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The latest family research is into the Ingham family who were coal miners, farmers and worked at Firths. Dorothy's research also uncovered information about James William Allatt and Alice Wolfenden also known as Briggs. The 3 stories begin with the Ingham parents.
Ian wrote about Lightcliffe House which stood on Smith House Lane until it was demolished after fire over 50 years ago. It had connections with the Moravians and Firths Carpets. At the time, there wasn't a decent photo of the house. That's been put right as Dave Lister has found photos of the house. The article has been updated to include the photos. Does anyone remember it before the fire? If you walk past Smith House and look carefully at the buildings beyond the coach house you can see the chimney stack, at the right of the building, with its 3 pots.
Sometimes Dorothy starts what might seem a simple piece of research which then expands from one family to many branches. So it was with the Leach family living in our area, many of whom worked locally at Firths or emigrated to Firths' factory in New York State. Some became publicans including one at the Sun Inn. There were so many branches that it has required 4 separate stories. If you go to the first, Thomas & Ellen, you'll then find the others under the title 'The Leach family' in our People of Interest section.
A local family whose origin was in Germany made their home in Lightcliffe and lived at Perth Villas for 60 years. They were strong supporters of the community, St Matthew's church and sporting groups. With strong anti-German feeling during WW1 some changed their surname from Barsdorf with its Germanic sound to Barton, much more English. Read the family story in The Barsdorf-Barton story.
Every now and then, we get detailed feedback on some of our articles. Geoff Warren is distantly related to the Sucksmith family who suffered grievously during World War 1. To lose one son was tragic, to lose 3 absolutely devastating. Geoff has provided more family information to put alongside the articles that Dorothy published several years ago. Further details of this family are available on this link.
A few years ago, Ian researched the various properties that Ann Walker bought after she inherited Cliffe Hill in 1830. Over a few years she bought land to the north, the east (as far down as Clifton Beck) and to the south. At the end of this period, she owned all of the land surrounding the mansion except Crow Nest which was owned by her sister and brother-in-law. With further information much more detail was available (thank you, Bob Horne of the Lightcliffe & District History Society). The article is now updated showing that her purchases amounted to 170 extra acres with information about all of her new property. It was never a surprise, really, that is what wealthy landowners did at the time. Ann Walker's acquisitions 1825 to 1847 updated 2026 is available here.
Burials have taken place over the last 300 years and we have articles giving as much detail about the family histories. Here, though, we concentrate on the very earliest graves looking at the details revealed and the difference in styles. This is called Very early pre-1704 burials. We then look at those who were buried beneath the church before this custom became illegal for health reasons in the 1850s and 1860s. The third article looks at those who were buried elsewhere - not necessarily far away - but had memorials in the church. A few years ago we did some research into those burials where the grave memorials had been mislaid or destroyed and recorded what we know about these families. You can find a series of articles under Missing Memorials.
For anyone who went to a recent talk at the Lightcliffe & District History Society meeting when Mary Twentman was talking about Rooks Hall, then this article from Dorothy tells the story of a family family of tailors who moved from Manchester to our area and lived in Lightcliffe and Norwood Green. This is the story of Francis Birkin Newton and family. Apart from Rooks Hall members of the family lived in Green House (probably Green Houses terrace), Ivy Cottage and Myrtle Bank - all on Wakefield Road. If you live locally, do you know where these houses are? Read the story here.
Johnston Jonas Foster had a major impact on Lightcliffe. Whilst living in Cliffe Hill he founded the new parish church of St Matthew's. When the family moved to Shropshire they again built a church replacing an older one. Two daughters married into the aristocracy, one as a Baroness and the other as a Marchioness. Both were honoured for their work during WW1. The family story can be read here. But do read the stories about their Shropshire connections and the Foster family church building empire.
This coat of arms, or similar ones, can be found in Lightcliffe, near Whitby, Queensbury, in Shropshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire and Herefordshire.
From the point of our local parish, Major J J Foster and his family had a major impact. they, after all, funded our 'new' 150 year old parish church. What is remarkable is that wherever this family went across the country, the built new Anglican churches or extensively restored existing ones. From Lightcliffe to Shropshire, from Queensbury to Hornby in Lancashire, in Egton near Whitby to Staffordshire and Herefordshire. Their amazing story is told in our articles The Foster Churches. Both parts are now available, so press here for Part 1. The second part is here. Soon we will be publishing the story of Major Foster and his family. Who would have thought from our village we would have an Irish Baroness and and English Marchioness.
