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EARBY CHRONICLES Edition 26 Autumn 2002

The Society aims: to raise awareness, foster an interest and facilitate research into the heritage of Earby and district including Thornton in Craven, Sough, Kelbrook, Harden, Hague and Salterforth. OFFICIALS Chairman : Bob Abel phone 01282 843850 Secretary : Margaret Brown phone 01282 843932 Treasurer : Helen Horner phone 01282 843850 Programme Secretary Sue Janion phone 01282 843992 Liaison Officer: Trevor Tattersall phone 01282 842819 Archivist: Margaret Greenwood phone 01282 843394 NRCC & Parish Rep: Lucille Mitchell phone 01282 841325 Committee: Squire Firth phone 01282 817126

Page 13 Pinhaw Beacon - Remains of the Invasion Scare of 1803

Features

Page 6 Wilsons of Throstle Nest, Thornton in Craven

Page 15 Earby Evacuees - Harry’s story

£1.50 free to members of the society

CONONLEY LEAD MINE For the outdoor meeting in June we visited Cononley lead mines. The ‘Friends of Cononley Mine’ began “to educate the public in and encourage the study of all historical and technical aspects of mining and associated subjects”.

We began at the “incline plane” and “magazine” and had a look down the “engine shaft”, now heavily protected by a metal grill; then on to the “engine house and chimney” from where the more remote areas of the site were pointed out.

The Engine House at Cononley Lead Mine

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The mine is in fact in Glusburn parish but is named Cononley mine because the main ore bearing vein was under Cononley (lead ore is usually found in long narrow veins). Lead mining dates from the 16th century, when it appeared in accounts of Bolton Priory. In 1542 the Manor of Cononley was granted to Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, and remained in the family untill the 17th century, when it passed by marriage to the Earls of Burlington. In the mid 18th century, again by marriage, it passed to the Dukes of Devonshire where the rights remain today. For most of the mine’s life the minerals in Glusburn belonged to the Garforths of Steeton Hall. Intermittent mining existed in 1589, 1666, and from 1728 to 1746. Then in 1820 a 160 metre shaft proved a failure, but in 1825 Messrs Hall & Co of Newcastle were raising ore at Glusburn & Cononley. The Halls were lead merchants with experience of mining at Grassington, Arkengarthdale and Blanchland. They were followed in 1836 by Stephen Eddy, the Duke of Devonshire’s mining agent. Lead dressing and smelting continued 1840 – 1871; and in the 20th century there were several attempts to work the mines, principally for barytes. Due to low prices in 1933 the mine was mothballed and closed in 1937. It was last worked 1957-8 by McKechnie Bros. of Widnes. During 1985 it was proposed to remove the dumps from various areas of the Cononley and Glusburn mines for treatment in the north east of England, but the planning application met stiff opposition and was refused. Our thank go to Mike Gill for a most interesting introduction and for permission to use his work for this report; and to Maurice Horsfield of the Earby Mines Museum for arranging the visit which was followed by a pleasant gathering in the local hostelry the Hare & Hounds at Lothersdale. More can be found in Gill, MC. The Yorkshire and Lancashire Lead Mines: British Mining No. 33 Northern Mines Research Society, 1987. LOCAL HISTORY WEEK The 4th to the 12th of May this year was designated Local History Week which was promoted by The Historical Association in conjunction with the BBC History Magazine and local history events were organised all over the country. One such event was organised by Burnley Historical Society. It was held in the superb venue of St Peter’s Church in Burnley and took the form of an open day held on Saturday 11th. There were some 20 organisations represented at the event and the Earby and District Local History Society was one of them. The participants represented Family History Societies, schools, archivists including Lancashire County Record Office and the North West Sound Archive as well as local history organisations.

