Between the months of September and March, the Society runs a fortnightly lecture programme with talks on a wide variety of aspects of local history. These take place at the Methodist Church in Hebden Bridge (opposite the Co-op) on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7.30 pm.

Recordings of presentations are usually made available to members for two weeks after the lecture on Vimeo. Information on how to access these is sent to members when each one is available.

For reports of lectures during the last 12 months go to [Lecture Reports](/lecture-report). Reports of lectures from previous years are available in the relevant Spring [Newsletters](/newsletters). Events for the next season will appear around the beginning of September.

Reports of lectures from previous years are available in the relevant Spring [Newsletters](/newsletters).

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Privacy Policy

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**Membership benefits**  
- Free entry to lectures including access to recordings of those lectures for a short time afterwards (where the lecturer gives consent)
- Free access to the archive when open
- Borrowing rights for the archive (published items only)
- Reduced fees for research enquiries
- Free membership of Family History and other special interest groups
- Two newsletters a year with news, lecture information and short articles
- Regular email news on society and local history matters

Membership costs £15. The membership year runs from 1st September to 31 August each year. If you join after the end of the lecture season in April your membership will include the following subscription year. Renewal invitations to existing members are sent out at the end of August each year.

The information you supply is used by us in accordance with the Data Protection legislation to administer your membership of the Society. Our privacy policy is available [here](/pages/privacy-policy) or you can contact the [Membership Secretary](/contacts/membership-secretary). Your personal information will never be passed on to third parties without your consent. 

## Download the membership form:

[Download a membership form](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/raw/upload/v1661940918/Email_membership_form_2022_fe8eafeb33.doc)

##  Or pay online:


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Join the Society

**International customers**  
Please note that the shipping prices quoted below are to United Kingdom addresses only. Before ordering, please [contact us](mailto:orders@hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk) for details of shipping costs to addresses outside the United Kingdom.

**UK shipping costs**  
Prices quoted below are for individual books. Shipping costs for multiple books are calculated on checkout.

**Publications Mailing List**  
If you would like to be added to our mailing list so that we can inform you of future publications, [please click here.](/contacts/join-the-mailing-list)

**Your privacy**  
The contact information you supply when buying a publication is used by us in accordance with the Data Protection legislation to administer your purchase. Our privacy policy is available [here](/pages/privacy-policy) or you can contact the [Membership Secretary](/contacts/membership-secretary). Your personal information will never be passed on to third parties without your consent.


Browse the books published by the Society

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Publications

The archive will normally be open every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon from 2-5pm. However, this is subject to volunteer availability. Any closed days are indicated below. Numbers at each session are limited and pre-booking is required by emailing the [Archivist](/contacts/archivist-1). If possible, please indicate which documents you would like to look at. Our catalogue can be searched here:  [Catalogue search](/catalogues/hblhs-archive-catalogue).  
Non-members who wish to visit the archive are very welcome to do so but must pay a visitor’s fee of £3.00.  
It may be possible to arrange alternative visiting times if you are unable to visit at the standard opening times.

## 2024

|           |  Wednesday 2 – 5pm |  Thursday 2-5pm |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
| January   | 10th; 17th; 24th closed; 31st                   | 11th; 18th; 25th                  |
| February  | 7th; 14th; 21st; 28th                   | 1st; 8th; 15th; 22nd; 29th                   |
| March     | 6th;  13th; 20th closed; 27th                     | 7th; 14th; 16th; 21st; 28th                        |
| April     | 3rd closed; 10th closed; 17th; 24th                      | 4th; 11th; 18th; 25th closed                       |
| May       | 1st; 8th; 15th; 22nd; 29th                     | 2nd; 9th; 16th; 23rd; 30th                        |
| June      | 5th; 12th; 19th; 26th                    | 6th; 13th; 20th; 27th                   |
| July      | 3rd;  10th; 17th; 24th; 31st            | 4th; 11th; 18th; 25th                     |
| August    | 7th; 14th; 21st; 28th               | 1st; 8th; 15th; 22nd; 29th                      |
| September | 4th; 11th; 18th; 25th               | 5th; 12th; 19th; 26th                 |
| October   | 2nd; 9th; 16th; 23rd; 30th           | 3rd; 10th; 17th; 24th; 31st                    |
| November  | 6th; 13th; 20th; 27th            | 7th; 14th; 21st; 28th                   |
| December  | 4th; 11th; 18th; 25th closed                | 5th; 12th; 19th; 26th closed                |


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Visit our archive

The Society will do its best to answer queries about the history of the Upper Calder Valley using the expertise of members and our archive but cannot guarantee to provide a complete or satisfactory result. The Society does not accept any liability for the accuracy or completeness of information provided.

