Cleckheaton Liberal Club
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Photo taken from - Images of England – Spen Valley, Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike, Liversedge and Gomersal.
Norman Ellis. |
The Cleckheaton Liberal Club had been formed in 1870 although rooms for use as club premises were not furnished until 1872 when there was a rise in Conservatism in the town which had hitherto been Liberal. This prompted a meeting at the Co Operative Hall in Cleckheaton in November 1872 to discuss the formation of a Liberal Club in order to combat the rise of Conservatism. At that point there were 170 members and £100 was collected to furnish the new club rooms which were based on Crown Street, Cleckheaton.
The rooms, when complete, consisted of a reading room that proved to be well used, another was a smoking room plus others that were described as “comfortable and useful apartments”. It was hoped that the membership numbers would rise and in December 1873 membership stood at 220 although by 1880 it had fallen again to 150. Despite the fall in numbers at the annual meeting of the club in 1880 the current premises were considered to be inadequate for purpose.
In 1882 a meeting of Liberals from all around the area was held in the Cleckheaton club rooms to discuss a fitting memorial for W Crowther of Gomersal. He had been the Chairman of the Registration Committee for Birstall Polling District. It was decided that the memorial would take the form of an “illuminated address”.
(See Leeds Times 11 March 1882)
Many of the large political meetings hosted by the club, were held in the Co Operative Hall in Cleckheaton to facilitate large audiences. It was felt that if the club had larger premises the membership would increase and so arrangements were made for a public meeting to be held to consider this.
New premises
The club continued in the Crown Street premises until 1882, when they could be found in “more commodious premises” in Market Street. A well-attended of meeting of the club committee had decided that the new club would be opened without any formal demonstration and a report was given as to the club’s progress. Several new members had been enrolled already.
(See Dewsbury Reporter 24 December 1882)
This move they felt had enabled them to increase their numbers to 245 and they had a healthy balance sheet being in credit. Subscriptions from members towards a furnishing fund for the new premises totalled £239 5s 11d of which they had used £231 8s. This had been spent on reading rooms, committee rooms and billiards rooms. They were also considering enlarging the billiard room to take a second billiard table. Receipts from the billiard room were a good source of income for the club and was credited with the main increase in the clubs income in 1882. Frequent billiards matches between different Liberal Clubs were held around the area.
(See Leeds Times 16 December 1882)
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| Leeds Times |
This rise in membership and income took a blow the following year, 1884, when membership fell to 220 and the total income had also fallen. The committee had spent heavily on furnishing the club during the year but had still managed to maintain a credit balance. This decline continued the following year with a fall to 180 members and another fall in billiard income despite having had several matches over the year.
The Redistribution Bill
A circular was sent to all members urging them to attend the annual meeting in December 1884 not only to discuss the club but also to consider the Redistribution Bill. This bill redistributed seats in Constituencies and meant that Cleckheaton would lose areas to Batley. This issues was discussed at the meeting but then adjourned until January.(See Leeds Mercury 3 & 5 December 1884)
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| Bradford Daily Telegraph |
The meeting to discuss the Redistribution Bill proved to be very controversial. The meeting had been called to discuss the name of the proposed Parliamentary District which was to include Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike, Birstall, Gomersal and other township. The names of all the representatives for the area had been taken at an earlier meeting and the planned meeting was to be by invitation only. The problem came when well known members of the community arrived to attend the meeting but did not have the required ticket and so were denied access despite being well known and influential people.
Others had tickets but took exception to being asked for them by the doorkeepers!
Tempers flared! John
Shaw, the Gomersal Registration agent, made his way up the staircase and was
forcibly removed amid great excitement! During this altercation a glass panel
in one of the doors was broken and John Shaw’s hat was “crushed and his attire generally disarranged”.
More people arrived and there were more loud voices and altercations until the decision was made by the organisers that everyone should be admitted. It then appeared that there was strong objection to the district being called the “Spen Valley” because towns outside the Spen Valley were to be included in the new district. Finally it was decided that the new district be called “Spen Valley & Birstal” and this would be the name recommended to the boundary commissioners. It was also decided that Cleckheaton would be the centre of the district. News reports said that “The meeting was one of the most excited of its kind ever held in Cleckheaton!”
