Killed by a Hen

I’ve got a particular interest in events which happened close to where we live and the stretch of Meltham Road from Netherton down to Lockwood has seen more than its fair share of accidents over the years.

One particularly unusual one was reported in the local newspapers in October 1907 and occurred on the hill which drops down from Netherton to Big Valley…

Yorkshire Evening Post (07/Oct/1907):

CYCLIST KILLED BY A FOWL.

MELTHAM MAN THROWN HEAVILY ON TO HIS HEAD.

THE HEN JAMS THE FRONT WHEEL.

A Meltham cyclist met hit death on Saturday under peculiar circumstances.

George Henry Pogson, aged 24 years, of Mill Moor, Meltham, left home about 2 p.m. on Saturday for a cycle ride. When proceeding down Big Valley when by some means got in between the front wheel of the machine, with the result that it became entangled, and caused the man to be pitched heavily on his head. He was rendered unconscious.

Dr. Mackenzie, of Lockwood, was summoned, and was soon in attendance, and after examining the man’s wound said that Pogson was probably suffering from fracture of the skull. He died at the Huddersfield Infirmary at 11 p.m. the same day.

Yorkshire Evening Post (08/Oct/1907):

THE CORONER ON THE LIABILITY OF FOWL OWNERS.

At the Huddersfield Infirmary, this afternoon, Mr. E H. Hill held an inquest on the body of George Henry Pogson (24), cotton operative, of Mill Moor, Meltham, who succumbed on Saturday night to injuries to the skull sustained during the day by being thrown off his bicycle whilst riding down the Big Valley from Netherton.

The accident, as already stated in “The Yorkshire Evening Post,” was caused by a hen which flew across the road into the front wheel of the machine.

The Coroner said no doubt hens were a great danger to cyclists. From a recent decision, it appeared that the owners of hens straying on the highway and causing damage, could not be held responsible in a civil action for damages. He did not think they could be held responsible criminally.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.


George Henry Pogson was born in Meltham in 1883, the son of local weaver George William Henry Lewis Pogson (1845–1913) and his wife Emma (1852–1900). He likely had six brothers and sisters.

The 1891 Census lists 7-year-old George as living with his parents and siblings, and attending school.

George’s mother, Emma, died in 1900, aged 53, and was buried on 4 December 1900 at the Meltham Wesleyan Chapel.

The 1901 Census lists him working as a 16-year-old cotten piecer and living with his widowed father at Mill Moor, Meltham.

1901 Census YRKRG13_4092_4095-0622

Following the accident, George was buried at the Meltham Wesleyan Chapel on 9 October 1907, the day after the inquest was held into his death.

pogson1

After George’s death, it seems his father moved from Meltham to live with his widowed daughter, Selina Ann Woodhouse, in Holmbridge where he died in 1913, aged 68. He was buried alongside his wife and son at the Meltham Wesleyan Chapel on 15 April 1913.

Grantham Journal (20/Jul/1872) – Funeral of Mr. Charles Brook

Charles Brook had purchased Enderby Hall in Leicestershire in 1865 and died there on 10 July 1872.


FUNERAL OF MR. CHARLES BROOK.

The funeral of Mr. Chas. Brook, J.P., of Enderby Hall, Leicestershire, and Meltham Mills, Huddersfield, took place on Monday afternoon in Enderby Churchyard, and was attended by a large concourse of all classes, not only from the neighbourhood, but also from Huddersfield and other parts of Yorkshire. Shortly after two o’clock the procession left the hall in the following order :— The tenantry, the (3) officiating clergymen, medical attendants, undertaker with assistants, the carriage bier, with six pall-bearers, and the mourners:— Capt. Cecil Drummond, Capt. Thos. Brook, Messrs. W. Hirst. W.B. Addison; Jno. Freeman, Julius Hirst, J.D. Birchall, Geo. Hy Brook, Jos. Hirst, Edwd. Brook, Wm. Brook, and the Rev. J.R. Jagae. Following were the parishioners, the dissenters of the parish, and the various deputations from Yorkshire and other places, making a procession of considerable length. Arriving at the church the tenantry formed in line on either side of the pathway, and the mourners followed the body through the avenue so formed into the church, and were succeeded by tenantry, parishioners, &c. The prominent parts of the interior of the church were draped with black cloth relieved by silver monograms. At the conclusion of the lesson in the burial service the Rev. G.A. Ince, of Huddersfield, delivered an address on the deceased, his late friend. The Rev. Gentleman, in the course of his address, said they were following to the grave an uncommon man. He did not speak of his wealth or his large possessions, as they did not constitute true riches, and he knew it well. The spectacle that day told that all this was vanity. He was a man rich deservedly in the esteem and love of thousands, and his name had been for years a household word with multitudes. Many were weeping, and tears were flowing, in many a cottage home that day. He felt that the best and the truest riches was to be rich in good works. He believed that in this world they should be rich in faith, and be looking to one Saviour, for whom he lived and died. In the midst of his usefulness, and in the midst of his well-earned honour, he was cut off, as they thought, too prematurely — his sun had gone down while it was yet day. At the conclusion, Martin Luther’s great hymn, “Great God, what do I see and hear,” was sung, and the procession moved to the vault in the churchyard, where the remainder of the burial service was read by the Rev. G. Edwards, a relative of the deceased, and where a large concourse of persons had assembled, including several deputations from Leicester, including the Conservative Working Men’s Association, the Licensed Victuallers, &c., W.U. Heygate, Esq., M.P., a large number of clergy and gentlemen from Leicester and district. On Monday, at Huddersfield, a special service was held at the Parish Church (simultaneously with the funeral at Euderby, Leicestershire), in recognition of the worth of the late Mr. Charles Brook, and was largely attended.

Grantham Journal (13/Jul/1872) – Death of Mr. Chas. Brook

Charles Brook had purchased Enderby Hall in Leicestershire in 1865 and died there on 10 July 1872.


DEATH OF MR. CHAS. BROOK.

