Honley Liberal Club
Honley Liberal Club
The Honley Liberal
Club held its first meetings in the room in New Street in April 26th, 1879,
which had formerly been occupied by the Mechanics’ Institute and was opened on by
James Robinson of Smith Place, Honley, one of the founding members. Other key
members on it’s formation were William France, George William Oldham, Thomas
Littlewood, William Vickerman, Levi Crosland, Allen Priest, Charles Dean,
Matthew Cocking, Thomas Sanderson, Charles France, William Charlesworth, John
Jillott, William Henry Thornton, Alfred Jackson and Edwin Smith. Many of the
members had previously been members of the Honley Working Men’s Club. Initially
the Liberal club had 32 members, this had rose to 149 by the time of the club’s
inauguration in December 1879.
After the
rooms had been formally opened an
“inaugural tea party”
was held in Moorbottom
Independent Schoolroom. There was a
large attendance at the tea and the room, which was not very large, was crowded
at the subsequent meeting. The Rev J. H. Chamberlain of Berry Brow addressed
the meeting and urged the members of the club to
“study Liberalism in their
club room instead of continually shuffling packs of cards. Playing draughts,
chess or billiards.”
Huddersfield
Chronicle 8 December 1879
Despite his
admonitions there was still obviously room for social events as reports in 1881
show. The club held a billiards and
whist match competing against Meltham Liberal Club in February. After the contest they then “retired” to the
new assembly room attached to the Swan Inn in Meltham. Here they spent the rest of the evening in
“a
very harmonious and pleasant manner in singing etc.”
The “Meltham Euphonic
Quartet” entertained and sung a variety of pieces plus renditions by members on
the piano. Huddersfield Chronicle 23
February 1881
Later in
the year the club went on an outing to Liverpool, the second annual outing if
its kind. Over 400 people took advantage
of the opportunity of visiting what was considered at that time
“the first
seaport of the world.”
With so many people it would seem that there were more
than just club members taking part. They travelled by train and arrived in
Liverpool at 8am. They were not due to
catch the return train until 6.40pm and so had eleven hours in which to explore
the city. The docks and shipyards were visited along with the Art Gallery which
they reported had a
“magnificent collection of pictures containing some
exceedingly fine specimens of modern painting, a considerable number by living
artists of the first rank.”
Many
exclaimed that if nothing else they would have gone just for the art work. Their visit continued with the city’s museum
which had a
“wonderful collection of things, curious and antique.”
Some attended an organ recital while others
explored New Brighton, Birkenhead and Rockferry. The train arrived back in Honley at 10.45pm
and reports state that
“everyone seemed in high spirits and well satisfied with
the day out.”
Huddersfield Chronicle 16
July 1881.
The club
held its 3rd annual meeting in the large room of the club in May
1882 where there was a large attendance of members and George William Oldham was the
president. The club secretary gave his
report which showed the club to be
“in a prosperous position”
and an increase
of 41 members to a total of 241 on the books.
Huddersfield Chronicle 27 May
1882.
In order to promote it's principles of political education the club
held a series of political lectures later in the year with the first being held
in November. They were held in the
Moorbottom Schoolroom and the first was given by Rev. George Duncan of the National Reform Union on
“The House of Lords.”
The second in the series was held once again
in the schoolroom and the address was given by J. C. Fielden of the National
Reform Union on
“General Political Topics.”
The lectures were attended by
large and “attentive” audiences. Huddersfield Chronicle, November & 2 December
1882.
In December 1886 the club its
“annual
soiree”
in the Congregational Schoolroom.
A tea was served to which a “considerable” number of people
attended. This was followed by a meeting
in the same room with George William Oldham, the club president taking the chair. J. P. Williams addressed the audience and
congratulated them on having
“such an excellent club”
adding that he hoped the
club would
“promote Liberal opinions” in Honley.
Henry Joseph Wilson, MP was
also there and spoke to the crowd about current political issues and thoughts. Huddersfield Chronicle 11 December 1886
The small
building in New Street soon proved inadequate for the new ideas of the club, and the increasing
number of members, which by 1891 stood at 200. The building was a cottage and
had only five small rooms. A plot of
land was purchased at the top of Cuckoo-lane where eventually was planned a handsome stone
building facing School-lane in front, and overlooking Thirstin
behind.
In order to achieve the building of their new premises, which was estimated at £1700, the club held many fund raising events. and as with many clubs it was the women of member's families who took responsibility for this despite not being able to have membership at the club. The first of these was a three day
bazaar in December 1891 at the Congregational School at Moorbottom. The object being to augment funds for the
building of the new club on the land acquired in the village. The event had
been planned for over eight months with two committees working to prepare for
it with the majority of the work being done by the ladies! The stalls were given names after Liberal
Politicians – Gladstone, Roseberry, Morley, Harcourt, Ripon and Spencer. The
work of the women was remarked upon at the opening of the bazaar by Mrs Robinson. She observed that
“it might appear strange
that the wives, mothers, daughters and sisters of members of the club should be
pressed into a work the outcome of which would be that their friends and
relatives of the masculine gender would spend less time at home and more at the
club!”