(See Bradford Daily Telegraph 3 January 1885)
A Liberal M.P. for the Spen Valley
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| Alderman Joseph Woodhead |
1886 saw the club hosting large meetings and events during the year. Alderman Joseph Woodhead (who was previously Mayor of Huddersfield) was returned as MP for the Spen Valley Division and it was decided to hold a celebratory tea in the Brook Street School Room to mark the occasion. Tea was served to nearly 400 people and this was then followed by a large meeting in the evening at the Cleckheaton Co Operative Hall. Further meetings were arranged to elect representatives to the Liberal Executive and Council for the Spen Valley Division.
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Dr Richard Pankhurst
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They also arranged a lecture by Dr Richard Pankhurst of Manchester (husband of the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst) on “The Politics of the Future”.
Death of leading Cleckheaton Liberal
In 1888 Thomas Burnop, who had been a long time president of the
club died. He had been a staunch Liberal
and long-time admirer of William E Gladstone.
New premises on Northgate
The decline in membership continued and by 1894 it had fallen from 187 to 165 members. Despite this the committee decided in 1895, that if there was enough support from the existing members then a new club would be erected and this news was reported in the Leeds Times.
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| Leeds Times 21st December 1895 |
They were to acquire the Central Hall property on Northgate, which had been the site of the second Wesleyan Chapel, and erect new club premises on the site. A building committee was formed in 1896 to oversee the erection of the new premises. The chapel was to be demolished to make way for a completely new building and the cost of construction were fixed at £3000. It was hoped that actual construction costs would fall well below this to allow for furnishings in the club.
(See Bradford Daily Telegraph 11 September 1896)
By the end of 1897 membership had increased and stood at 219 and the club finances were regarded as being healthy with subs providing a larger sum than they had ever before received. The new club premises had suffered flood that year which had cost the club £22 10s. However there was still a balance in hand of £64 7s 7d compared to the previous year’s balance of £51 15s 6d. In addition to this there had been money laid aside for new furnishing of the club. At the annual meeting it was
announced that Sir Henry Fowler would open the new club in January.
(See Leeds Times 20 November & 4 December 1897)
announced that Sir Henry Fowler would open the new club in January.
(See Leeds Times 20 November & 4 December 1897)
Reuben Castle, a local architect, designed and planned the new building and it was completed in 1897 at a cost of £3750. It was quite an impressive building and was described in Kelly’s Directory 1927 as being -
“a building in Ashlar in the Queen Anne style containing - two billiard rooms, a news room and a large lecture and recreation room which could hold 200 people"
Attached to it was a library of “400 volumes” and the headquarters of the Spen Valley Liberal Association.
It was officially opened by Sir Henry Fowler on Friday 4th February 1898. This building can still be found on Northgate in the town centre. It is now an estate agents and solicitors, but outwardly its grand façade can still be seen and appreciated.
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| 2018 |
This new building was large enough to accommodate large meetings and entertainments, such as the meeting of the Heavy Woollen District Federated Liberal Clubs in October 1898. After this meeting the club hosted a public tea in the club for over 200 people members and friends of the club.
(See Leeds Times 8 October 1898)
The annual report at the end of 1898 stated that as a result of the larger and more suitable premises the income of the club had more than doubled and membership was nearly twice that of the previous year increasing from 219 to 412.
(See Leeds Times 19 November 1898.)
The Senior and Juvenile Balls
The New Year saw the club promoting a “Juvenile Ball” to be held in Cleckheaton Town Hall. A sit down tea for 500 people was provided but this number increased as the evening progressed with live music for dancing provided
by “Moorhouse’s Band”.
(See Leeds Times 14 January 1899.)
These balls had been an annual event for some years with a senior’s Ball being held the previous day. These events had been described the previous year as being “crowded to excess by youthful people” and were extremely popular.
(See Leeds Times January 1897)
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| Leeds Time's, 16th January 1897. |
In February 1899 the club had a stained glass window installed in
the staircase leading to the billiard room.
The window was to “preserve the memory” of William E Gladstone. Bradford
Daily Telegraph 3 February 1899.
In further memory of Mr Gladstone the club created the
In further memory of Mr Gladstone the club created the
“Gladstone Memorial Library"
in its
premises. Thomas Whitaker, MP opened the library which consisted of over 400 volumes on history
geography political economy, travels, social science and many more subjects and
classics. It was planned that this would be expanded over time. Many of the books had been donated by members
of the club. The club presented Mr
Whitaker with a gold key as a memento of the occasion. Bradford Daily Telegraph 3 December 1900.