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The event was officially opened by the Bishop of Burnley and there followed a very enjoyable day for both exhibitors and visitors. The Society put on show some of the material from the Katherine Bruce Glasier exhibition which attracted much interest. We were even asked if any one from the Society would like to give a talk about Katherine Bruce Glasier. NEW ACQUISITIONS IN THE ARCHIVES Earby British Legion Among items donated by Albert Haines are certificates of merit awarded to the Earby, Thornton & Kelbrook Branch of the British Legion, some documents relating to the purchase of the Legions premises from the Spiritualist Church and also a copy of “Craven’s Part in the Great War”. This volume was originally presented to Lance Corporal Walter D Clark, and is now part of the Society’s archive. One local lad who was honoured was : 2nd Lieutenant John Granville Berry M.C., West Yorkshire Regiment, officially reported missing on the 16th August 1917, was the younger son of Mr & Mrs W N Berry, of Hawthorn House, Earby a partner in Watson Bailey & Berry of Spring Mill, Earby. 2nd Lieut. Berry, was only 20 years of age, and educated at Skipton Grammar School. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and devotion to duty in taking command of his Company, when his company commander had become a casualty, and leading them for two days, during which time he displayed most remarkable initiative and determination. He attained all his objectives in the face of heavy fire, and was repeatedly to the fore in repelling counter-attacks. His personal gallantry won the admiration of all rank. Lieutenant.-Colonel. Jeffries wrote to Lieutenant. Berry’s father as follows: - “He was one of my very best and trustworthy officers. He was commanding a company and would have been a Captain had he remained with the Battalion. I always knew that when he undertook a job it would be carried out to the letter, and this is one of the highest recommendations it is possible to give a soldier. The Regiment could ill afford to lose him, as officers of his type are far from common”. Broughton All Saints Parish Registers Courtesy of Wharfedale Family History Society we now have a copy of a transcript of the Broughton All Saints Parish Registers.

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Old Photographs Two recent acquisitions are of groups of people yet unidentified, and the one of Earby Baptists shown later in this edition of Chronicles, all courtesy of Pam Greenwood and the late Lillian Parker (nee Smith). The Society is building up an archive of local books, documents and photographs that could be in danger of being lost if not housed locally. If readers know of any items which may be of interest to the collection, please contact the society’s Margaret Greenwood (details on back page). The society would prefer to have original documents for safe keeping, but it can be arranged for copies to be made and original returned to the owner. Thank you to all the above for these donations. EARBY MORRIS MEN Several references have come to light regarding Earby Morris Men. The references are mentioned in a collection of material relating to British folk drama and dance. The collection was started by Alex Helm in 1955 and it is now preserved in the Manuscripts and Rare Books Collection at University College London. Helm was collecting material relating to British Folk Drama and hoped to publish a complete geographical index. Together with Dr. E C Cawte and N Peacock he published “A Geographical Index of Ceremonial Dance in Britain (1960) and “English Ritual Drama, a Geographical Index (1967). The snippets of information about Earby Morris Dancers are tantalising and it would be interesting to see if it could be confirmed that at some time a group of Morris Dancers were based in Earby. The references are firstly from Emery Raw of Wells-on-the-Sea, Norfolk, former leader of Nelson Spiritualist Morris Men. He says that an Earby team was formed in imitation of the Nelson group and he gives the connection as being a Miss Clarke who worked in the Raw family business (Nelson Wire Mattress Co.) The other two references are from a Mrs Almond who ”Remembers at Earby there used to be men...... who wore gay coloured shirts with knee breeches and patent shoes and did something like a scotch sword dance only with their sticks”. “At Earby they were mostly young men dressed in knee breeches and all different coloured blouses, hats more the shape of Robin Hood hats, bells on their shoes and had sticks with coloured ribbons and streamers”

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No dates are given but a foot note estimates that the period would be pre 1914. The references are dated 1962. If any one has any information or has photos or family memories of Earby Morris Men we would like to hear from you. WHALLEY ABBEY The visit in July to Whalley Abbey was a great success and the evening was crowned by refreshments in the conference centre. From the visitor centre and huge model of the site, we were divided into two groups and shown round the ruins by a guide dressed in monks habit. The emphasis was on how the monks lived rather than the actual history of the abbey and gave a fas-cinating insight into the austere life of the former inmates. Having walked down some stone steps we were reminded how, as a penance, monks would be required to lay on the middle one for the oth ers to walk over; not surprisingly we got no volunteers to try this out!. LOCUS BENEDICTUS (the Blessed Place) the story of Whalley Abbey by Geoffrey Ainsworth Williams published 1995 by the Whalley Fellowship can be bought from the visitor centre; it is a detailed and well written study. WILSONS OF THROSTLE NEST THORNTON IN CRAVEN Reminiscences of the Wilson family and the old family home at Thornton in Craven. This story, brought to readers in two parts, gives a fascinating insight into the lives of this family in the mid to late 1800s in Thornton. It has come to us thanks to Vera Brearey

A group of members hearing how the monks lived at the Abbey (Photo courtesy of Richard Janion)

