Kirkburton Conservative Club

The beginning of the Conservative Association in Kirkburton was in May 1868 when a preliminary meeting was held at the home of Henry Carter which was the Smith’s Arms in Highburton. There was a great deal of interest in establishing a Conservative and Constitutional Association for Kirkburton and after a discussion it was proposed to call the group the

“Kirkburton Conservative & Constitutional Association”. 

Thomas Kenyon of Dogley Villa was appointed chairman and Jerry Carter secretary.  About thirty men enrolled their names as members and a committee of 15 was formed. Huddersfield Chronicle 30 May 1868

Smiths Arms, Highburton. From Kirklees Image Archive (K003132)

A report in the Huddersfield Chronicle in May 1878 alluded to the fact that the Conservatives of Kirkburton had been inactive for many years and that it was the intention to establish a new Conservative Club for Kirkburton to challenge the Liberal Club, its politics and its influence.   Measures had been taken to establish the club and they had succeeded in enrolling 70 members.    The club was only in the “embryo” stage and they were on the lookout for suitable club premises.

Kirkburton Conservative Club formally opened on 11th September 1879 and there were 30 members present with the President being John Haigh of Manor Hill. After enrolling members and other business he declared the club opened.

“The club rooms will be very comfortable, being neatly papered and carpeted.  There is also ample amusement provided as well as daily and weekly papers and periodicals.”

The rooms had been furnished and fitted by the committee of Kirkburton Conservative Association with the aid of Lord Dartmouth, Messrs Stanhope and Starkey and other influential Conservatives of the district. It was agreed that there would be a billiard table, money for which would be raised by shares. The rooms would close at 10.30 each night with the exception of Saturday and Sunday when they would remain open until 11pm and 9pm respectively. The club opened with 40 members on its books. An understanding was made that wine, beer etc. would not be sold on the premises! Huddersfield Chronicle 13 September 1879; Huddersfield Chronicle 20 September 1879

In May 1881 Kirkburton Conservative Club sat down to supper at the George Inn to celebrate the opening of the new club rooms.  John Haigh of Manor Hill, president of the club was in the chair. and there were 50 members and honorary members present.  The new rooms had been previously tenanted by the Liberal Club and had been completely renovated. The club now consisted of a newsroom, smoking room, billiard room, and games departments. After the supper a meeting was held at which Mr W. W. Potter toasted the success of Kirkburton Conservative Club.  He went on to say that the late leader of the Conservative party, Benjamin Disraeli, would have been very satisfied to see such

 “an enthusiastic meeting of working men assembled in that room to celebrate the opening of a Conservative Club.”  

Mr A. W. Preston responded to Potter’s remarks saying that only a few years previously they had only had an association and no rooms and now they had

 “central and comfortable quarters”.  

After the meeting a selection of songs were sung and recitations were made by various club members.  Huddersfield Chronicle Huddersfield Chronicle 13 May 1881.



George Inn, Kirkburton. From Kirklees Image Archive (KM03775)

A Conservative Demonstration was held at Kirkburton in October 1881 with the aim of strengthening the 

“ranks of Conservatism” in Kirkburton."  

The meeting was to be held in a large tent which had been erected in the grounds of Oatlands Park, the home of George Hey which he had opened to the club for the day.   Described as 

“a great and enthusiastic” 

demonstration a procession formed outside the Kirkburton Conservative Club led by the Kirkburton Victoria Brass band to the venue of the meeting.  It was attended by large numbers of people from all around the district, Huddersfield on one side and Denby Dale on the other.  John Arthur Brooke, J.P. presided over the event and was supported by 

“numerous members of the party”.    

Ellis Ashmead Bartlett, MP for Eye, addressed the crowd which included members of Kirkburton Conservative Association and the conservative clubs of Scissett, Shelley, Shepley and Denby Dale.

Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett.

He said that 

“the spectacle of that great meeting, enthusiastic in the cause of right and patriotism” 

showed the feelings of Yorkshiremen.     

