Marsden Conservative Club
Marsden Conservative Association and Club
 |
| Marsden Conservative Club, March 2019 |
The origins of Marsden Conservative Club begin in the year 1865
when a group of male Conservative voters got together to organise the vote for
the Southern Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire in the 1865 General
Election. The Marsden Conservative Association was formed circa 1866,
with local corn miller and merchant John E. Dowse being named as the president
of the association at their first dinner held at the New Inn on Friday 1 June
1866. Initially the club met in a variety of public houses and private homes.
In those days voters (some 70 in all) were treated to a free
breakfast at the New Inn, free transport to Huddersfield to cast their vote and
a slap up dinner on return, which also included family and friends. Meals were
provided at pubs in the village the New Inn, the Two Dutchmen and the White
Hart.
In 1867 the Conservative Association modified its rules so as to
enable working men to become members thus encouraging the membership to grow so
much so that they were able to reduce subscriptions from 5s to 1s. Yorkshire Post 20
June 1867
The change in rules meant that by 1870 the group had grown to 40
members and many of their wives and sweethearts objected to meeting in Public
Houses. So in 1871 that the Conservative Association rented a cottage,
owned by Mrs Francis Goodall and adjoining the New Inn. They also
appointed a steward, known as a “keeper” in those days, who resided on
the upper floor with the lower room being used as a reading room.
In 1873 the Marsden and Colne Valley Conservative Association held
it’s annual
“tea party and soiree”
in the Marsden Mechanics Hall.
in the Marsden Mechanics Hall.
The room was decorated with national and patriotic banners.
The banner adorning the platform was particularly striking. It had a
background of blue and reached from the ceiling to the platform
and had the motto
“The altar, the throne and the cottage.”
On either side of this were the names of Stanhope and Starkey.
Over 400 people took tea which was followed by a meeting in the evening.
The meeting had a variety of speakers including Stanhope and Starkey but was
interspersed with “vocal music.” Huddersfield
Chronicle 18 January 1873
The rented cottage suited the club purposes until 1878 when it was
suggested that rooms be found that could accommodate a billiard table and the
rising membership, but first they had to raise the funds to finance it.
At that time Mr Crowther of New Mill was about to erect a
terrace of cottages on Brougham Road opposite the Mechanics Hall. They were to
be back-to-back dwellings and would be called Derby Terrace.
The Association approached Mr Crowther and after several meetings he agreed to
knock the two central cottages into one, providing that the Association pay £5
for additional beams to support the Billiard Table. An annual rent of £25 was
agreed for a seven year lease, this was later reduced to £20. The alterations
had been planned by John Kirk & Sons architects of Huddersfield and
it was almost complete by April 1879, however £500 was required to meet the
expense of furnishing it.
 |
| Mechanics Institute. Kirklees Image Archive |
To meet the expense still needed for the new rooms the club held a
bazaar in the village, with the object of raising funds to support completion
of the new premises. The bazaar took place in the Mechanics Hall and was
opened by Lewis Randle Sharkey, MP. The stalls were decorated with
mottoes of Conservative principles and compliments to the leaders of the party
and there was a
“tasteful display of goods”
all due to the ladies who had been approached for their support
when the old rooms had become inadequate. The women had planned and prepared
for around five months for the event, holding regular sewing meetings no matter
what the weather to produce a range of items for sale as well as decorating the
hall for the occasion. The club had had some opposition in regard to it
having a billiard table but it had been decided that
“every amusement that they could provide ought to have
everyone’s support”.
As well as a billiard table, the new club was to have a reading
room with a small library when the club had the finances to provide this. Mr
Starkey who had opened the bazaar also remarked on the entertainments to be
provided by the club saying
“these were desirable things and would have the effect of
binding them more together and of encouraging young men to meet.”
Huddersfield Chronicle 15 April 1879
Huddersfield Chronicle 15 April 1879
Tea parties were also organised to raise funds and once such tea
party followed by a public meeting and a ball was held in the Wesleyan
Schoolrooms in January 1889. The reports state that between 500 and 600
people attended with the ladies connected with the club serving the tea which
was to be
“an excellent and substantial tea and much enjoyed.”
“the centre of an intelligent political life which would
circulate the whole of Marsden.”
