Longwood Labour Club

Longwood Labour Club aka Longwood Socialist Club

Tom Mann

The Longwood Labour Club was opened in February 1893 by Tom Mann of London.  It was based at Longwood Gate, Spark Hall, in the premises that had previously been used by the “friendly societies” of the district as “lodge rooms”.  

Two of the rooms were used for games, discussions and reading rooms. There was also a large room which was used for meetings and services held by the 

“Labour Church” 

which was organised at the same time as the clubs formation.  After the formal opening Tom Mann together with the club President John Briggs addressed the gathered crowd from the upstairs window of the new club. After the formal ceremony a tea was held for around 150 people in the Baptist Schoolroom.  Following this a meeting was held of labour and Trade Union representatives to discuss Tom Mann’s candidature for the Colne Valley seat but this meeting was a strictly private affair.  Tom Mann, himself went on to address a crowded public meeting in the Mechanics Hall, speaking for over an hour and a half.

The Sunday following its opening Katherine St. John Conway of Newnham College, Cambridge addressed the congregation at a service of the Labour Church.  Her subject was 

“The ideals of the Labour movement.” 

Keir Hardie

Later that same year Keir Hardie addressed a large crowd at a fairground in Milnsbridge under the auspices of the Longwood Labour Club.  He was speaking mainly on the government’s refusal to grant a Saturday sitting for the passing of the Miners Eight Hours Bill.  In the evening he delivered an address at the Longwood labour Club to members.

Enid Stacey, ILP Publications

The club was host to a number of different speakers that year. Enid Stacey B.A. had delivered a series of lectures at the club.  The final lecture delivered by her in September 1893 was entitled 

"Nihilism” 

but she went on to say that she preferred the name 

“Russian Socialism” to “Nihilism” 

adding her opinion that she considered 

“the Russians to be more ready for Socialism than were the English or the French.” Huddersfield Chronicle 4 March, 5 August& 23 September 1893

Hymen Russell Smart

June 1894 saw the club hold two large meetings one at Outlane and one at Longwood addressed by Tom Mann, who was the Independent Labour candidate for the Colne Valley, and Hymen Russell Smart who was the Independent Labour candidate for Huddersfield.   As the weather was fine it was decided that the meetings would take place outside and John Briggs, the club president addressed the Longwood crowd from the upper windows of the club.  He told them that over 1000 men had pledged to support Russell Smarts campaign.   Tom Mann spoke of the importance of effecting change in their own district.  Tea was provided for everyone in the Baptist schoolroom and then shortly after 6.30pm a procession formed up outside the schoolroom headed by Outlane Brass Band.  The procession went along Snow Lee and Mount singing Labour hymns as they went.  A field had been loaned to the gathering near the Bay Horse at Outlane where the evening meeting was then held. Collections were made at the end of the evening in aid of “election” expenses. Huddersfield Chronicle 23 June 1894

The large room of the club was used for a variety of club purposes.  January 1894 the club held a social evening with 150 people attending. Entertainment was provided by members and friends of the club plus the chief attraction Harry Hopkins, a singer and comic who was very well received by the audience. John Briggs, club president urged the young members of the club to study the Labour question. The evening finished at 11pm and all the money raised was for club funds.

In September the club held a slightly different kind of social evening in the form of a “Fruit Banquet” in the club rooms.  This event included not only a fruit banquet but a social evening with entertainments given. There was a large attendance at the event and songs, reading and recitations were given as was common at these sorts of gatherings at that time. The Golcar Clarion Glee Party performed several glees and proved to be very popular with the audience. During the intervals a “good supply of fruit” was handed around.  The evening concluded with dancing which began at 10pm and many people reportedly joined in! 

The Lockwood Royal Minstrel Troupe performed at a social evening held in the large club in October 1894.  After their performance the rest of the evening was spent singing and dancing.  

The following day, Sunday, the Labour Church held two services there.  The afternoon service was addressed by Mrs Bruce Glasier (formerly Katherine St. John Conway)  of Glasgow on 

“The sorrows of the present and the hopes of the future.” 

The evening service had a different speaker and subject – James Parker of Halifax speaking on 

“An ideal municipality.” 

A similar social evening was held for members, their friends and family in February 1895. Huddersfield Chronicle 27 January, 25 September & 18 October 1894, 22 February 1895

New Labour club premises in Longwood were opened by Keir Hardie in October 1896. The ceremony began with a procession of representatives from all the Labour Clubs in the district, which numbered 120.  The procession formed up outside Milnsbridge Assembly rooms and was led by the Outlane Brass Band along Wood Street, Dark Lane and Longwood Gate to the new club.   After the formal opening a meeting was held in the Mechanics Hall which Keir Hardie addressed. Huddersfield Chronicle 10 October 1896

The club held a ball in the large room of the new club in January 1898.  It was reported that a 

“good number of young persons assembled” 

and that a variety of entertainments were provided.  The aim of the ball was to raise funds for the club. Huddersfield Chronicle 25 January 1898

By 1914 the club appears to have been going under the name of 

“Longwood Socialist Club”.  

A whist drive and dance was held under the auspices of the “Longwood Socialist Club” at the Mechanics Hall in February 1914.  Huddersfield Daily Examiner 3 February 1914.

The only other reference so far to Longwood Socialist Club to be found is in the Huddersfield Chronicle in 1918 where a representative of the club was reported as having attended a conference of socialists.

It is unknown when the club closed or any further history about it in the twentieth century.