Almondbury Working Men's Conservative Association and Club
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| Almondbury Working Men's Conservative Association, Wormall Hall, Almondbury, 1910 |
Almondbury Conservative Club currently occupies Wormall Hall which is a listed building
dating back to Tudor times. It displays a stone on its frontage dated 1631, however this frontage was added by
Isaac and Elizabeth Wormall/Wormald in
1631, The building itself being much older and estimated to be around 1400
although more renovations and rebuilding were done in 1868 as testified by
other inscriptions on the building. The
Tudor half-timber building is situated on Westgate in Almondbury and has had extensive
renovations in recent years to replace rotting oak panels. The building itself
had suffered neglect over the past hundred years and 20 layers of paint had to
be removed to allow timbers to breathe and have specialist breathable paint
applied. Panels were replastered and linseed oil applied to the timber. All this work was estimated to have cost the
club in the region of £10,000 but demonstrates that the club is still going
strong. Yorkshire Live 12 July 2013; Kirklees Curiosities.
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| Woolpack Inn, Almondbury. Kirklees Image Archive. |
A branch Working Men's Conservative Association was formed on 14th May 1868 in Almondbury with around 14 members. Its formation had been proposed to Edward Dyson a few weeks earlier and a meeting was held at the Woolpack Inn, Almondbury, which was the home of Richard Noble, to discuss the matter. The proposal received great support from the working men of the village. It was stated that the reason only working men had been invited to form the Association was to forestall the “scurrilous comments made by the radicals” as a consequence of several manufacturers and other gentlemen attending the first meeting. Several of the working men addressed the meeting and gave their views and concerns about current issues of the day. Ultimately the resolution was unanimously adopted that a Conservative Working men’s association be formed in Almondbury. There were 30 people who enrolled as members on the night. Huddersfield Chronicle 2 May 1868; 9 May 1868; Yorkshire Post 12 June 1868
The association received an unexpected degree of enthusiasm from the working men of the area with numbers rising to 140 members in the first few weeks after its formation. The association rented a “commodious suite of rooms for mental and ethical improvement” on a five years lease. Edward Dyson was elected as president as he was seen as a “zealous” Conservative and the belief was that there was a bright future for the success of the association in Almondbury.
When they met in June 1868 Dyson chaired the meeting and congratulated the members upon “the accession of their new rooms” stating that they were neat and well adapted for their purpose remarking that they now had a public room where working men could “resort and spend their evenings profitably perusing papers, periodicals and mutually interchanging opinions, political and otherwise.” The secretary had noted that the numbers of members had increased and called on them all to “exercise moderation and the strictest regard to propriety and good behaviour.” Led by the success of the Conservative Club the Liberals of Almondbury had decided to form a Liberal Club in the village and it was hoped that this would be a good thing allowing political differences but not dividing friendships. Huddersfield Chronicle 13 June 1868
Dyson had been reluctant when the idea of a Conservative Association in Almondbury, and him being it’s President, had been suggested to him. His feeling was that Almondbury was too radical a place for it to be successful. He asked for time to consider the suggestion and after came to the conclusion that if he took on the responsibility of such a development that he would be improving the lives of the working men of Almondbury both “morally and socially.” He was soon convinced that he had made the right decision when numbers had increased so rapidly that the initial set of rooms could no longer accommodate the members. By February 1869 the club premises were inadequate as they could not accommodate the 140 members. Consequently the committee searched for a larger building which would be more suitable. They applied to lease a building from a Mr Lee in Northgate and by March this had been secured were secured, again on a five year lease, and an opening meeting with tea, took place for people to view the facilities. The committee had aimed to improve the facilities in order to encourage the members to develop “morally, socially, and intellectually” believing that these clean and comfortable new rooms would enable this. The large room of the premises was crowded with 250 people, working men with their wives or “sweethearts” who sat down for tea before the meeting started. The tea was provided by the Wool Pack Inn, the “Miss Nobles”. This room had been decorated on its walls with scrolls, bearing the names of Derby, Stanley, Disraeli, Northcote, Stanhope and Starkey, Sleigh, Oastler and other statesmen. After tea the table were cleared away for the meeting with songs and glees being performed by the Parish Choir alongside the speeches. The secretary Ephraim Mellor described the expansion of the club as the reason to find larger premises to accommodate members and the aims of the Association. The new rooms had a committee room, news room and a large room for meetings. These rooms were supplied with daily and weekly newspapers “Standard, Times Guardian, Yorkshire Pott, Leeds Mercury, Manchester Courier Huddersfield Chronicle. Observer, and the Examiner, Gardeners' Chronicle, Illustrated London Times, the Rock, Record, Punch, Judy, and Will o' the Wisp.” There were also games such as chess, draughts and other “innocent games” as they were referred to in the news report. This was to dispel the rumour which had been spread at the time that the club was going to allow gaming i.e. gambling in the rooms. The following day a knife and fork tea was provided for the oldest inhabitants of the village to attend. The average age of the visitors was 71 and they had received invitations to tea some days previously. Sixty five people, men and women, attended and enjoyed the afternoon. Huddersfield Chronicle 6 February, 20 March 1869, 9 April 1870
The first annual meeting of the association was held in June 1869 with Edward Dyson stated that although the anniversary date was really the 14th May they had held the anniversary as close to the Whitsuntide Festival as they possibly could. Dyson referred back to the formation of the association twelve month prior when speculations had been rife in the village as to the ultimate prospects for the club, none of which had been very flattering or encouraging in character. He felt that they had met every opposition against their success by working
“patiently, fearlessly and zealously”
to develop and grow the association. They had established new rooms, opened a bank account which had a balance of £7 16s 10d and established a membership of 150 members. Dyson urged them to continue their efforts in the Conservative cause. Huddersfield Chronicle 5 June 1869; Yorkshire Post 3 January 1869
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| Cannon Hall, Cawthorne. Kirklees Image Archive |
Later in August that year, club members and their families, about 200 in total assembled in the village just before 10 o’clock to visit Cannon Hall, which at that time was the residence of Walter Spencer Stanhope JP. Nineteen different types of horse drawn vehicles assembled outside the club premises and the members took their places for their journey. The band of the 6th West Yorkshire Rifle Regiment preceded the cavalcade down Fenay Lane, through Fenay Bridge, Kirkburton, Shelley, Skelmanthorpe, Scissett and Clayton West. They attracted great attention along the way either welcoming or disapproving depending on the politics of the spectator. They arrived at Cannon Hall about 1pm and dispersed from the vehicles to amuse themselves around the grounds in the front of the mansion house. During the afternoon the band performed and several songs and glees were sung by the Almondbury Parish Church Choir on the terrace in front of the hall. The choir was conducted by William Etebels of Nortonthorpe but previously from Almondbury. Stanhope had provided refreshments for the crowd but was not at home to receive them. His father John Stanhope with Lady Elizabeth Stanhope and other members of the family hosted the event. Club president Edward Dyson and Reverend Canon Hulbert present an address which had been “neatly written” by one of the members and mounted on gilt rollers, which John Stanhope assured them would be “kept with care as long as the house stood.”