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of the Rookery, Thornton. The story was written by Deborah Dewett of Kendal, if anyone knows her descendants or other family connections, we would be very pleased to hear. Deborah begins: I was born at Thornton in Craven, in the year 1848. Two months previously my parents removed from Bradford. It was the time of the Chartists Riots; and my father being a nervous man was in daily dread of being called upon to serve as a Special Constable; so as the old family home, "Throstle Nest", was being altered with the intention of going to live there he determined to lose no time, but go at once, and the packers were set to work, and in the course of a few days, was ready, and the removal was accomplished, greatly to the surprise of the Police, who came to appoint him as a Constable on the day after the departure. The journey was partly accomplished by coach, as the railway was not open all the way. I have been told that it was opened to Colne the day before my birth; and on that day my brother, a fearless little boy of four years, was discovered sitting astride of the barn ridge; happily he came to no harm, and got safely down from his lofty position. Throstle Nest was built by my great-grandfather, Thomas Wilson (born 1741), who was a manufacturer of cumlets, a harsh woollen stuff, chiefly used for Priests robes; one end of the house was set apart as a warehouse -- it had crane doors, on the side which gave on to the road, for the reception of the wool, and dispatch of the finished articles; and I well remember the interest we had as children, in seeing them occasionally opened, and also the old-fashioned scales in one of the lower rooms, where farmers brought their calves to be weighed. Thomas Wilson brought his bride to the house he had built in 1765; it was not quite finished when they were married, so they lodged in the village for a few months until it was completed. Thomas Wilson died in 1788. His widow, who before her marriage was Mary Hawley of Oakham, survived him 42 years. She died at Leicester in 1830. They are both interred in the Friend's Burial Ground adjoining Salterforth Meeting House. She must have felt strange at first in the remote old Yorkshire village, but soon the advent of little ones

Throstle Nest, Thornton in Craven, today

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brought joy and occupation. A son and daughter came in due course, Richard born 1768 and born 1774. She married John Burgess of Leicester in 1799 - they brought up a large family of sons and daughters; one of them, Emma, married John Shipley Ellis, who became Chairman of the Midland Railway's Board of Directors. Their eldest son, John Edward, was for many years a Member of Parliament, and Secretary of State for India. It does not appear that Richard quitted the ancestral home; he married Deborah Stansfield of Halifax in 1802, and they continued to live in it to his death. Of their three sons, my father was the eldest, and the one daughter was his senior. She was called "the beautiful Quakeress", and I have heard that once when there were callers from the Rectory she was set to black lead a grate in order to humble her pride. She married Samuel Jesper of Macclesfield, and they brought up a large family of sons and daughters. On the day of her marriage, when seated at the wedding feast, her tame robin flew through the open window and perched on her shoulder. The guests were waited on by one John Cowgill who was servant at the Rectory, and I am told looked very handsome in livery; he also united the office of Sexton and Gravedigger. Under grandmother's influence he became a Friend, and an Acknowledged Minister. Grandmother was a kind friend to all, and people often came long distances to be doctored by her herb medicines; there were often many waiting, and they sat on a stone bench, in the backyard until the "mistress" as they called her, could attend to them. Grandfather was a kindly good natured gentleman, but I think he was not successful in business, and liked to take life easily; he wrote a beautiful hand, like copper plate, and was I believe rather intellectual, according to the standard of the times. He was once robbed by highway men in Lancashire Gill, when riding from Colne market, and his pocketbook containing notes was stolen; one guinea in another pocket escaped, and I now have it set as a brooch. Grandmother was often put to it to make ends meet; but being a good woman she trusted in God, and was comforted. Once when reading her bible, it opened up the words "the silver and the gold his mind, saith the Lord of Hosts". She survived her husband, and after his death went to live with her youngest son Charles at Preston, who was then unmarried, until her death. The second son Richard, married Jane Skidmore of Matlock Bath, and they had four children, one of whom died in childhood. Uncle was of a kindly, sociable disposition - had a dry humour and shrewdness; he was much interested in birds, and had many stuffed ones in glass cases, and liked to sit in the garden to watch the rooks building. They came to live at Thornton from Macclesfield when I was six or seven years old. My father's youngest brother Charles, married Susanna Jesper daughter of John Jesper of Burleigh, Essex; they had four children. The only girl Emily, died of diphtheria at the age of seven. Three sons grew up to manhood; the two younger are alive, the eldest Alfred died three years ago. My uncle's home "Calder Mount", one mile from the little old-fashioned town of Garstang, was built by him; it had a survey, pleasant garden, completed by vinery,

