Meltham and Meltham Mills Liberal Association and Club

Meltham Liberal Club, March 2019

The Meltham Liberal Association was formed in 1868 and regularly met and worked together to promote“Liberal opinions” in the town but had had difficulties in finding suitable accommodation to meet in, usually meeting in the Oddfellows Hall in Meltham.

William Wentworth Fitzwilliam, Lord Milton

Henry Frederick Beaumont, MP

The association celebrated the election of William Wentworth Fitzwilliam, Lord Milton and Henry Frederick Beaumont as the representatives of the South Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire in May 1869 with a banquet held in the Fleece Inn and afterwards a meeting at The Oddfellows Hall at which about 100 attended. Prior to the meal a procession had formed with a brass band leading a number of vehicle’s containing electors, some sporting yellow rosettes. The banner which late adorned the hall was carried in front of the procession. Large numbers of people gathered along the street and gave Lord Milton a “hearty welcome.”

The hall had been especially decorated for the event with wreathes of evergreens plus artificial flowers. There were banners with mottoes on which were “emblazoned sentiments corresponding to those exhibited at a similar banquet at Holmfirth.”

Adorning the wall behind the main platform was a banner that read “Welcome Milton and Beaumont” and mottoes to either side of this saying “Religious Equality” and “Justice to Ireland.”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 22 May 1869)

Wright Mellor (Kirklees Image Archive)

The Mayor of Huddersfield, Wright Mellor, chaired a “Liberal demonstration” preceded by a tea party in the Oddfellows hall in December 1871. On the platform with him were Henry Frederick Beaumont, MP, Alderman Carter, MP, Leeds Councillor J. Denham and several more. When H. F. Beaumont addressed the meeting he said that it was his first appearance in “the Happy Valley”.

He went on to say that he often shot grouse there but had never done parliamentary business there until then. The tea party and meeting format became a regular format for the club.

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 2 December 1871)

Oddfellows Hall 2014

In January 1873 a large public “demonstration” was held by the Association in The Oddfellows Hall, not a demonstration as we would view it in the 21^st century but rather a large meeting to express Liberal support. There were around 300 people present for a “substantial knife and fork tea” with the ladies, as was the custom of the time, preparing and serving the meal.

The political meeting followed the meal and the state of current affairs and politics were debated with the crowd advised to give a “hearty welcome" and to express their confidence in their representative Henry Frederick Beaumont. When Beaumont rose to address the meeting he was received with loud applause. John Kaye of Clayton West addressed the crowd and asked them to consider the current “condition” of the Liberals in Meltham, as the Conservative Candidates had received more votes that the Liberal in a recent vote. He stated that he believed the time had come to educate the people of Meltham in Liberal principles that he could not “think that a manufacturing district like theirs could be Tory!”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 20 January 1873)

Early in 1876 they had decided that they needed to “infuse new life into an old association” and with this in mind a public meeting was held in May to “consider” their project. They met in the Baptist School Rooms in Meltham with around 120 people present.

The Huddersfield Chronicle reported that around 120 people had signed up for membership and with committee members being – Samuel Coldwell as President; William Pickles and John Broadhead as Vice Presidents; J. B. Hirst as Treasurer and Benjamin Sykes and Jonas Lawton as secretaries.

They renamed the association Meltham and Meltham Mills Liberal Association with their main objectives being

“to promote the political education of its members, to secure continued and prompt action in favour of true and Liberal principles in national and local affairs and for the social enjoyment of its members.”

The association made the decision that they needed “rooms for reading and social enjoyment” and so they started a subscription list to raise the necessary fund for furnishing such rooms. £60 was raised almost immediately.

The inauguration of the new association rooms was held at the Oddfellows Hall, in November 1876 beginning with a “knife and fork” tea followed by a meeting. A “large company” was reportedly at the tea and several hundred at the meeting almost filling the hall to capacity. The tea was prepared and served by the ladies associated with the members. Samuel Coldwell as President of the association introduced William Henry Leatham of Hemsworth Hall, Pontefract, and prospective candidate for the area, to the audience.

There were 150 members at that point. The reading room had five daily and four weekly newspapers, of which eight were Liberal and one Conservative, the “Standard” was considered to be a Conservative paper at the time. It was also planned that now that they had sufficient space they would hold a series of lectures and essays on Liberal principles during the winter months. Although now based at the Odd Fellows' Hall in Meltham, Leatham remarked that they still had too little room and what they needed was “a building like the Liberals at Marsden had.”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 20 November 1876)

The club celebrated Henry Frederick Beaumont’s election as the first member for the Colne Valley in March 1886 with a “knife and fork tea" in the Oddfellows Hall. As was customary the ladies prepared and served the meal with around 250 guests sitting down to eat. The tea was followed by a meeting and the hall was reported to have been about three quarters full. Beaumont was accompanied on the platform by his daughter as well as officials from the club. The club made the following resolution at the meeting

“That this meeting desires to congratulate Mr. H.F. Beaumont, M.P., on the honourable position to which he has been elected by the constituency of the Colne Valley Parliamentary Division, and has full confidence that in him the division has secured an honourable and efficient representative.”