To
Walter Spencer Stanhope, Esq, Cannon Hall, August14th, 1869.
Dear
Sir,
We
avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded by the kind permission to enjoy a
day of healthful and social recreation within the beautiful scenery of your
family demesne, to express respectfully our continued attachment to the
Conservative principles, of which you are the eloquent and consistent advocate,
and to your own person, as their representative.
We
regret that the result of the late election, although most honourable and
encouraging, did not actually place you in that position within the walls of
Parliament which we earnestly and hopefully desire. We sympathise with you in
the sacrifices of time, energy, and money which you have already made, and
trust that you will be induced to persevere in the same course on any future
occasion, with the anticipation of the success which the fidelity of your
friends and the calm reflection of many at present deluded, though honest,
opponents, may render possible, and to the promotion of which our humble
efforts shall not be found wanting.
Again
expressing our thanks for your kindness, we are, dear Sir, on behalf of the
Almondbury Working Men's Conservative Association, your faithful and obedient
servants,
Edward
Dyson. President J. J. Hy. Taylor, Robt. Scott, Fredk. Ramsden, Chas. J. Riley,
Vice Presidents, Ephraim Mellor, Hon. Secretary
The
Stanhope family mingled with the club members on the lawn before a speech was
made in the evening by Reverend Canon Charles
Augustus Hulbert and the national Anthem was sung led by the band. The
party departed at 7pm to return home.
The
club Secretary received a letter from Walter S. Stanhope a few days later –
Wakefield Court
House, August, 16th, 1869.
My dear Sir,
I must express my
regret at not having been at Cannon Hall last Saturday to receive the
Almondbury Working Men's Association, more particularly as they seem to have
made their holiday quite as much a demonstration in my honour, as a picnic for
their own amusement.
I was engaged at
Hull on Friday with an influential meeting for the inspection of the Humber,
with a view to future improvements in that navigation, and was not able to
return that night, and there- fore went on to Dunford to meet the shooting
party from Cannon Hall, so as to return with them.
I am very sorry
that my absence should have caused disappointment in any degree to your party,
and hope
you will kindly
assure them of this when you next have an opportunity. I beg to thank them most
heartily for the kind expressions they have used to me in the address which
they have honoured me with. I shall always value it highly as an honest
statement of their feelings towards me, although I feel that I have not
deserved them.
I am also much
gratified to learn that the address itself has been the work of some of their
members.
Hoping to have an
opportunity of meeting them at some future time. I remain, yours obediently,
Walter Spencer Stanhope.
Huddersfield Chronicle 21 August 1869;
Yorkshire Post 20 August 1869
By
the end of 1869 the association was holding a series of “free and easy
entertainments”, the fifth being in December, which were arranged for the
winter season on Monday evenings. These
consisted of glees, songs and readings by members. H. S. Harling played the piano
and B. I. Garner chaired the meeting. Huddersfield
Chronicle 4 December 1869.
The
annual meeting of the club was held in April 1870 commencing with tea followed
by an evening meeting. The large room
was described as being “inconveniently crowded” for the meeting. The evening was varied with speeches, reports
together with performances of a selection of music by members and other
associated with the club. J. J. Henry
Taylor played the piano to accompany this. Although several influential
guests had been invited, Lewis Randle Starkey, Major
Brooke and the Reverend G. S. Terry, they had declined. The President, Edward Dyson, recalled the prophecies
that people had made when the association was formed in Almondbury in
1868. The Radicals of the area, whilst
acknowledging their existence, did not expect Conservative numbers in
Almondbury to grow above 20 nor to be “long or strong, and was not to exceed
three or four months.” The association was proving this prediction wrong having
existed for two years and with a membership of over 200.
