Batley Carr Liberal Club
Although the date is unknown for the formation of the club it appears to have been active since at least 1876 and been a very active and well supported club at the end of the nineteenth century.
An advert for a caretaker for the club premises appeared in the Dewsbury Reporter, 1 Jan 1876 -
“without children preferred for Batley Carr Liberal Club. Rent, rates, coal & gas free.” Apply by 11 Jan 1876.
“Dewsbury Amateur Glee Society”
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| Huddersfield Chronicle |
“an enthusiastic meeting.”
Huddersfield Chronicle 7 May 1877.
Similarly a paper was read later that year by Councillor Frederick William Reuss, later to be Lord Mayor of Dewsbury, to the club on “The causes of bad trade” and a discussion ensued about this paper. Dewsbury Reporter 24 November 1877The annual meeting of the club was held in the billiard room of the club in February 1880 where there was a “moderate” attendance chaired by James Denton. It was reported at the meeting that sales of refreshments and income from the billiard table had decreased. However some of the decrease was due to the fees for billiards having been reduced from 4d to 3d. Subscriptions had not been as good as expected despite them having had a few new members during the year.
The hope was that new members would continue to join and in particular some new and influential Liberals would join the club. Plans were made to thoroughly clean the billiard room and to get a new stove for the room to keep cues and the table in better condition. New cues had been bought as the previous ones were in poor condition. Due to people pressing the club for monies owed and not having sufficient funds to meet the demands they had thought they would need to borrow £20 but made borrowing £10 do!
They had lost four members to death during the year. One to natural cause but the other three, Walter Chadwick, John Subley and Edward Dawson, to the accident at the Skating Rink. (See separate account). Walter Chadwick had been secretary of the club, John Subley had been a committee member although he was not on the committee at the time of his death and Edward Dawson was a club member. The club had started a debating class which was proving very popular and they hoped that this would continue to grow. The suggestion was made at this meeting that the club should hold a tea party on Easter Tuesday and to invite the two Liberal Candidates and also Charles Milnes Gaskell to attend. The plan was to hold the tea party in the Old School rooms which had been enlarged and could hold between 300 and 350 people. It was suggested that they also invite George Thornton as he had
In October 1880 the club met in the billiard room of the club premises, although there is no mention of where this may have been. James Denton presided and said that the meeting was to discuss the purchase of new club premises. He went on to say that Messrs C. Gledhill and Samuel Firth, friends of the club, had bought the
for the use of the club. He had been and had a look himself and though that it would suit the club well and that they would be able to keep it going. He went on to say that
He felt that the present club had
Apparently the Batley Carr had taken the lead in establishing a successful Liberal Club whereas Dewsbury had been unsuccessful at that time. However the rooms that they occupied were too small for the current membership and were “badly ventilated” without room for expansion and in a “tumbled down” state. The members were called upon to agree to the purchase of the “Cocoa Tavern” despite it being a large amount of money. The cost of the “Cocoa tavern” building was £1360 and there was a possibility that they could accrue some income through leasing the ground floor, thus realising around £30 a year in rent. It was felt that a better, larger and more convenient building they could increase membership and that this would defray some of the cost. A management committee for the new club was appointed and it was agreed that subscriptions would be asked for to help buy the building. Promises of subscriptions amounting to £100 were made on the night and £25 was paid immediately. Dewsbury Reporter 30 October 1880.
“a bit of influence”
and was
“a good talker”.
Dewsbury reporter 14 February 1880.
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| Dewsbury Reporter |
In October 1880 the club met in the billiard room of the club premises, although there is no mention of where this may have been. James Denton presided and said that the meeting was to discuss the purchase of new club premises. He went on to say that Messrs C. Gledhill and Samuel Firth, friends of the club, had bought the
“Cocoa Tavern”
“it would be mice and snug, and if anyone came to look at them they need not be ashamed to take them round the place”.
“not a room fit for anyone to sit in scarcely, but in the Cocoa Tavern they had a good building and plenty of room.”
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Sir John Simon, MP.
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Five weeks later the Batley Carr Liberal Club opened its new premises in what had previously been
“the Dewsbury and District Cocoa and Coffee House Company”
It was described on its opening as a
“handsome and commodious building”.
A few weeks later a discussion class was held in the new club with Fred Sheard of Batley addressing the meeting on the subject of
“Ought museums etc. to be opened on Sundays?”
In 1881 the President of the Batley Carr Liberal Club, Samuel Firth, together with Mr Warburton and Mr Sheard met at the club to draw up an address which they intended to present to William E Gladstone, the Prime Minister, at a meeting in Leeds. Dewsbury Reporter 1 October 1881 The address was presented to Mr Gladstone when he visited Leeds Town Hall a week later. Theirs was one of 96 addresses to be presented at the reception in the Victoria Hall. Huddersfield Chronicle 8 October 1881.
In 1882 Mr T H Watson of Soothill Hall delivered a lecture to the members in the lecture room of the club. The subject was
“The points of resemblance and difference between Gladstone and Beaconsfield”.
It was reported that there was a large
attendance at the meeting. At the end
of the meeting the Vices Presidents of the club, “Messrs Denton & Wright”
invited members to a supper at the club the following Tuesday. The supper was prepared by the club steward
George Ingham. After eating club
business was discussed and amongst this was the proposal to apply to the
authorities to erect a balcony at the front of the building. This balcony would
“command” the four road ends and would provide “an admirable position” to
address crowds at times of elections or other important events. Dewsbury
Reporter 28 January 1882. Whether
the planned balcony achieved permission and was built is unknown.
The club its “annual soiree” in December 1882. The event was
held in the club rooms and over 100 people
“partook of an excellent tea”.
