Entries beginning Sowerby Bridge ... and The Sowerby Bridge ... are gathered together in this Sidetrack.
See
Population and
Calder Registration District
The Abattoir opened in 1879
This & associated entries use material contributed by Benjamin Brundell
This & associated entries use material contributed by Cheryl Grice
This may be another name for the Sowerby Bridge Brass Band or an
earlier band
This & associated entries use material contributed by Benjamin Brundell
Municipal public baths designed by J. H. Smethurst and built on
land bought from W. A. Nicholl.
The baths opened in 1878 with slipper baths and two swimming pools.
During winter, the baths were not used for swimming, and were known
as the Princes Hall.
Charles Dilworth was Manager here and his wife was Matron [1891].
There was a National Kitchen here [4th February 1918].
The baths were rebuilt in 1922.
The baths are still in use [2008].
In 2010, new baths were built on Station Road, on the site of the
former market
Those who have served on the Board of Guardians for Sowerby Bridge township have included
See
Sowerby Bridge Town Hall and
Sowerby Bridge Urban District Council
Until 1885, when their band room was opened on Wakefield Road, they
practised at the Oddfellows Arms and the Brown Cow.
In 1911, they won First Prize in a national contest at the Crystal
Palace, London.
See
Archibald Haigh,
Sowerby Bridge ATC Band,
Sowerby Bridge Prize Band and
Sowerby Bridge Subscription Band
This & associated entries use material contributed by Benjamin Brundell
The Rochdale Canal Act [1793] instructed the Calder and Hebble Navigation Company to build at Sowerby Bridge whatever wharves and
warehouses the Rochdale Company wanted, the latter to pay for the
space they used.
The basin and its buildings were designed and built during the late
18th / early 19th centuries as a trans-shipment depot at the junction
of the Calder & Hebble Navigation, the Rochdale Canal and the
turnpike.
In 1972, Mark Andrew and his wife Roma took the lease from
British Waterways.
The area has recently been redeveloped and a number of bars and
restaurants have been established.
This is discussed in the book
Our Home & Country.
See
Aire & Calder Navigation,
Kirkham Turn, Sowerby Bridge,
Moorings, Sowerby Bridge,
Salt Warehouse, Sowerby Bridge,
Sowerby Bridge weigh-house,
Tuel Lane Lock,
Warley Clough and
Wet Dock, Sowerby Bridge
Recorded in 1896, when
Members of the Society have included
On 16th July 1903, it was decided to closed down the society, after
the room at the Town Hall became too small for their concerts.
A group of former members established the Sowerby Bridge Musical Society
See
Joseph Greenwood and
Thomas Hoey
Price: ½d [1899, 1904].
A short time after the inauguration of the paper, William Ackroyd became sole proprietor.
It was published on Fridays between the years 1883 and 1914.
The last issue was in June 1914.
Ackroyd died later in 1914
This & associated entries use material contributed by Roger Beasley
See
John Hellewell
Recorded in 1917
at Ryburn Buildings, when James Eastwood was secretary.
See
Sowerby Bridge Constitutional Club War Memorial and
Charles Labourn Wray
This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom
In 1964, the Society took over the Luddendenfoot Industrial Co-operative Society.
In 1969, the Society went into liquidation.
The store stood on West Street
They played at White Windows.
The club disbanded in 18??.
Reformed in 1877 when they played at grounds on Walton Street.
On 28th April 1934, a new score box opened at the Ground.
See
Sowerby Bridge Church Institute Cricket Club and
John Thompson
Recorded in 1906, when
Christabel Pankhurst gave an address on Women's
Suffrage
The fire station in Hollins Mill Lane opened on 31st December
1904 – the second oldest in England.
In January 1905, a horse-drawn steam-engine – the Sowerby Bridge
Gem – was introduced at a cost of £400.
In 1928, the Gem was replaced by the motorised Ellen.
The station closed in 1991 and was superseded by Halifax Fire Station
One was established in 19??
In March 1861, the company was taken over by Sowerby Bridge Local Board of Health for the sum of £18,196.
In 1874, J. Husband was Manager.
The town produced its own gas supply until 1954.
See
Sowerby Bridge Gas Works,
Wharf Street, Sowerby Bridge and
Willow Hall Mill
Premises in West Street were built in 1904 at a cost of £5,500.
In 18??, they constructed a footbridge over the Rochdale Canal near
the Puzzle Hall Inn.
In 1861, Branch #1 was opened in Ripponden.
The premises were built [1863] on the site of what had been a smithy.