It
was reported that several lectures on a variety of subjects had been delivered
to members at the club during the previous year and they hoped that this would
continue. A savings bank for club
members had been created with Messrs Dyson,
Taylor and Scott as guarantees using the Huddersfield and Upper Askrigg
Savings Bank. The club had also established a library principally thanks to the
generosity of Edward Dyson, the
president. Various people had addressed members in the large room of the club
which they had adapted to provide a better space for such events by taking out
the upper floor. It was hoped that this
would provide for not only meetings but lectures, concerts and other “public
purposes” and in addition to the alterations a piano had been provided for
musical entertainment. To this end a
series of what they referred to as “Free and Easy” events had been held in the
winter months provided a source of “recreation and amusement after the toil of
the day.” The eleventh of such had been held a few week previous and this was
one to which the ladies associated with the club had been invited. It was
reported that there was an “unusually good programme” of entertainment that
evening. This included –
“Songs
given by Messrs. W. Garner and Vickerman. Readings by Messrs. S. Dobson, G. W.
Cocker, and H. E. Harling. Mr. Jas. Midgely and Miss M. A. Horsfall sang in a
pleasing manner the duet, "Home to our mountains," Miss M. Noble sang
with much taste and feeling the ballad "No one to love," whilst the
glee singers gave every satisfaction with the very efficient manner in which
they sang the glees, " Awake Aeolian Lyre," "Beware,"
"Where art thou beam of light," and "Sleep gentle lady."
Attendance
at the event was reported as being very good and the evening concluded with the
singing of the National Anthem as was the custom.
Huddersfield Chronicle 2 & 9 April
1870 |
Cannon Hall, Cawthorne.
Kirklees Image Archive
|
August
1870 saw the club members and their wives, totalling around 300, once again
enjoying an outing to Cannon Hall
the home of Walter Spencer Stanhope.
The “excursionists” gathered outside
the newsroom of the club at 8am to board a variety of over 20 vehicles which would
depart at 9am. As before the band of the 6th West Yorkshire
Volunteers led the cavalcade and villages turned out to greet them along the
way. The convoy arrived at the parklands
at Cannon Hall to drive through “the avenue of noble trees more than half a
mile in length” to the entrance to the hall where they were welcomed by Walter Spencer Stanhope together with
several other gentlemen. They spent the day exploring the
“park,
pleasure grounds and flower gardens and viewed the extensive stabling”.
Between
one and two o’clock the visitors gathered on the “greensward” to eat the food that had been provided for the
afternoon picnic. At about four o’clock the band assembled at the front of the
hall to play a selection of music to the large crowd. Reverend Canon Charles Augustus Hulbert spoke and thank their hosts, praising the
beauty of the park and the
“beauties
of nature spread before them in the magnificent scenery surrounding the place.”
Those
that visit Cannon Hall in the present day can appreciate the same parklands
that these club tourists would have enjoyed in the 19th
century.
The
day was concluded with the presentation on and embossed and gilded address to
Stanhope followed by three cheers and a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” and other tunes before the gathered company took
tea. The return journey commenced at 7pm
with the happy travellers arriving home
“delighted
with the day’s excursion.”
Huddersfield
Chronicle 27 August 1870; Barnsley Chronicle 27 August 1870.
During
the summer of 1870 the rooms of the club had undergone a thorough cleaning,
neglecting nothing and in November the winter series of meetings commenced in
the newly refurbished rooms. The proceeding began with tea for around 100 people followed by a meeting for
members and friends of the club. It was
reported that the large room was well filled and that musical entertainment was
provided by members of the newly formed singing class which was connected with
the association. Edward Dyson opened the winter series but kept his remarks as short
as possible. He encouraged them to expand their knowledge of political history
whilst also availing themselves of
“those
intellectual pursuits and innocent diversions the rooms afforded.”
He
went on to inform that in addition to draughts and dominoes they had now formed
a singing class and an “efficient
teacher” had been engaged. There had
already been a great deal of interest shown in this new venture. A variety of other speeches were made by
committee and association members before the meeting ended with the singing of
the National Anthem.
In
December the association gathered to elect officers for the forthcoming year
and Edward Dyson had asked not to be
re-elected as President. A vote was held to elect his successor who was
unanimously chosen J. J. Henry Taylor.
Edward Dyson remained on the committee as one of the Vice Presidents.
The
club marked the end of the year with a banquet held in their large room, which
had been decorated for the occasion. On a scarlet banner at the lower end of
the room opposite the chairman’s seat was inscribed the initials “A. W. M. C. A.” (Almondbury Working Men’s
Conservative Association) surrounded by a light border. The main purpose was to
honour the outgoing president Edward
Dyson with a portrait of himself. A party of vocalists had been assembled
to entertain with “suitable music”
accompanied by J. J. Henry Taylor on
the piano. As was usual a variety of speeches recalling recent political events
were given by committee members and guests after which Reverend Canon Charles Augustus Hulbert uncovered the
portrait of Dyson and formally presented to the President. The artist was Vincent Hatch of Brixton
Road, who had taken a photograph of Dyson and recreated his likeness in oils,
which was then encased in a gilt frame. Added to this was a shield inscribed
with
“Presented
to Edward Dyson, Esq., M.R.C.S by the members of the Almondbury Working Men's
Conservative Association. December 30th, 1870.”
Along
with the portrait they presented Dyson with an illuminated address enclosed in
an Oxford frame –
Almondbury
Working Men's Conservative Association. To Edward Dyson, Esq., M.R.C.S. Dear
Sir— While we sincerely regret that you feel yourself obliged, by your
professional engagements, to resign the office of our president, which you had
filled so well since the commencement of our association, we beg to offer you
our best thanks, and to request your acceptance of a portrait, for which you
have been kind enough to sit, as a small token of our grateful regard and
esteem.
We are, sir,
your faithfully and obliged servants,
C. G.
Legge, Rev. Canon Reverend Canon Charles Augustus Hulbert, J. J. H. Taylor,
Esq., Vice-Presidents. Ephraim Mellor, Secretary.