Leeds Mercury, Sheffield Daily Telegraph & Manchester Courier 17 October 1881.

Later that year Complimentary dinner given at the George Inn for Mr W. W. Potter, as he had left the district, by members of  Kirkburton Conservative Club and a few friends from Shelley, Shepley and Denby. 40 people attended. Mr John Haigh in the chair. Huddersfield Chronicle 26 November 1881

Several events are recorded under the auspices of the club including billiard matches between Scissett against Kirkburton Conservative Club played at the Scissett Conservative Club in 1882 and Kirkburton Conservative Club and Holmfirth Working Mens Conservative Club in 1883.

In 1884 a public lecture was delivered under the auspices of Kirkburton Conservative Club in the Public Bathroom, Kirkburton by Mr J Evans of Sheffield. Mr Thomas Brook – President of club. Huddersfield Daily Chronicle 25 April 1884

I890 saw the club opening new club premises on the 26^th January.  The building known as “Burton Mill” had undergone considerable alterations and had been fitted out and converted into a “commodious” Conservative and Unionist Club. On the first floor of the building were two billiard rooms and a reading room.  The second floor held a large lecture hall, a gymnasium and a committee room. The club had previously been based in smaller accommodation near the church and the news report stated that the club had been in existence for nearly twenty years.  For the opening ceremony the lecture room had been decorated with the union jack and other flags and was nearly full to capacity.  There were many prominent local Conservative in attendance including Walter Thomas William Spencer Stanhope, of Cannon Hall former MP for the West Riding who performed the opening of the club. Also present were J. A. Armitage, J.P., Joseph Vickerman, J.P., and Harold Thomas, the Conservative candidate for Holmfirth Division.

The club had 20 honorary members who subscribed one guinea and 100 members who contributed 6s per year.  Major Preston was the first President under the new auspices of the club and he had been a driving force for the new club premises and constitution.  He stated in his address to the crowd that they were there not only to commemorate the opening but to revive the club under 

“new colours.”  

Those colours would be the united colours of the Conservative and Unionist Party.  Huddersfield Chronicle & Leeds Mercury 27 January 1890. 

Later that year bunting was unfurled again from the upper windows of the club building to celebrate the marriage of Mr T J Dyson and Miss J Ethel Armitage daughter of J. A.  Armitage, J.P. of Storthes Hall.    Huddersfield Chronicle 26 July 1890

The club would appear to have owned other premises in 1892, as a notice for a sale by auction of premises of Kirkburton Conservative Club appeared in the local press. The premises were to be auctioned at the Royal Hotel, Kirkburton in May and consisted of Netherfield House and adjoining land.  The notice stated that the house was occupied by Kirkburton Conservative Club and others at the time. Three dwelling houses adjoined the main house and a plot of leasehold land adjoined with the dwelling houses. Huddersfield Chronicle 16 April 1892 & 23 April 1892.  
Netherfield House went on to be the home of Joseph Allan Cawood, who was a merchant and town councillor.   He was President of the club in 1898 and at the annual meeting that year congratulated the club on its improvements.  The billiards, games and reading rooms had been thoroughly renovated and it was suggested that the billiard table and all furniture be added to the next balance sheet for the club.  There was also a discussion around which newspapers the club should buy.  It was arranged that in addition to the usual daily and evening papers in the club that several magazine would be added.  Huddersfield Chronicle 26 January 1898

On Christmas Day 1900 Councillor Cawood kindly lent Netherfield House for the location of a Conservative tea and ball under the auspices of Kirkburton Conservative Club. A very good attendance at the event caused this to be the biggest success attained by the club to date. Huddersfield Chronicle 29 December 1900.

Very little is reported about women’s roles in the club but in 1925 the Kirkburton Women’s Association held a very successful social event at the Kirkburton Conservative Club. Sheffield Daily Telegraph 23 April 1925

Entries in Kelly’s Directory in 1927 and 1936 show that the Kirkburton Conservative and Unionist Club was still operating and that William Irving was Secretary.