Branches were opened at
Ripponden,
Mill Bank,
Warley,
Sowerby,
Bolton Brow,
Triangle,
West Vale,
Tuel Lane,
Albert Road [1894],
and
Norland [1896].
There were stables and a slaughterhouse on Quarry Hill.
These were built on the site of the Quaker Burial Ground.
In 1918, the Society bought Kebroyd House, Ripponden.
In
June 1920
there was a strike by the employees of Society over union recognition.
On 28th July 1923, a farming experiment by the Society made a loss of
£10,089.
The Society suddenly went into voluntary liquidation in 1968.
See
Oliver Eatough,
Thomas Gill,
John Law,
George Rushworth and
Sowerby Bridge Industrial Society Limited
In 1922, the Club Steward was Whiteley Jowett of Bolton Brow
Sowerby Bridge
This & associated entries use material contributed by Linda Briggs & Alan Longbottom
It is currently used as the Police Station
The Sowerby Bridge Liberal Association Registration Office was
recorded in 1917 at the Liberal Club, Hollings Mill Lane,
when Ewart James was secretary and registration agent.
See
Sowerby Bridge Liberal Club and
Sowerby Bridge Town Hall
This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom
On 5th January 1903, the Club bought a part of Sowerby Bridge Town Hall for their new club premises at a cost of £2,600.
The premises included the Tower and all the buildings on the Hollings
Mill Lane side.
Samuel Wilkinson was involved in the design of the Club.
It was
recorded in 1917, when
it was at Hollings Mill Lane, and William H. Hall was secretary
See
Abraham Clay,
Thomas Hoey,
Edwin Meadowcroft,
Sowerby Bridge Liberal Association and
Joseph Sutcliffe
This & associated entries use material contributed by Roger Beasley & Alan Longbottom
A library was opened in 2 rooms in the Town Hall [1893].
Within a year, the membership had grown to 800.
The idea of a new library was mooted by William Ackroyd,
editor of the Sowerby Bridge Chronicle, in 1887.
In 1902, after being approached by Councillor Frank Clay, Andrew Carnegie subscribed £2,500 towards the cost of a library, on
condition that the local Council provided the site.
A plot of land in Hollings Lane had already been acquired for other
purposes, but the Local Government Board approved the site being used
for the new Library.
The architect was Mr Whitehead, the surveyor.
The new library was opened by Frank Clay and William Haigh
on Saturday 14th October 1905.
The lintel is inscribed
In 197?, the library banned The Sun newspaper on account of its
See
James Edward Ball,
John Bates Collection and
Luddenden Circulating Library
This & associated entries use material contributed by Roger Beasley & Margaret Hung
It was the first Board of Health in the Upper Calder Valley.
The first elections to the Board took place on 30th July 1856.
They commissioned a report on the water supply in the area which led
to the establishment of Cote Hill Reservoir and the Sowerby Bridge Waterworks.
In August 1893, Godfrey Rhodes & Evans, clerks to the Board, sought
to recover damages from Mr Labouchère, proprietor
of Truth, for libel when he wrote that the Board's sewerage
scheme was
The jury awarded the plaintiffs one farthing damages, with
costs to be divided.
On 31st December 1894, it was superseded by the Sowerby Bridge District Council.
See
Charles Barstow,
William Elliot,
Samuel Garnett,
Richard Hoey,
Local Board,
Henry Alexander Norris,
John Smith,
Sowerby Bridge Cemetery,
Sowerby Bridge Gas Works and
W. Wilkinson
See
Lock House, Sowerby Bridge
See
Albert Wood Lock and
Masons' marks on the Rochdale Canal
In 2010, new baths were built on the site.
See
Markets
Recorded in 1874
at Sowerby Bridge Town Hall when William Wood was Secretary.
In 1893, it was held at Ellison Memorial Junior School, Sowerby Bridge.
See
Sowerby Bridge National School and
Fred Sutcliffe
after the Sowerby Bridge Choral Society had been disbanded.
The Society's first concert took place on 5th December 1905.
William Arthur Sutcliffe was President
and J. G. Ashworth was Secretary
This & associated entries use material contributed by David Izatt
Part of Sowerby Bridge Town Hall was used as the first Police Station in the town.
Between 1863-1864, Wharf House was leased to
the West Riding Constabulary for use as a Police Station.
A purpose-built Police Station was constructed in 1894.
It is a Gothic style building.
It is now a doctors' surgery
The 1930s building which is currently used as the Police
Station – at the junction of Norland Road and Station Road – was
formerly the Labour Exchange.