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greenhouses, fernery and orchard- a pleasant spacious house. I have happy memories of my annual visits there. The two brothers were congenial in their tastes; love of science, meteorology and horticulture. Uncle too had a telescope. My father was born in 1805. When he was a boy, it was the custom for neighbours to exchange presents of yeast when they brewed, for German yeast was unknown, and I have heard him tell of being sent to the neighbouring Squire with some. He was offered a glass of wine, which he refused (doubtless so instructed), with the words "no I am obliged to thee"; whereupon neighbour Wasney observed, that, "no I am obliged to thee" misses you many a good glass of wine. Richard and Deborah Wilson generally drove to Lothersdale, five or six miles over the moors, on Sundays to attend the Friends Meeting there. On one occasion Father, as a child of two, was left under the care of the old servant Hatty. She had gone into the cellar, the door of which only had a handle on the outside; and we can imagine her consternation when the door closed behind her, lest he should come to any harm; he did his best to help by bringing all the chairs etc he could move, and putting them against the door. Happily the return of the parents prevented any disaster. Life was very different in those faraway days, and pleasures simple. The chief sensation of the day was the arrival and departure of the coach between Leeds and Manchester, which stopped at the Kaye’s Arms to change horses. The chief occupation in the village for those who did not till the land was handloom weaving, and most of the cottages had a loom in the house place. Large stores of provisions were laid in by the thrifty housewife; very different from the hand to mouth providing of the present-day. The kitchen ceiling was garnished with sides of bacon, hams, cured tongues and salt beef, as well as ropes of onions, and the rack or bread flake was filled with oatcakes hung to dry, ready for consumption when the unexpected guest turned up, for hospitality was enjoined and practised. The house was not wanting either in its stock of alcoholic drink, for temperance propaganda was not dreamed of - and Grandmother in her kindly hospitality, always gave the Carrier his modicum of gin, in a glass used for the purpose, which I have in my possession; it has a tall stem beautifully engraved. I must not forget to mention the store of oatmeal for winter use, which was contained in two large oaken chests in the garret; we may be sure the little boys felt very important when, with feet just washed for the purpose, they had to tread it down to compress its bulk. In my childhood they were empty, or nearly so, and served very well for our game of trains, as we scrambled from one to another at the call "change for Bradford" or Halifax, as the case might be. My father was of course an Ackworth scholar, as previous generation of Friends’ children had been - and I believe he acquitted himself fairly well, as far as the limited curriculum of

We have a request for information on Rev. William Atkinson Wasney of Fence End later on in this

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the times permitted; he was I have heard him say, somewhat disorderly, until one day he was pulled up by one of the Masters describing his conduct thus: " --------- is a bad one, but Thomas Wilson is a notorious one". This had the desired effect, and he amended his ways with the result that he became a monitor as they were called. He used to show the mark on his arm, where he was bled for pleurisy, while he was at school. My dear mother was at Ackworth many years later, and I have heard she was a good and orderly girl, diligent at her lessons; neatness was in everything she did from her beautiful handwriting, to the exquisite sewing of the day, rack stitching and samplers. We will take a break here, the remainder of this interesting story will follow in the Winter edition of Chronicles. LOCAL HISTORY SEMINAR Have you booked your place at the forthcoming seminar; if not do so quickly, to avoid missing a great event. Even if you’re not an avid researcher, you are guaranteed an interesting day, hearing from highly regarded local historians Eric Higham, Susan Wrathmell and family history expert Jean Ingham, or to see Barncoft Mill engine “in steam”. Organised by the West Craven History Association (Earby and Barnoldswick Societies combined) the day, to be opened by the Mayor of Pendle, will start with a talk about Migration of Dales families to the mill towns, how many of us have relatives who will have made that particular journey ?, many I wouldn’t wonder; then we will hear about the traditional architecture of these emerging mill towns. If finding out about your family history is a mystery to you, come and find out how easy it is to begin, or if you have already had some success, find our how to refine your studies, there will be a wealth of material available to work through. Or, if steam engines are your thing, visit Bancroft Mill where the mill engine will be ‘in steam’, especially for the event. You will also get your lunch, not bad for £12.50. So contact the Helen Horner 01282 843850 right now!. AUTUMN FAIR At the forthcoming Autumn Fair to raise funds for Earby’s New Road Centre as well as let people know more about the groups operating from the Centre, the Earby & District Local History Society will be launching its latest publication, former headmaster James Lindley’s account of the history of Earby, “Earby in Bygone Days”. A great present for friends and relations especially those from this area.

