The Keighley Town Hall cellars have been the repository for records since the Council came into being, but it’s not been general knowledge that these records have remained in storage in the Town Hall cellars for many years, untouched since Bradford Metropolitan District Council took
A History of High Royds
Heritage and Archiving Training Sessions
18th Century Pit Shaft Discovered in Riddlesden
Sequah: The American-Indian Medicine Man from Yorkshire
Keighley Council’s historical archive is to be saved
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- Keighley Town Hall archive – 01
The Keighley Town Hall cellars have been the repository for records since the Council came into being, but it’s not been general knowledge that these records have remained in storage in the Town Hall cellars for many years, untouched since Bradford Metropolitan District Council took over in 1974. The History Society had been informed by Bradford Council staff that these archives had to be removed as soon as possible so that the storage area could be brought back into use with the implication being that some of the archive could be damaged, or even lost in the process if we didn’t act quickly.
We visited the archives for ourselves, fully expecting to see a few dozen books and files but were very pleasantly surprised to see over 1000 large leather bound ledgers and files, containing the whole history of Keighley Council activities. They include:
Poor Rate record books for Keighley; Haworth; Oakworth; Oxenhope and Stanbury.
Valuation lists
Bond certificates
Record of Keighley Sanctions to borrow
Sinking fund accounts
Keighley Corporation accounts
Council minutes books, several years worth, dating back to 1877
Ledger books
Rent books
Road apportionment records
Water rate records
Gas rate records
Numerous stamps
Ballot boxes
Large linen backed maps
After the initial shock, we took the 1914 Stanbury Poor Rate book over to Keighley Library as a sample to show to staff, then came away to make plans to carry out what would effectively be a rescue mission. This would involve moving the whole archive to Russell Street storage rooms held by Keighley Town Council so that none of it was lost until a plan could be formulated to house the archive permanently, perhaps with grant funding assistance. We visited the cellars again and had carried out some indexing, when we were contacted by Library Staff informing us that they were going to take over the archive and were making plans to create space within the library archive rooms and cellars in order to keep it in Keighley. They will have to lose their main workroom and open up the cellar storage area, but they are confident that they able to take the whole archive.
Whilst it would have been a worthwhile experience to save and store this archive, we are happier with this outcome because it takes the pressure off us as a voluntary society and the archive will be staying in Keighley which is its rightful home. We would have struggled to make it available for anything like the 60 hours each week that the library is open. It will take many weeks or even months for the library staff to index and archive the whole archive, but we look forward to it becoming available to the general public and have offered our support to them in this endeavour. It will open up a whole new section of Keighley’s history to study and research.
A History of High Royds
On Wednesday 13th March, Mark Davis will be giving a talk on the History of High Royds Hospital.
High Royds Hospital opened in Menston in September 1888. It is very well known in the area as an asylum. Mark Davis has spent years collecting images, documents and stories connected to High Royds. His collection is available via his website: High Royds Hospital.
High Royds Hospital. Photograph available under a creative commons licence. Source: Wikimedia Commons..
Originally called the West Riding Pauper Asylum it’s first patient was a Clerk from Bradford. The hospital served the whole of West Yorkshire and was closed in 2003. Mark has gathered many fascinating stories about the hospital. Whilst some will no doubt be told in his talk, many more can be found in his book about High Royds – we assume Mark will be bringing some copies!
As usual entry to the speaker meeting is via the Albert Street entrance to the Library. The door will be open from 7pm to allow early entry.
Entry is £1 for members and £2 for non-members.
Drinks and light refreshments are available.
A selection of books relating to Local History are available for sale through the society at our speaker meetings. Please ask any member of the Committee for further details.
Heritage and Archiving Training Sessions
As part of our Heritage Lottery funded project about the Police station the Society will be offering a series of training sessions. These will be available free of charge to members of the Society and people working on other local HLF projects.
The society is currently in the process of planning a series of training sessions. These sessions are aimed at ensuring that our work on the archive, in conducting oral history interviews and in developing our online presence are done to professional standards. We hope that the training will help to develop new skills and allow members to participate fully in the work of the society.
Training is likely to be offered in the following areas:
- Managing and Maintaining a physical archive
- Managing and Maintaining a digital archive
- Conducting effective Oral History interviews
- Using WordPress (the software that powers this Blog)
In order to plan for these most effectively, we would appreciate it if people could contact us to let us know if they are interested in any of the above. Alternatively, if there is an area that is not mentioned above that you would like training on, that is relevant to the work of the Society, please let us know.
Feedback can be sent via the Contact Form, via e-mail to dan@kdlhs.org.uk, or to any member of the committee at speakers meetings.
We anticipate that training sessions will run in evenings at a location in central Keighley. Full details of dates, times and booking arrangements will be posted once we have gauged levels of interest in each form of training and secured qualified trainers for each.
