Crosland Moor and Brierley Wood Conservative Club

Crosland Moor Conservative Club Limited was established on 30 October 1906 and has been in business for 112 years, however the club was first formed in 1880.

The Crosland Moor and Brierley Wood Conservative Club opened its new club rooms in February 1882.  The formal opening was made by the club president Thomas Pearson Crosland (his father had been Liberal MP for Huddersfield 1865-8 and his uncle Joseph Crosland was the first Conservative MP for Huddersfield in 1893), after which a 

“substantial knife and fork tea” 

was enjoyed by sixty members and friends at the Junction Hotel provided by Mrs. James Taylor.  When the tables had been cleared a meeting followed with the committee of Crosland Moor and Brierley Wood Conservative Club presenting their report. The report stated that the idea to form a Conservative Club had happened two years previously with a desire to spread Conservative principles in the area.  It had been considered that the best way of achieving this was to unite the “scattered” Conservatives of the area into one body.  

They had formed a committee of all twenty members of the club and began to meet at the Junction Inn, in fact they met in the room where they were holding the inaugural meeting. Despite the landlord, James Taylor doing all he could to accommodate the group it soon became evident to them that it would not meet their requirements in the long term. The committee had met together and discussed the need to have rooms of their own in order to carry out the work of spreading Conservative ideas.   They had located rooms to rent and although 

“nothing great or elaborate” 

they were well furnished, comfortable and met the needs of the current membership.  The new rooms had the benefit of a reading room which they supplied with four daily newspapers and four weekly ones.  They said that by this if 

“our members are ignorant on political subjects it is their own fault!”  

Since January the membership had increased from the initial twenty to fifty members and ten honorary members and they were looking forward to encouraging more to join their ranks.  Subscriptions of £14 had been received since January, all club furnishings had been paid for and the club was out of debt.  Thomas Pearson Crosland, junior,  congratulated them on the formation of the club with very little outside help.  He said that it showed that “Conservative working men were a reality as the government would find to its cost.”  

After Crosland left the meeting the floor was cleared and the remainder of the evening was spent in dancing enlivened with “some capital comic songs” by George Dyson as well as solos performed on the violin and the harp.  Huddersfield Chronicle 1& 4 March 1882

The annual meeting was held in the club rooms with supper being provided by J. Taylor of the Junction Hotel. The secretary, John Thackray, the club secretary, reported that the clubs finances were in 

“a tolerably good position”.  

Huddersfield Chronicle 5 January 1889

The annual meeting of the Crosland Moor and Brierley Wood Conservative Club was preceded by a

 “substantial supper”

 and held in the club room in January 1890 with about thirty members attending.  The annual meeting followed and reports by the club secretary, J. Thackray, were given.  New committee members were elected and then the meeting concluded in

“a convivial manner.”  

The following year the ninth annual meeting was held in the club rooms but no supper was reported as having been held. Huddersfield Chronicle 4 January 1890 & 9 January 1891

There seems to have been two Conservative Clubs in Crosland moor in 1890 as there is another different report of an annual meeting in February.  Although the article is headed “Crosland Moor” the club is called “Crosland Hill Conservative Club”.  It was reportedly their second annual

“meat tea” 

and was a flourishing club but the dates don’t fit with the other club.  About 150 people had sat down to the meal which was followed by a concert and dance which went on until late.  The balance sheet for the club was read out showing a healthy balance and it was discussed that the club premises were now too small to hold members and that they needed to make an effort to get a new and larger club as soon as possible. Huddersfield Chronicle 8 February 1890

Many social event were held under the auspices of the club including tea and entertainments and sporting events. In 1890 the club hosted a

“Smoking concert”, and social entertainment. 

The rooms of the club premises were too small to host such an event and so it was held in the large room of the Junction Inn, Marsden Road in February 1890.  There were a large number of people present with Alfred Gledhill presiding over the proceedings.  He gave a brief report about the Parnell Commission before opening the entertainments.  Songs and recitations were given by various club members and guests with music provided on the piano by George Brook.  It was reported to be “a very pleasant and enjoyable evening.” Huddersfield Chronicle 21 February 1890.
Tea and entertainment for the Ladies in 1908 was another social event. 

  Whist matches seemed to be a popular part of club social life with frequent matches against other social clubs in the Huddersfield area being reported. Whist match played at the club against Crosland Moor WMC.  Huddersfield Chronicle 3 November 1883.   Whist match played at the Conservative Club against Crosland Moor WMC with the WMC winning.  Huddersfield Chronicle 11 March 1886.   Whist and bagatelle match against Paddock Conservative Club held in the club rooms in February 1888.  Huddersfield Chronicle 11 February 1888.  February 1892 the club held a games night, playing whist and billiards against Paddock Conservative Club.

In 1914 a whist drive was held at the club in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Relief Fund.  About sixty people attended.  A supper was served after the whist games and a variety of songs were sung by members.  The net proceeds of the event came to around £3.  Huddersfield Daily Examiner 20 November 1914

A new club building was built on Hawthorn Terrace and opened in 1906 which coincides with the formation of the Crosland Moor Conservative Ltd.  Its first President was Alderman Thomas Cartwright and he continued as President up to his death in March 1914.  A framed photograph of Thomas Cartwright was presented to the club in 1937 by his son David J Cartwright, who had just been selected as Conservative candidate for the area.  He also was a member of the town council like his father and a local solicitor. Leeds Mercury 18 June 1937

Kellys directory 1927 gave the club address as 28 Hawthorn Terrace Crosland Moor with George Brooks as secretary.  During that year a large portrait of Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister of the time, was unveiled in the club rooms.  E. R. Benson the club president, said that this action on behalf of the club members showed their loyalty and was a tribute to the Prime Minister.  Yorkshire Post 28 May 1927

In 1940 the club advertised for a steward and stewardess with living accommodation provided with lighting and heating but no bowling green!!  Yorkshire Evening Post 15 October 1940

The club is still in existence today and has its own Facebook page.  It is now based at 40 Park Road, Crosland Moor which they may have moved to sometime in the 1960s.

01484 654265