Stocks
A well preserved set of stocks in the grounds of St Nicholas Parish Church,
Upper Cumberworth. They consist of two pointed stone pillars with slots for oak beams below. St. Nicholas's was mentioned in the Chartulary of St. John of Pontefract in 1299. During Oliver Cromwell's 'Commonwealth' its incumbent was a priest who had fled troubles in his diocese in Ireland. In 1651 he wrote "But you shall know that I am not altogether idle for I pray and preach every Sunday at a place in the mountains called Cumberworth".
The Commercial Inn
Now a private house, the Commercial Inn once served customers travelling along the once busy turnpike road through the village. It operated from at least the 1850s and apart from watering and feeding customers had several other functions. In April 1855 an inquest was held there on a 7 year old local girl, Amelia Woodhead. Her mother, Sarah Woodhead, a charwoman, had left her and her 4 year old sister alone at home on day. The younger girl had lit a taper which dropped to the ground but Amelia's apron caught light. The girl died from burns and a verdict of "Accidentally burnt" was recorded.
Then in April 1896 coroner Major Tom Taylor conducted an inquest on a local couple found dead in bed together. They were George Kaye, 74, shoemaker and his wife Caroline, 75. William Kaye of Shepley gave evidence about his father and step mother, saying his father had been ill and unable to work for several months. A year or more previously his father had been so ill and weak that he went into Deanhouse Workhouse but regained some of his health there and returned home to Cumberworth. Mrs Kaye was both lame and very stout. She claimed she had dropsy and was virtually bed ridden. The couple only received 5 shillings a week in poor relief. One morning Mr Kaye told farmer's wife and neighbour, Ann Firth, that his wife had fallen out of bed and soon afterwards both were found dead in bed by Ives Smith, gardener, and Herman Brownhill, landlord of the Commercial Inn, who had knocked on their door several times, and getting no response, eventually broke in through a window. The inquest jury found that the couple were "found dead in bed from natural causes aggravated by their own neglect".
Auctions were also held at the inn, for instance that of a "valuable freehold property" on 25th April 1896 and of several cottages in November 1872.
Then in January 1874 the Inn, described as being "very desirable and old established, for many years occupied by Mr Hezekiah Tinker, who is now retiring from business...….situated in a good position on the turnpike road, in capital repair and doing a good business" was advertised to let in the "Huddersfield Chronicle". The adjoining farm, consisting of 23 acres, 2 barns, several large mistals, a cartshed, pigstyes and other outbuildings in an enclosed yard was likewise to let.
Evidently the inn attracted new tenants. In November 1891 two men, millhands James Morton and Samuel Lauder, were fined for drinking there after hours. They claimed another man had bought their pints but they had not tasted them. Mary Blacker was named as the landlady at that time.
Tragedy struck the landlord of the inn, Mr A. Woodhouse, in November 1915 when it was reported that his son, Private Hildred Woodhouse, had been killed when a battlefield trench collapsed in France. He was only 19 and had been recruited to the 10th West Riding Regiment the previous September at the very start of the War.
The pub was later owned by Seth Senior and Sons but in June 1933 the West Riding Compensation Authority refused to renew its licence along with that of almost 30 other similar public houses.