The Feud between Sir Henry Edwards & J. E. Wainhouse

Sir Henry Edwards and J. E. Wainhouse were neighbours and owned much land and property in the King Cross and Pye Nest areas of Halifax.

Wainhouse – who was described as intellectual and literary – was Chairman of the Skircoat Board of Surveyors with responsibility for the highways in the district.

Starting around 1874, there were several examples of rivalry and disagreement between the two men, a situation which the Halifax Guardian described as an uncivil war

• Wainhouse was a noted pamphleteer and wrote several pamphlets criticising Edwards and his family
• In his pamphlet entitled The Only County Family, Wainhouse questioned Edwards's use of his Coat of Arms, claiming that he – and his brother, J. P. Edwards – had used the Arms before he was created Baronet
• Wainhouse accused Edwards of interfering with a public well in Darcey Hey Lane
• In 1876, the Cockett Stream, Darcey Hey Lane was blocked. The hessian sacking which caused the obstruction was found to be marked with Edwards's trade mark. Wainhouse lampooned Edwards over the incident in a verse entitled Cockett and his Ghost
• In return, Edwards prosecuted Wainhouse and the Skircoat Surveyors for obstructing the highway. Wainhouse said that, as a JP and Chairman of the Court, Edwards should retire from the room. Edwards refused and an unpleasant scene ensued
• At one point, Edwards feared for his life and said

  I may have to take out a Peace Warrant. I have long considered my life in danger and especially since [Wainhouse's] attitude in Court

• Edwards was against pollution – see Canal Mills, Sowerby Bridge. Wainhouse accused Edwards of reporting Henry Mossman to the Inspector of West Riding Smoke Prevention Association for the emission of smoke from the Washer Lane Dye Works
• The Surveyor of Skircoat, John Collinge, accused Edwards of having undermined and destroyed a water course and began to dig in search of the water. Edwards believed the Surveyor's excavations were illegal and began a suit in Chancery. The verdict went against Edwards who then presented Collinge with a bill for £420 legal fees
• The Surveyors of Skircoat asked Edwards to prune some trees which were causing a nuisance. Edwards refused until he was ready to do the work. Wainhouse took legal action to enforce the pruning
• Edwards published a handbill stating

  These trees as far as Willowfield Lodge, as well as those on the right hand side of the road in Washer Lane, part of the Pye Nest Estate, facing the dye-works and cottages (in course of erection) have been marked under the Superintendent of the working Surveyor of Skircoat, by order of J. E. Wainhouse, chairman of the Board of Surveyors, as being an annoyance to the public. Any person found destroying this Bill will be prosecuted. Dated November 25th 1876

  Wainhouse was reported to have defaced and destroyed one of the bills and Edwards took legal action against him. Wainhouse was ordered to pay 1d damages and 8/7d costs, or to be imprisoned at Wakefield for 10 days

The two men appear to have become reconciled before their deaths

Page Ref: E28_2

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