Special invitations had been sent out to the
“ladies of the district” in order to enlist their help in planning and
arranging a bazaar in aid of the club.
There were eighty women present but this was for the “after proceeding”
rather than the tea. James Warburton
presided over the meeting and explained that the “handsome building” that they
were in was “encumbered” by a large mortgage of “some hundreds of pounds”. They were hoping that through the efforts of
all club members they could reduce this heavy liability.
Mr J Birkhead went on to welcome the ladies of the district and
said that they had all met together to “consult on different domestic subjects”.
He stated that Batley Carr Liberal Club was formed for the purpose of promoting
Liberal principles and he was glad to see that some of the ladies took an
interest in politics. He thanked the ladies for their attendance and “hoped
that they would all spend a happy evening”. Mr J Cave went on and with a few remarks said
that he was sure that with the continued assistance and co-operation of the
ladies the club would see “brighter and better days”. He referred to the planned bazaar and stated
that they depended on the ladies for their support because the members “could
not do the work themselves” and that with their help the debt would soon be
cleared. More social events were planned
and the building were said to be “well adapted” for such purposes. A party of vocalists gave “songs, glees and
duets” as well as “recitations” and piano. Dewsbury
Reporter 2 December 1882
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| Dewsbury reporter. |
On Easter Monday 1884 the planned
bazaar was held at the club with the intention of raising funds to reduce the
debt on the club premises. Councillor Frederick W Reuss opened the event and there was a large attendance. Mr Reuss had assisted
the club financially in the past as well as being the club treasurer in the
past and was well held in high regard by its members. He was an active member
of the club throwing “his whole heart and soul into the work of promoting the
interests of the club.” It was stated
that Reuss was a generous treasurer which implies that he could have made his
own investment in the club too. Also
that he acted as club banker” and “never called them to lessen their
account”. Due to Reuss’s commitment and
enthusiasm for the club he had inspired the members and the results of the
bazaar were from
“tremendous activity which had been incessant almost night and
day, on the part of the ladies”.
The bazaar had been planned for
two to three years by the women and an immense amount of work had been done
with “sewing teas” held to produce articles for sale. Advertisements had been placed in the local
press and a large crowd was anticipated.
Friends and family of the club
were reported to have been “looking forward to the day with great pleasure” and
the members were looking forward to clearing the amount of debt that
“encumbered” the club.
Ezra Balmforth, President of the
club introduced and welcomed Councillor Reuss to the event. When Mr Reuss addressed the crowd he said
that he was glad to see such a large attendance and felt that it would be
“very
pleasing to the ladies who had worked so assiduously in getting up the bazaar”.
He went on to say that although he had
taken a deep interest in the matters of the club there were many others who had
also played a part including James Denton who had “worked very hard to raise
the club to its present position” but he also included everyone present and
thanked them for their contribution to the club. He stated that although they were not clear
of debt to own the building they
“were trying, through means of the bazaar, to be
in position to work it more easily and with less difficulties.”
His main thanks went to the ladies of the
club who had worked “so well” to plan the bazaar and provide such a large
number of articles for sale. The hope
was that they would have a successful week and clear all their stock. He said that in his opinion
“the ladies of
England were always ready and willing to help on a good work especially in
connection with chapels and schools which required to be built, but it was not
often the case that ladies had been found so willing to labour in connection
with the club. In conclusion he again
expressed the hope that they would have great success and declared the bazaar
open”.
Other features of the bazaar were
- A museum displaying a variety of artefacts, objects, coins and artworks. An
electric dynamo and motor by Mr Hainsworth of Saville Town was displayed and
demonstrated as well as him explaining different applications of
electricity. Dewsbury Amateur Dramatic
Society performed “farces” and the piano was played for further
entertainment. The bazaar had raised
£160 by the Thursday night and continued until Saturday so that the remaining
stock from the bazaar could be sold. Dewsbury Reporter Saturday 19 April 1884
The club held its annual tea and social evening in the club
rooms the following December with about fifty people attending, after which
they sold off the rest of the stock left over from the bazaar which raised
another £11 6s. The following Monday a
tea was held for children in the club which was enjoyed by around 150 children. Dewsbury
reporter 6 December 1884
In 1894 George Edward Pyrah was “keeper” of the club and he
was sued for £12 16s for eggs that had been supplied to him but not paid
for. He claimed that he did not owe this
amount, that the debt was not his but his father’s. Leeds Times 20 October 1889
Various meetings were held by the
club to consider candidates for forthcoming elections. One such meeting was in June 1895 when the
consideration was for Mr Mark Oldroyd who was already MP for the district and
had strong connections with the club, attending the annual meetings and giving
lectures and talks to the members. The
same month saw the club declare that
“it was in straitened circumstances”.
The Yorkshire Evening post 27 June 1895; Leeds
Mercury 29 June 1895.
The situations must have improved
greatly by 1905 as the Leeds Mercury reported in June that there was
“a scheme
for a new club on Hick Lane”.
This would appear to have been a new
club with new rules as one of its main features was to be the fact that it was a “temperance
club”, in that no
“intoxicants were to be allowed to be sold or consumed on the
premises”.
The plan was for acquisition
of a suitable building called “Bank
House” at the top of Hick Lane which was in the centre of the town. Proposers of the scheme were W Crothers and T S Parr JP supported by
several others and a committee was formed to negotiate for the building and
with the Dewsbury & Batley Liberal Club Buildings Co Ltd.
The scheme would
be carried out under the auspices of the latter. Promises to buy shares in the
scheme were made by people present and so it was felt that it would prove to be
a successful venture. Leeds Mercury 7
June 1905
The entry in 1927 Kellys would
appear to be the afore mentioned club. 1927
Kelly’s Directory – The Liberal Clubs Co Ltd, Hick Lane. Harry Walker secretary