This is St Hilda's at Egton Bridge, near Whitby. It was built a few years after St Matthew's. Look at the clockface.
Two houses, Crow Nest and Cliffe Hill, have played an important part in the history of our locality. The Walker family owned both and the Jonas Johnston Foster and the Aykroyds lived in Cliffe Hill whilst Sir Titus Salt (first as a tenant then as owner) and Richard Kershaw owned Crow Nest. There is a common link between these families, the textile industries. Taking in wool and silk mills and a carpet factory. Two were major benefactors of local churches - St Matthew's and Lightcliffe Congregational - and all were generous to their local communities. To read their stories follow these links. Cliffe Hill and Crow Nest part 1 and part 2.
Ian played golf with a member of Masham Golf Club and found that his wife was the great granddaughter of Sir William Aykroyd who lived at Cliffe Hill and owned T F Firths in Bailiff Bridge. What we thought was going to be a short piece of research became much more. Sir William was created 1st Baronet Aykroyd of Lightcliffe (the title still exists). His three sons helped to run the local business and those in New York State. The family had active military careers as well and won two Military Crosses and a Mention in Dispatches. Locally they lived in Hargreaves Head (Shelf), Toothill Hall, Rastrick as well as Cliffe Hill. Then moved to the Ripon area including Grantley Hall. There's a lot to read, one of our longest articles, so do read the Aykroyd family story part 1 and part 2.
Several years ago, when we were clearing the undergrowth to reveal headstones, we came across a couple of slightly unexpected burials. Both were dedicated to the memories of Congregational Ministers in our Church of England burial ground. Rev James Read was a pastor for many years in Eastwood, Todmorden and Rev Matthew Stanley was the minister of the very impressive chapel in Heckmondwyke. He was involved in the funerals of members of the Firth family of Firths Carpets. Follow the links for their stories.
Over the last 10 years or so, we have been researching and writing up articles about people associated with the churchyard. As more information is found, original articles are brought up to date. All of this research gives a better understanding of the people who lived in our area and the times in which they lived. Understandably a prominent family, the Walkers of Crow Nest and Cliffe Hill, now have 25 separate articles amounting to around 250 pages (almost a book - but it won't be). The latest revisions centre round the Sutherlands starting with George Mackay Sutherland and Elizabeth Walker and including Evan Charles Sutherland Walker who must have been one of the richest men in West Yorkshire around 1860. Here are Dorothy's 4 latest updates - George Mackay Sutherland, his son, grandchildren and more distant family. If you saw Gentleman Jack and then you read the article on George Mackay Sutherland, you will probably have a more positive view of this Victorian gentleman.
As we've noted before, the Anne Lister diaries, painstakingly translated and transcribed, have a search facility allowing references to people and places to be found easily. These help to build up a personal view of Halifax and the surrounding area in the first 40 years of the 19C. With this resource it is enabling Dorothy to find out more about many of the People of Interest that have already been investigated. In 3 updated articles we can find out more about the Rev Robert Wilkinson and his family together with Anne Lister and Ann Walker's connection with St Matthew's church even to the theme of some of the sermons, how long they lasted and how late into the services the two ladies arrived on several occasions.
Within the churchyard are buried many priests and ministers. Articles have already been written about those with a direct link to St Matthew's such as Revs. Sutcliffe, Wilkinson and Gurney. Dorothy is now researching others who are buried here but carried out their ministries elsewhere. The first is that of Rev. Alfred Blakey Edlestone who was the first vicar of St Catherine in Burnley where he served for 27 years.
Once again, to our delight, there has been a follow up to one of the articles. A Canadian tragedy with a link to the Pohlmann family. Dorothy has named this as The loss of a Halifax bomber in 1944. [The Hadley Page Halifax was a 4 engined UK bomber that was widely used throughout WW2 and proved very effective. After the war, it was adapted as a freight plane.]
Lightcliffe House must have been a significant property just off Smith House Lane. It may have been provided by John Holmes as accommodation for the Moravians when they first came to the area around 1741 and it may have been attached to the outbuildings of Smith House. After providing a home for several families including George Elliot - architect - it was bought by T F Firths in 1947 as accommodation for some European workers at its carpet factory. It was eventually demolished after a fire around 1970 and Windsor Walk houses were built.