We have to record the death of Mr. Charles Brook, of Enderby Hall, Leicestershire, and a magistrate for that county. The deceased gentleman, who was the head of the firm of Messrs. Jonas Brook Bros., Meltham Cotton Mills, near Huddersfield, was the founder of the Meltham Mills Convalescent Home, which was only opened a few months back, after an outlay of over £30,000. Mr. Brook, about eight years ago, purchased the Enderby Hall (Leicestershire) estate, at a cost of about £9,000, since which time he has resided in Leicestershire. Socially, he was known as a staunch Conservative and a zealous supporter of Church and State, while the princely fortune which he enjoyed was distributed with a liberal hand amongst all classes, the charitable institutions of the neighbourhood receiving a large share of his munificence. The deceased gentleman had been suffering for the past six weeks from a severe attack of pleurisy and bronchitis. On Friday he suffered a relapse, and died about two o’clock on Wednesday morning. Locally his loss will create a gap which it will be difficult to fill, more especially in the Conservative ranks.


Death of Charles Brook - Grantham Journal 13 July 1872 BL-0000400-18720713-057

Royal Leamington Spa Courier (13/Jul/1872) – Death of Mr. Charles Brook, Esq.

Charles Brook had purchased Enderby Hall in Leicestershire in 1865 and died there on 10 July 1872.


DEATH OF CHARLES BROOK, ESQ., ENDERBY HALL, LEICESTERSHIRE

We record with more than ordinary feelings of regret the death of Charles Brook, Esq., of Enderby Hail, Leicester, and Meltham Mills, Huddersfield For some time past Mr Brook has been suffering from a serious illness, which ever and anon placed his life in jeopardy ; but the favourable telegraphic despatches which have lately been published led to the belief that, for at least some time to come, his life might be spared to his relatives and friends. The highest medical skill in the country, including Dr. Gull, physician to the Prince of Wales, and Dr. C. Marriott, of Leicester, attended the deceased up to the time of his death, which took place about three o’clock on Wednesday morning.

During Mr Brook’s long and painful illness the prayers (public and private) of thousands in this neighbourhood were offered up for his recovery. Every household in Huddersfield felt that the life of the noblest example of public philanthropy the neighbourhood ever produced was hanging in the balance. His illness was taken home to every heart, and felt with all the acuteness incidental to a near and dear relative. This feeling, too, was not confined to one class in the social scale, or the members of the Church of England of which he was a most devout and attached member, but it was shared in by men of every political casts and religious creed.

In all that concerned the religious, moral, and educational welfare of this district he invariably occupied the front rank. Others have done nobly, but he excelled them all. His was a princely generosity, not only in the amount of his gifts, but in the manner of giving them. No sooner was his bead and his heart convinced than his hand bestowed, some of his largest public contributions being accompanied by a total absence of ostentation. In every relation of life he was a model man. Many years of prosperity in business placed great wealth at his command and thus he largely used for the glory of God and the welfare of mankind. The churches and schools at Meltham Mills and Enderby prove his “zeal for the Lord,” and the noble Convalescent Home which he publicly handed over to the town of Huddersfield in August last will be for all time a monument of his tender sympathy for the poor. It was one of the noblest traits in his noble nature that he “never forgot the quarry from whence he was dug.” Meltham Mills and its poor was a sweet green spot in his fondest recollections, and when he paid periodicol visits to the district the workpeople in the firm of Jonas Brook and Brothers, who had been known to him throughout life, were objects of his tenderest solicitude. By his death the Church of England has lost one of its most consistent and liberal supporters. When in health he loved to enter the public sanctuary and offer up common prayer and praise to the common Father of all, and no legitimate application for assistance in promoting Church building, or the extension of Church principles, ever appealed for bis aid in vain. He was a contributor of £5,000 to the Huddersfield Church Extension Fund; £3,000 for providing additional school accommodation for the Established Church in the neighbourhood (in addition to the same amount for the town of Leicester), besides innumerable gifts to other churches including St. Stephen’s, Rashcliffe, and the one now in course of erection at Newsome.

But we refrain from making the present melancholy occasion a medium for parading Mr Brook’s liberality. He has lived a tolerably long, and in every respect a consistent life. By precept and example he has well discharged his duty in his day and generation, and

The sweet remembrance of the just,
Will flourish whlen be sleeps in dust.

In the long roll of Huddersfield worthies who have gone down to the grave, scarcely one has left a nobler, and none a more stainless name.

On the Parish Church and other places in the town, flags were hoisted half-mast high when the melancholy news reached Huddersfield, and the bells of the Parish Church rang a muffled peal. We have been unable to ascertain where Mr Brook will be interred, but whether it be at Meltham Mills or Enderby multitudes of sorrowing friends will be present to mingle their tears with those who in life were specially near and dear to him. Mr Brook was in the 58th year of his age.

Huddersfidd Daily Chronicle.


Death of Charles Brook - Leamington Spa Courier 13 July 1872 BL-0000249-18720713-012

Leicester Chronicle (13/Jul/1872) – Death of Mr. Charles Brook

Charles Brook had purchased Enderby Hall in Leicestershire in 1865 and died there on 10 July 1872.


Death of Mr. Charles Brook.

The death is announced of Mr. Charles Brook, of Meltham Mills, near Huddersfield, and of Enderby Hall, Leicestershire, which took place about two o’clock on Wednesday morning. The Leeds Mercury of Thursday says “Mr. Brook’s unbounded generosity is well known. He built, endowed, and gave to the town of Huddersfield, a large and handsome Convalescent Home ; he restored the church at Enderby ; and he recently gave £3,000 each to the schools at Leicester and Huddersfield. In addition to these, there was hardly any charity against which his purse was closed, and he always gave munificently. The deceased gentleman was a county magistrate, both in the West Hiding and in Leicestershire, and senior partner in the celebrated firm of Jonas Brook and Bros., cotton thread manufacturers, of Meltham Mills, where nearly 2,000 hands are employed, and his last public act was to advance the allowance made to those workpeople who, from old age or infirmity, have been pensioned off. Mr. Brook was in his 59th year, and leaves a widow, bat no family. He was an earnest Conservative, a zealous Churchman, and was beloved by all who knew him.”