During this period the club seems to have been relatively strong
and at the annual social evening in 1901 a “good attendance” was reported. People danced to “Moorhouse’s Band and were
entertained during the interval by songs given by club members. The wives and friends of the club committee
served the supper. Bradford Observer 5
January 1901.
However there then seems to have been
a change in fortune as an advert was placed in the local paper to say that the
large room at the club was available to rent for dances and parties. In 1914 the club’s membership was further
depleted as WW1 began. and young men were
“called away for military duties"
The club was suffering from a deficit in
its finances and although efforts had been made during the year to clear this they
had not succeeded. The building society had recognised the difficult situation
of the club and foregone the rent for the year in order to help them. It was reported that the Young Liberals and
the Women’s Liberal Association had done well throughout the year. Shipley
Times & Express 18 December 1914
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| Sir John Simon MP |
At a meeting at the Liberal Club in 1920, Sir John Simon agreed to stand as Independent Liberal Candidate for Spen Valley. In subsequent years he visited the club giving speeches and talks including one in 1923 about “Liberal Unity”. He later went on to be Home Secretary; Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
A letter by Sir John posted in the North Devon Journal in 1929 gives his address as the "Liberal Club, Cleckheaton" and sends his "heartiest good wishes" for the Liberal cause.
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| North Devon Journal, 17th May 1929. |
By 1930 the club found themselves in a dire financial position
when the balance sheet at the end of the year showed a deficit of £259 owing to
the bank. The treasurer reported that in
the previous two years the income had not met their expenditure and that now the
bank overdraft needed immediate attention.
Apparently there had been constant warnings to the members about the
situation over the years but to very little effect. Yorkshire
Evening Post 20 December 1930
1932 saw the social side of the club being abandoned due to lack
of funds, presumably the social evenings and annual ball were the main casualties
of this, but the political side was to continue as usual. The premises continued to provide the same
facilities as in the past. When the club
was instituted it was on the principle that no “intoxicants” be sold. Many other club had changed this in order to
pay their way. The Cleckheaton Liberals
decided that despite their financial difficulties they would stick to their
original temperance principles and hopefully resolve the issues through the
suspension of social activities. Leeds Mercury 19 December 1932.
The 1930s was an unusual era in British politics,
one which was presided over by a “National Government”. The origins of the
National Government go back to the minority Labour government of Ramsay
MacDonald, who was Prime Minister between 1924 and 1931, and later leader of
the National Government until 1935
During the period of National Government in the 1930s Sir John Simon became a "National Liberal" and eventually joined the Conservative Party. As a consequence of this the ownership of the building was transferred to the Conservative Association and became the Cleckheaton Conservative Club.
The building is now (2019) occupied by Cadmans Solicitors and Robert Watts Estate Agents.
Liberal Women in Politics
The club was a male domain with no
women members, and little is mentioned about the women’s role in political life
except for supporting with teas and
social occasions until 1901. In that year a meeting
of the Women’s Liberal Association was held at the club and a lecture was given
by Mrs Armitage of Rawdon on
“The British Empire”.
There is also a mention of the Women’s
Association in 1914 at the annual meeting when it was stated that they had done
well throughout that year. However there
is a nice account of women’s political influence in 1919 after women got the
vote.
1919 saw a By Election in the Spen Valley and a record number of
88% of voters turned out to vote despite torrential rain and thick mud. The roads of the constituency were reported to be churned up with mud due to "the tremendous volume of motor traffic passing to and fro." It was reported that "luxurious limousines, heavy open top touring cars, natty two seaters and motorcycles and sidecars tore about in a style reminiscent of Army headquarters when a great advance or retreat was in progress." These vehicles provided transport for both candidates and voters. The traffic continued long after 9o'clock at night as they rolled up to the returnong officers headquarteres at Cleckheaton Town Hall bringing in the sealed ballot boxes.
