Honley Conservative Club
Honley Conservative
Club
Honley Conservative Club celebrated its 125th
anniversary on the 30th January 2010 the club therefore, has now been in
existence for 133 years plus the five years prior to their having a building of their own would mean 138!. Unfortunately few records exist prior to 1909 although all the minute books since have
been preserved.
The club was established in 1880 when thirty members
were enrolled mainly a group of local gentlemen, cloth manufacturers, master
tradesmen and shopkeepers. They were in the habit of meeting in a local hostelry.
These gentlemen apparently held meetings on a monthly basis, where they received
lectures of a political and educational character. However these rooms became
increasingly inconvenient as numbers increased to 100 at the end of the first
year. By the end of 1881 numbers stood at 130, increasing to 145 by the end of
1883. The increase meant that it became an absolute necessity to find a more
permanent and spacious home.
A dwelling house in St Marys Square, erected by the
late Miss Marianne Armitage of High
Royd, Honley and the donor of Brockholes Church, became available and was very
suitable for their purposes. The group
of gentlemen decided that if they were to purchase the property they would have
premises of their own in which to meet. So they became the first Trustees and
Members of the Honley Conservative Club.
The property was purchased from Mr Finlinson for the
sum of £660 by nine prominent, local gentlemen who acted as trustees. Sir Thomas Brooke
promised £50 towards the club, J. A. Brooke gave £25 and William Brooke
£50. This laid the foundation for a
subscription list which soon rose to £300.
The purchase was secured by payment of £260 and the balance of £400 was
a mortgage. The sum of £250 was repaid in 1890 with the balance being cleared
on the 22nd March 1897. The rooms also had
to be furnished by the club and they also hoped to establish a library there
containing
“historical literature”.
The
committee decided at this point that no intoxicating liquors would be sold on
the premises, something that would cause much debate at a later date.
The opening ceremony took place at 3pm on the 30th
January 1885 and it had been planned to be performed by Sir Thomas Brooke, but in his absence Thomas Pearson Crosland of Huddersfield, did the honours. There was a large
and imposing procession of members and friends, headed by Honley Brass Band
which started from outside the Coach and Horses Inn and proceeded to the new
club rooms which were
“commodious” and “conveniently placed” in St. Mary’s
Square.
The premises provided
“an
admirable meeting place for political and social purposes.”
There were four
rooms downstairs including a large, general reading room, a committee room at
the front and club keepers’ accommodation at the back.
Upstairs could be found a newsroom, card room at the
front of the building and a billiard room to the rear plus bathrooms. The billiard room had been furnished with a
good table.
The members filled the large reading room upstairs
where Thomas Pearson Crosland congratulated the Honley Conservatives on
“having secured
such excellent premises.”
He went on to say that he was sure that they would do
much to promote the Conservative cause in Honley. He added that they must
ensure that they did not get too wrapped up in the social pleasures of the club
and forget the object of the establishment which was to promote Conservative
principles. Speeches were made at the
formal opening by William Brooke J.P.
of Honley and William Touchstone of
Manchester.
The formalities ended around half past four and the
procession was reformed and then proceeded to the Congregational Schoolroom at
Moor Bottom where tea was served.
 |
| Gathorne Hardy |
There was a large gathering at the evening meeting at
7pm with both the hall and the gallery being filled. Addresses were given by
the Hon. Gathorne Hardy, William
Brooke and William Touchstone. Gathorne Hardy received loud cheers
when he took to the platform and he said “that it gave him great pleasure to
come among them”. He believed that club
such as this should be multiplied in order to provide
“political instruction
and education”.
He then went on to address them on political
matters of the day. Sir Thomas Brooke who had not been able
to be present to open the club in the afternoon addressed the crowd and
apologised for his absence. He went on to say that
“he believed in such clubs
being made educational mediums”
and that they
“were capable of doing great good
both in political and social sense.”