Huddersfield Chronicle (13/Jul/1872) – Death of Charles Brook, Esq., J.P.

Charles Brook had purchased Enderby Hall in Leicestershire in 1865 and died there on 10 July 1872.

This article was printed with heavy black borders.


Death of Charles Brook, Esq., J.P.

The suggestion which we ventured to make yesterday (and which is given below) is to be acted upon on Monday next, the day on which the mortal remains of Mr. Charles Brook will be consigned to their final resting place. From an advertisement in another column it will be seen that the Mayor has issued an invitation to the inhabitants to meet him at the Armoury at half-past one o’clock, to attend a special service which will be held in the Parish Church at two o’clock. The distance which separates Huddersfield from Enderby will prevent the great body of the inhabitants from marking their respect for Mr. Brook’s memory by attending the funeral; but the opportunity which this local arrangement provides will enable a large representation of “all sorts and conditions of men” to take their part in the services of that Church of which the deceased was such a distinguished member.

We record with more than ordinary feelings of regret the death of Charles Brook, Esq., of Enderby Hall, Leicester, and Meltham Mills, Huddersfield. Our readers are well aware that for some time past Mr. Brook has been suffering from a serious illness which ever and anon placed his life in jeopardy ; but the favourable telegraphic despatches which we have lately published led to the belief that he had, for at least some time to come, escaped the portals of the grave, and that his life might be spared to his relatives and friends. The highest medical skill in the country, including Dr. Gull, physician to the Prince of Wales, was brought into exercise to ward off, so far as human effort could, the fatal result which took place about two o’clock on Wednesday morning.

During Mr. Brook’s long and painful illness the prayers (public and private) of thousands in this neighbourhood were offered up for his recovery. Every household in Huddersfield felt that the life of the noblest example of public philanthropy the neighbourhood ever produced was hanging in the balance. His illness was taken home to every heart, and felt with all the acuteness incidental to a near and dear relative. This feeling, too, was not confined to one class in the social scale, or the members of the Church of England of which he was a most devout and attached member, but it was shared in by men of every political caste and religious creed.

In all that concerned the religious, moral, and educational welfare of this district he invariably occupied the front rank. Others have done nobly, but he excelled them all. His was a princely generosity, not only in the amount of his gifts, but in the manner of giving them. No sooner was his head convinced and his heart touched than his hand bestowed, some of his largest contributions being accompanied by a total absence of ostentation. In every relation of life he was a model man. Many years of prosperity in business placed great wealth at his command, and this he largely used for the glory of God and the welfare of mankind. The churches and schools at Meltham Mills and Enderby prove his “zeal for the Lord,”‘ and the noble Convalescent Home which he publicly handed over to the town of Huddersfield in August last will be for all time a monument of his tender sympathy for the poor. It was one of the noblest traits in his noble nature that he “never forgot the quarry from whence he was dug.” Meltham Mills and its poor was a sweet green spot in his fondest recollections, and when he paid periodical visits to the district the old workpeople in the firm of Jonas Brook and Brothers, who had been known to him throughout life, were objects of his tenderest solicitude. By his death the Church of England has lost one of its most consistent and liberal supporters. “When in health he loved to enter the public sanctuary and offer up common prayer and praise to the common Father of all, and no legitimate application for assistance in promoting Church building, or the extension of Church principles, ever appealed for his aid in vain. He was a contributor of £5,000 to the Huddersfield Church Extension Fund; £3,000 for providing additional school accommodation for the Established Church in this neighbourhood (in addition to the same amount for the town of Leicester), besides innumerable gifts to other churches, including St. Stephen’s, Rashcliffe, and the one now in coarse of erection at Newsome.

But we refrain from making the present melancholy occasion a medium for parading Mr. Brook’s liberality. He has lived a tolerably long, and in every respect a consistent life. By precept and example he has well discharged his duty in his day and generation, and

The sweet remembrance of the just
Will flourish when be sleeps in dust.

In the long roll of Huddersfield worthies who have gone down to the grave, scarcely one has left a nobler, and none a more stainless name.

On the Parish Church and other places in the town, flags were hoisted half-mast high when the melancholy news reached Huddersfield, and the bells of the Parish Church rang a muffled peal. We have been unable to ascertain where Mr. Brook will be interred, but whether it be at Meltham Mills or Enderby multitudes of sorrowing friends will be present to mingle their tears with those who in life were specially near and dear to him. Mr. Brook was in the 58th year of his age.
Daily Chronicle, Thursday.

We understand arrangements are in progress for interring Mr. Brook in the family vault at Enderby Church, at two o’clock on Monday next. No doubt many of our fellow townsmen will be present on the melancholy occasion, to pay the last mark of respect to one who in life did so much to promote the welfare of this district. We have not yet heard whether the public bodies of the town have taken any steps for collectively expressing the feelings of the public, but we doubt not before Monday our chief magistrate and those who co-operate with him will make such arrangements as will enable the inhabitants to bear their part in the melancholy proceedings of the day. As Mr. Brook’s liberality was largely made available for all classes of society — for those outside as well as those within that branch of the Church Catholic of which he was a member — we would respectfully suggest the holding of a special service in the Parish Church, and the delivery of a sermon suitable to the occasion. The governing bodies of the town might assemble in one of our public rooms, and proceed in order to the church. Such a proceeding would, we are sure, be in harmony with the feelings of our fellow-townsmen generally, all of whom feel that a truly good Christian and a large-hearted citizen has been taken from us to a better and a holier life.
Daily Chronicle, yesterday.