Huddersfield Chronicle 5 November, 3
& 31 December 1870.
The
scarlet banner used at the presentation in December 1870 made another
appearance when the association celebrated its anniversary in April 1871, it
being 3 years since the association had been formed and they had acquired rooms
in which to meet. The meeting room was “artistically”
decorated for the occasion with
“festoons, bouquets and designs of evergreens
and flowers interspersed with small flags.”
The banner took pride of place across the centre of the room.
Around 120 members and friends sat down to a knife and fork tea, provided by the ladies connected with the club, which was followed by meeting in the evening. The meeting was extremely well attended with the room being “filled to overflowing” to enjoy the evening's entertainment, This was provided by the junior choir of Almondbury Parish Church and the whole meeting was described as being “enthusiastic!”
Membership had continued to increase during the year and there were over 200 members on the books at that date. The singing club had been a great success with Mr Peace of Huddersfield engaged as tutor and reports stated that it was
“well attended and appreciated.”
The savings bank connected with the club had originally been for members only but this had been extended to members of the public by this date and was proving to be very popular. The club boasted well supplied reading rooms where members could read a wide selection of newspapers and periodicals. These knife and fork teas to celebrate the anniversary, continued over the years. Nearly always provided by the women associated with the club. They were also responsible for the decoration of the rooms for the events. Banners with names of well-known Conservative politicians would adorn the walls and flower and greenery arrangements to enhance the setting. The wives, girlfriends, daughters, even though they were unable to be members of the club their support and help was crucial to the success of the association. Huddersfield Chronicle 15 April 1871; 20 April 1872
A
grand concert arranged by the club was held in the Central National Schoolroom
in December 1871. There was a large audience and all performance were very well
received, although newspaper reports considered the programme “a little too
long!” There were songs and duets and many encores demanded by the audience.
Huddersfield Chronicle reported the programme –
“The
vocalists engaged for the occasion were Mrs. Hirst, Mrs. Armitage, sopranos ;
Messrs. Dobson and Bailey, altos ; Messrs. Johnson and North, tenors ; and
Messrs. Eagleton, Midgley, and Beaumont, bassos. Mr. H. Hartley presided at the
pianoforte.”
A
celebratory banquet to mark the end of the year had become another feature of
the club calendar and was customarily given on a large scale. December 1871 saw a scaled down version in
consequence of the illness of the Prince of Wales. It was held in the rooms of the club but no
invitations had been sent out to visitors. However 60 people joined in the
banquet which was served by Mr Griffiths the landlord of the rooms. The room had been
“most tastefully and
gracefully”
decorated for the celebration to ensure a festive atmosphere. Many toasts were made and speeches given including ones to Queen Victoria and to the recovery of the Prince of Wales. Huddersfield Chronicle 16 & 30 December 1871
The
anniversary celebrations did not always take place wholly in the club rooms. As
attendance and membership rose other venues were used. The event in March 1873
began with the usual tea in the club rooms where 130 people shared the meal
which the Huddersfield Chronicle informs included “ham and beef”. As before the
ladies were responsible for its preparation and delivery. After eating the meeting took place in the
Central National School in Almondbury where there was a large attendance. The hall of the school had been decorated
profusely with banners and ribbons bearing the names of well-known Conservative
politicians of the day including –
“Disraeli,
Richmond, Derby, Ward Hunt, Cairns, Hardy, Pakington, and around the room among
other names were Birley, Lowther, Fielding, Powell, Denison, Dartmouth,
Duncombe, Salisbury, Manners. Sandon, W. H. Smith, Wheelhouse, Northcote,
Stanhope, Starkey, Sleigh, Corry, Waterhouse.”
Over the head of the chairman was hung a “splendid portrait” of Queen Victoria in a gilt frame and over that a banner of rich blue silk depicting “the emblem of England’s greatness, an open bible.” Chairing the meeting was John Day J. P. and joining him on the platform were many local clergymen and Councillors plus J. J. Henry Taylor, association president. This meeting followed the usual format of speeches interspersed with vocal music and recitations, which were given by friends from Lockwood. Huddersfield Chronicle 29 March 1873
The
club hosted its annual tea party at their premises on Northgate at the end of
December 1973. Huddersfield Chronicle
reported the occasion and described the tables being
“well
spread with an abundance of plain, homely viands,
of which
more than 130 members partook.”
The
tea was followed by an evening of entertainment at which the president Charles
H Taylor presided. The room was reported as being crowded and had been
“handsomely,
though not profusely, decorated for the occasion,
which had
a pretty effect.”
Entertainment
was given by the members who performed songs and glees interspersed with
readings and recitations. A feature of the gathering was the invitation by the
president to all the occupants of the Alms-houses to attend the party. They were all said to have enjoyed the “feast
with great zest” and while the tables were being cleared for the evening
festivities they were amply supplied with tobacco and pipes!
In
April 1874, the association invited seventy six of the oldest inhabitants of
Almondbury to a knife and fork tea in the large room of the club. The tea was provided by the club president Charles H. Taylor and was followed by a
social meeting for the guests. The church choir was invited to provide the
entertainment for the evening which consisted of a selection of songs, glees
and recitations which was a popular format at that time. The united age of the guests was reported as
being 5,552 years with an average age of 73.
November
of that year saw the club rooms undergoing renovations and improvements. The whole building underwent a thorough
cleaning as well as being decorated with new paint and paper throughout. The work was done by a local trusted
tradesman, Mr Littlewood, and the aim was to make the club surroundings more
comfortable to the members. Huddersfield
Daily Examiner 25 April 1874; Huddersfield Chronicle 3 January & 21
November 1874
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| Wormall Hall 1910, Kirklees Image Archive |
By
1877 the club was looking for new, larger premises and they made the move to
Wormall Hall, in the summer of that year.