William Brooke became the club’s first President
although the Sheffield Daily Telegraph reported that the President was Thomas
Farrar. The evening was concluded with a
“glee party” and the whole of the proceedings were hailed as a great success. Sheffield
Daily Telegraph 31 January 1885; Huddersfield Chronicle 31 January 1885; Honley
Conservative Club Minute books.
The club had been paying off the debt for 15 years
when they met for the annual meeting in 1899.
Although monies received throughout the year had totalled £74 5s 6d
there was still a deficit of around £34 owing on the debt. They were so close to being debt free that the
members determined that they would do everything within their power to clear it. To this end they decided to hold a tea and
concert in the very near future. They
enquired around and found
“capable artistes”
to engage for the event. Over the
next few months about 25 of the members were
“assiduously practising as a
minstrel troupe”
under the instruction of A. Pogson. These plans all came together on Saturday 11th
February 1899 when the club held a very successful tea and entertainments in
the National School rooms. The club
members had worked so hard in promoting the event that on the occasion 350 people sat down to
tea was provided by members and friends.
The young men of the club proved to be very popular as they served as
waiters. The concert followed after the
tea and the schoolrooms were packed with many people being turned away at the
door. Entertainments included a selection played by T. Oldham’s Mandolin Band,
a numbers of songs being sung by members and family and a dialogue – “Mixem’s
Matrimonial Mart” delivered by six members of the club.
The programme had a short interval and then
the evening was completed with the performance of the “Minstrel Troupe” who
performed a great selection of songs. The audience applauded heartily and the humorous
dialogue apparently caused
“roars of laughter”.
It was reported that the audience enjoyed the concert from beginning to
end and many encores were needed before the evening came to a close much later
than anticipated. A sum of £14 was handed over to the club treasurer J. Revitt and the evening was seen as a complete
success.
Huddersfield Chronicle 9 & 17 February 1899
Despite the success of such fundraising events the
club found itself in debt again the following year when they had to carry out
improvements to the club and also erect a boundary wall. A sale of work was planned to raise funds and
the bulk of the work for this was done by “the lady friends of the
members”. They held “sewing meetings” to
prepare for the sale and all involved believed that it would be very successful. Huddersfield
Chronicle 1 September 1900
In 1901 the club held its long prepared for Bazaar and Exhibition in the
National Schools on Easter Monday and Tuesday. The object was to reduce as much as
possible, the debt incurred by the Association and install new heating
apparatus in the club rooms. This being the first occasion on which a Bazaar
had been held a souvenir handbook was printed. There were no fewer than twelve
stalls presided over by women, who one would presume were family of the club
members, there was a cafe and a smoke room and
various entertainments. A mandolin band, the Angelus Orchestral and a musical
New Century clock. There were concerts in the afternoon with comic sketches and
a Pierrot Troupe. There was a Mechanical and Natural History Exhibition and a
Fine Art Gallery with a rare collection of oil and water colour paintings and
Edison's Latest Phonograph playing the latest music of the day.
In 1909 the club must have been in need of cash again
as W. Day was empowered to negotiate an overdraft of £60 on behalf of the club
with Mr Bell the manager at the Lancashire and Yorkshire bank.
Originally the club had no licence to sell alcoholic
drinks but at a committee meeting held in October 1909 it was agreed that
all members should be balloted regarding the matter. Later the proposition was passed but not
without some opposition. Whether the decision to go ahead and sell alcohol had
been influenced by the need for cash earlier that year is hard to say. Later
that year, in December, the committee made a decision that there raffles would
not be allowed to be held in the club.
The club had to exterior maintenance work done in
August 1912 as the roof needed attention and the exterior had to be painted. Shaw and Thewlis painted the exterior at a
charge of £3 14s 0d and the roof was pointed by Oldfield Brothers costing £3 2s
6d.
The fund raising events continued and it was decided
that the club would hold a Whist drive and dance on Boxing Day in 1913 which
would be held in the National School rooms. They ordered 400 tickets to be
printed and the cost of entry was set at 2s.