It was reported that the people of the Spen Valley had turned out to vote more than ever before and that some of the “most ardent” were the women, who during the morning of election day, represented the majority of the voters. The numbers of voters was 40,000 and this included 16,000 women, which was felt to be the deciding factor in the results. Election fever could be witnessed all around the town with many people wearing "party favours" to show their political support. Shop assistants and railway officials sported party rosettes often in defiance of their customers and passengers. A "novel contribution" to the day came from a young boy who parades the streets of Cleckheation pushing a small handcart on which he had placed a cage containing a parrot dressed with the colours of Colonel Fairfax - yellow, red, white and blue. david Crowther, aged 90, had hoped to be the first to cast his vote on the day but he lost out to the woman next to him who gained that honour! Leeds Mercury 22 December 1919
It was reported that the people of the Spen Valley had turned out to vote more than ever before and that some of the “most ardent” were the women, who during the morning of election day, represented the majority of the voters. The numbers of voters was 40,000 and this included 16,000 women, which was felt to be the deciding factor in the results. Election fever could be witnessed all around the town with many people wearing "party favours" to show their political support. Shop assistants and railway officials sported party rosettes often in defiance of their customers and passengers. A "novel contribution" to the day came from a young boy who parades the streets of Cleckheation pushing a small handcart on which he had placed a cage containing a parrot dressed with the colours of Colonel Fairfax - yellow, red, white and blue. david Crowther, aged 90, had hoped to be the first to cast his vote on the day but he lost out to the woman next to him who gained that honour! Leeds Mercury 22 December 1919
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| Leeds Mercury 8 Dec 1919 |
The photograph is of women voters in Spen Valley from the Leeds
Mercury showed them wearing shawls and clogs as they gathered to listen to an open air election address to workers
in the district prior to the election. Sir John Simon held open air “noon day”
meetings for workers designed to catch the mill hands votes. Whilst local women members of the Liberals
started their own “wee free cottage meetings” which, although unofficial, were
to be attended by Lady Kathleen Simon. Yorkshire
Post 9 December 1919 & Leeds Mercury 8 December 1919.
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| Tom Myers, Lady Simon, Sir John Simon, Col. B C Fairfax |
The
candidates in the election were Tom Myers, Labour; Sir John Simon, Independent
Liberal; and Colonel B C Fairfax, Coalition. Yorkshire Evening Post 16 December 1919
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| Lady Kathleen Simon |
After the election on 20 December, a
meeting was held at Cleckheaton Liberal Club, which John Simon MP and
his wife attended. As a result of the photograph
of the
“Spen Valley”
women and Lady’s Simon’s involvement in the
“cottage
meetings”
someone thought it a joke to present Lady Simon with a pair of clogs
like the women had been wearing. Apparently
she promptly put them on her feet and walked to the next room in the
Cleckheaton Liberal Club wearing them.
It was said that she appreciated their sense of humour. Leeds
Mercury 22 December 1919.
Despite his
and his wife’s best efforts Sir John Simon did not win the election losing to
the Labour candidate Tom Myers.
By 1934 it was recorded that women
were holding quarterly meetings at the club with regular political speakers.
When the club held its annual meeting in December 1914 the report stated that several young men who were members of the club had been called away for military duties and the club "wished them a happy and glorious return." The outbreak of war also had a detrimental effect on the club finances as those who had promised subscriptions had not been called upon and the club still had a large deficit of £50 14s 10d.
1st/4th West Riding Regiment
Accidentally killed 8 September 1915
Age 20
Buried in Bedford House Cemetery, Zillebeke, Belgium
Lived Northcliffe, Cleckheaton
David Fenton joined the local territorial battalion on the
outbreak of war, and went overseas in April 1915. He rose quickly
through the ranks from Private to Sergeant Instructor at the Brigade Bombing
School. According to a colleague he was 'streets ahead of anyone else
as a bomber'.
He was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 2 September 1915 but
was unaware of this when he died six days later. The official report
states that he was practising bomb-throwing when a defective fuse exploded
before its time and killed him. A friend and colleague, Lt Graham
Mowat, when home on leave, said that the death was caused by the accidental
explosion of a new type of bomb which was being experimented with.
David's brother, Captain W C Fenton, served in the same regiment and was awarded the
Military Cross and Bar for gallantry. He survived the war and
maintained his links with the local territorials. He was later knighted
mainly for services to industry. He was Managing Director of the
Scandinavia Mills, later known nationally as the British Belting and Asbestos
Company (BBA), a large employer in the area, founded by his father earlier in
the century.
Prior to the war David spent time in Europe learning languages
to enable him to assist in the family business. He was an enthusiastic
local sportsman and a member of the Cleckheaton Liberal Club. His name appears
on the Cleckheaton Cricket and Bowling Club Memorial, the Central Methodist
Church Memorial, the Providence Place Chapel Memorial and the Heckmondwike
School Roll of Honour.
Apparently there was a memorial board in the club building and this was mentioned on Royal British Legion site -
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