The hall was fitted up with “every convenience” including a reading
room, smoke room, and billiard table. The exterior was covered with plaster
when the club acquired the building. The members set to restore the faced to
its former Tudor beauty. In addition they
cleaned the paint from the oak panels on the interior walls. The Conservative Association designed a
committee room and had it panelled with original oak beams.
To
celebrate they held a “house warming”
event where a “substantial meat tea”
was provided. The attendance was so
large that tea had to be served in relays!
The ladies, as before, catered for the event and reports noted “they
brewed an excellent cup of tea, and the tea table proceedings were therefore
most satisfactory.” An evening meeting
followed in the National Schoolroom where speeches were made to a large
audience. John Arthur Brooke, J. P., presided over the meeting and led the
speeches and the singing of the National Anthem. When Reverend Canon Charles Augustus Hulbert addressed the crowd
he referred to the gentleman after whom the hall had been named, who he said
had been a good Conservative churchman and urged the younger members to follow
his example. Reverend Hulbert then presented a portrait of
the late Joseph Brooke to the club.
Hulbert reminisced on his 42 years in the parish and the Conservatives of past generations that he had known. He referred to the names of Brooke, Armitage, Allen, Whitacre, Battye and Fisher who had been either church builders or supporters and he hoped that the club would keep their memory. He recommended that the members paid more attention to the study of history than to playing billiards and announced that he would be delivering lectures at the on the history of Almondbury. The club did not sell or allow alcohol and this was seen to be in keeping with sound Christian principles and also to give wives, girlfriends and mothers assurance that there would be no intoxication on the part of their men folk at the club. After the speeches the evening was rounded of by the Mold Green Glee Party performing a musical selection.
The
move to these new larger premises cause the membership to rise once again, with
numbers increasing to over 200 by December.
Hulbert reminisced on his 42 years in the parish and the Conservatives of past generations that he had known. He referred to the names of Brooke, Armitage, Allen, Whitacre, Battye and Fisher who had been either church builders or supporters and he hoped that the club would keep their memory. He recommended that the members paid more attention to the study of history than to playing billiards and announced that he would be delivering lectures at the on the history of Almondbury. The club did not sell or allow alcohol and this was seen to be in keeping with sound Christian principles and also to give wives, girlfriends and mothers assurance that there would be no intoxication on the part of their men folk at the club. After the speeches the evening was rounded of by the Mold Green Glee Party performing a musical selection.
The
club held a Conservative demonstration in December with a dinner held in the
Woolpack Inn followed by a large meeting in the National Schoolroom. John
Arthur Brooke presided and guests on the platform included Stanhope and Starkey, the
representatives of the Southern Division of the West Riding, alongside William Brooke, J.P., T Brook (Hartley
Cottage), E. Armitage. J.P., J Day J P, J Bottomley, C. E Freeman, R Welsh, Reverend
Canon Charles Augustus Hulbert and T. Newton. Both Stanhope and Starkey spoke to the gathered crowd about current
politics and the need for their support to enable the success of the
Conservative Party.
E. Armitage replied
to them and assured them that of the support of the club proposing -
“That this meeting desires to record
its continued confidence in Messrs. Stanhope and Starkey as the representatives
of this important division of West Yorkshire, and expresses its most cordial
thanks to them for their services during the last Session of Parliament, and
hereby pledges itself, by every lawful means, to secure their return at the
next general election."
Charles H. Taylor seconded
the proposal.
At
a general meeting at the club in February 1878, members learned the cost of the
move to the new premises and its renovations. It appeared that the working
expenses of the association were £70 7s 8d and that an extraordinary
expenditure of £170 17s 6d had been incurred on the restoration of the hall and
the purchase of a billiard table. Although this was a considerable amount the
committee reported that it had been largely met by special subscriptions. The chairman John Arthur Brooke assured the members of his opinion that within a
couple of years they
“would have so much money they would
not know what to do with it!”
The
meeting went on to unanimously elect Brooke as club president. Other officials and committees were also
voted in that evening. Huddersfield
Chronicle 18 August; 15 December 1877& 6 February 1878; Yorkshire Post
6 October 1931
Despite
the comfortable surroundings of the club premises at Wormall’s Hall, in 1882 the rooms were unable to accommodate the numbers attending the annual meeting and so they
sought permission to hold the meeting in the upper room of the Central National
School in Almondbury. Two hundred and fifty members and friends attended the
annual tea in the afternoon at the school which was followed by the evening
meeting, which had an even larger attendance. The president of the club. John Arthur Brooke, did not attend and
so Charles William Taylor presided
over the gathering in his stead. The speeches and reports were combined with
glees sung by various members of the club.
Timothy Cudworth, the club
secretary, delivered the report for 1881. He reported that there had been
several large bills that had to be paid, mainly coal, gas, music and rent as
well as other sundries altogether totalling £21 11s 9d. To meet these there was an expected £12 in
subscriptions to come in which would go part way towards it. The intention was to hold a festival to raise
funds to clear off the debt. Provisions
for the festival had been given free of charge and it was hoped that the
festival would not only pay the debts but would leave them with cash in hand
which had not been for around seven years. By the time the club held its annual
meeting in 1885 this indeed was the case as the accounts showed a balance in
hand of £16 18s 11d. One can presume that the festival and any other events in
the intervening years had been successful in raising the necessary funds. Although no record is available to show how
much was raised by the festival. By the annual meeting in 1887 the club was in
an even better condition with £26 balance in hand being reported. In 1889 the
club had quite a heavy expenditure which was incurred by a complete cleaning
programme for the premises and new furnishings. However their annual report
still showed a balance in hand of £6 4s 1d and they received a further £5
donation from the ladies of the Primrose League. The numbers of members reported on the books was
120.