After the meeting the Arion Quartet Party gave several “glees” followed by the National Anthem before the hall was cleared for
dancing. The music for this was provided by the Saddleworth Reed Band
and
“a large number of young couples and in addition many of
mature years took part in the healthful and vigorous exercise of dancing!”
Huddersfield Chronicle 26
January 1889
Eventually in 1902 the Club had become so busy that the committee
had to close it to new members and a sub-committee was formed to look for yet
more new premises. Land was found in Godfrey Close at the bottom of Station
Road and it was decided to pursue the purchase which was agreed in principle at
a special meeting in August 1904. On 5th. June 1905 the committee agreed to
pay Francis Goodall £43-15s-9d for paving the streets adjoining
the building site and that Mrs Whitely could use the site for hanging clothes
at 1 shilling per annum. To cover the cost of drawings and surveys a building
fund was set up on 2nd. June 1906 with James Eastwood and Charlie Barker as
joint Treasurers and great efforts were made to run events over the next months
to allow members to subscribe to the fund
Colne
Valley area in 1908 was seen as a radical and socialist stronghold with Victor
Grayson, known as a “fiery socialist” dominating the votes in the
area.
 |
| Archibald Boyd Carpenter |
Captain
Archibald Boyd Carpenter was the
prospective Unionist candidate that year and he had received a good reception
in different parts of the constituency standing on the principles of
Conservatism and the constitution. The Yorkshire Post reported that it
thought there was a rise in interest in Conservatism in Marsden as a new
Conservative Club had been formed. It went on to say that there had been
a small club in the village since 1879 which had
“done quiet unostentatious work with a membership of about
100."
Local
members of the Conservative party had secured a site for a new club and their
“wives
and daughter’s”
had held a bazaar the previous year which had raised £550.
The members had formed a club company and 561 shares had been sold, which gave
them £1111. However they needed to sell another 439 to make the total up to
1000 in order to meet the estimated building cost of £1600. They also need
another £100 to cover expenses in forming the new company and street forming
plus £300 for furnishing the building. It was planned that the
building would have two reading rooms, a large assembly room and a billiard
room plus a caretaker’s house and offices. The style if the architecture
was to be plain with over hanging eaves and gables. The front elevation
was to be built of Elland Edge stone. The plans were drawn up by local
Huddersfield Architects – John Kirk & Sons.
Lengthy discussions had taken place about who should be
approached with respect to laying the cornerstones of the building. It was
resolved that James Whitehead (Masons of Oldham) should provide four
cornerstones for the front of the building and several notable local and
national figures were considered to perform the stone laying duties, these
included Mrs John Edward Crowther, Lord’s Helmsley and
Ronaldshay.
However after the exchange of several letters the following
resolution was made -
“It was resolved that the following ladies and gentlemen lay the
corner stones of the new Club building viz. Lady
Beatrice Lister Kaye, Miss M A Crowther of Stanley House, John Arthur Brooke, MA, JP (Chairman of the Divisional Conservative Association) and Captain
Archibald Boyd Carpenter”
 |
| James Sheard Kirk |
 |
| Cornerstone 2019 |
On Saturday 20th June 1908 as arranged previously the four corner stones of the building were laid by the elected people.
Mr James Sheard Kirk, the new President of the club, led the proceedings with the stones being laid with the accustomed formality and gifts of “handsome” trowels and mallets made to the participants. James Sheard Kirk addressed the gathering and said that he wished the club a prosperous future and that now the club had a room
 |
| Cornerstone 2019 |
“for every kind of education but in the Colne Valley they
felt there was especially a need for political education.”
 |
| Cornerstone 2019 |
Captain
Boyd Carpenter hoped that the new club a
new era of political history would dawn in the area. He went on to
state
“Let us hope that the cornerstones will stand four square
to all the winds of political caprice and Socialist fallacy.”
 |
| Cornerstone 2019 |
After
the ceremony everyone retired to the local public hall where a tea was served.