Now here is an article with a title which could be that of a crime novel 'The 1921 Lightcliffe railway mystery'. In her routine searches, Dorothy realised that there were 3 people buried in an unmarked grave who had no family connections and this tends to be unusual. What she uncovered were two very sad stories and very little about the third burial. Read about them in her two articles.
Every now and again we get feedback from people regarding stories that we have posted. Recently Dorothy was delighted to receive more information about Hannah Denison (Sinclair & Marsden) who died in Ohio, USA but had lived in Upper German House on Wakefield Road. Some of the information was about the Atlantic crossing in 1850 and yet another family buried in the churchyard, Gabriel Walker. To read the updated article - now 4 individual articles, go to Hannah Denison's story.
We've just had a really good weekend with visitors to the tower on the last couple of days of the Anne Lister Festival. It's always good to meet folk and to tell them about the history of the church and its community.
One thing we do like is when, after we publish an article, we get additional information. In the case of Dorothy's article on the Pohlmann family, this meant that further research was needed and that resulted in an updated version. The link is here, The Pohlmann family.
The latest family to be researched is that of the Pohlmanns. Originating in Germany and bringing musical instrument making skills to Halifax and Lightcliffe, quickly specialising in pianos. The Pohlmann family lived in houses named Elm Royd, Roydlands, Oakleigh and Merville. The company regularly advertised in the parish magazine for many years. The story includes injury and deaths in WW1 and references to the Royal Flying Corps, the precursor of RAF.
What we like is the good number of responses that we get in terms of articles, family research or easier access to the graves. Sometimes this is immediate straight after an article is published, sometimes it is long afterwards when someone has come across an article as they are doing family history research. Lightcliffe & District History Society pass on enquiries that might have links to our site (that's almost automatic because Ian is involved in the admin for LDHS) and we also get direct links when people visit the churchyard. All aresponses are welcomed. Some provide additional information which is always filed but occasionally leads to an update of an article. This long winded note gives the reason for this latest update to our incumbents articles. Further information has been provided by local historian, David Glover, about Rev William Gurney. This article, has also been updated.
What is the (tenuous connection) between Lightcliffe and 'the bells of Old London'? Probably only Dorothy would have found this. Whilst helping Ian in the Lightcliffe Incumbents article, she found more information about William Gurney and has dedicated an article to him. Some might remember a nursery rhyme 'Orange and Lemons, say the bells of St Clement's....' read the article to find that William Gurney would have heard the bells of this church in his youth for good reason. The article picks out his life before coming to our village and then follows his 30 years here.
Sometimes what we take on turns out to be a much bigger task than we expected. Partly because the 150th anniversary of the 'new' church is next year and partly because many stories had not been published in any detail, we decided to update an article about the curates and vicars of Lightcliffe. The result goes to 30 pages which is why it has to be split into two parts. So here we are 'Lightcliffe Incumbents'. We have included some not very flattering views of Oliver Heywood, comments from Anne Lister and, more recently, interesting articles in local newspapers. As always, our research stops short of more recent events.
Dorothy has now completed the task of researching and writing up a branch of Gomersalls. These include landlords of the Country House pub which many will remember being on Leeds Road and is now 2Amici. The final task she thought would be easy with a name like Peel Kershaw Gomersall. Surely unusual enough to make research easy. Far from it, it turns out to be as tricky as any. These additional articles start with Jonas Gomersall and his family.
Ian, in his researches into the Walkers of Crow Nest family estates, knew about a Hipperholme farm called Langley. It's only recently that he realised just how big it was and that it had been written up but as Langley House not Farm. Bringing resources together, here is a picture of the farm and house through to its demolition in 1943. If you know Towngate in Hipperholme, be prepared for a surprise.
A group of articles researched by Dorothy about some Listers and Gomersalls bring stories about a sad case of a suicide, postmasters at Hipperholme PO and the builder of Ripley Street in Lightcliffe (& buildings in Skegness). Sunny Bunces gets a mention as does the P. S. A. Society - there ought to be a prize for anyone knows what type of group this was without using the internet searches.
Firth's Carpets employed many people in our area for many years. Some emigrated to New York state to work in the company's factories in Firthcliffe (Cornwall-on-Hudson) and Auburn. A new article, Firth's Carpets in USA, summarises what we know about these factories and some of the people from here who made a new life across the Atlantic. An earlier article about Fred Booth, who became the driving force behind the success of the Firthcliffe venture, is available here.
 Songs From The British Isles PDF.pdf | 188 kB |
