Humphrey Bradley on the board of the Mills company in 2008. The family tended to live near the mill in rather fine houses which still exist.The Bradleys did contribute to social life in the town. Emanuel was one of the biggest supporters for the building of the new church of St Mary’s-in-the-Wood in 1878. His brother Humphrey, became a councillor in the early days of the Borough and Humphrey’s grandson, Humphrey Akeroyd, served on Morley Borough Council from 1934 to 1956, becoming Mayor in 1950-51. His wife Gladys played an active role in the running of the Morley Ladies Luncheon Club, entertaining such notables as Violet Bonham Carter, daughter of H.H. Asquith.

It was also the tradition for the family to have a descendant called Denis and I close by mentioning the most famous member in that respect. Denis (1907-1963) was a brilliant scrum-half who was captain of the Morley RUFC team for much of the time during its great success, bridging the late 1920s and 30s. His partnership with stand-off George Wilson is remembered by aficionados and the club has named its hospitality suite in memory of him. Denis is remembered for the bravery of his actions during the Second World War when he served as a captain in the Royal Tank Regiment.

Any additions to these memories of the Tingley Mills and the Bradleys will be gratefully received.

Clive McManus

Tingley Mills around 1890Looking along Bridge Street

Humphrey Bradley

Humphrey Akeroyd and GladysBradley

Denis Bradley in 1928


February 2018 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightWe welcome Jackie and Bob Lawrence from East Leeds History and Archaeological Society. They are well known in this area for their work on the activity of local people in times of warfare besides their well-established support of Local History organisations. Tonight they will be giving an illustrated talk on Leeds men who have been awarded the Victoria Cross, the ultimate award for gallantry in combat. The Last meetingGeoffrey Forster gave us a stimulating talk on the History of Waxworks. He showed how these came into prominence in an age before it was rarely possible to give folks ready access to images of public figures. He described how models were originally made from beeswax and hair, skin and other facial features could be added. The first exhibitions in this country were in the 17th and 18th Centuries and they concentrated on effigies of the Monarchy.Later, images of public heroes such as Horatio Nelson were included but, perhaps, his description of how Anna Maria (‘Marie’) Tussaud (nee Grosholtz; 1761-1850) revolutionised the public interest was the most fascinating part of this absorbing lecture.

The Society TripThe plans for the trip are going ahead but there have been several modifications.First, the trip will be on Sunday 10th June as more people will be able to go on that day. Despite all his efforts, Robert has also been unable to get a decent response from the people at RAF Scampton and so it has been decided to abandon this idea and go to Normanby Hall instead. This beautiful house is full of interesting artefacts and a delight to tour. It is set in a 300 acre country estate where there are plenty of activity centres and a restaurant. The trip will also include a visit to the North Lincolnshire Museum in Scunthorpe. Here, one can see costumes, decorative art and photos illustrating Lincolnshire life, Social and Local History and Archaeology. Robert is planning an evening meal at the Kingswood Golf Club where we’ve had excellent service in the past. He aims to keep the cost to around £23 (promise!) and I urge you to let him know if you can go as soon as possible so that he can get the best deals.

Normanby Hall

Morley and Women in Public LifeOn February 6th, this year it was the 100th anniversary the so-called 4th Reform Act in which women obtained the right to vote in elections for the first time. Media gave this event a lot of publicity and I think it’s appropriate to look at this in more detail and the effect it had on Morley life.During the late 19th Century, one local woman, Alice Cliff Scatcherd, (October-2016 Newsletter) stands out for her work in the town and elsewhere, campaigning for Women’s Rights but few Morley women, other than the Mayoress at the time, had a public profile. Change was in the air.Most Morley folk were delighted when locally-born Henry Asquith became Prime Minister in 1908 but he was most definitely against voting rights for women. The First World War changed attitudes massively and Asquith had to go with the sway. Previous to this time, most activity involving women had been organised by the Mayoress and wives of local business men, though lesser-known women in the Cooperative movement were gaining influence . Now, with increasing numbers of men required by the military, it became obvious, from the word go that women must play a much more important role in everyday life on the home front.