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The theme for the event is the Golden Jubilee, prizes will include a collection of Golden Ales, presented by the Society, do come along and support this important local event. The Autumn Fair opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday 5th October 2002 do give your support. RESEARCH REQUESTS The latest request has come from Patricia Heseltine of 23 Rushcombe Way, Corfe Mullen, Dorset. She is trying to find the burial place of the Reverend William Atkinson Wasney, who resided at Fence End, Thornton in the early 1800s and was Rector of Bracewell church (see our article on the Wilsons of Throstle Nest) . Patricia already has a lot of information on this Reverend gentleman, which we hope to bring you in a later edition of Chronicles. In the meantime, if you can help contact the editor Bev Parker. WHO ARE WE ? This photograph has been given to the Society by Pam Greenwood it shows the Earby Baptist in concert. Can you name any of the players ? If you have an old photograph you want to know more about, then contact the Secretary

insert photo in the inner box

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Margaret Brown or Editor Bev Parker, telephone numbers are shown on page 1. JUBILEE SITOOTERIES IN THORNTON What on earth is that ? What is a sitooterie, I hear you say? Well then , it is a Scottish term for a sitting out place, a “sit- oot - ere”. Not quite an open gardens event, but similar. So what has that to do with local history? St Marys Church, Thornton in Craven, recently benefited from £900 raised by the villagers in June this year. This was the second year of sitooteries, this time a two day affair. Villagers kindly opened their favourite sitting out areas, mostly in gardens, some public areas, for locals and visitors alike. On top they provided home made refreshments from a special ‘courtyard cafe’ (for this event only) held behind the famous Love Tree Cottage, the home of Nelly Riley of “Grannies Village” fame, the book by Roger Mason; and the Old Post Office. The society put on a display of old photographs of Thornton village which was much appreciated, the display will move to the Earby Library later for October, possibly extending into November. SUBSCRIPTIONS INCREASE .... The committee has now found it necessary to increase the subscriptions, principally due to the increased costs of producing our newsletter Earby chronicles Chairman Bob Abel says “we have held down the subscriptions for as long as possible and hope that we will be able to hold at this level for some time to come”. Where there are two members in one household receiving one copy of the Chronicles there will be a £1.00 reduction for each subscription. As from 2003 the subscription will be raised to £5.00 for local members (where we have limited postage costs), £7.00 for ‘out of town’ members; and £11.00 for members living abroad. (£4.00, £6.00 and £10.00 each for couples in one household). We have also increased the cost of Chronicles for non members to £.1.50, but will maintain the commitment to providing Chronicles free to members and local libraries. Subscription should be sent to the Treasurer Helen Horner, 22 Salterforth Road, Earby,

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BB18 6ND THE ORMRODS IN THORNTON IN CRAVEN Part two Following on from the Summer edition, member Lesley Ormrod now tells of the present family. In 1945 Harry Ormrod moved from Barnoldswick to Thornton in Craven with his new wife, Alice Bailey. Harry was working for Rolls Royce at the time and Brown Croft, a house on the main road in Thornton, was rented out by the company. The rent and rates were eight shillings and seven pence per week in 1947. They were given some second hand furniture, and they bought some more utility. Brown Croft was one up, one down, and no bathroom. Downstairs they had a kitchen, living room and an outside toilet. Upstairs was just one bedroom, and they put a single bed on the landing. There was a small glass porch where they kept a wooden meat safe as it was the coolest place in the house. Colleagues at Harry’s workplace christened it ‘The Nest’ as they were newly married. They lived next door to Mr and Mrs King in South View who had no children and were very kind to theirs. In two years they had John, their eldest child, when the doctor’s bill for Alice was ten shillings and sixpence, followed by Stephen 4 years later. The council was building houses in Thornton, and Harry and Alice put their names down for one and were recommended by Mr Grimshaw, the vicar. When Stephen was two, they were able to move to Queen’s Garth down Boothbridge Lane (the Alley) where the rent and rates were over £2 a week. In their new house there was a stone built porch over the front door which lead into a hall with a staircase off, a sitting room on the right, a big living and dining room on the left, and a kitchen with pantry at the back. A gas cooker was supplied, and they had a coal place and store room at the back. Upstairs they had two double bedrooms, one single bedroom, and a bathroom with toilet. It was the end house with a side lawn onto the lane, and Judith was born soon after they moved. They had a television in 1951 when it first came out, but weren’t able to get a good signal until Winter Hill television transmitter was built. They bought a 10” Cossor black and white television with pre amp in April 1951 for £51.9s. The TV was kept in the living room, and the sitting room used for homework. They had a roomful of relatives and neighbours to watch the Coronation, and then went down to the sports at the cricket field, and had tea