Yorkshire Post 22
June 1908. This building is still in use and was extended in
July 1923 and was opened by J. H. Fletcher, President of Colne Valley
Central Conservative Association. Leeds Mercury 9 July
1923
In 1909 the Colne Valley Women’s Conservative Association held its second annual “gathering” at the club where Captain Archibald Boyd-Carpenter was the chief speaker. Leeds Mercury 26 July 1909
The
fund raising for club funds continued in 1914 when the ladies associated with
the club held a sale of work in the Club rooms. The sale was opened by
Mrs. James Sheard Kirk and there was reported to be a good attendance
and £150 was raised for club funds. Huddersfield
daily Examiner 28 April 1914
Colonel
Gilbert Tanner, President of the Colne
Valley Conservative Association opened the club Spring Fair in May 1933. Yorkshire Post 15
May 1933
At the
annual meeting of Colne Valley Women’s Conservative Association at the Marsden
Club in 1939 Mrs Fyfe, one of the best known Conservative speakers of
the time addressed the meeting. Mrs Fyfe stated to the gathering that
women were
“interested in peace, strength, prosperity, freedom and
better conditions. The question of peace was uppermost in the minds of
them all and especially mothers. They were grateful for Mr Chamberlain for his
personal visits to Munich and they would always be thankful that he had
negotiated them instead of after slaughter and strife.”
Her
words must have reflected the anxiety about any likely conflict with Germany. Yorkshire Post 27
February 1939
Marsden
Conservative Club and WW1
When the
Great War started, as in many villages, there were many young men in Marsden
who volunteered and were recruited into the armed forces. Many of the
organisations and clubs in the village had members who enlisted and Marsden
Conservative Club had its share too. At the onset of the war there were
just 20 members who signed up but this had increased to over 92 members who had
served by the end of the conflict in some form or other. Luckily most of
this group returned to the village but sadly nine members lost their lives –
Harold
Beighton, see below for details.
Lewis
Bottomley, killed in action on 29
April 1918 aged 21. 7th Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Yorkshire Regiment.
Son of John and Ellen Bottomley of Higher Ardwick, Manchester.
Harold
Hirst (241784) died 3 May 1917, 5th
Battalion, Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment. Buried at Arras memorial,
Pas de Calais France.
Cyril
Brown Newman, Second Lieutenant, killed in
action on 3rd September 1916 aged 20. 7th Battalion (Terratorial), Duke of
Wellingtons West Riding Regiment. Buried Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuille,
Somme, France. Son of John Edgar and Annie Elizabeth Newman of "West
Leigh" Marsden.
Lewis
Thorpe Schofield, died of wounds and gas
on 29th April 1918 aged 25. Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment.
Buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais France. Son of Sam Thorpe
Schofield and Mary Schofield, 6 Wood Top, Marsden.
Daniel
Waterhouse died of wounds received in
action on 21 September 1916 aged 26. 7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's West
Riding Regiment. Buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais France.
Son of James and Alice Waterhouse of 8 Ottiwells Terrace, Marsden. He
was formerly a weaver.
Harry
Wood. Died aged 26 on 26 November
1917. Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment. Buried
Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, Somme, France.
Son of Mr and Mrs J. Wood of 10/5 Spa View, Linthwaite.
Norman Sykes and Charles Taylor,
Some of
the letters sent by Marsden Conservative Club members who were serving
with the British Expeditionary Forces in France were shared with The Colne
Valley Guardian in May 1916. The letters were sent to the
“Jolly-Uns”, who seem to have been some kind of entertainers, whether from the
club or not is unclear, in acknowledgement of the parcels that had been sent to
them by these “Entertainers”.
Private
Harold Beighton, son of Joseph and Helena
Beighton –
“Many thanks for the
useful parcel which I have received from you, I am sure nobody appreciates your
kindness more than I do, for all of you seem to be working very hard for the
lads out here and from what I have seen they are deserving of all they can get.
I have not come across any of the Marsden lads yet, and from what I gather we
are a long way from them. The Germans are sending us a few shells and trench
mortars over this morning, but we have some coverts to go into, so if I hear
one coming I make a dive for it.”
Unfortunately
Harold died on 6th October 1916, by then a corporal with the 10th
Battalion, Duke of Wellington's West Riding regiment, from wounds received when
they eventually went over the top. He was buried at Dernancourt Communal
Cemetery, Somme, France.
A short
extract from Private
Leonard Wilkinson –
“I found everything alright and it gives me great pleasure to know
that the “Jolly-Uns” are still going strong. We have left the trenches
and are on the move again. Don’t know where we shall finish up. Yesterday
snowing, today sun shining brightly and everything looking like spring.”
The few
extracts given in the paper allowed the public a snapshot of the men at the
front and how much their parcels and letters were appreciated by them. Colne
Valley Guardian May 1916