In September 2012, this was one of a number of local police stations
which were to be closed and sold off in order to cut costs.
In July 2017, the property was sold at auction for £255,000.
In October 2018, proposals were submitted to convert the building
into multiple-occupancy accommodation.
Postmasters/mistresses have included
A new Office was built on Station Road and opened on 3rd September
1923.
Around 1990, the Office closed and postal services were available at
a shop in Wharf Street.
The Station Road building is now used as commercial premises
Mrs Emily Helm Eastwood [1856-1918] – mother of Albert Henry Eastwood – was recorded at at Sowerby Bridge sub-post
office at 2 Wakefield Road, Sowerby Bridge [1916]
Recorded in 1934, when
they were shown as winners of
This may be another name for the Sowerby Bridge Brass Band
This & associated entries use material contributed by Benjamin Brundell
In 1900, H. P. Kendall was elected President.
Other elected officials included
John Corrin Bell,
William Henry Gibson,
and
Albert Wood
This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom
The individual arches have been used for several purposes, including
a pub
It was built in 1838 as the
Around 1870/1880s, it became the goods office for the new goods yard
when the old Sowerby Bridge station closed and was
demolished, and the new station was built on Station Road [1876].
It has been suggested that Branwell Brontë worked here [around
1840].
An 1845 directory, suggests that the station staff were:
The building has subsequently been occupied by small businesses.
See
Sowerby Bridge Goods Office 1939
This & associated entries use material contributed by !Andy, Ivan Birch & David Cant
See
C. W. S Union Flour Mills, Sowerby Bridge,
Coal Drops, Sowerby Bridge,
Charles Cornwell,
George Hartley,
Motor Train and
Royal Hotel, Sowerby Bridge
This & associated entries use material contributed by David Greaves & ROOTSCHAT
See
Mark Andrew
This & associated entries use material contributed by Derrick Habergham
In 1978, it was fixed as the first Saturday and Sunday in September.
It is now a major tourist attraction for the Sowerby Bridge and
Ryburn Valley and is spread over 3 days.
The participants gather on the Friday evening to complete the
decoration of the rush-cart by early Saturday morning.
The cart is thatched with 500 bundles of plaited rushes.
When loaded with rushes, the cart is 16 ft high, weighs 18 cwt and is
pulled by 60 men wearing white shirts, black trousers, panama hats
and clogs.
10 brake-men wearing rubber-soled clogs stand behind the cart in
order to control the cart as it goes downhill.
The procession – accompanied by various bands of supporters,
clog-dancers, and musicians – moves from St John's Church, Warley
to Sowerby Bridge and Sowerby.
En route, there are stops at each church to distribute the rushes,
and stops at the pubs when the beer-carriers receive pints and take
them to the men who pull the cart.
The cart reaches Sowerby on Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning, a service is held at St Peter's Church, Sowerby.
The procession then moves along the hill tops – Cottonstones, Mill Bank, Triangle and up the Ryburn Valley, terminating at St Bartholomew's Church and the Old Bridge Inn in Ripponden
See
Edward Ernest Pollit,
Sowerby Bridge Board School,
Tuel Lane Board School and
James Wood
The stables and the slaughterhouse for the Sowerby Bridge Industrial Society Limited were built on the site of the Quaker Burial Ground.
The Halifax Guardian [Saturday, 5th September 1868] published
the charges introduced by Sowerby Bridge Local Board,
Slaughterhouse Committee
The buildings were demolished in the 1960s.
The site is now grassed over
This & associated entries use material contributed by Derrick Habergham
This may be another name for the Sowerby Bridge Brass Band or an
earlier band
This & associated entries use material contributed by Benjamin Brundell
See
Reginald Hartley Wilkinson
On 15th August 1889, the Company was voluntarily wound-up
This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom
See
Public Library & Technical Institute, Sowerby Bridge
The building was designed by Perkin & Backhouse of Leeds for
the Sowerby Bridge Town Hall Company.
The foundation stone was laid on Whit Monday 1856 by Sir Henry Edwards.
The building opened on
30th September 1857.
At the opening ceremony, a performance of Haydn's Creation was
presented in the public hall with Mrs Sunderland.
It comprised offices, reading room, library, reception rooms,
kitchens and cellars.
The wing on Hollins Mill Lane had a large auditorium [67 ft by 46 ft]
accommodating 700 people.
It was built by the Sowerby Bridge Town Hall Company who
hoped that the new Sowerby Bridge Council would buy the building
from them – this did not happen – and the Hall was never the Town
Hall.