The following is extracted from the Leicester Journal of yesterday :—

“The deceased gentleman was a county magistrate both in the West Riding and in Leicestershire. His mills gave employment to nearly 2,000 hands, and his last public act was to advance the allowance made to those workpeople who, from old age or infirmity, have been pensioned off. Mr. Brook was in his 59th year, and leaves a widow, but no family. It is about eight years since he purchased the Enderby Hall Estate, and during his residence in that parish, Enderby has had good cause for knowing who was its real friend.

“Mr. Brook in politics was a thorough-going Conservative, and took an active part in promoting the interests of his party, both in Yorkshire and this county. He was also a Churchman, and ever ready with his purse to promote the prosperity of the Establishment. His political or religious creed did not, however, prevent him from taking a warm-hearted interest in everything that was calculated to benefit his poorer brethren, be they Nonconformists or Churchmen. And thus he was universally respected. His good name was the out-growth of his good deeds, which were as unselfish as they were generous. He was in the best sense one of the worthies of Yorkshire, and during the comparatively short time he has lived in this county, one of the best Squires Leicestershire has ever had.

“His unostentatious, but really munificent liberality, had made his name familiar throughout Yorkshire and Leicestershire, and within the narrowest circle where it was test known, it had for long been a household word. Knowing this, it is no mere phrase to say that his loss will be almost irreparable. He was a merchant prince in more senses than one. He belonged to that older school, the fame of which was based upon the scrupulous honour with which all business transactions were conducted ; and he combined with this deep sense of honour the kindness of disposition which made him a gentleman in every act of his life. It was not until the sudden death of his brother, many years ago, that he took an active part in the management of the works at Meltham Mills, but he soon showed that if he had not the robust energy which characterised his brother, he had the true business tact, and that in becoming a manufacturer and a merchant, it was not necessary to sacrifice those higher qualities which had pre-eminently made him a Christian gentleman.

“In the present critical times we can ill afford to spare so excellent and valuable a person as Mr. Brook, but now he has been removed from this busy active scene, his deeds remain in after generations as the noblest memorial of a life spent in the work God has given him to do.”

A Leicestershire correspondent says :—

Mr. Brook, several years ago, purchased the Enderby Hall (Leicestershire) estate at a cost of about £96,000, since which time he has resided in Leicestershire. Locally, he was known as a staunch Conservative and a zealous supporter of Church and State : while the princely fortune which he enjoyed was distributed with a liberal hand amongst all classes; the charitable institutions of the neighbourhood receiving a large share of his munificence. The deceased gentleman had been suffering for the past six weeks from a severe attack of pleurisy and bronchitis, during which time he had been constantly attended by two local doctors, assisted occasionally by Sir William Gull, M.D., and so greatly had he improved in health, that he had been able to sit up in his room. On Friday he suffered a relapse, and died about two o’clock on Wednesday morning. Locally, his loss will create a gap which it will be difficult to fill up, more especially in the Conservative ranks.

The Leicester Evening News of Wednesday has the following :— “It is with mournful feelings we are called upon to record the death of Mr. C. Brook, of Enderby Hall. Some weeks ago Mr. Brook was seized with a very serious illness — pleurisy and bronchitis — causing the greatest anxiety to his friends. For several days he lingered between life and death, and the advice of Sir William Gull was obtained in addition to his local medical advisers, Dr. Shaw and Dr. Marriott. Under the care of these gentlemen he rallied, and it was hoped the danger was past. Indeed, we believe Mr. Brook had so far recovered as to be able to sit up in his room. Last Friday, however, a relapse set in, which all the able skill of his medical attendants was unable to arrest, and we lament to say terminated fatally at two o’clock this morning. What a void has been caused by his removal!

He was a man, — take him for all in all,
We ne’er shall look upon his like again.

Possessed of a princely fortune, he was not Blow to devote it to the alleviation of distress in every form and no case meriting his aid went unheeded. He was a most ardent member of the Church of England, and never shall we forget his enthusiastic advocacy on her behalf when speaking at public meetings in connection therewith. No sooner had he entered upon his Enderby estate than he set about doing good. The rebuilding of the parish church at his sole expense is a lasting memento of his munificence ; while the neighbourhood of Huddersfield has proof of his philanthropy in the Meltham Mills Convalescent Home, which he erected recently at a cost of £50,000. These are only a few of the many evidences of his large-heartedness, while his more humble benefactions it would be impossible to recount. The poor of Enderby, to whom he was naturally much endeared, have indeed lost a friend, and from their memory the name of Charles Brook, the philanthropist, can never be erased. Politically, he was a staunch Conservative, and although in his zealous advocacy of Constitutional principles he might appear to o’erstep the bounds of public oratory, his bitterest opponent could not but give him credit for the honesty of his convictions. As an individual his death will be deplored by all parties. Politically, the Conservatives have lost a most noble and energetic champion.

“REQUIESCAT EN PACE.”

SUGGESTED BY THE LAMENTED DEATH OF CHARLES BROOK, ESQ., OF ENDERBY HALL.

Strew cyprus round and weep
  Over this honour’d bier.
In calm and holy sleep
  A good man resteth here.

In deeds of worth he shone.
  And nobly felt for all;
Others’ cares were bis own.
  Responsive to their call.

Life’s warfare now is o’er.
  The Christian prize is won,
List as the voices soar
  “Servant of God well done.”

Bind cyprus on each heart,
  Remembering as we weep
He is, from whom we part.
  Not dead — “fallen asleep.”


“IN MEMORIAM.”

Charles Brook, Died 10th July, 1872

That noble heart will throb no more.
  Which glowed with Pity’s warmest tire,
And quivered to its very core.
  Like some rapt bard’s reponsive lyre.

When Pity touched its tender chords,
  ‘Twas answered by sweet Mercy’s thrill;
Such music heaven alone accords
  To those who soften human ill.

But now ’tis o’er! that genial soul
  Has shaken off all earthly thrall :
And he, for whom the requiems toll,
  Must fill the common grave of all.

That bounteous hand, beneath whose touch
  Pale Misery’s baleful eye shone bright.
Whose wondrous power to heal was such
  That gloomy hovels streamed with light.