The
annual meetings continued to be held in the Central National School for many
years and were well attended by members, their friends and guests. Attendance averaged 300 people and the tea
continued to be catered for by the female relatives of the members.
Musical
entertainment was always a feature at these events and ranged over the years
from glees sung by members to more formal arrangements by choirs and quartets.
The greater part of programme for the 1888 meeting was taken up with this
musical entertainment and included -
“The
Almondbury quartet Party (Messrs A. Broadbent, J. Wood, B. B. Boothroyd, and
Allen Dobson) sang in excellent style The Tars Song, “Banish, Oh Maiden; Of a’
the airts and Gently sighs the evening breeze. Mr W Garner gave The two barrels, Simon the Cellarer and
" In days of old -" for the two latter of which he received hearty
encores ; Mr J. Wood, The anchor's weighed " and Sweet Aileen," the latter being loudly encored
; and Mr A. Dobson, " The bell ringer, all with good effect. Miss Scott was
very successful in her rendering of Killarney; The convent gate," and “Love
was once a little boy," her first song being vociferously re- demanded. Mr
Herbert Beaumont accompanied all the songs in an efficient manner.”
The
audiences seem to have been appreciative of the entertainment provided and the
entertainment provided in February 1890 was certainly well received –
A very
enjoyable entertainment, given by the members of the club followed. Messrs.
Littlewood, Eyre, Eastwood, and Mellor sang number of quartets in a very
efficient manner. Mr. Willie Garner's good bass voice was heard to great
advantage in his rendering of Jack's Yarn. A hearty encore was accorded to Mr. F. Eyre
for his finished rendering of "The anchor's weighed." and Mr. Eyre
kindly responded by singing The Holmfirth anthem. He also gave a good
interpretation of The death of Nelson." Mr. W. Mellor sang - The skipper with
good declamation; whilst the humorous selections of Mr. J. W. Sheard caused
much amusement. Mr. Herbert Beaumont ably accompanied the soloists.”
At
this annual meeting the members went on to enjoy dancing after the National
Anthem had been sung. At the end of the evening the crowd left the schoolroom
and went to the large room of the club premises where the president made a
presentation to Mr and Mrs Arthur
Midgley in recognition of the eight years that they had acted as caretakers
of the club. The gift was reported as
“A
handsome timepiece”
bearing the inscription
“Presented
to Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Midgley, by the members of the Almondbury Conservative
Association, as a token of respect as caretakers. February 15th, 1890.”
 |
| Joseph Crosland London Illustrated News 1893 |
 |
| Councillor Wright Mellor, Kirklees Image Archive |
By
1914 the club was well established and in a sound financial position as
reported at the annual meeting. The accounts showed a balance in hand of £67 5s
5d and a separate balance sheet for an extension fund showed a balance of £86
0s 9d. The extension fund monies had been received from gentleman of the club
and through various efforts to raise money for the renovation of the large
room. The total cost of the renovations
had been £84 9s 11d and the remaining balance of the fund had been handed over
to the general account of the club. One of the considerations at the meeting
was the advisability of the club having a bowling green. They had inspected various sites and the
matter was left open for discussion.
Political education
One
of the aims of the association was to educate and inform members on a range of
subjects, issues of the day and political opinion and so lectures providing
political education featured strongly in the calendar of the club.
In
March 1871 W. Touchstone of
Manchester delivered a lecture to a large audience of members in the club
rooms. His subject was “Whigs and Tories.” It was felt by the club committee
that the
“working men know which of the two great parties – Whig or Tory – was
the best government.”
 |
| John Arthur Brooke |
A
large number of members requested that John
Arthur Brooke give a lecture at a meeting in May 1885 describing his
travels in Egypt. Brooke quickly secured the attention of his audience and
sustained it for over two hours. He gave
a clear and “excellent” descriptive account of his journeys and what he saw and
heard whilst in Egypt. Egypt had for some time occupied the imaginations of
people in England and proved to be a popular and fascinating subject. Brooke spoke of Port Said, his visits to the
pyramids, Cairo and the scene of the battle of Tel-El-Kebir. He described the country and its people in
detail. At the close of his lecture he was asked if he would repeat it again in
the National Schoolroom to the wider population of Almondbury.
A
lecture on “The Irish question from British and Irish Points of View” in 1886
was delivered by T. A. Brenchley in
December 1886. The Irish Question was a
hot topic of the time and therefore thought to be an appropriate subject for
members to consider and discuss. Prior to this lecture there had been a variety
of lectures in the village about Irish History, which the club committee had
considered were given from the Irish point of view. It was felt that the
members should be offered a different point of view to correct any false
impressions that may have been made by the previous lectures. Brenchley
announced to those gathered that he intended the lecture to be in two parts,
the one that evening would be followed by another the next evening. He was then
going to speak the third night at a gathering in Lindley.
Irish
politics and home rule continued to be an issue of interest and unrest for many
years. A public meeting was held by the club in the National Schoolroom in
January 1891, where George Hill Smith,
a barrister at law in Belfast had been invited by the club to speak to the
members also on the subject of the Irish Question. He claimed to speak on the subject from the
fact that he was born in Ireland and had been part of public life there for the
previous 35 years. He therefore believed that he knew as much about Irish
affairs as any “gentleman who went from England on a Cooks tourist ticket for a
fortnight and came back to instruct them in all the history of that great
question.” Smith then when on to speak
on the aspect of Irish politics at the time including the Home Rule Bill. When he concluded he was warmly applauded and
took questions from the floor. One
member with a broad Yorkshire accent declared that Smith had
“spokken
a seight more truth than many he’d listened to and they might put that in their
pipes and smoke it!”