The clock was installed by public subscription in 1863 as a memorial
to the Crimean War.
The building has been used as a police station, a cinema, and
a roller-skating rink.
In 1864, a Post Office opened in the building.
The Town Hall Tavern was built next door.
In 1874, Sowerby Bridge Mechanics' Institute was here.
Geoffrey Emmanuel Mitchell sold the property to Lloyds Bank, but the clock was bought by public subscription and is
the property of the people of Sowerby Bridge.
In 1894, a library was opened in the building.
On 5th January 1903, Sowerby Bridge Liberal Club bought the Town
Hall for their new club premises at a cost of £2,600.
Between 1903 and 193?, it was used by the Sowerby Bridge Liberal Association.
It was then used by the YMCA.
It was unoccupied in the 1950s.
On 19th November 1963, the wing on Hollins Mill Lane was demolished.
Since that time, the rest of the building has been a branch of
Lloyds Bank.
See
Joseph Greenwood,
Sowerby Bridge Baptist Church,
Borough of Sowerby Bridge and
Sowerby Bridge Urban District Council
This & associated entries use material contributed by Jenny Gill & Derrick Habergham
It was hoped that the new Sowerby Bridge Council would buy the
building from them – but this did not happen – and the Hall was
never the Town Hall.
Officers of the Company have included
This & associated entries use material contributed by Jenny Gill
In 1899, the clubs of Sowerby Bridge and district decided to
amalgamate and establish themselves as brewers and wine and spirit
merchants, their intention being to chiefly supply clubs.
They also traded with other outlets such as hotel proprietors.
The company was registered in 1900.
Partners included
Joseph Whiteley [a Ripponden joiner],
William Noble [an engineer of Sowerby Bridge],
Tim Helliwell [a farmer of Finkle Street, Sowerby],
William H. Parker [a warehouseman of Triangle],
Joseph Barrett [gent of Luddenden],
William Bairstow [a mechanic of Halifax],
and
William E. Dyson.
They took over the brewery of Cotton & Wood.
They bought Hanging Lee Mill, Ripponden.
Around 1922-1925, when brewing became unprofitable, the company was
dissolved.
It became Ripponden Free Brewery Company Limited.
The Brewery is discussed in the book
Halifax Pubs
This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom & Peter Robinson
Officers of the Society have included
On 2nd September 1905, shareholders decided to offer the mills and
business to the Co-operative Wholesale Society at 25/- per
share.
Recorded in 1912, when
they were advertising their well-known and popular flours
In 1857, the company who had built Sowerby Bridge Town Hall hoped
that the Council would buy the building from them – but they didn't.
In 1900, the County Council granted their request to divide the
district into wards.
On 29th March 1926, the final meeting was held of Sowerby Bridge District Council.
In 1926, the union of Sowerby and Sowerby Bridge
resulted in the formation of Sowerby Urban District Council.
In 1937, this was changed to Sowerby Bridge Urban District
Council because of possible confusion with the name of the
village of Sowerby in north Yorkshire.
In 1937, Luddendenfoot, Norland and a part of Midgley, joined
the new Sowerby Bridge Urban District Council.
On 1st April 1939, Midgley became a ward of Sowerby Bridge Urban
District Council.
It was incorporated into Calderdale MBC in 1974.