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at the Institute. They saved regularly and in 1965 moved to Fence Hill, Brearlands, which cost £4,500 to build. Unfortunately, Alice’s father died a fortnight after they moved. When they first moved to Thornton, it had a shop and Post Office, and the Manor was a nursing home for soldiers wounded in the war. Their three children went to Thornton School, then the boys to Ermysteds and Judith to Skipton Girls High. They were all in the choir and went to Sunday School, and were confirmed in Thornton – Stephen because he knew he would get long trousers. John still lives in Skipton and works on a farm in Broughton. Alice is a member of Thornton’s Mothers Union and for two years was the Diocesan representative on Central Council and for 15 years the overseas treasurer. Harry was chairman of Thornton School governors, and is a church sidesman. Both he and Alice were on the Parochial Church Council. Harry is also on the Lesley Birley-Brookes Trust which Mrs Birley-Brookes set up after the death of her daughter for the ‘physical and religious education of the children of the labouring classes resident in Thornton.’ Lesley would be interested to hear from anyone who has an interest in or connection with any of the Ormrod, Waddington or Dent families mentiond. The address is : 17 Southland's, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 4DB. PINHAW BEACON An article by Ian Sanderson in "archaeology and archives" in West Yorkshire, issue 14 2002 is of great interest to us locally. REMAINS OF THE INVASION SCARE OF 1803 Like me, how many of you have driven or walked past Pinhaw Beacon along the old road from Carleton to Colne and looked north to observe the beautiful views, without thinking of what lies south of the road. Or, if you have visited the beacon, how many have understood why it is there, or so named? This article: REMAINS OF THE INVASION SCARE OF 1803 reveals much. During the long Wars with Napoleonic France at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, the danger of the French invasion was most acute in the summer of 1803. The French armies massed on the Channel Coast, and rebellion was stirred up in Ireland. Measures were taken throughout Britain to combat an enemy invasion. Volunteer regiments were raised, led by the local gentry. To call out these men, and to prepare the general populace for invasion, a communication system was devised, consisting of chains of

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fire beacons, each with a guard hut. These were manned usually by old soldiers equipped with telescopes, whose duty it was to keep an eye on neighbouring beacons are to light their own in the event of an invasion. It is thought that, to reduce the chance of false alarms, three beacons in each county were designated as primary stations; no others were supposed to be fired until these were seen to be lit. The chains of beacons were linked across county boundaries, and were only to be set alight on the orders of the general in charge of the military district in which they lay. It was intended that they would be used only in daylight, and the War Office’s belief was that news of a serious landing would move inland at a rate of 75 miles a day. Recently, whilst working in the WYAS archives building in Wakefield, staff came across an old plan entitled "Plan of the Beacons for the West Riding of the County of York, 1833". This shows the chains of beacons stretching across West Yorkshire, with sites at Pontefract Park, Ledston Lodge, Bramham Moor, Scarcroft Moor, Otley Chevin, Wooley Edge and others more local to us at Pendle Hill, Long Preston, Grindleton Fell, Skipton and of course including our very own Pinhaw Beacon. In the corner of the plan a neat pen-and-ink drawings, shown here, illustrates an apparently typical Beacon light and a plan and elevation of the accompanying hut (presumably the fuel store and shelter for the Beacon’s crew). A quick look at the several large-scale modern ordnance survey maps revealed a number of possible sites. There is a Beacon house on Otley Chevin, and at a Beacon

Hill at Woolley Edge; whether a possible site, local to Pinhaw Beacon can be found remains to be seen?. WYAS is now trying to find out whether traces of the stone huts survived from the years when Britain feared the French invasion! The society has provided information on two possible sites for Pinhaw Beacon’s Beacon house, along with a photograph of a gravestone of Robert Wilson who died in 1805 (3?) and was buried close by Pinhaw Beacon (see page 15). It is also possible that the choice of Pinhaw as a site, just might be due to a connection with the Bramham