There is a nominal charge for queries of £2 for members of the Society and £5 for non members. These sums go towards helping to maintain the Archive. Your request may be submitted using the form below which will take you to our shop for payment. Unfortunately we are unable to answer any queries for which payment has not been received.

It may be possible to supply copies of documents by email or post subject to the completion of a copyright declaration form. Basic digital copies are free. Photocopies are charged at 10p per page and £1 for postage. These charges are additional to the query charge


## Information request

Please follow the links below. When you click to submit the form you will be then asked to make a payment of £5 for non-members or £2 for members.

The information you supply is used by us in accordance with the Data Protection legislation to administer your enquiry. Our privacy policy is available [here](/pages/privacy-policy) or you can contact the [Membership Secretary](/contacts/membership-secretary). Your personal information will never be passed on to third parties without your consent. We would like to keep your information on file to keep you updated on this query and to let you know about other information that may be of interest. Please select Yes in the cart summary if you consent.

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Research service

The Family History Group is a sub-group of the Hebden Bridge Local History Society and meets regularly at the Birchcliffe Centre to further our knowledge of the people who live and have lived in the Upper Calder Valley. We also are happy to help local people who are researching their own families in different parts of the country.

The aim of the group is to promote and assist the study of genealogy and family history, the prime interest being the study of people and where they lived. We do this by:
- offering members an opportunity to meet like-minded people locally and to share their interests, resources and experience
- helping people with online research sources and we welcome visitors to our drop in sessions for this purpose. We have access to genealogy and other resources. More experienced members are always needed to help at these sessions.
- building up a database of local families and welcome any contributions to this. There are a number of surnames local to the Upper Calder valley such as Greenwood and Sutcliffe.
- welcoming visitors from other parts of the country and from abroad, who are researching families that originated in this area. 


**Meetings 2023**

Meetings are usually held on the Thursday afternoons between 2pm and 5pm at the Birchcliffe centre. There is a visitor's charge of £3. Numbers at each session are limited and pre-booking is essential to ensure that there is a volunteer available to help with your enquiry.  If you are not able to visit on a Thursday please let us and we may be able to arrange for you to visit on another day.

You can book by using the [contact form](/contacts/family-history-session-bookings). Please also use this contact form for further information about the Family History Group.

**Research enquiries**

We try to answer research enquiries from people who are unable to visit us. Enquiries can be submitted via our [Research Service](research-service) for a small fee.

**Monumental inscriptions**

We have now completed transcribing the gravestones in the Heptonstall Old Churchyard which has taken several years. It was an enormous task, especially when working on the older graves. The results can be accessed on the [Monumental inscriptions](monumental-inscriptions) page. Another team has transcribed the graves in the ‘new’ churchyard and these are also accessible on the same page. All these transcriptions can also be found on the [Calderdale Family History Society](https://www.cfhsweb.com/index/select/). We hope to continue the task in other local graveyards.


Family history articles from HBLHS Newsletters

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Family history

For some years now a small group of friends has been exploring the evidence for prehistoric activity in the South Pennines, roughly from the M62 up to the Stanbury-Colne road and from the main Pennine watershed in the west across to the urban fringe in the east. There is no particular prehistoric or archaeological significance in these boundaries, this is simply the present extent of our fieldwork.

The images below illustrate some of the features we have examined. Below the images are articles and updates that provide summaries of our work over the years.

![Arrowhead](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648910930/Arrowhead_a416f2f455.jpg#medium)

Arrowhead: a typical barbed and tanged arrow-tip from the early bronze age. It would have been fixed to the shaft using wool twine and birch bark glue. This one seems to be made from grey Wolds flint – flint does not occur naturally in the South Pennines and was traded across country. These arrowheads are often found damaged from use. This undamaged one, from Midgley Moor, may be a hunting loss or a ritual deposition.