Their confidence in him was to fall several years later when his political views were opposed to those of the club and he would go on to resign his seat. Additional entertainment during the evening was provided by a few members singing “glees.”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 27 March 1886)

James Kitson, MP

Sir James Kitson addressed a large meeting held at the Oddfellows in April 1890. The meeting was preceded, as had become the custom, by a tea party and the hall was said to be “nearly full.”

Many prominent Liberals from across the Colne Valley accompanied him on the platform. Sir James had been invited to stand for the Colne Valley seat Division to replace Henry F Beaumont who had been the representative twice, but had since fallen out of favour with the Liberals due to opposing views. When Kitson took the stand he was given a rousing chorus of “For he’s a jolly good fellow” by the audience. He then put a variety of political questions and issues to the crowd.

(See Leeds Mercury 21 April 1890)

By the early 1890s, the club finances were such that the proposed building of a Liberal Club in the town was becoming a reality. A local architect William Carter was appointed and he advertised for a builder in April 1894. The estimated cost of the new building was set at £1300 and the contractors for the building were –

James Mellor, mason.

Moorhouse and Taylor, joiners.

James Wilkinson and Sons, plasterers.

J. W. Kaye, plumber.

W.E. Jowitt, slater.

James Kilburn, iron founder.

E. Hinchliffe, painter.

Membership of the club had grown to 198 members in 1893 with a new committee elected at the annual meeting –

· President — J.W. Denham.

· Vice-presidents — J. Moorhouse, Allen Crosland, James Kilburn, T.H. Mellor, H. Iredale, Henry Bamford, Joseph Armitage and A. Anderson

· Treasurer — J.B. Hirst

· Corresponding secretary — T.W. Waterhouse

· Financial secretary — A. Woodhead

· Auditors — J. Roberts and G.W. Pogson

· Committee — James Sykes, W. Shaw, W. Wood, W. Castle, J.W. Quarmby, W. Pogson, A. Mosley, N. Mosley, J.W. Mellor, D. Daylor, C.H. Haigh and J.H. Mosley

In July 1894 the foundation stone was laid for new club in Wessenden Road, Meltham by Sir James Kitson. The land had been acquired at a“moderate price” from Henry Frederick Beaumont, previously been the MP for the area.

Meltham Liberal Club, 2019

The afternoon had begun with a procession through the town led by the Meltham Mills Brass Band. They left the old Liberal Club rooms in the Market Place and paraded the main streets of the town before arriving at Wessenden Road at 4 o’clock. Other prominent guests included Robert Wallace, MP for East Edinburgh

Alderman John Bower Robinson of Marsden and the architect William Carter. The new building was described to the crowds. It was to include a public hall on the upper floor for meetings and concerts etc. William Carter presented a silver trowel and a mallet to James Kitson as was the tradition at these type of events. The club had raised between £500 and £600 towards the cost of the building at that point.

The ceremony was followed by a sandwich tea at the Odd Fellows Hall with an entry fee of 9d and then a public meeting was held in the evening. Alderman Denham presided throughout the day and stated that “when the new club was complete they would have one of the best club houses in the Colne Valley.”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 14 & 16 July 1894)

A bazaar to raise funds for the club building in February 1896 was held over several days. The bazaar had opened on Tuesday by Mrs Broadbent and Mrs Haigh as chairwoman. Wednesday saw Mrs Wright Thorp reopening it and Mrs Jacob Roberts officiating. The final day, Saturday, was opened by Miss Lawton of Helme who was introduced to the crowd by Jonas B. Hirst Amongst the reported attractions were the Midget Minstrels on the Saturday and J. Roberts Orchestral Band as well as "Some skirt dancing by a number of young girls."

Attendance at the event was reported as being very good with lots of interest in the stalls and the entertainments right up until the bazaar closed. Over the five days of the bazaar around £245 was raised for the building fund.

(See Huddersfield Chronicle February 1896)

Although the new building had been in use for some time prior to its official opening James Kitson returned in November 1896 to formally open the new Club. The new building was reported to be on “Mill Moor Road” and had been erected at a cost of £1,648 7s. 9d. this was made up of £1432 5s 6d for the building plus £136 19s 8d for the land, and £79 2s 7d to partly furnish the club. Of this cost of £918 had been raised by that point. The deficit of £730 had been covered by a loan at four per cent interest. The club was described as "commodious”.