Education
and access to information were provided on the club premises through daily and
weekly newspapers and periodicals and by 1885 a library had also been formed at
the club. By 1887 it was seen as one of the best features of the club. The library had been created partly through
gifts from John Arthur Brooke, Reverend
Hulbert, Edward Dyson and others, and partly by purchase. The club
secretary in 1885, G. S. Eyre, was also the librarian and he stated at the
annual meeting that there was “a well selected store of literature,
entertaining and instructing” which had given much pleasure to the club
members.
 |
John Foster Fraser 1906
By Election photo.
|
Huddersfield Chronicle 11 March 1871; 25
February 1882; December 1883; 1 May 1885; 14 February 1885; 3 December 1886; 28
February 1887; 13 February 1888; 9 March 1889; 22 February 1890; 13 January
1891; Sheffield Daily telegraph 18 April 1904; Huddersfield Daily
Examiner 29 January 1914
Examiner 29 January 1914
In
May 1892 the club celebrated the first Conservative from Almondbury to ever
have been returned to a representative body.
They held a supper at the Rose and Crown in the village to celebrate the
return of Joseph Dobson to the
Burial Board. Between 30 and 40 men sat down for the meal and Councillor E.
Mellor presided over the evening. Three
Conservative candidates had been put up for the board but only Dobson was
returned. It was hoped that with
continuous campaigning by the members of the club the next elections might be
more successful for them. They had already got three likely candidates lined up
for the following year. The next election for the burial board was held in
April the next year and was described as being with
“an entire
absence of excitement and although matters were a little dull for the first two
hours polling proceeded with steadiness right on to the close.”
 |
William Foxley Norris
Wikipeadia
|
The vicar Rev. W. F. Norris presided assisted by polling clerks John Wood and Ernest Dyson. When the voting was opened each elector had to choose three candidates to vote for. Electors included both men and women as this was one of the few elections at that time in which women had the franchise. Out of the three Conservatives standing Joe Capper was the only one to be successful and he went on to the burial board joining Joseph Dobson, elected previously.
Over the doorway are the initial of Isaac Wormald and his wife Mary. Isaac died in 1642 around twelve years after it had been altered to Tudor style. The building is a perfect example of the half-timbered style of building common in Elizabethan and early Jacobean times.
Isaac Wormald was descended from an old Almondbury family and is believed to be the same Isaac Wormald whose name was included in a list of 150 footmen of the regiment of Sir Henry Saville, delivered to Sir John Ramsden for his company in the West Riding on April 17th, 1626. In 1633 Wormald was granted an annuity of five shillings payable out of a close called “The Pig Tayle” for the use of the headmaster of King James Grammar School and his successors forever. The Almondbury Conservative Club had occupied the building for 54 years at the time of the tercentenary and were very proud of their unique quarters. They still occupy the building today.
Games and socials.
Members
also enjoyed the social aspects of the political clubs, with clubs from
different parts of Kirklees coming together frequently to have matches of
billiards and whist, both home and away.
There are many reports of these matches competed in and hosted by
Almondbury Conservatives and in 1895 the club won a major local billiards competition.
They were presented with the Huddersfield Conservative Association Billiard
Challenge Cup at the association’s room in John William Street, Huddersfield in
February 1895. The competition had been instituted in 1890 and had been held
previously by Lindley, Lockwood, Marsh and Paddock Clubs. In addition to the cup the Almondbury team
players for that season received gold medals –
“Messrs.
J. S. Sharp (captain), A. Broadbent, Harry Shaw, F. Calvert, Dyson Roebuck, A.
Littlewood, John Wood, and G. A. Bailey. The club were also granted permission
to award gold medals to Messrs. E. W. Hallas and G. S. Eyre, their two reserve
men themselves.”
Marsh Conservative Club were the
runners up and received silver medals. The presentation was made by S. L. Quarmby of Lockwood who was
chairman of the billiard committee. John
Arthur Brooke received the cup on behalf of the Almondbury Club and remarked
that he did so with great pride and pleasure.
The cup was the filled and handed around to those present and a parody
on a popular song of the day – “Two little girls in blue” became “Eight little
boys with cues”, rewritten for the occasion by James Dickinson secretary of the club and sung by Lewis Matthewman.
 |
| Almondbury Conservative Association Bowling Club1929 |
In
later years the club had obtained a bowling green and bowls were enjoyed by the
members. Once again they competed
against other teams in the area and hosted events organised by the Huddersfield
Amateur Bowls association. Competitors on the Almondbury club green in 1946
included B. Longbottom of Cleckheaton who was the British Crown Green and
Yorkshire Merit Champion and W. Geldard the Leeds Merit Winner.
When
the club advertised for a new steward and stewardess in 1936 an essential
requirement was stated as having “knowledge of bowling green.”