![Millers Grave](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911057/Millers_Grave_d11ae23650.jpg#medium)

Miller's Grave: a singular feature. The name is modern but the thing itself is prehistoric. 
The central element, either two slabs of rock close together or one that has split, has been surrounded and concealed from view by a substantial bank of earth and stones. Robin Hood’s Penny Stone – another modern name for a much older feature – can be seen on the skyline.

![Letterstones](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911126/Letterstones_53d1b9f460.jpg#medium)

Letterstones: Prominent stone overlooking Green Withens valley and oriented toward where the sun rises in November and again in February marking the pre-Christian festivals of Samain and Imbolc (which were later adopted and adapted as All Souls and Candlemas), essentially straddling winter and denoting the end of the harvest season and the coming of spring.

![Linear feature, Widdop](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911192/Linear_feature_Widdop_5927d5b8eb.jpg#medium)

Linear feature, Widdop: a curious wall of erect slabs curving down the valley side edging a one-time re-entrant. The reservoir water here, as elsewhere, has stripped off the peat and soil to leave the prehistoric land surface exposed. Where erosion has continued the slabs have fallen over. This linear feature may have been a ritual boundary or the basis for a stock-proof barrier to keep animals away from the stream people were using.

![The Gorple Dagger](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911298/The_Gorple_Dagger_286beb338c.jpg#medium)

The Gorple Dagger: a high status, prestige item which would have been worn for show. The flint dagger is a copy of early bronze forms and would have had a handle of decorated bone, horn or wood. This is one of the best examples in the country and is similar to north European forms. It was found adjacent to a washed-out burial on the shore of Upper Gorple Reservoir. The acid soils of the South Pennine uplands have destroyed many traces of prehistoric people; bone, wood, leather, horn, textile and ceramic are very unlikely to survive.

![Recording rock art](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911387/Recording_rock_art_2_55880f2956.jpg#medium)

Recording rock art: a camera-on-a-stick is being used to take a vertical photo (as an alternative to making a scale drawing in the field)

![Standing stone, Heptonstall](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911478/Standing_stone_Heptonstall_aecbb9e0c9.jpg#medium)

Standing stone, Heptonstall: sited just above the break of slope, and now incorporated into a wall, this stone may well have a stellar reference. There are several stones that appear to point to a position on the horizon too far south of east for the sun or moon. In fact they all indicate a place where the constellation Capricornus rose in 1500BC.

![Cupmarks, Higher Moor](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911643/Cupmarks_Higher_Moor_d56f5cfba2.jpg#medium)

Cupmarks, Higher Moor: just south of Stoodley Pike. The cup-marks - the circular depressions – are a common form of prehistoric rock art. These cups seem to have been placed in a particular configuration.

![Midwinter sunrise](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911748/Midwinter_sunrise_ac53012722.jpg#medium)

Midwinter sunrise: From Robin Hood’s Penny Stone the midwinter sun appears to rise out of the Miller’s Grave. This kind of alignment to significant solar and lunar events is quite common in prehistoric features and is unlikely to have occurred by chance here.

![Robin Hood's Penny Stone](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648911839/Robin_Hood_s_Penny_Stone_9104094c9d.jpg#medium)

Robin Hood's Penny Stone: a large block of a gritstone called Huddersfield White Rock. HWR outcrops further down the moor and this stone may have been moved some 300m to its present position

![Barrow, Ridge](https://res.cloudinary.com/hhdifljso/image/upload/v1648910930/Barrow_Ridge_5f9741d9f4.jpg#medium)

Barrow, Ridge: a turf-covered mound of stones with a ditch around it. Another form of prehistoric burial.


Evidence of prehistoric activity in the South Pennines

Articles and updates

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Prehistory Group

From generation to generation, people pass on their own ways of doing things to families, friends, colleagues and anyone they spend time with. These fragments of their culture can include all sorts of information - how to dress, games and rhymes, customs to keep around the house or community, what seasonal festivals to observe and how, sayings and expressions and much more.

This body of acquired knowledge can be thought of as cultural tradition, and varies from place to place, helping to foster a sense of identity from family to village to school or larger unit, such as a country. It is more widely known under the name of folklore.

John Billingsley collates the folklore side of local history for the society. The Folklore Section covers the everyday customs and expressions of local people as well as the stories they tell and the customs they observe. We would invite anyone to share folkloric memories or documentary material on the folklore of our area, either for publication here or for inclusion in our expanding database. Please contact John through the [Society Secretary](/contacts/secretary).
 
