Shelley Liberal Club

Shelley Liberal Club was formed in 1874 with the inauguration of the Club taking place in the Assembly rooms at Shelley. The event was celebrated with a “knife and fork" tea followed by a public meeting which was held in the same room and which was reported as being “crowded.”

A unanimous resolution was passed to establish the club with an additional recommendation that such clubs should be established in every village. Huddersfield Chronicle 28 November 1874.

The “knife and fork” tea seems to have been a popular way of opening a meeting as in 1876 the annual meeting was once again preceded with such a meal and so too were future events. On this occasion the event took place in the Shelley schoolrooms and T. G. Botterill presided over the proceedings. The secretary of the club reported that there were now 90 members and the club had a healthy income of £40. Huddersfield Chronicle 13 & 14 October 1876.

Shelley School. From the Kirklees Image Archive (KM01269). 

The aim of the club was to inform and educate people, as well as provide opportunities for political debate and discussion and a variety of lectures and addresses were made to club members over the years.

In 1877 a lecture was given at the Club by Rev J. Freestone lecturer to the National Reform Union, Manchester with the subject being

“The Education Question”.   

The lecture was held in Methodist Independent Schoolroom and was presided over by Joseph Townend. Huddersfield Daily Chronicle 8 March 1877

In 1887 Henry Joseph Wilson MP for Holmfirth Division addressed the meeting on the subject of

“Liberal Unionists.”   

The meeting was held in Shelley Bank Bottom School with once again a “knife and fork tea" being served in the school room before the public meeting presided over by Mr W Child (President of the club). A large attendance was reported for both the tea and the address by Wilson. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph 7 March 1887; Huddersfield Chronicle 12 March 1887; Leeds Times 12 March 1887.

1908 saw J. H. Freeborough address the club members on the subject

“The Unemployment Problem.” 

Sheffield Daily Telegraph 28 March 1908

The sixth annual meeting of Shelley Liberal Club was held in the Assembly Rooms, Shelley. William Henry Leatham of Hemsworth Hall, banker, poet and politician, was chairman of the club and the Liberal Candidate for the southern division of West Riding of Yorkshire presided over the meeting. There was a very large attendance consisting of members, wives and friends of the club who sat down for tea which was served in the lower room. When the secretary, Edward Emmott, submitted his annual report he stated that membership was 81 which was two more members than the previous year. The committee of the club urged people to join clubs like theirs and

 “thus enrol themselves on the side of the party which had for its watchwords, 

“Peace, retrenchment and reform”

which received loud applause and cheers from the audience. Sheffield Independent 22 October 1879; Leeds Mercury 23 October 1879. Huddersfield Daily Chronicle 24 & 25 October 1879.

The annual meeting in 1891 was held in the large room of the club but only moderate attendance was reported. William Goldthorp was chairman at that time and when the secretary read the report the balance in hand was considerably less than the previous year as they had paid off the £10 loan which had been borrowed to finish furnishing the club premises. The loan outstanding was given as £30. Despite the poor attendance at the meeting membership was reported as standing at 117 on the books which was an increase on the 103 members of the previous year. The members elected new committee members which included William Child as President; B Cartwright as corresponding secretary and W Taylor as Financial secretary. Huddersfield Daily Chronicle 16 October 1891

By 1895 the annual meeting was also seen as a social occasion and was held in the Shelley Bank School that year. At the tea

“the tables were presided over” by “lady friends” 

of the club and after the meeting there was dancing and entertainment. The entertainment was provided by members of the club but there is no mention of who they were. Huddersfield Daily Chronicle 27 February 1895 & 2 March 1895.

The club was still in existence in 1936 as an entry in Kelly’s Directory shows Lawrence E. Addy as the secretary.