Whist
drives held at the club included not only the members but also their wives and
female relatives. In 1909 a Whist drive
at the club saw the winners of the ladies competition presented with prizes –
silver sugar tongs won by Mrs Joseph Dobson and a silver hat pin won by Mrs
John Clark. The ladies names were always
their husbands name and never their own first name. At the same drive a silver mounted walking
stick was won by Frank Wainwright and a gold tooth pick won by John Clark.
 |
| Woodsome Hall, Chris Brierley, geography.org |
It was said that they spent “a very pleasant and instructive afternoon and evening under the presidency of Rev. Canon Hulbert. They were given a tour of the hall and its rooms by the resident agent and curator Gilbert Watson and explored the lawns and terraces enjoying the fine dry weather. When all the rooms had been visited everyone assembled, around 200 people in all, in the “spacious hall” where Hulbert gave a lecture on the history and antiquities of the place referring to different objects and sites inside and outside the house. He went on to explain in great detail for some time and the address was listened to attentively and received “much approbation.” Afterwards the company dispersed into groups on the terraces and lawns where tea was served. Evening concluded with several hymns being sung and the younger visitors enjoying a variety of sports and games until around 9pm when they gave three cheers to the “noble owners” and the organisers of the day and made their way home.
A
social highlight of the year for members and families was the annual tea party
and ball. The event reported in March 1892 stated around 260 people sat down to
a “knife and fork tea”. As usual the ladies associated with the club prepared
and served the tea and the report stated that it was a larger attendance than
on previous occasions. C. C. Bradley acted as M.C. and dancing
“was kept
up with vigour to the music of a small band including J. H. Beaumont, S.
Thornton, Allen Dobson, H. Beaumont and Miss Beaumont.”
The
following year, 1893, the ball was held in the Central National Schoolroom,
where the ladies had decorated the hall for the occasion. Banners and shields
adorned the wall, curtains had been hung at the windows and one end of the room
was taken up completely by a motto in large letters reading
“Success
to Joseph Crosland, M. P.”
Once
again there was a large attendance with around 230 present, which increased
substantially after the tea, when J. W.
Sheard entertained with several songs and music for dancing supplied again
by a band. Dancing was kept up until
half past eleven.
 |
Almondbury Central National School
Kirklees Image Archive
|
A
Spring Fair was held in the Almondbury National School in April 1927, with the
intention of raising funds to build two tennis courts. E. R.
Benson was in the chair for the opening ceremony which was performed by Enoch Hill, the prospective candidate
of Huddersfield Conservative Association. When Hill addressed the crowd he
spoke of the Governments proposal to extend the franchise to women of 21years
old. He pointed out –
“that this
did not means "votes for flappers." It was not a question vote year,
but vote at each general election, and the average life of a Government was
four years. On an average, therefore, the newly enfranchised would be 23 years
of age before they voted. In every civilised country in the world men were
entitled to vote at 21, and it would be reactionary to follow the advice of
those who suggested raising the age to 25 in the case of both sexes. He
believed that if the present Government refused to enfranchise the women of the
next succeeding Government, whatever party it represented, would do so.”
Hill
also spoke about the Trade Union Bill, which he said would restore to Trade
Unionists the freedom that they ought to have.
He believed that it was wise that the question as to whether or not a
general strike was an illegal act should be settled definitely. Hill had been a trade unionist for years and
he was convinced that
“by a
combination Trade Unionists could serve the purposes they had in view, without
doing any act that was illegal or caused mischief to others.”
Garden parties also became a feature of the club annual diary with members and their families enjoying the event.
 |
| Fenay Hall Postcard |
One
time club president, John Arthur Brooke, often hosted such events at his home
Fenay Hall, Almondbury. Over 200 people
attended the party in 1901 and were entertained by the Almondbury Brass Band
who played a selection of music during the afternoon conducted by A.
Broadbent. G. F. Garner of the Byrom
Arcade lent a gramophone and the “attractions” were well supported. People
strolled through the gardens of the hall which were reportedly at their best.
Later tea was served to everyone by the wives of the members of the association,
followed by dancing. This particular garden party raised enough funds to cover
the cost of extensive renovations to the billiard room at the club.
Fenay Hall was also the venue in July 1904 for both the garden party and a Unionist demonstration. Brooke was by this time president of the Huddersfield Conservative Association.
 |
John Lloyd Wharton, M. P. for Ripon
1886 to 1906
|
The right Honourable J. L. Wharton, M. P. for Ripon Division and John Foster Fraser, the prospective Unionist candidate for Huddersfield attended the event. The weather was reported as being ideal and so a large crowd was in attendance enjoying the sunshine and hospitality.
Wharton addressed the crowd mainly on the subject of the Licensing Bill of the Government, which he defended. Foster Fraser regretted that the trade of Huddersfield was not improving and claimed
“that at
the next election the people ought to give a mandate to the government to go in
for a policy of negotiation and retaliation, if other countries could not reduce
their tariffs, so that we would have a fair field in the markets of the world.”
After
the speeches people enjoyed the rest of the evening in the grounds where games
and music were provided.
A
garden party held at the home of Major and Mrs. John F. Sykes at Birks Gate, Almondbury in
1930
saw Major Albert Newby Braithwaite, M. P. for Buckrose Division, address the crowd. He
spoke about the impact of the Socialist regime, particularly with unemployment
on the rise and the import of foreign goods threatening the country’s
manufacturing industry,
Again
in July 1933 the garden party was held at Birks Gate, and Wilfred D. Wills the M.P. for Batley and Morley addressed the
gathering and outlined the achievements of the National government. He
described the short term policy that they had put into operation, including
balancing the budget and their longer range policy which had begun to come into
practice as was already
“exerting
a beneficial influence.”
He
went on to explain that the unemployment figures were giving an indication of
what was happening, saying that
“even
agriculture was enjoying a certain amount of prosperity, things were
extraordinarily good for the time of year in the wool textile trade, shipping
was improving and they would soon have to face arguments as to how they would
dispose of the big Post Office surplus.”