Those from relatively rich backgrounds formed groups to support the military but women took on jobs formerly held by men so that the employment of them as conductors on Leeds trams made headline news in October 1915. Possibly more remarkable was that the Leeds suffragist Isabella Ford was invited to give a talk on Women’s work in the War at the Morley Conservative Assembly room earlier that year. The locals were told in no uncertain terms that they really must campaign for the right to vote after all the sacrifices they were making in war-time and that the Local MP, Gerald France, was definitely against Women’s Suffrage. Henry Asquith lost power to David Lloyd George in late 1916 and the male

politicians in Westminster had to listen to these voices. It was clear that, with the sufferings experienced, electoral reform was necessary and so the franchise for both sexes was extended by the Act of February 1918. All men over the age of 21 would be able to vote but votes for women would be restricted to those over 30 who held £5 of property or who had husbands who did. This latter restriction was, I believe, expediency, so that there would not be more women voters than men (whose numbers had been drastically reduced in the war).Modern media regards this as a landmark event but The Morley Observer did not even give it a mention at the time, being more concerned with the state of the war and food shortages.The first election to put the Act to a test was held on 14-December 1918, just after the war had ended, when many of the armed forces and nursing staff had not returned home. They would find it difficult to vote, even though the count was delayed for them. The constituency had been enlarged to take in Batley and Gerald France was facing Ben Turner, a trade unionist and former Mayor of Batley, adding several unique dimensions to the event.I will continue and expand on this story in the next Newsletter but suffice it to say that Gerald France thought it necessary to say he supported the right of women to vote. It was a bad-tempered campaign but he won, albeit with a reduced majority. Politics in Morley were topsy turvy during the 1920s but, really, this election marked a decline in the local fortunes of the Liberal Party and a very marked increase in the power of women to change national life at an electoral level.

Clive McManus

Ada StockdaleMayoress: 1916-19

Isabella Ford(1855-1924)


March 2018 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightWe welcome Cyril Pearce who last visited us in 2009 to talk about the History of Bret-ton Hall. Tonight, he will be considering another subject on which he has considerable knowledge: ‘New Thoughts on British War Protesters’. The presentation will be illustrated. His fine book ‘Comrades in Conscience’ tells of the actions of war protesters in Huddersfield during the Great War but I know that his research has expanded far beyond our own locality so I think we can await this talk with great interest and anticipation.

The Last meetingJackie and Bob Lawrence gave us a detailed and well-researched account of Victoria Cross holders who had Leeds connections. They named 19 men who had received this, the highest award for gallantry that can be awarded to a member of the British military. 17 men are named on the VC Memorial outside the Art Gallery in Leeds but the Lawrences have added a further two names of men who also had associations with the city.They dealt with each man in chronological order, starting with John Pearson (1825-92) who received his award for action during the Indian Mutiny of 1858 and ending with Arthur Louis Aaron (1922-1943), a pilot with the RAF. Eight men were awarded the VC for their actions during the First World War.Their study was extremely thorough and it paid appropriate tribute to these incredibly brave men. Jackie and Bob clearly have a strong commitment to the heritage of Leeds and we thank them for sharing their work with us.

The Society TripRobert informs me that 15 people have put their names down for the Society trip on Sunday 9-June. The arrangements are now quite definite: a visit in the morning to Normanby Hall followed by another to the North Lincolnshire Museum in Scunthorpe. This latter has a variety of displays ranging from pre-historic times, to local history including the area’s steel manufacture. Food is available at both Normanby, which has a café and the Museum, which has a courtyard tea room. The evening meal will be at the Kingswood Golf Club at Hatfield, South Yorkshire. The cost will be no more than £23 but could be less if numbers justify a larger coach. Please let Robert know now if you wish to go.

The N. Lincolnshire Museumformerly the St Lawrence Vicarage

Women in the Public Life of Morley - Part 2Up until the 20th Century few women played a part in Public Life in this area apart from the current Mayoress of the time. We have previously considered the contributions of Alice Cliff Scatcherd but she was very much an exception.

This did change after 1900, albeit slowly and the main areas where women got a voice locally were within the Cooperative Movement and the Magistracy.The Morley Co-op was a really strong and important organisation with many interests outside its core business of selling food and consumer goods. Like other Co-operative

branches, it formed a Women’s Guild around 1900 which promoted education amongst women and at one period it had an ambulance class. In the 1937 photograph the Chair, Mrs E. Wilson, was from Morley but the majority were from Gildersome or the Ardsley area. Women did not have any board status at that time but that changed after the Second World War when the formidable Rose Woollin from Ardsley was co-opted as a director. In Morley, the first female magistrates, Emma Holliday and Louisa Wilson were appointed

in September 1921, two years after the first female JP, Mrs Ada Summers of Stalybridge. They were married to local business men but Emma was a health care worker and Louisa also had strong interest in social care. In 1929, Emily Asquith became a JP. She was a local headmistress and she was in charge of the children’s court for many years.The 1943 photograph opposite shows Lillian Riley, a school teacher, Emily Asquith and Louisa Wilson behind the Mayor and Mayoress, Ald. David and Mrs Fanny Dickinson and veteran JP, J.W Hepworth at the Golden Jubilee of the Morley Magistracy.Similarly, it was not until 1937 that the Borough Council had a female