People connected with the Council have included
See
Brow Hike, Sowerby Bridge,
Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale,
Luddendenfoot Local Board,
Midgley Urban District Council,
Borough of Sowerby Bridge and
Urban District Council
This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom
Sowerby Bridge Ref 29-S169 
Sowerby Bridge Abattoir Ref 29-S399 Sowerby Bridge Almanack Ref 29-5 Sowerby Bridge Amateur Cricket League Ref 29-15
Sowerby Bridge ATC Band Ref 29-12 Sowerby Bridge Baths Ref 29-S1972
Sowerby Bridge, Battle of Ref 29-S494 Sowerby Bridge Board of Guardians Ref 29-S3236
Sowerby Bridge Borough Ref 29-S351 Sowerby Bridge Bowling Club Ref 29-S1509 Sowerby Bridge Boys' Brigade Ref 29-13
Sowerby Bridge Brass Band Ref 29-S438
Sowerby Bridge Burial Board Ref 29-S2394 Sowerby Bridge canal basin Ref 29-S492
Sowerby Bridge Choral Society Ref 29-S348
The Sowerby Bridge Chronicle Ref 29-S423 
Sowerby Bridge Church Institute Cricket Club Ref 29-S1487 Sowerby Bridge: Churches & Chapels Ref 29-3 Sowerby Bridge Civic Trust Ref 29-S616 Sowerby Bridge Company No. 176 Ref 29-S2199 Sowerby Bridge Conservative Club Ref 29-S3162 Sowerby Bridge constables Ref 29-S1639
Sowerby Bridge Constitutional Association & Club Ref 29-S2398 Sowerby Bridge Co-operative Society Limited Ref 29-S2173 Sowerby Bridge Council Offices Ref 29-S414
Sowerby Bridge Cricket Club Ref 29-S1492
Sowerby Bridge District Land, Building & Investment Company Limited Ref 29-S2372 Sowerby Bridge Division I.L.P. Ref 29-8
Sowerby Bridge Female Society Ref 29-S2175 Sowerby Bridge Fire Station Ref 29-S2009
Sowerby Bridge Free Library Ref 29-S3117 Sowerby Bridge Friendly Society Ref 29-S2174 Sowerby Bridge Gas Company Ref 29-S2156 Sowerby Bridge Industrial Society Limited Ref 29-S2190
Sowerby Bridge Isolation Hospital Ref 29-S635 Sowerby Bridge Knitting Committee Ref 29-7 Sowerby Bridge Labour Club Ref 29-S2405 Sowerby Bridge Labour Exchange Ref 29-S3040 Sowerby Bridge Liberal Association Ref 29-S2019 Sowerby Bridge Liberal Club Ref 29-S2167
Sowerby Bridge Library Ref 29-S1072
ERECTED AD 1905
BY THE GENEROSITY OF
ANDREW CARNEGIE Esq
excessive sexual content
Sowerby Bridge Literary & Scientific Society Ref 29-S2187 Sowerby Bridge Local Board Ref 29-S402
floated in a hole-and-corner meeting and was an instance of flagrant
jobbery
Sowerby Bridge Lock #1 Ref 29-S865 
Sowerby Bridge Lock #2 Ref 29-S820
Sowerby Bridge Madrigal Society Ref 29-S295 Sowerby Bridge Market Ref 29-S2224
Sowerby Bridge Mechanics' Institute Ref 29-S2040 Sowerby Bridge: Mills Ref 29-1 Sowerby Bridge Musical Society Ref 29-S288
for the practice of good music
Sowerby Bridge Nurses Home Ref 29-S3142 Sowerby Bridge Organ Group Ref 29-S3271
Sowerby Bridge Pig & Poultry Association Ref 29-S2176 Sowerby Bridge Police Station Ref 29-S2160
Sowerby Bridge Post Office Ref 29-S2163
Sowerby Bridge Prize Band Ref 29-S386
Sowerby Bridge Prosecution Society Ref 29-S2186 The Sowerby Bridge Public Gymnasium Ref 29-9
Sowerby Bridge: Pubs & Inns Ref 29-2 Sowerby Bridge railway arches Ref 29-S1181
Sowerby Bridge Railway Goods Office Ref 29-S3038
Station Booking Hall : Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge Railway Station Ref 29-S1984
Sowerby Bridge Rifle Club Ref 29-S2162 Sowerby Bridge Rifle Corps Ref 29-S1226 Sowerby Bridge Rotary Club Ref 29-S3580 Sowerby Bridge Rugby Club Ref 29-S3282
Sowerby Bridge rush-bearing Ref 29-S1158
Sowerby Bridge School Board Ref 29-6 Sowerby Bridge: Schools Ref 29-4 Sowerby Bridge Slaughterhouse Ref 29-10
Sowerby Bridge Station Ref 29-S341 Sowerby Bridge Subscription Band Ref 29-S558 Sowerby Bridge Swimming Club Ref 29-S3144 Sowerby Bridge Tea, Coffee, Cocoa & Refreshment House Company Ref 29-S2198 Sowerby Bridge Technical Institute Ref 29-S106 Sowerby Bridge Toll Gate Ref 29-S69
Sowerby Bridge Town Hall Ref 29-S478
Sowerby Bridge Town Hall Company Ref 29-14
Sowerby Bridge United Clubs Brewery Company Limited Ref 29-S764 Sowerby Bridge United District Flour Society Limited Ref 29-S1997
On 8th May 1915, the Society was sold to the Co-operative Wholesale
Society, Manchester for £60,000.
Snowflake
Double Biscuit
Sowerby Bridge Urban District Council Ref 29-S277 Sowerby Bridge, Vicars of Ref 29-S984 Sowerby Bridge Ward, Halifax Ref 29-S2828