Moor Beacon ?. For it is believed that Elslack estate was formerly owned by George Lane Fox of Bramham Park; a boundary stone with the initials “GLF” remains today, adjacent to

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the road just opposite the car parking area. So here is another local history story to develop, if any of our members would like to look into this further please contact the editor Bev Parker for further details. The first two paragraphs of this article d r a w heavily on a paper by John Goodwin entitled "Naval and Military co-operation and control over invasion warnings, 1803", published in Fortress magazine, No 15 (1992). This article is reproduced with permis sion of Ian Sanderson of West Yorkshire Archive Service. The plan is copied with acknowledgement to WYAS. Inscribed memorial stone to Robert Wilson near the Beacon site EARBY EVACUEES - HARRY’S STORY This is and account of three related families, three sisters from the East End of London who’s husbands were serving in the War. Their names were Mrs Simpson, Mrs Waterhouse and Mrs Durrant, who were all eventually evacuated to Earby. This, the first account is HARRY’S STORY he was son of Mrs Simpson and now lives in Leavenheath, Essex. My family came from the East End of London and in 1939 were evacuated to Somerset, that is my Mother, baby sister, and myself aged 6 years, also my Aunt Mrs Durrant. We were there for around a year and during this time my aunt gave birth to daughter Diana. We then all moved to join my other aunt and family who had been evacuated to Clanfield near Portsmouth. We had not been there long when a German bomber crashed in the next field to where we lived, as the bombing of the Portsmouth area intensified. About this time my father was the RSM of a unit of Royal Engineers stationed at Earby and he decided we would be safer if we moved. He rented No 13 Albion Street, Earby, it was very crowded at first with three families, also my father’s Batman and family, a total of six adults and nine children in such a small terrace house. My father’s unit were all Londoners, mainly Lightermen and Watermen from the East End

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THE SOCIETY Meets at the Community Centre, New Road, EARBY on the third Tuesday of the month at 7.30 p.m. (except for outside visits).

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Earby & District Local History

Society.

and the unit was eventually posted abroad serving in North Africa, India and Burma. After the War, in 1945, my father returned to Earby and shortly afterwards my family moved back down South, but my two aunts and families remained a few more years before returning. Now back to my memories off Earby. Initially, we were treated like foreigners by the local children, but after a while mutual respect was established and from then on it was good fun. Some of my friends I remember were Neville Duxbury, Eric Shaylor, Arthur Tompson, Mat Fenwick and Edgar Sarginson, also John Tompson who’s father, the blacksmith, made sledges for us with iron runners, we seemed to have winters with lots of snow. We spent hours playing on the rec. which was just under the railway bridge, we only had an old football and cricket bat, but learned to play very well and I personally enjoyed a lifetime of successful cricket and football to a high standard, as a result. I also joined Earby Cricket club and played on a real pitch, there was a youth called Jack Cross who was a very good fast bowler and played in the league. George and Betty Rigby lived next door. George was the local coalman who brought coal round with a horse and cart. Another family who were good friends were the Junipers. Mr Juniper was in the Navy and when he was home on leave, would take us into the countryside telling us all about wild flowers, animals and birds and I thank him for my lifelong interest in wildlife, after the War his family moved to Kent. I went to Earby New Road School and Mr Clegg was headmaster, I also remember a teacher called Percy Ellis who gave me the strap for talking in class. Across the road from the school was Thwaites shop, a very popular place to use our sweet ration coupons, we also did a lot of swapping items such as Army badges and cigarette cards. Earby was a small cotton town and I remember the clatter of peoples’ clogs as they went and came from work, the mills with their steam engines, boiler houses and tall chimneys belching smoke and the steam

AND FINALLY A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Don’t forget this is your newsletter. We’re always keen to hear from members, if only to put them in touch with relatives and friends from the past. Do send in articles, photos and any other anecdotes, so that we get as wide a flavour of Earby & District, yes that means Thornton in Craven, Kelbrook, Sough, Harden and Salterforth as well. Look forward to hearing from you.

Editor Bev Parker

High Gate Farm Gaylands Lane

Earby BARNOLDSWICK

BB18 6JR

Bevparker.Highgate@tesco.net