Linthwaite Central Liberal Club
The Huddersfield Chronicle reports simultaneous inaugurations of Liberal Clubs across Huddersfield took place in the Armoury, Ramsden Street in January 1874. The inaugural proceedings began with a
“substantial tea”
to which over 900 sat
down. By the time the meeting was due to commence at 7pm the large hall was
filled to capacity with a good natured crowd.
Edward Aldam Leatham along
with many prominent local Liberals were present and addressed the gathering.
The chairman C Mills welcomed the
clubs and said that there was not enough data to say exactly what the Liberal
membership was at that time in Huddersfield but could state the membership for
some of the individual clubs present. Very little is known about the size of
the club or its membership. Plans were passed by the local board to build a
club house in 1877 but no details of where or what it was like. This new
building was opened by James Stansfield, MP in November 1879. Tea Tickets were sold for the opening at a cost
of 1s 8d each. Huddersfield Chronicle 7
January 1874, 12 May 1877, 1 November 1879
WATER ARGUMENT
The club sent a delegation to the local
board with an application to connect a pipe at the expense of the club to the
water supply for their
“warming apparatus.”
The club would also pay a shilling a year as an acknowledgment of the
boards permission. The club argued that they were as much entitled to have
water as the Mechanics Institute, day schools, churches and chapels were,
insisting that that was equality. Some members of the board agreed with the
equality but others considered that a political club was in a completely
different position to such bodies. The
first application was postponed for a month to be considered further.
However the
argument rumbled on with the exchange of letters in the local press over
several weeks, as people across the district objected to the club having water
provided. The same report states that the club they had paid £500 or £600 for
the new building and as such did not deserve to have water provided at public
expense. Apparently the club sublet part of this building to the relieving
officer for the township for the
“purposes of doling out the miserable pittance
of outdoor relief allowed to the unfortunate recipients out of the poor rates.”
The feeling seems to have been that due to this sublet the club did not deserve any support for their application. Eventually the local board approved the motion. Huddersfield Chronicle 8, 17 February, 3 March 1879
As with most
of the political clubs of the time the main was to educate and inform with the
intention of instilling Liberal principles into the members. This aim was achieved through public
meetings, lectures and discussions held at the club or in the village on a
regular basis for example in 1894 it was reported that three such lectures had
been held.
In 1891 the
club hosted a lecture on
"The London Dock Strike "
given by Rev. J. T. Slugg.
There was a crowded room for the lecture and Arthur Lockwood, president of the
club chaired the meeting. Before he began
Rev Slugg stated that he was neither Liberal nor Conservative but hoped to act
as
“a minister of all schools.”
Sir James
Kitson addressed a meeting at the club in May 1892. There was a very good attendance with Thomas
Mallinson presiding over the event. Sir
James was present to speak again at a large open air meeting in Linthwaite in
July 1895. His aim was raise support for
his re-election after three years in office. He asked them to vote for him
again
“because he had begun to like the position!”
Huddersfield
Chronicle 14 December 1891, 31 May 1892 & Huddersfield Daily Examiner 20
July 1895
The members
not only met to discuss politics but held a variety of social events. The club
said farewell to one of its members, Joe Walker and his wife, in January
1893. They were leaving the area to take
up residence in Spalding, Lincolnshire.
About 30 of Walkers friends from the rig manufacturing company where he
had been a director met in the club rooms for a knife and fork tea. R. W. Quarmby made a presentation to him of a
silver mounted “Neptune” writing case and spoke of the good feeling that had existed
between the club and Joe Walker.
In December
1894 the members of the club together with their wives and invited guests got
together to celebrate the 85th birthday of William Ewart Gladstone.
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| William Ewart Gladstone |
It was to be one of the largest gatherings
that the club had organised with a
“knife and fork tea”
followed by a social
evening. The meal consisted of roast beef,
rabbit pies and plum pudding all supplied by the club keeper. The club president presided over the evening’s
entertainments including James Henry Firth, a member of the club, who had made
a special visit to Hawarden, Gladstone’s home, to see the man himself and he entertained
the audience with his account of his visit.
Firth had
left Huddersfield with his friend, Edwin Brougham, at 8.40am on the train
travelling to Chester and then on to Hawarden. They had walked to the entrance
of Hawarden where they were challenged by the gatekeeper but they continued
walking straight past and boldly on to the front door. There an attendant asked
them if they had an appointment to which they replied that they had not! The attendant replied
“Well he (Gladstone)
never sees anyone without an appointment and he never makes any appointments!”
Firth
thought for a moment and then asked to see Miss Gladstone who did come to the
door to speak to them and consequently led them into the library where they
waited until she had spoken to her father.
On her return she told the two men that her father had consented to see
them and half an hour later Gladstone with his wife entered the library and Firth
later said that
“an interview took place that will long remain in the memory of
those who took part in it.”
Firth had explained to Gladstone the club was going
to hold a celebration in honour of his forthcoming 85th birthday and
Gladstone wished everyone involved a
“Happy and Prosperous New Year.”
Mrs Gladstone
thanked the gentlemen for their good wishes on her husband’s birthday and
presented them with a portrait of Gladstone with his granddaughter, Dorothy, on
his knee which had been taken in Dundee in July 1894.
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W E Gladstone & Dorothy.
National Portrait Gallery
|
They caught the train back to Huddersfield
after their visit and arrived home after a trip of around 13 hours at 9.30pm. Other entertainments during the evening’s
celebration included songs and comic addresses from various members and friends.
On another
occasion a concert and tea was held in the large room of the club in January
the following year. Fred Hobson of
Thongsbridge was engaged to entertain the audience. He was a
“comic vocalist”
and it was reported
that he
“enlivened the proceedings considerably, his clever mimicking and
impersonations of various characters represented in songs delighted the
audience and called forth encores.”
Other vocalists entertained during the
evening, many of them club members or women from their families.
The ladies
held sewing classes at the club and in November 1895 Mr and Mrs Sam Dyson gave
a tea for the Sewing Class at the club. There was an attendance of over 100
people which had been augmented by a large number of members guaranteeing to
buy a ticket, thus guaranteeing a good attendance and also raising £2 14s 9d for club funds. After tea the evening continued with a social
gathering and entertainments.
Usually
these social events were prepared and served by the ladies associated with the
club but the young men of the club hosted an annual entertainment and tea at
the club which was provided solely by the young men without any assistance from
the ladies. One such tea held in March 1892 was hailed a great success with
entertainment provided by members and around sixty couples dancing until the
early hours of the morning.
An
“Invitation
Dance”
was held in January 1914 the proceeds of which were intended to go to
the club’s bazaar fund. It was a very successful evening with around 70 people
attending, equal numbers of men and women were reported. Music for dancing was provided by H. Beevers
and H Shore of Huddersfield with Mr Hart as the official MC. After supper dancing was enjoyed by everyone
and the event raised about £2 for the funds. Huddersfield
Daily Examiner 5 March 1892, 14 December 1893, 31 December 1894, 26 October, 30
November 1895, 29 January 1914; Huddersfield Chronicle 26 January 1895
The club
held a bazaar just before Christmas in 1897 with the aim of raising £200
towards reducing the club debt. The
amount of debt outstanding was £370. The
event was held in the Central Board School, Linthwaite and it was reported that
there were around
“half a dozen well laden stalls.”
At the close of the event
they had raised £289 a good total towards liquidating the debt. Huddersfield Chronicle 1 January 1898
Little
evidence can be found at the moment for what happened to the club after 1898 or when it
closed.