John has been involved with local folklore for thirty years, as a speaker and writer, and as a tutor for Bradford University’s Lifelong Learning Department. He also leads guided walks with strong folkloric content for Calderdale Heritage Walks and is the author and editor of several books, as well as the ‘new antiquarian’ magazine, Northern Earth (www.northernearth.co.uk). Readers wishing to follow up local folklore may find the titles below of interest:
- A Stony Gaze: Investigating Celtic and other stone heads. Capall Bann 1998
- Charming Calderdale. Signs and customs used to protect the home folk-magically. Northern Earth 2020
- Folk Tales from Calderdale. Place legends and their context. Northern Earth, 2007
- Hood, Head & Hag: Further folk tales from Calderdale. Special focus on Robin Hood, the severed head motif and witchcraft. Northern Earth, 2011
- West Yorkshire Folk Tales. History Press, 2010
- The Mixenden Treasure: A true tale of magic in 16th-century W Yorkshire. Northern Earth, 2009

Below are articles, including photographs, that offer a flavour of the stories that are still told in Calderdale communities in the surrounding areas.




Articles

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Folklore

THIS PAGE IS HERE JUST FOR THE INFO TO PLACE ON THE HOMEPAGE. DO NOT ADD TO OR AMEND

Our Newsletters are usually published in September and April, at the start and the end of the lecture season

Newsletter Archive

Through our lecture programme, archive collections, special interest groups and publications, we offer a variety of ways to enhance your knowledge of the history of the Upper Calder Valley.

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Welcome to Hebden Bridge Local History Society

‘The Show Must Go On!’ is a call that goes to the heart of live theatre – and in the case of Hebden Bridge Little Theatre, it has ‘gone on’ with hardly a pause for one hundred years. To help celebrate its centenary, Vaughan Leslie has been working to digitise the memorabilia, from programmes and reviews to  set designs and cast photographs. The result is a comprehensive Centenary Album, a digital archive and an exhibition at the Town Hall throughout May. Members of Hebden Bridge Local History Society had the chance to hear the story from Vaughan, a long time member of the Little Theatre, with many acting and directing performances under his belt.

The theatre started modestly in 1924, when members of the Literary and Scientific Society decided to move from reading to performance, for just two nights at the Co-operative Hall. This became an annual event with healthy audiences. 

It was a rather nomadic society, and its longevity lies in the enthusiastic members rather than a building. They experimented with productions in the new Picture House, before moving in 1931 into the band pavilion in Calder Holmes park, carrying 200 chairs from the nearby Grammar School for performances. But there was a tremendous appetite for theatre in the town with total attendances for a season rising from 3000 to 9000 between 1931 and 1935. At this time the suitably dramatic logo was designed, by Jimmy Henderson, one of the founders. It depicts Art rising from Industry, and still retains its impact.

But this didn’t mean security; in 1935, the council decided to use the space for a recreation ground, and the Little Theatre was evicted. They eventually found a home on the ground floor of the Trades Club, which was converted into a 300 seat theatre. For the first time they were able to have scenery, and set-design grew more ambitious.

In 1939, it must have seemed as if it was all about to be snatched away again, but the Government encouraged theatres to stay open, to boost morale. Attendances during the war averaged 9000 per year, with some poignant notices about the necessity for gas masks, and absolving the company from responsibility for damage from enemy action. 

The Ground Floor remained their home until 1977, but high costs meant that the Little Theatre was on the move again, eventually raising the money to build a new theatre opened in 1983, in old garage premises on Holme Street. The intimacy of this tiny theatre brought the audience very close to the action; the first row took cover before a bayonet charge in a production of Oh What a Lovely War!

The final stage in the story of the Little Theatre came when the tiny Garage Theatre was subject to an arson attack, and the members again took upon themselves the daunting task of building a new theatre. The result of heroic efforts is the Little Theatre more or less at it now stands – a permanent home and tribute to the spirit of all those who loved the theatre over the century. Vaughan paid special tribute to the late Ray Riches, who epitomised that spirit.


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Hebden Bridge Little Theatre: an illustrated history 1924 - 2024

Barack Obama’s ‘A Promised Land’ led Mike Crawford to reflect on the parallels between the frenzied and polarised politics of 21st century USA and the political hysteria of late 17th Century England. Two local men, George Savile and John Tillotson were moderates who struggled to navigate extremism, and to maintain their principles, positions of power, and loyalty to their friends.