18th Century Pit Shaft Discovered in Riddlesden
A pit shaft dating back to the 18th Century has been discovered by engineers working in Riddlesden.
The Keighley News reports that the pit shaft was opened up by engineers from Northern Gas Networks whilst undertaking routine work. The news article can be read here.
Whilst Keighley and the surrounding area is not well known for it’s mining heritage there are a surprisingly large number of mines recorded in and around the town. On a visit to the National Mining Museum several months ago, the society were shown records that listed numerous sites.
The main areas of mining activity in and around the area were mines into a seam of coal that runs through Parkwood; numerous shafts were dug in and around the Denholme area and there was a seam that runs across what is now Goose Coat Lane. Some of the larger mining operations in the area included the Baxendall & Co mine at Wilsden, listed as operating in 1854 and the Horsfall & Co operations in Denholme.
For people interested in Keighley’s mining heritage the following are good starting points:
Keighley Coal, a book by MC Gill.
Keighley Photographic Society, Volume IV, No 35 includes photographs of the Western Avenue Shaft.
The Microfiche of the 1922 Keighley News contains a report of the re-opening of the Rough Holden Coal shafts.
Sequah: The American-Indian Medicine Man from Yorkshire
On Wednesday 13th February Dr Christine Alvin will be giving a talk entitled,
Sequah: The American-Indian Medicine Man from Yorkshire.
As the title suggests, Sequah was a Yorkshireman who gained fame as a medicine man. A well known ‘Quack’ doctor, he became somewhat of a cult figure around the country. He performed in front of large crowds and ‘treated’ local people with a range of oils and other methods.
Source: The Daily Graphic, 11th July 1891.
As usual entry to the speaker meeting is via the Albert Street entrance to the Library. The door will be open from 7pm to allow early entry.
Entry is £1 for members and £2 for non-members.
Drinks and light refreshments are available.
A selection of books relating to Local History are available for sale through the society at our speaker meetings. Please ask any member of the Committee for further details.
Merry Christmas!
A quick note to wish all of our members and visitors to the site a very Merry Christmas.
Unless something unexpected happens there will be no updates to this site until the New Year. The Committee would like to thank all speakers, members and volunteers at events for all of their hard work and support over the last year.
Should you have any enquiries, comments or items to submit, the Contact Us form will continue to be checked and monitored over the festive period.
With thanks on behalf of the whole committee.
Merry Christmas!
Category: Uncategorized /
70′s Themed House opening at Bradford Industrial Museum
The Industrial Museum in Bradford is developing a 70′s themed house as part of its collection.
Based in the row of reconstructed homes at the site the new house will compliment the existing themed homes. Intended to bring the collection more up to date the museum hopes to add oral history archives of local peoples memories and a collection of toys, games and local sayings from the period to add authenticity.
The museum are keen to hear from local people who are happy to share their memories, or who have toys / games from the period that they would be willing to donate or loan to the museum for display in the 70′s themed home.
Contact details and further information can be found in this article from the Telegraph and Argus. If you have stories that are specific to Keighley, please consider sending them to the Society for inclusion in our archive. Stories can be submitted via the form on this page.
Development of the Civic Centre
The transformation of the former Police Station into the Civic Centre was not as straightforward as many people would imagine. In the video below, special projects officer, Alan Parry, provides an overview of the project and eventual transformation of the derelict building into Keighley’s Civic Centre.
Category: Personal Histories / Tags: Civic Centre
Keighley’s Police Buildings
The Local History Society have been contacted by someone who is researching Police Stations, Courthouses, Police houses and holding cells in the area. He has a list from 1930 that states the following locations in the area:
Keighley, Bingley, Cottingley, Cross Flatts, Cross Roads, Cullingworth, Debholme, Denholme Gate, Eldwick, Fell Lane, Gilstead, Harden, Haworth, Ingrow, Laycock, Lingbob, Morton, Oxenhope, Park Lane, Riddlesden, Sandy Wood, Stanbury, Steeton, Dutton (I think Sutton), Thwaites Brow, Utley, Wilsden.
A quick chat with some people a little older than myself reveals that there are others in the area – though not necessarily around in 1930.
Two requests:
1) Can anyone name any other locations?
2) Has anyone got photographs or stories about any of these locations that they’d be willing to share / let the society use?
Any info will be passed to the researcher for his work – and will be pretty useful for the work the society are doing on the Police archives.
Christmas at Cliffe Castle
The Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group are holding a ‘Christmas at the Castle’ event.
On Sunday 9th December, in the Cliffe Castle Coffee Lounge, there will be a series of fun workshops held in the coffee lounge.
Hosted by the Conservation Group and Museum Staff the event allows children to make some decorations and for adults to have a look at some of the Museums excellent exhibits.
The event runs from 11.30-2.00pm.
Category: Events / Tags: Cliffe Castle