member, Mrs Jean Fraser of Tingley. Again, she was the wife of a local business man. And so it was with the first female mayor, Clara Hepworth, the daughter of a local millowner in 1956. Having said all that, I do think that these women had a strong influence in the town’s affairs and that they paved the way for a much greater presence of women in public life in this area. The times have dramatically changed, with almost sexual equality in the Magistracy, four women

have been Mayor since the formation of Morley Town Council in 2000 and we have a female MP.

Clive McManus

The Morley Co-op Women’s Guild - 1937

Rose Woollin(1909-99)

Ald. Clara Hepworth ather Mayor’s Sunday.

Jane Pedon Fraser(1861-1945)


April 2018 Founded 1965www.morleylhs.btck.co.uk

TonightThis is the last meeting of the 2017-18 season and we start it off with our AGM. Apart from the tragic loss of Peter Waugh, it has been a reasonably good year with activity inside and outside of these meetings. Maurice and I will give fuller reports but I trust we can complete this section well and efficiently. After a refreshment break, I will give an illustrated talk on the Rhodes Mill family of Morley - their work in the textile trade, their civic and social activities and the people who worked in their mills.

The Last meetingCyril Pearce gave us a first rate talk on folks who opposed the First World War. He is a former academic with a fine knowledge of archival sources, which he has used to the full as shown here and in his book. He told us about the differing attitudes of folks, varying from those whose actions were based on religious beliefs to those of a more political nature. His results have been posted on-line and the work continues. Very kindly, he has sent me a copy of these and I’ve returned the compliment by sending him information about the five Morley men we know about who did not want to bear arms in this terrible conflict.

The Society TripRobert tells me that 19 people have signed up for the annual excursion on 9-July so there is still plenty of room for anyone who has not yet made their mind up. As usual it will include two venues. Leaving Queensway at around 10am, the first port of call will be Normanby Hall in Lincolnshire. The hall is in fine grounds, holds plenty of interest and has food facilities. In the afternoon, the party will then travel to the North Lincolnshire Museum in Scunthorpe which has a variety of displays showing local life throughout the ages. There will be an evening meal before the return home.Let me emphasise once more that the trip will cost no more than £23 and this may be less if more folks join. Please let Robert know your intentions.

Local History NightOn 19-April Morley Public Library is hosting an evening devoted to Morley’s Heritage. This will contain a number of illustrated presentations about the town, some discussions and folk songs relating to its textile culture. There will be lots of displays about local pubs and churches and opportunities to ask questions.The evening starts at 7pm and it will last for 2 hours. It is free but I think it will be a good idea to arrive early to ensure a seat.

The Programme for 2018-19

11-September The Roots of Judy Woods IllustratedMary Twentyman is a member of the Bradford Family History Group and she is well known for her work regarding the city’s social history. Judy Woods is the third largest woodland in the district and she will be describing how it has changed over time.

9-October Wentworth Woodhouse IllustratedTrevor Moody will tell us about the history of this remarkable building and site which is undergoing renovation so that the public can visit it.

13-November Barnbow CanariesAnne Batchelor has visited us before to give informative talks on Family History matters. On this occasion she will consider the women who worked in the Barnbow Armaments Factory during the First World War.

11-December Other Folks’s Rubbish Illustrated Chris Helme is a well-known speaker on local history matters in this area and this is guaranteed to be a stimulating and nostalgic talk.

8-January I am Come Home, Sir IllustratedJanet Niepokojczycka has entertained us before with her talks on the local history of Cumbria. On this occasion she will be considering the Life of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Legends surrounding the time of the Jacobite rebellion in the 18th Century.

12-February F/Sgt Arthur Aaron - Leeds’ Own Air VC IllustratedMartin Cocker is a volunteer at the Second World War Experience Centre which devotes itself to the study of this era. He has done considerable research into the life of this man who piloted his crew back to base despite suffering from appalling wounds during a mission.

12-March Curiosities of the North Yorkshire Moors IllustratedJane Ellis is a local historian and she will consider such matters as Roman Roads and old Victorian Railways in this delightful part of the world.

9-April AGM followed by an illustrated topic of local interest

This programme was decided in committee and Maurice made the final arrangements. I thank him for this and hope that you will join us at the presentations besides attending some of the other events organised during the Summer break.

Clive McManus

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