There was a large lecture room which could hold between 300 and 400 people also a billiard room, two card rooms, a reading room, committee room and a news room. The proceedings began at 4 o’clock with a large crowd forming around the club entrance. The crowd cheered the arrival of Sir James and the official party who included Sir Joseph Leese, QC, MP Recorder of Manchester; Herbert J Gladstone, MP. They took up their places at the doors to be received by the President of the club Alderman J. W. Denham, where an inscribed golden key, made by Fattorini and Sons of Bradford was presented to James Kitson. He proceeded to use it to open the club. After the ceremony a public tea was held with 500 people attending and a public meeting followed in the large room of the new club. During the evening the meeting was enlivened by music from a “glee party.”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 26 November 1896; Leeds Mercury 23 November 1896)

Lectures and Political Talks

As part of its aims to provide political education a series of lectures and talks were given by the Association at the Oddfellows Hall until the opening of the new club premises in 1896.

In 1879 the Association held a lecture in the Oddfellows Hall which was delivered by Samuel Wimpenny of Holmfirth on “The Wars in Afghanistan, past and present.” D. A. Bamford the President of the Liberal Club chaired the meeting.

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 13 December 1879)

Others included -

January 1878 John Bower Robinson of Marsden "John Bright"

February 1880 Rev. J.B. Charles, Wesleyan Minister of Holmfirth

"Scenes in English History: Chiefly in Connection with the Great Revolution of 1688"

February 1882 J Lawton
“Bradlaugh and the Parliamentary Oaths Question.” It was reported that this paper led to a “very lively discussion!”
(See Huddersfield Chronicle 11 February 1882)

March 1882 E.T. Hicks of the Financial Reform Association

"The Legislation of the Past 50 Years, or Conservatism and Liberalism; a Contrast and a Picture"

December 1883 John Bower Robinson of Marsden "In Ireland, What I Saw and Heard"

February 1884 Daniel Frederick Edward Sykes “The Coming Democracy"

February 1899 a lecture was delivered at the Liberal Hall by Rev. J. Jackson on “The Life of Gladstone.” It was reported that there was a very good attendance and during the evening a quartet sang several “glees.”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 9 February 1899)

Sports and Social events

The club had hosted a game of billiards in December 1879 in the Meltham Liberal Club room, with eight Meltham Liberal club members playing against eight Marsden Liberal Club members. The game created great interest and the room was crowded with spectators.

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 13 December 1879)

The club held several billiard and whist tournaments in 1881 at the Meltham Liberal Club room. A billiards and whist match was held at the club rooms in February against Honley Liberal Club. The home team was victorious and after the event competitors and friends retired to the “new assembly room” attached to the Swan Inn to spend the rest of the evening “in a very harmonious and pleasant manner in singing etc.”

The Meltham Euphonic Quartet provided music and sang several pieces as well as some members contributing by playing the piano. In November twenty members competed and the tournament was watched by a “great number” of spectators.

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 23 February & 26 November 1881)

Meltham Station 1910

The club set a day aside for an annual excursion in 1882. They had selected Scarborough “The Queen of watering places” as their destination. There was a great deal of interest in the excursion and it was well attended on the day with about 400 people travelling. They left Meltham about 5am and reached Scarborough by 8.30am. It was a beautifully fine day and was reported to be thoroughly enjoyed by all. The Aquarium and other “principal places” of interest were visited and the party arrived back in Meltham shortly after 11pm with everyone “being pleased with the day’s excursion.”

A similar excursion in 1884 saw around 350 people visit Hull.

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 29 July 1882)

The Meltham Conservative Club held their excursions on the same days as the Liberal Club and in July 1899 they held a joint excursion with about 500 members travelling to Morecambe.

Alongside the members were 200 employees of Bent Ley Silk Mills, who had their costs paid by the directors of the mills. The excursion returned to Meltham in the early hours of Sunday morning.

September 1883 saw the association holding an “Amateur Athletics Festival” in the town as part of the “annual feast”. The event was held in a field behind the Oddfellows Hall and John Kilburn acted as umpire for the events.

Meltham Mills Brass Band

The Meltham Mills Junior Brass Band played throughout the day.

(See Athletics News 15 August 1883)

Meltham Feast (Gala Day)

The club held an “entertainment” in the Liberal Hall of the new club that month with a variety of performers including a mandolinist, “auto harp”, singers, “violoncello” and “The Jollity Trio of Comedians – Tom, Col and Jack.”

(See Huddersfield Chronicle 21 November 1896)

A "tea and ball" was held at the club in January 1899 for the purpose of raising money to buy pottery. The Huddersfield Chronicle reported a good attendance, with dance music provided by the Meltham Premier Band, and that around £14 had been raised.

By 1914, the Meltham Women's Liberal Association were holding monthly meetings at the Liberal Club. One meeting in February 1914 heard Miss Billson of London speak on "Social Reform especially effecting women".

(See Huddersfield Daily Examiner 26 February 1914)

The club is still in existence in 2019, thriving in the busy village of Meltham.

2019

The Political History of Kirklees