George Savile was part of the aristocracy of England, born at Thornhill, near Dewsbury, in 1633 and losing his father, a staunch royalist, in the Civil War. After the Restoration of the monarchy, Savile was rewarded by Charles II and made Viscount Halifax, rising to prominence in government.

John Tillotson was a contemporary but came from different stock, born in 1630 at Haugh End, Sowerby, the son of a respectable clothier. He was educated at Colne Grammar School, and developed Presbyterian ideals, conflicting with the established Anglican faith. Tillotson’s style was non-confrontational. He did not opt for the passionate tirade, but preached with reason. He became one of the leading thinkers in London, as Dean, and eventually, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Both men were pursuing their careers in a time of political frenzy, with both Protestant dissenters and Roman Catholics subject to harsh penal laws. But fear of a Catholic succession in the person of Charles’ brother, James, whipped up more suspicion. 

This was brought to a head in the lurid ‘Popish Plot’ uncovered by Titus Oates. Savile walked a careful line, insisting that it should be treated as if true. Even after the ‘plotters’ were executed, Parliament felt that something more must be done and continued to whip up hatred and fear demanding a vote to exclude James from the succession. Following a line of moderation, Savile argued that James could be regent, with limited powers. When his reasoned argument won the vote, swords were drawn in Parliament, and Savile’s life threatened. 

The violent hunting out of sedition continued. Both Tillotson and Savile were loyal friends of Lord Russell when he was tried for treason, Tillotson praying with him on the scaffold. Both fell out of favour with the King, but continued to argue for reasonableness rather than dogma. Savile was unconvinced that James could do what was needed, but his objection was on the grounds of parliamentary law, not religion. Although he offered support to those wishing to remove the King, Savile did not join them in inviting William to claim the throne. But once James had fled the country, Savile gave his support to William and took charge of the government. Tillotson also played a role, using his influence with Princess Anne to secure her agreement to the succession of William and her sister Mary. 

It would be easy to join the contemporary voices who saw the survival of Savile and Tillotson as evidence of their duplicity, but they kept their heads while right at the centre of a storm, with reason and moderation...no mean feat.



Report of a talk by Mike Crawford March 27th 2024

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Yorkshire moderates during a revolution


Hollin Hey, just off Cragg road near Mytholmroyd, was one of the oldest of the houses that dot the hills around Hebden Bridge, but by the end of the nineteenth century it had moved the length of a field to its current position. David Cant, local historian and vernacular buildings specialist, followed a trail of evidence in documents and stones to tell the later history of the house. 

The old house, as recorded in both a drawing and a photograph shortly before it was demolished, was a fine stone building with some of the typical architectural details of its period, such as rounded mullion windows, finials on the roof and a door-head dated 1572. So what happened? David traced the history of the farm and buildings from when it was an auction lot in 1894. Originally on sale as two separate farms (Great and Little Hollin Hey) the lots were combined, and the estate was purchased by a Mr Edward Helliwell from Broadbottom in Mytholmroyd, for £1745. Soon after purchasing the property he applied to erect new buildings and demolish the old ones. 

Census documents show that from at least the 1840s, the two farms had been home to several households, and most occupants had not been farmers. So perhaps when Mr Helliwell planned to make Hollin Hey more productive he decided to start with a new built farm house and barn. A rare survival is a 19th century plan of part of the old building, an architect’s apprentice-piece completed just before it was demolished, full of interesting detail such as the original timbers visible inside, and a decorative twisted chimney top. The plans also reveal that the house had been split into two or more dwellings. 

Plans drawn up by Hebden Bridge architects Walsh and Wrigley show the new house and barn were designed to provide both more modern living quarters and to improve the profitability of the farm. The plan for the barn incorporates ‘mistals’ (standing places) for far more cattle than would have been kept previously.  The population growth in Halifax meant that milk production was now very profitable. The house attached to the barn also offered a more genteel style of living than the shared dwellings of the old farm. There was a living room and parlour for the family, plus a kitchen and scullery, and a second living room possibly for a housekeeper and servants. There were two sets of stairs, one to the completely separate servant quarters, the other to the family bedrooms and the great innovation of a bathroom and w.c.