That hand, alas ! is icy cold.
  Bereft of all its sacred power;
That hand — more precious than the gold
  It lavished forth in generous shower.

The film of death has darken’d o’er
  The eye that beamed with kindliest ray :
The loving words are heard no more,
  The tongue that spake is speechless clay.

But grateful hearts will long revere
  The loyal, philanthropic dead ;
With sounds of grief, the pitying tear
  Will o’er his hallowed grave be shed.


Death of Charles Brook - Huddersfield Chronicle 13 July 1872 BL-0000167-18720713-035

Huddersfield Chronicle (24/Jul/1858) – Public Funeral of Joseph Brook, Esq., J.P.

The following is a OCR based transcription of the coverage of Joseph Brook‘s funeral and the discussion around a fitting memorial to “The Father of Huddersfield”.


PUBLIC FUNERAL OF JOSEPH BROOK, ESQ., J.P.

On Saturday morning last a large and influential meeting of gentlemen was held in the Guildhall, for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken to afford the inhabitants of Huddersfield an opportunity of publicly expressing their sorrow at the loss the town had sustained in the death or Jos. Brook, Esq. The meeting was convened by the Constable, who on the previous day had issued circulars to about 100 of the lending public men. Shortly after ten o’clock fully that number were present. On the motion of Geo. Armitage. Esq.,

The Constable took the chair, and after reading the circular, proceeded to explain the object be had in view in calling the meeting. He said the moment he beard of the death of their venerated friend, he consulted with several gentlemen, all of whom advised him to issue a circular to convene a meeting of gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood. This he had done, and lie was sure he should have the excuse and support of the meeting for the step he had taken. He felt that the town would not permit such a good man’s remains to be consigned to the silent tomb without according to them some mark of respect. He (the Constable) had known the deceased for the long period of 40 years ; and he could truly say that no man had shown greater devotion to the interests of the town, and no man was more sincerely beloved.

Mr. Jos. Turner, vice-chairman of the Improvement Commissioners, said that as soon as it was known to that body that their respected Chairman was dead, a meeting was held the same evening, and it was determined that Mr. Brook’s remains should be honoured by a public funeral, should such a course be agreeable to the feelings of his family. With the view of ascertaining this, himself and another gentleman waited upon the family, and learned from them that such a course would not be repugnant to their feelings. Whatever might be decided upon by the present meeting, would meet with their (the Improvement Commissioners’) approbation, and would receive their hearty co-operation in being carried out.

T.P. Crosland, Esq, J.P., said before leaving Huddersfield for Leeds on Friday morning, he saw Mr. Riley and other members of Mr. Brook’s family, from whom he ascertained it would be agreeable that the funeral should be a public one, if the town expressed a wish to that effect. He felt that this was not a matter for the Improvement Commissioners, or for any other isolated body, to take up ; for it would be more grateful to the feelings of the people and to the family of the deceased, that the inhabitants generally should take the matter in band. He urged this, not as a magistrate, but as one of the community, every member of which was anxious to take part in the solemn proceedings. Whatever was done as a mark of honour to so good a man, should, he thought, be done by the town of Huddersfield.

Geo. Armitage, Esq., J.P., said the resolution he had been requested to move might have been done better by many gentlemen present ; but he could truly say that no man respected their deceased friend more than he did. Whatever he might say honourable to the memory of Mr. Brook, he was sure he should be fully sustained in it by the magistrates, the clergy, the professional men, and the inhabitants generally. The town of Huddersfield would never see his like again. The talents he displayed in whatever he took in hand was evidence of the possession of a superior mind. During the time Mr. Brook acted as a magistrate, his decisions were invariably characterised by justice and impartiality in every respect. He (Mr. Armitage) looked up to him as an instructor, and as a gentleman whose example he should do well to copy. As Chairman of the Improvement Commissioners, Mr. Brook had taken the initiative in all the great improvements which had taken place in the town, and by his clearness and ability, had overcome the various difficulties which had necessarily arisen in the laying out of a new town. As a Railway Director, he zealously and firmly discharged his duties, and when approached with frankness, never hesitated for an answer. Mr. Armitage farther reviewed Mr. Brook’s career as Chairman of the Directors of the Huddersfield Banking Company (in the formation of which he took an active part), as a Waterworks commissioner and in all the various public offices be had held. He hoped the testimony of the town to the worth of so good a man would not be limited to following his remains to the grave, but that by united subscriptions the inhabitants would rear to his memory in their Parish Church a monument which should tell his virtues to succeeding generations. He begged to mare the following resolution: —

That this meeting deeply sympathises with the family of the late Mr. Joseph Brook in the heavy bereavement they have sustained by his lamented death ; and would, if it be agreeable to the feelings of the family, solicit permission for the inhabitants generally to mark their deep sense of Mr. Brook’s great worth in all the relations of life, by following his remains to the tomb.

Mr. Jos. Turner seconded the resolution — and, in doing so, bore testimony to the loss the town bad sustained in the death of Mr. Brook. From long official connection with him, he could bear testimony to the zeal and assiduity with which be entered upon every work he took in hand. He bad watched with respectful interest the energy and devotion which had marked Mr. Brook’s public career, and the many sacrifices he had made to the call of duty. A great man had, indeed, fallen ; and he was afraid his place would not soon be filled. He begged to second the resolution.

T.P. Crosland, Esq., said he felt he should do violence to his feelings were he to allow the opportunity to pass without saying a word in grateful recollection of one to whom he had for years past looked up as a parent, guide, and friend. The town had lost a great and a good man — one who was ever first and foremost in every good work, and who had lived and did in harness. After the mark of respect they bad now’ met to concur in paying to the memory of their deceased friend should have been discharged, it would be the duty of the inhabitants, as he was sure it would be their pleasure, to rear to his everlasting memory a monument recording his public and private virtues, and which would be an encouragement to those who should come after. He heartily concurred in the suggestion of Mr. Armitage, that a memorial should be erected ; but he differed with him as to the place in which it should be placed. Monuments remained all over Huddersfield testifying to the public virtue of their old friend. The model lodging-house and the cemetery would prove lasting records of his public spirit. In the former the homeless and the stranger found shelter, and in the latter the rich and the poor alike found a resting place, when their struggles with life were at an end. In the latter — that beautiful sanctuary for the dead — he hoped to see a fitting memorial raised of that man whose life, of all others, had been an example of wisdom and goodness.