She went on to say that she
believed
“it was the desire of her sex to see all classes of men become
patriotic citizens. If the new club would aid the development in that direction
and help the men to discharge their duty to the village and the country, the
women would do their best to assist them to get a new club.”
Huddersfield Chronicle 5 December 1891
Another
bazaar to raise funds was held in April 1895 the total received from this after
expenses was £94 1a 11d. As usual the
main organisers appear to have been the women connected to the club. Huddersfield
Chronicle 13 April 1895.
It would
seem to have taken several years for the club to raise the fund necessary to erect
the new premises as it was 1905 before the foundation “memorial” stones were
laid on the site in Cuckoo Lane. The site had a frontage of 43 feet and it was
planned that the new building would have a reading and conversation rooms plus
a billiard room measuring 39 feet 6inches by 20 feet. In addition to these there would be baths and
premises for a caretaker. The
proceedings started with a procession from the club rooms on New Street led by
the Honley Brass Band. A large crowd
gathered at the site to watch the ceremony.
Alderman George William Oldham, club president, had been due to lay the first stone, but was unable
to on account of his health and so the duty was performed by his daughter, name unknown, on
behalf of her father. Mrs. Benjamin Eastwood, Rose Cottage, laid the second
stone, and the third was laid by George Vickerman, whose father had been a
devoted worker in the cause of Liberalism. Willie Haigh and Allen France placed
fourth and fifth stones, and Allen Priest the sixth. All of them received a
silver trowel to mark the occasion. The actual cost of the erection of the new
building was £1,641 7s. 0d. Leeds
Mercury 7 August 1905.
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| Club opening 1906 |
It was another year before the
building was officially opened on July 7th, 1906, by the late Sir James Kitson,
of Leeds, who at that time represented the Colne Valley; Honley being in that
division for Parliamentary voting. George William Oldham, the President, took the chair at the opening ceremony.
.
1917 saw the death of one of the
trustees of the club – Joseph Brierley Mallalieu. He was also the principle of a local firm
Farrar and Co and director of the Honley Co Operative Society. Leeds Mercury 21 March 1917
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| Edward Lancelot Mallalieu (Lance) |
In 1935 Edward Lancelot Mallalieu spoke to a
gathering at the club on the subject of a state pensions. There had been an
outcry across the country arising from the changes to unemployment relief and
Mallalieu stated at the meeting that he believed that part of the solution
would be a pension for everyone at the age of 65 and he would like it at
60. He added that the pension should be
a £1 a week and stated
“I think it can be done.”
Yorkshire
Post 16 February 1935
The club apparently had its own
bowling green. However it was described in the Yorkshire Post in 1929 as being
“a rather poor little green”
with its
main feature being a
“tremendous wall which must have cost nearly as much as a
row of houses to build!”
The report went
on to say that the poor state of the green was mainly caused by the lack of
feed and that the writer hoped that now the members knew what the problem was
they would remedy it. Yorkshire Evening Post 23 November 1929. The site of the bowling green now appears to be the club car park.
Chess also appears to have been a popular
pastime at the club with many chess matches reported between 1894 & 1895.
Huddersfield Chronicle.
Honley Liberal Club and WW1.
The village of Honley supported those
residents who had left for active service during WW1 and to this end the
Liberal Club held a supper in October 1914 to raise funds. £1 2s was raised which was then spent on
tobacco and cigarettes to send to the local soldiers. Several interesting
letters were received in response to this and more were received by the club
over the years.
The secretary of the club received a
letter from Private Fred Allott of
the 10th West Riding regiment in November 1914 whilst Fred was based
a Frensham Camp, Farnham. The letter was
thanking the members of the club for the gift of tobacco etc. The letter reads
–
I belong to Lord Kitchener’s brigade of
Yorkshiremen. We are 9000 strong, the 23rd
division, so when you read of us being at war I hope to be there and justify
your kind opinion of me as a soldier. I might add that my services were given
voluntarily as my term of service was quite completed. I have joined for active
service for three years or the termination of the war. We have a very large
encampment here; over one mile of canvas and about 15000 men. I shall be
pleased to answer any letter from friends and members of the club.”
Enclosed
with the letter was a patriotic poem
circulated amongst the troops from the pen of Lance Corporal Alexander Robson,
of the 9th Battalion. Huddersfield Daily Examiner 12 November
1914.
Private Harry Lindley was with the Northumberland Fusiliers at
Bullswater Camp, Woking, Surrey when he received his parcel from the club and
his colleagues congratulated him on being so lucky! He wrote –
I am enjoying myself up to the mark. We have very few idle hours. We are up at 6 o’clock in the morning and go
for about a 6 miles march till breakfast time.