The building as it now stands reveals that they were keen to maintain the links with the past as well as look to the future. The arched window mullions were replicated and stone and timbers from the demolished house re-used. The stone fireplace, the gable coping stones, and the roof finials were retained. The new owner clearly wanted to give a nod to the past in his new house – the original door head with its 1572 date is incorporated, with an added inscription ‘Rebuilt 1896 EH ‘ declaring Helliwell’s pride in the farm that moved.


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The farm that moved: Hollin Hey in Cragg


A notice in the Telegraph & Argus in May 1922 invited Jowett owners to join a day trip to Boroughbridge, followed by tea – and so the Jowett Car Club was founded. As Barbara Atack, an officer of the oldest ‘one-make’ car club in the world, told Hebden Bridge Local History Society, love for the Yorkshire car is as strong as ever. 

Barbara’s involvement with Jowett cars came in her ‘courting’ days, as she gradually shared in her husband’s love for the car. As they acquired different models – one found in a barn – working on the engines grew from a hobby to a way of life. 

Jowett Cars Limited was the brainchild of brothers Benjamin and William Jowett, who had the engineering skills and imagination to see how they could build a successful car manufacturing business in their Bradford works. Their ingenious ‘flat twin’ engine gave them the edge over their competitors in the early 1900s, and by using lighter aluminium for the bodies and making parts themselves, they produced a light car which was good on the hills. The Jowett Light Car, a two seater steered with a tiller was very popular (One of these, the oldest Jowett on the road, lives in Oxenhope.)

The first world war paused any further development of the cars, but the firm went from strength to strength with production of components for the war effort. By the end of the war they had a larger workforce and a bigger factory, at Idle, Bradford. Throughout the 1920s more models were produced including commercial vehicles, and a fleet for the London police.

Jowett Cars were imaginative promoters of the brand, with racing successes, such as crossing Africa in 60 days and publicity stunts like driving through a new sewage pipe at Esholt. They had a knack for marketing slogans such as ‘little engine with the big pull’  boasting ‘the pull of an elephant; the appetite of a canary and the docility of a lamb’.

Despite the depression, the 30s were a time of innovation and expansion, with new sleeker models along side the commercial workhorses. Again war time saw them gain orders for military supplies. The focus post-war was on exports, and the robust and reliable Bradfords were very successful. But despite this and some sparkling success of the sports model, Javelin, in the Monte Carlo and Le Mans rallies, the days of the Yorkshire car were numbered. Their body maker was taken over by Ford, who were probably not too keen on being part of a rival’s production, and so Jowett’s last car left the factory in 1954. Loyal to their customers, they kept open a spares and repairs garage to keep Jowetts on the road.

The Jowett Car Club has continued that tradition with a members’ spares shop and also regularly welcomes ex-employees to fondly inspect the collection of Jowett cars in the Bradford Industrial Museum. As for Barbara, her last bright yellow Jowett has moved to new owners, enthusiastic young Jowett Car Club members who will drive it with pride.


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Jowett: the Yorkshire car

A gathering of adults keen to listen and learn:  when Hebe Gilbert, a history teacher in Leeds, spoke to Hebden Bridge Local History Society, there was more than an echo of the 19th century community movements which opened educational opportunities to working class people. 

Private ‘dame schools’ could provide basic literacy, and Sunday schools made a considerable impact. For adults, Mechanics Institutes provided a wider technical education, but these tended to be dominated by the philanthropic middle classes. There were many obstacles facing working class people who desired an education, working long hours for poor pay: ‘dull and hopeless looking, as disconsolate as their prospects’ and yet they chose to give up the time to learn. 

Hebe’s interest was in the Mutual Improvement Societies, which were organised co-operatively and focused on members helping each other to gain the confidence and pride to learn and to communicate their ideas effectively. From the 1870s until the 1920s, Mutual Improvement Societies were crucial to the education of the working classes, with a large membership, low fees and an ethos of inclusivity and respect. 

From tentative beginnings members were given the confidence to communicate and great value was placed on speaking on subjects extempore, with increasing eloquence. For women it was different. Although some women were involved in political movements such as Chartism, there was less of a drive for education, with a fear that women would neglect their roles as home-makers and mothers. For women, time spent reading was characterised as time wasted, and hinted at moral failure.