T.W. Clough, Esq., law clerk to the Improvement Commissioners, agreed with Mr. Crosland that for any testimonial which might be raised to the memory of their departed friend, the cemetery would be the best place in which to erect it, as the contributions would be received from all classes. During the time he had enjoyed official connection with Mr. Brook, he had always found him a perfect gentleman and a man of unimpeachable honour.

The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously.

Mr. Keighley fully agreed with all that had been said respecting the public and private virtues of their deceased friend ; and with the view of carrying out the wishes of the meeting, he begged to move “that the following gentlemen form the committee:— J. Armitage, Esq. J.P., T.P. Crosland, Esq. J.P., W. Willians, Esq. J.P., Messrs. Geo. Crosland, J. Freeman, W. Barker, Jos. Turner, W. Keighley, T. Hayley, T.W. Clough, T. Brook, Colne Villa ; T. Brook, solicitor ; and J. Booth, with power to add to their number, and that they be requested to ascertain if the proposal of a public funeral will be agreeable to the family of the late Mr. Brook ; and, if so, to make arrangements in conjunction with the undertaker to carry out the desire of this meeting ; and that the co-operation of the clergy and ministers, the bench of magistrates, the Board of Waterworks, and the Improvement Commissioners and other public authorities in the town and neighbourhood is hereby respectfully requested.” The resolution was seconded by Mr. Richard Armitage, and was carried unanimously. After passing a vote of thanks to the Chairman, the meeting saturated.

In the course of the afternoon of the same day the Committee met at the Improvement Commissioners’ Offices, and agreed upon the details of the matter entrusted to their care and guidance. Bills were put out announcing the day of the funeral, the proposed order of procession from the house of the deceased to the Parish Church, and suggesting that on the solemn occasion the shops in the line of route should be closed — an invitation which, we are glad to say, was generally acceded to, not only in the line of route, but in other parts of the town.

THE FUNERAL PROCESSION ON THURSDAY.

The gentlemen who intended to take part in the procession met in the Philosophical Hall, at ten o’clock. Amongst the public bodies present were:— The Water Works Commissioners, the Improvement Commissioners, and the Board of Guardians. The clergy present were:— The Ven. Archdeacon Musgrave, vicar of Halifax ; the Revs. C.A. Hulbert, Slaithwaite ; R. Crowe, Woodhouse ; S. Westbrook, St. John’s ; James Brook, incumbent of Helme, Meltham ; A. Smith, Collegiate School ; A.T. Wood, Trinity ; W. Barker and B. Town, Parish Church ; J.W. Town, Lindley ; and Charles Packer, Longwood. Of ministers:— Revs. R. Ray, G.W. Olver, R. Newstead, Wesleyan ; R. Skinner, S. Chisholm, Independent ; J. Collier, Wesleyan Free Church. The magistrates present were:— J.T. Fisher, Esq., Marsden ; John Brooke, Esq., Armitage Bridge ; T.P. Crosland, Esq., J. Moorhouse, Esq., W. Willans, Esq., and J.T. Armitage, Esq.

Mr. J. Armitage, the Clerk of the Board of Works, announced the order of the procession, the route, and the arrangements to be observed. The procession then formed in the hall, and proceeded up Ramsden Street, along New Street, John William Street, and the road at Bath Buildings to the residence of the deceased at Newhouse, from which place the order of the procession was as follows:—

Detachment of Police, headed by
Superintendents Beaumont and Heaton.
The Magistrates of the District.
Their Clerks.
Constable of Huddersfield.
The Improvement Commissioners.
Mr. Alexander Hathorn and Mr Thomas Brook, the
Resident Agents of the Ramsden Estate.
The Waterworks Commissioners,
The Board of Guardians.
The Railway Officials.
The Friends of the Deceased, four abreast,
Numbering about 350.
The Clergy, and
Ministers of all Denominations.
A Mourning Coach, containing the Vicar of Huddersfield, and
Dr. Turnbull.
Mutes.

THE HEARSE, WITH BODY.

Mourning coaches.
First, containing Mr. G. H. Brook and Mr. John Brook,
sons of the deceased ;
Mr. Jere Riley, son-in-law ; and Mr. Charles Riley, grandson.
Second, containing Mr. John Riley, grandson ;
Mr. Walter Brook, Mr. Charles Brook, and
Mr. William Brook, nephews.
Third, containing Mr. Charles Brook, the only
remaining brother of the deceased ; and
Mr. Edward Brook, nephew.

FAMILY CARRIAGES.
Mr Jere Riley’s.
Mr. Charles Brook’s, Healey House.
Mr. Charles Brook’s, jun., Melthain Mills.
PRIVATE CARRIAGES.
George Armitage, Esq., Milnsbridge House.
Mrs. Starkey, Spring Wood.
John Brooke, Esq., Armitage Bridge.
Joseph Armitage, Esq., Birkby Lodge.
Mr. Edward. Armitage, Edgerton Hill.
Bentley Shaw, Esq., Woodfield House.
J. T. Fisher, Esq.. Marsden.
Mr. Beaumont Taylor, York House.
Second Detachment of Police.

The procession, which low numbered more than 500 persons, went down Bradley Lane, New North Road, Westgate and Kirkgate, to the Parish Church.