Arrangements for the event included hiring 100 chairs from the Co Op and
for “Bray’s Band” to be engaged for the dancing, the hire of the band would be
£1 2s 0d. The details are taken from the
club minutes but there is no note as to how successful the event was.
In 1914 a
similar event was held with a Whist drive this time in aid of the Honley
Conservative Club Bazaar fund. Prizes
were donated by S. Jagger, C.C., and refreshments were provided by the club
members. Huddersfield Daily Examiner 27 February 1914.
It was decided in November 1914 that those members who
“are serving with the colours and all who join”
would be exempt from paying their
subscriptions until they came back.
A variety of Conservative politicians spoke to
meetings of the membership over the years.
In 1893 Harold Thomas, Conservative candidate for the Colne Valley paid
a visit to the club as part of a series of visits he was making to Conservative
Clubs in the area in order to address the workers. The chairman was W. Brooke
and a good attendance was reported. He
was a popular candidate with the Honley Conservatives and they believed that he
would become the member for the Colne Valley.
Leeds Mercury & Sheffield Independent 1 December 1893
The Unionist candidate for the Colne Valley in 1900,
Mr Bagnall, addressed a large meeting at the club in October as part of his
campaign around the area. E. R. Benson
was president of the club at the time. Huddersfield
Chronicle 6 October 1900.
In 1937 Cecil F Pike, MP gave a talk at the club. Yorkshire
Post 26 April 1937
Club minute books give an insight into the workings of
the club and some of its financial struggles.
1914 entries show that the club hired T Hollingworth to fix
a new Robin Hood apparatus, presumably the new heating system, as per his estimate of £12 5s 0d and to “make the
radiator alright” in the card room.
Several expenses are recorded in the minutes for 1915
with the first being the consideration of the installation of “Incandescent Gas
Mantles”. Members appear to have loaned
money to the club with which to buy snooker balls. The Minute book records the repayment of this
loan in March followed by an entry in November for the purchase of 6 cues. The billiard table was recovered that year
and the old cloth was given to the club caretaker to cover the folding doors in
the club’s kitchen. Honley Cricket Club
were given the loan of five of the Conservative Club’s card tables in December
free of charge.
July 1917 showed the club approaching secretaries of
other clubs in the area in regard to raising subscriptions and also the price
of a game of billiards.
By 1920 the trustees of the club had made an agreement
that the overdraft facility should be raised from £60 to £120 and made use of
by the club secretary. The caretaker of
the club had an increase in wages to 12s 6d but it was noted that this was to
be on a temporary basis. The same year
saw the death of one of the founders and trustees William Brooke who had also
been the club President for many years.
The members sent a note of
“sympathy and regret on the irreparable loss”
to his wife and family. He had been a highly respected member of the Honley Community and done much for the village.
By October 1920 the club was struggling
financially and a printed document was
sent from the Trustees to all member’s to bring to their attention the question of
the club continuing and the serious financial position it was in and asking for
their whole-hearted support.
Early in 1921 a valuation of the club was made but
there is no note of any decision about the club’s future.
Club building £500
Billiard Tables £100
Furniture £25
Crockery, glasses etc. £10
In January 1922 the member’s subscriptions were raised
from 6s 6d to 8s per year. It would seem
that the future was literally looking brighter as in July of that year the club
had electric lighting installed! They determined that the installation should
not cost more than 18s per light.
The bathroom seems to have had some creative uses! In August 1916 it was noted that the bathroom
“shall be put to the use of the caretaker as a bedroom for his private use.”
May 1924 saw it being used as committee room! While in August of that year members could
take a bath there with charges of
“4d without towel 6d with use of towel.”
By October 1925 it had been decided that the Women’s
Committee could hold their meetings in the bathroom and in May 1926 the Honley
British Legion were given use of it on a Wednesday night!!
The club survived its financial struggles and is still
in existence today behind the parish church in Honley at 8 St Mary’s Square.
