Dewsbury Central Liberal Club
Dewsbury Central
Liberal Club.
A report in the Leeds Mercury in
August 1902 told of a “protracted” meeting by the United Liberal Association at
which the question of establishing a “Central” Liberal Club in Dewsbury was
discussed. Former warehouse business premises, in Bond Street ,were on offer for £2000 which was
reduction on the original cost of £4000.
The decision was made to buy these premises to use as a club house and
£1205 had already been conditionally subscribed towards the cost of conversion. The main condition of the new club was that
it would be run on strict Temperance lines that is that no
“intoxicating
liquors”
would be sold or consumed by members on the premises.
A limited
building was to be formed to manage the project. Steady progress was made on the project and
it was reported in July 1904 that it would be
“fitted up for the accommodation of
a large number of members”
which would indicate that it was a large building
indeed. It contained an “excellent” hall
for public meetings and events and a “fine billiard room”. The report went on to say that although
refreshments would be served to members and their “accredited” friends no
intoxicating liquors were permitted on the premises. which is the restriction that had been agreed on at the intitial meeting. Leeds
Mercury 28 July 1904
Although the project seemed to
take some time to come to fruition it obviously went ahead successfully as the New
Central Liberal Club was opened on 6th November 1904 by Sir John Brunner, MP.
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| Sir John Brunner 1885 |
The
Leeds Mercury put the success of the project down to the stimulus
given to Liberalism by the
“misdeeds of the Tory government”
but in reality it had
been the long term goal of the United Liberal Association in the area. Their long term aim was to form similar clubs
in Batley, Ravensthorpe, Thornhill and Earlsheaton.
The building was described in the report as
being a
“substantial stone building” centrally located with “spacious rooms
that have an air of solid comfort”
and gave no indication that the building had
once been a warehouse. Further
description went on to say that the large hall, previously mentioned, could
hold 250 people. Together with a large
reading room, committee rooms and a directors room on the ground floor. The first floor housed a smoke room, card
room and dining room which was 55 feet long and had a movable partition. The second floor had a kitchen and a billiard
room with three tables.
Major P.B.
Walker was the first President of the club and had presented a grand piano to
be placed in the smoke room. Sir John Brunner was presented with a silver gilt
key as a memento of the occasion. He then addressed a large audience in the
lecture hall of the club. C.B.Crawshaw,
chaired the event and spoke to the crowd of the day being a
“red letter day”
for Liberalism in the District, particularly for younger members of the Liberal
Party. He went on to say that there was
a need for club like this to provide social enjoyment
“without any
objectionable accompaniments.”
Although it is unclear what he may have been
alluding to here? Crawshaw went on to
stress that besides social and recreational activities the club would hold
debates and lectures in the hope of training the next generation in Liberal
principles. The opening of the building
was followed by a banquet in Dewsbury Town Hall in the evening to celebrate.
Leeds Mercury 7 December 1904. In
January 1905 the lecture hall of the club proved the ideal venue for a meeting
of electors from the Trinity and All Saints Wards held under the auspices of
the United Liberal Association for the Parliamentary Borough of Dewsbury. Councillor George Thorpe presided and addressed the electors
together with G. Earnshaw. The meeting
concluded with the delegates for the wards being appointed. Leeds Mercury 17 January 1905
The following September a new
billiard room was opened at the club.
This new room contained new two tables, made by Messrs Hixon & Son
of Leeds, which were in addition to the three they already had. An exhibition game of "75 up” was played
by G. H. Wilkinson, who was the Yorkshire Champion and Leonard Firth, a club
member to celebrate the opening. It was
reported that Wilkinson “allowed his opponent 300” and that it was a brilliant
display enjoyed by a large audience. Bradford Daily Telegraph & Leeds
Mercury. 30 September 1905.
In 1905 the club had 500 members
and continued to encourage the dissemination of Liberal principles and held a regular
series of lectures to promote these ideas.
The inaugural talk of a series of lectures in 1905 was given by George
Thorpe, J. P., one of the club’s own members, on
“Parliament and its
Functions.”
Walter Runciman, MP, acted as chairman at the lecture and
reminded those present that one of the aims of the club was to promote
political debate. George Thorpe
described the activities of Parliament and the legislations that had been
passed together with the effect on the country.
Another lecture, given at the club in October 1905, by Mr Smithson was on
“Liberalism – the Religion of Politics”.