Along the whole route the shops and other places of business were entirely closed. Thousands of people had congregated and lined the streets to watch the procession ; and the whole of the time it was marching, the bells of the Parish Church rang a muffled peal On the arrival of the procession at the gates of the Parish Church, the police remained outside to preserve order. The procession proceeded to the entrance of the Church, and then — with the exception of the clergy and ministers — formed in line, right and left, extending from the west door to the gates of the church, and up the street to the Market-place. Through the lines thus formed, the body was carried to the church, preceded by the ministers and followed by the mourners — the pall bearers being Captain Armitage, Mr. John Freeman, Mr. Joseph Shaw, John Brooke, Esq., Mr. Thomas Hayley, and Mr. Joseph Turner.

The corpse was received at the church door by the Vicar, who preceded it into the church reading the introductory sentences of the magnificent and touching “Burial service for the dead.” The “Dead March in Saul,” followed by a voluntary, was played upon the organ until the whole of the gentlemen composing the procession were seated in the body of the church — the galleries being occupied by ladies and others. The Vicar then proceeded with the service — the psalms being read by himself and the congregation in alternate verse, and the chapter from 1st Corinthians being given with much impressiveness.

The portion of the service to be read in the church being ended, the following members of the procession attended the body to the crypt:—

The Clegy and Ministers.
The Magistrates.
The Improvement Commissioners.
The Water Works Commissioners.
The Pall Bearers with the Body.
The Mourners.

The family vault in which the body was to be deposited, and which is situate at the south-west aide of the transept, had been strewn with flowers, which most appropriately had been cut from the beds in the Cemetery ; and the vault being lime-washed to a perfect white, and strongly illuminated with candles, presented an appearance of serene loveliness ; indeed “it might make one in love with death, to think that one should be buried in so sweet a place.” The idea of this plan of decoration originated with Mr. Garner, the sexton of the church, who obtained permission to carry it out.

The members of the procession ranged themselves around the vault — the body was lowered into its last resting place, and the vicar read the concluding and meat impressive position of the Service for the Dead.

The service concluded, those present took a farewell look at the resting place of him who had been to many a guide, a counsellor, and a friend, many a weeping eye and over flowing heart betokening a sense of loss most deeply felt. The other members of the procession who did not accompany the body to the crypt remained in their pews or in the churchyard until the service in the crypt was concluded. They then formed in line in the churchyard through which the mourners passed to the coaches. Afterwards they all visited the crypt, and took a last look at the resting place of him to whose memory they had been doing honour. The procession then returned up Kirkgate to the Market Place, where it dispersed.

The vault was kept open till four o’clock in the afternoon, and was visited by some thousands of people.

It will be noticed that the whole of the magistrates of the district were not present. This did not arise from any want of respect to the deceased, and it is only just to them that their absence should be accounted for. Joseph Armitage, Esq., was to have been present, and to hare acted as a pall bearer, but he met with an accident to his eye on Thursday morning, and his medical attendant advised that it was not fitting for him to leave home ; John Haigh, Esq., is on the continent ; T. Malliason, Esq., is in London ; and Bentley Shaw, Esq., was prevented from attending by an engagement of some standing, which he had in North Wales, and which he was obliged to keep. Of the clergy not present, the Rev. J. Haigh, incumbent of St. Paul’s, was at Matlock, and had to preach in Derbyshire on that same evening ; the Rev. T. R. Jones, incumbent of Trinity Church, was also in Hertfordshire. J. C. Laycock, Esq., the magistrates’ clerk, sent the following letter explaining his absence, and be was represented on the occasion by his partner, Mr. Dyson :—

Sea Breezes, Bridlington Quay, 20th July, 186S,

My dear Sir, — Your circular has been sent to me at this place. Be assured I should have taken my place in the mournful procession on Thursday, had I been at home. But I must remain here a few days longer, and enjoy the rest and quietness of this place.

Our good friend is now at rest from his labours, and from all the trouble and care of a life full of anxiety and trouble.

His energies were devoted to the public, and this tribute which they are now paying to his memory is one which is justly due.

Believe me very truly yours,

J. C. LAYCOCK

J. Shaw, Esq.

The manner in which the family of the deceased Mr. Brook appreciated this public manifestation of regard and esteem for one who was ever ready in life to do public service, and promote the interests of the locality in which he dwelt, will be learned from the following touching communication which has been handed to us for publication :—

Edgerton. July 22nd, 1858,

My dear Sir,

I cannot permit this day of mourning to pass without conveying to you, as Constable of Huddersfield, the thanks of myself and the other members of my family, for the high token of respect paid to the memory of our late dear father by the town and neighbourhood ; and I shall be further deeply obliged if you will kindly communicate to the inhabitants generally the gratitude we all feel for their kindness and sympathy in our deep affliction.

With every feeling of regard, I am, my dear Sir, yours faithfully,

G. H. Brook.

Joseph Shaw, Esq., Constable of Huddersfield.



PROPOSED ERECTION OF A MEMORIAL.

A meeting of the Committee appointed to make arrangements relative to the funeral, was held in the Board Room of the Improvement Commissioners, South Parade, on Thursday afternoon, for the purpose of taking steps for the erection of a Public Monument to commemorate the public and private virtues and services of the late Joseph Brook, Esq.

There were present on the occasion Joseph Shaw, Esq., Constable ; William Willans, Esq. ; Mr. Joseph Turner, Vice-chairman of the Improvement Commissioners ; Messrs. T. Brook (solicitor), T. Hayley, William Edward Hint, J ere Kaye, and James Booth.

Mr. Thos. Brook proposed “That proceedings be forthwith taken to obtain subscriptions for the erection of a monument to the memory of the late Joseph Brook, Esq.”

W. Willans, Esq. seconded the resolution, which was adopted unanimously.

Mr. Jibs Kate moved, “That as suggested at the meeting held in the Guildhall, and in order to give as many persons as possible the opportunity of subscribing, the maximum subscription be one guinea.”

Mr. Thomas Hayley seconded the proposition, which was adopted.

On the motion of Mr. Turner, seconded fay Mr. James Booth, another resolution was passed, dividing the town into eight districts, for the purpose of canvassing, and gentlemen were appointed to act as canvassers for the town and district.