Afterwards we go through the Swedish drill till dinner time. After dinner we have rifle drill and
skirmishing, that means the firing line.
The authorities here see no shirkers.
When I enlisted at Huddersfield I was first sent to Newcastle, where we
stayed five days and from there we were drafted down here. It is a nice county but the weather is very
changeable.”
Private Harry Jenkinson was also with Kitchener’s Army in
Northumberland in October 1914. He wrote
that his camp was about two mile away from Ben Auty’s. They were lodged at a private school which he
thought they ought to be proud of as
“Honley would if they had one like it.”
Private Archibald (Archie) Munro, the son of Daniel and Jane Munro, was based at the Frensham Camp in Farnham when he wrote his letter but
no record of his letter was given in the paper. Although he had been born in Hawick, Scotland he was living in
Netherton with his parents in 1911 and at Step Cottage, Magdale at his death. Prior to the war he had worked at Josiah France Ltd, Queen Square Mills, Honley as did his brother William. He enlisted with his brother William on 5 September 1914 in Huddersfield. Archie went on to serve with the 9nd Battalion,
Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, leaving for France in August 1915. After suffering from shell shock in 1916 he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Duke Of Wellingtons Regiment on 1 July 1916. Archie was killed in action in France on
12th October 1916 aged just 19 and his
name appears on the Thiepval War Memorial and the Honley War Memorial.
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| Commonwealth War Graves Commission |
His
brother William was also killed in action and is on the Thiepval and village memorial. William served with the 10th Battalion Duke of Wellingtons Regiment. he had been reported missing in action on 29 July 1915 but was killed on 30 July 1916.
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| Honley War Memorial |
Benjamin Jenkinson Auty (Ben), a member of the club, was born in Batley,
lived in Honley and worked as an employee of Honley District Council. He had
seen service with the Royal Scots Fusiliers during the Boer War enlisting in
Ayr at the age of 18 in July 1888 although he had enlisted with 3rd
Battalion Yorkshire Regiment prior to this. His
trade prior to enlistment was stated as “spikemaker”. His description in his enlistment documents
suggest he was quite a lightly built young man – 5feet 5 ½ inches tall,
weighing 124 pounds with blue eyes and fair hair. He was discharged at the end of his service
in 1901.
He enlisted and served with the 3rd
Duke of Wellington’s Regiment in WW1 and was based at Shiremoor Camp in
Northumberland when the club sent the first of the parcels to the troops and
wrote a letter of thanks –
I am pleased to tell you that my health
continues very good, in fact a lot better than it was at home! I am looking
forward to taking my part in defeating the Germans in their own country. My
company s making very urgent preparations.
It was target shooting yesterday and I made 82 out of a possible 100 on
the sea coast at Whitburn, about nine miles from here. We have seven hour’s
parades per day, consisting of route marching skirmishes etc., with the usual
guards and pickets at night. As for the present state of the war I can only say
it is very much in our favour, and by the time we old ‘uns get out there the
gallant lads at the front will have driven the “blood curdlers” into their
country for us old chaps to finish them off.”
The following year Ben was wounded in
the
“gallant charge for Hill 60”
in Belgium in 1915. He wrote a “cheery letter”
to his friends at the Honley Liberal Club from his hospital bed in the 45th
Canadian Stationary Hospital in Boulogne, April 21st 1915.
It read –
“To my friends at Honley Liberal club,
I am a very lucky man to be able to let you
know anything after what I had to go through last Sunday and I am not the only
one to be here of my regiment, who were in the taking of Hill 60 in Belgium. And
right well the Canadian people – in whose hospital we are – are looking after
us; they are doing everything in their power to mend and cheer us. I am pleased to tell you that my wounds are
not serious and I hope soon to be better. Though I am not as young as I was in
the South African War, I did my little bit for the dear old land. The whole of our brigade had a very hard
fight for it from Saturday until Sunday night, and many a brave man and officer
fell in doing his little bit against the would be worlds ruler. I don’t know
how my friend Tom France went on – he was wounded – not having heard anything
about him, but I hope he is alright, for it was terrible. I hope soon there will be a bigger victory to
hand, and that the mad and mailed fist is no more, which would be a benefit to
the whole world.”
Benjamin Jenkinson Auty was married with three children and worked as
a labourer for the council according to the 1911 census. He survived the war and lived in Honley for
the rest of his life. Dying in October 1930. Unfortunatelyalthough his friend Tom France survived his wounds in 1915, he was killed in action at
the Somme in 1918 aged 21. Huddersfield Daily Examiner 16 October 1914;
Huddersfield Daily Examiner 29 April 1915; 1911 UK Census
Honley in the Great War - Cyril Ford and Honley Civic Society.
Honley in the Great War - Cyril Ford and Honley Civic Society.
Current address of the club is Cuckoo Lane
Honley. 01484 661435