In this he stated that he believed, with Burke, that
“politics are only
an enlarged morality, for that which is morally wrong can ever be politically
right.”
The lectures were followed by
much discussion and debate by members of the club, helping to form political
ideas and Liberal followers. Leeds Mercury 3 & 13 October 1905;
Bradford Daily Telegraph 3 October 1905
Despite the new club building,
billiard tables and political lectures at the first annual meeting of the new
Central Liberal Club the President, P. B.
Walker stated that he
“was sorry to say that the club, which was built for
the Liberals of the Parliamentary borough, had not received the support that it
was entitled to from the rank and file of the party.”
He appealed for Liberals from Batley to make
use of the club and support and hoped that they and other Liberals would “take
up some of the £1 shares” in the club. Leeds Mercury 2 December 1905. P. B. Walker went on to celebrate 21
years of Presidency at the Dewsbury Central Liberal Club in March 1926 and he
was presented with a silver rose bowl in appreciation. Leeds Mercury 5 March 1926
In 1910 the club arranged and held
a bazaar to raise funds which was opened by Walter Runciman, MP who praised the
“energy and enthusiasm”
of the club members and he went on to give £100 towards
the funds.
The bazaar was held in
Dewsbury Town Hall in October 1910 with the
aim of raising £2000 to enable the club to be free of its mortgage and
provide accommodation for its women members. After the first day the profits
stood at £1250 with another day to go until the bazaar closed. Joseph Auty presided
and said at the opening that
“he was glad that the bazaar and the club were
conducted on Temperance lines. If there had been any “poverty” water he would
have had nothing to do with it.”
The final total at the close of the bazaar was
£2371 which was far more than they had expected. After expenses had been paid
the remainder was used to relieve the burden of mortgage on the club and enabled the committee to furnish a room for the use of “lady” members. Leeds Mercury 26 & 28 October 1910.
Yorkshire Post 25 & 31 October 1910.
At the annual meeting the following year the attendance was recorded
as being a “record” one and Mr Oxley, chairman, stated that the club was £400
in hand so things had continued to improve for the club.
Leeds Mercury 24 January 1911.
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| Walter Runciman |
Walter Runciman, MP, was a
frequent visitor to the club and spoke at a variety of different events there. His visit to the both Dewsbury Liberal Club
and Batley Liberal Club in 1909 was threatened with disturbance from
Suffragettes and so “extraordinary precautions” were taken to prevent
disruption. Leeds Mercury 15 November
1909
Runciman headed a large procession
of Liberals from the district in January 1910. The
procession assembled outside the club between 11 o’clock and noon arranged in
groups with Runciman at the head. It was the custom among the Liberals of the
area to have several nomination papers for their candidate, in this case
Runciman, and the aim of the procession was to parade to the Town Hall to
present the nomination papers to the Mayor, Frederick William Reuss, who was the
returning officer. Leeds Mercury 12 January 1910
The president, George Thorpe
welcomed Runciman to the club on his visit in October 1912, when Runciman was President
of the Board of Agriculture. He spoke to the members of the club about his work
at the Board of Agriculture in the previous twelve months. Leeds
Mercury 14 October 1912.
Another more social event hosted
by the club and attended by Walter
Runciman, MP, was a garden party in the summer of 1913. The event was given by the President of the
club Major P. B. Walker in aid of
club finances. It was attended by 350
people who were served tea and entertained by the Thornhill Prize Brass Band.
Walter Runciman once again addressed those present about the
difficulties faced in British agriculture and agricultural wages but went on to
speak on the Irish land purchase system too.
In 1919 a bicycle was stolen from
the club by John Stenson, a 28 year old plasterer’s labourer and WW1
veteran. He was fined £3 7s 6d for the
theft. Leeds Mercury 10 September 1919
During the years of the depression
there were many schemes for helping the unemployed and one such scheme was
planned by the Dewsbury Women’s Liberal Association. The women’s section of Dewsbury Community
Service Council had been working to alleviate conditions amongst the unemployed
in the area and to further that they were planning to open a centre for
unemployed women and girls at the Dewsbury Central Liberal Club. The aim was that they would be able to use
the centre to “do useful work for themselves and their families”. One idea was to be able to repair boots and
shoes! The club was to provide
facilities for domestic repairs and renovations at the club the management of
which would be a committee of unemployed people. Yorkshire Post 6 & 12 December 1932
The Dewsbury Central Liberal Club finally closed in 2016 and its former building is now the Islamic Tarbiyah Academy.