The high estimation and veneration in which the deceased gentleman was held, both for his public and private virtues ; the unswerving interest he always took in the welfare and improvement of the town, which justly entitled him to the designation of “the father of Huddersfield ;” the successful efforts he made for the development of the commercial resources of the town and district, by increasing railway communication, and the incalculable benefits which have resulted from those exertions, are such, and are so well known and appreciated, that we cannot but think that among all classes the opportunity of contributing to a lasting memorial of the worth and virtue of the departed will meet with a ready and hearty response.

The public have, with a spontaneity and accord, arising from gratitude for benefits conferred, and from admiration and appreciation of the disinterested public spirit which throughout life actuated the deceased, nobly performed one portion of the duty which Mr. Brook’s death devolved upon them — that of marking their sense of his public and private worth, by following his remains to the grave, and by the other public manifestations of regret for the bereavement all have sustained by his death. Such a procession, for weight, respectability, and numerical strength, has not been seen in this district on any similar occasion since the day the remains of the late Benjamin Haigh Allen were consigned to the tomb — a man who, like Mr. Brook, had won for himself the regard of all classes by his benevolence and public spirit, and whose untimely death imparted to the occasion of his funeral a peculiar sympathy. The all but universal closing of shops and other places of business in the town on Thursday, and the thousands that congregated in the streets to honour by their presence the passage to the tomb of the remains of one whom they esteemed in life, were manifestations of feeling which few amongst us could call forth. This portion of the duty of the public was performed in a manner that must have been gratifying and satisfactory to all — and that it was particularly so to the family of the deceased, the communication we insert above affords ample proof. The other portion of the duty which the public owe to Mr. Brook’s memory has now to be performed, in response to the invitation above recorded ; and we have no doubt but that this duty will be as promptly, as generally, and as satisfactorily performed as was that of Thursday last.

If we may be pardoned for venturing a suggestion, we would ask leave to say that in our opinion the memorial to commemorate the worth of Mr. Brook ought to be a finely proportioned, but massive, Granite Obelisk. Perhaps few have had more or better opportunities than ourselves, of knowing the desire of the good old man departed to encourage a better taste in the matter of memorials for the dead, than obtained in this district before the Cemetery was opened. It was this desire that led Mr. Brook to strive so earnestly as he did for a beautiful design for the laying out of the grounds of that Cemetery, and for their appropriate planting. To elaborate ornamentation of tombs, or memorials, Mr. Brook was opposed ; but the simple and unostentatiously beautiful he regarded with delight, and would stand before such a shrine of human affection for minutes together, admiring the design, and offering the homage of sympathy to the virtues thus commemorated. In his case, we should like to see a memorial as plain and unostentatious, and yet as massive, as was his own noble person and bearing ; and withal as enduring as his virtues. In the obelisk, we have the simple but grand form symbolical of that we refer to ; and in the material proposed, granite, we have the endurance desirable.

There is also one portion of the proceedings of the Committee which we should desire to see re-considered — the limitation of the amount which an individual may subscribe. We think it should be left upon to each subscriber to give what even his feelings of esteem prompt ; and we know that in giving expression to this opinion, we are speaking for many influential parties who do not like to be restricted. For instance, yesterday, a gentleman who takes no port in public life, called on a member of the Committee, and left with him £5, in aid of the contemplated memorial. What is to be done in this case ? Is the money over £1 1s, to be returned ? If so, will not the gentleman feel offended that others should measure for him the extent of his gratitude, and not leave him to do that for himself ? What is his case will be that of many others ; and we should be glad to hear that this point has been reconsidered, and each individual left to determine for himself the amount he is inclined or can afford to give.


Funeral of Joseph Brook - Huddersfield Chronicle 24 July 1858 BL-0000167-18580724-030

Huddersfield Chronicle (29/Dec/1855) – Fatal Accident at Dungeon Wood

Fatal Accident at Dungeon Wood.

On Wednesday night, as a female named Mary Mellor, a resident of Crosland, was returning from Huddersfield to Crosland, by way of Crosland Moor, she wandered a short distance from the footpath she was proceeding on, to the edge of a stone quarry at the corner of Dungeon Wood. She fell into the quarry, and was found dead the following morning. It is somewhat remarkable that the woman was killed near to the spot where an adult male was killed about two years ago, by a stone falling upon him. The occupiers of the quarry ought to guard against accidents of the kind which has befallen Mary Mellor, by erecting proper fences to the quarry, especially as it is so near to the footpath that a person is close to the edge of the quarry without leaving the road more than one or two yards.

Manchester Guardian (02/May/1829) – Singular Accident

Singular Accident.

On the 20th ult. a poor girl of the name of Ellen Finn, who worked at Meltham Mills, near Huddersfield, met her death by a drunken man of the name Marsh squeezing her very forcibly around the waist, which caused the rupture of a blood-vessel, and she died in a few hours from the effects of his rude and brutal embrace. An inquest was held on the body, verdict — Accidental Death.

The Times (04/May/1812) – Pardon and Reward

Saturday’s Gazette offers his Majesty’s pardon and a reward of 2000l. for the conviction of the persons who shot Mr. W. Horsefall, of Marsden, near Huddersfield, on Tuesday, of which wounds he is since dead ; also 600l. reward and a pardon for the person who fired at Mr. W. Trentham, of Nottingham, on Monday evening last, as he was knocking at his own door, and wounded him in the breast ; 100l. for the persons who discharged a gun at Mr. J. Raynor, of Lenthwaite, West Riding, on the 23rd of April, the ball of which went through his hat ; 100 guineas and a pardon for the discovery of the persons who discharged a gun at Mr. E. Whitehead, Deputy Constable at Huddersfield, as he was going to bed, on the 15th inst. ; and 200l. for the conviction of the persons who, on the night of the 21st of March, fired upon the boat’s crew of his Majesty’s schooner Pioneer, after she had chased three smuggling gallies on shore between Walmer and Deal, and by which two of them escaped.


The Times (04.May.1812) - Pardon and Reward