Individual men who rose through their own efforts to positions of influence, such as the man born in a Bradford workhouse who became an Oxford professor provided role models. Seeing men like themselves writing, speaking and being listened to with admiration acted as a further motivation to seek education. 

Many of the debates which were central to the educational method focused on political ideas, and fed demands for a voice and a vote. The fear of working class emancipation was enflamed in 1819 with the attack on the crowd in Manchester, in what we remember as the Peterloo massacre. The 1832 Reform Act expanded the franchise, satisfying the demands of the middling classes who owned or rented houses, but leaving the working classes behind. Chartism gave a them voice, but was increasingly feared by the state, as protests involved direct action and strikes. The speaking skills so valued by the Mutual Improvement Societies brought working men to the fore in Radical politics, where oratory gave status to those who could effectively argue for their rights. 

One of the main tenets of the Improvement Societies was a focus on moral as well as intellectual potential: ‘the exaltation of talent above virtue was the curse of the age’ as one commentator said, leading to power without principle. At the heart of the movement were egalitarian principles and the primacy of independence of thought. Education was seen as a common inheritance and a source of nobility.




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Community led education in industrial West Yorkshire, 1820 – 1900

After the end of the Second World War, a strong feeling of ‘never again’ led to the beginning of a remarkable grassroots movement to foster friendship and understanding. Communities in towns across France and Germany formally declared themselves twin towns and took turns to welcome visitors to their homes and to explore the culture and environment of their twins. Jane Jackson, Secretary of the Hebden Bridge Twinning Society, told members of Hebden Bridge Local History Society how in 1965 Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise and Warstein were twinned, and how later in 1979 Hebden Royd twinned with St Pol and then with Warstein in 1995.

The idea of twinning is quite simple: in turn, people in one town host visitors in their own homes, and there are organised trips and more spontaneous entertainments. Twin towns often have something in common in their geography or character, but there is a structural difference between Hebden Royd and its French and German twins. The organisation of the events in Britain is the function of local volunteers, whereas in St Pol and Warstein the elected local mayor takes charge, and has both political power and a financial budget. However, over the years the Mayors and Council of Hebden Royd have been supportive and enthusiastic. Twinning visits involve some ceremonial speech-making, gift exchanges and signing of charters, but the photos show an awful lot of laughter, fun and food as well. 

Memorable events include performances by the Hebden Bridge Junior Band and an ambitious children’s football tournament in Warstein, when the Hebden Bridge team triumphed and brought home the Cup. Music is often at the heart of the celebrations, though Jane warned that an implacable fascination with the Beatles meant that bands from Hebden Bridge might have to adjust their set-list to satisfy their audiences. Parades and fancy dress often feature in Warstein, and national stereotypes can be successfully met by donning cricket whites and waving bats. In Hebden Bridge the cinema is a much-loved venue, and no visit is complete without a gathering by the old bridge. 

Walking in the countryside leads naturally to a shared interest in the environment, especially forest and nature conservation. On one occasion at a meeting in Mytholmroyd exploring Slow the Flow’s flood alleviation work, the flood warnings sounded and the hall evacuated. Visitors got a first hand demonstration of what was involved in cleaning up after heavy rain. 

During the Covid lockdowns the internet came into its own, with casual chats, discussions and on-line quizzes keeping the links alive. The themes of war and peace that inspired the movement still have relevance, and schools have worked together capturing the memories of those who recall the early post war years. There are certainly opportunities to encourage younger people to work across borders on issues that concern them, and to listen to ideas from other cultures. Sports and culture are areas where experiences and enjoyment can be shared. The Twinning groups are determined to keep their work relevant and to sow the seeds of many more lasting friendships with families in the twin towns.










A History of Town Twinning in Hebden Royd

Lecture reports

Hebden Bridge Little Theatre: an illustrated history 1924 - 2024

Yorkshire moderates during a revolution

The farm that moved: Hollin Hey in Cragg

Jowett: the Yorkshire car

Community led education in industrial West Yorkshire, 1820 – 1900

A History of Town Twinning in Hebden Royd

Tenters in the landscape: a remarkable history

Manchester Ship Canal: from Quays to Pier

The Treasures of Hebden Bridge Local History Society Archive

The melting season: inside the mind of Oliver Heywood

The early co-operative housing movement and Hebden Bridge’s part in it.