Wooldale Hall
Surprisingly this small mansion has links to some historically important military and naval events
Wooldale Hall was built around 1711 for Elihu Jackson, eldest son of Mr Henry Jackson of nearby Totties Hall. Elihu was a doctor with a large medical practice in Doncaster where he moved after living at the Hall for some years. He died in 1730 but his daughter Henrietta, his sole heiress, went on to marry William Salkeld, a London merchant, and have three daughters of her own, Katherine, Ann and Mary.
James Preston of the Royal Navy
The third daughter, Mary Salkeld, married Lieutenant James Preston (1720-1807) who had an interesting career in the Royal Navy. They married on 22nd August 1749 at Paul's Wharf, London. The Preston family had lived in Wooldale for several generations, but this James badly wanted to be an officer in the navy but had to content himself at first serving as an ordinary seaman on ships such as HMS Royal Ann and HMS Antelope, and then as a midshipman on The Swan, The Colchester and The Antelope again. However, he passed his officers' exams in 1758 and was promoted to 3rd Lieutenant. However, the Seven Years War (1756-63) between Britain and France over land possession in Canada was raging by now and James joined the HMS Trident which took part in the siege and attack on Quebec under General Wolfe in 1759. His role on 31st July 1759 was to be in charge of 4 flat bottomed landing craft, with the intention of landing troops for the assault on Quebec Heights, a steep cliff which the soldiers would have to climb to launch their attack on the city. However, this resulted in a dismal failure – several of the boats ran aground on an unknown sand bank in the river and their occupants were stranded. The whole operation faltered and the stranded boats had later to be burnt. Wolfe (pictured) was in despair and had to re-think. This he did and on 12th September a second assault was launched from further west, with James Preston again managing some of the landing craft. This time there was success, although Wolfe was killed as were 1200 French troops but only 58 British ones. Captain James Cook had made success for the British possible by accurately charting the St. Lawrence in the preceding years.
A year later, on September 8th 1760 Preston was again in charge of landing troops for the successful attack on Montreal. Afterwards he was involved in escorting ships evacuating the French troops and then had to rescue the Governor of French Canada whose ship had run aground mid river, delivering him to Commodore Swanton. After such distinguished service Preston was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant aboard the Trident and then The Hector.
Much later Preston, after residing in London for some time, returned to Wooldale Hall around 1790 applying for retirement from the navy in 1796, but this was only granted in August 1801 when he was made Commander and retired on 6 shillings a day pension. Mary died childless in July 1792 aged 71. The widowed James then got busy with his housekeeper, Ann Robinson, and had 2 sons with her, George Augustus and James out of wedlock, when he was 73 and 74 years of age. He was said to have worn his old naval cloak around the village with his young sons in miniature versions, before his own death in March 1807 aged 86.
Of his sons, the elder, George Augustus, appears to have lived off the revenue from the family's estates and lodged with the Greaves and Eastwood families around Wooldale, remaining unmarried. Younger brother, James, meanwhile ran a manufacturing business at Wooldale. The Hall at one time had a scribbling mill, dyehouse and mill dam around it, probably the business James operated, but the Hall was to let in 1827 and part of it used as a public lecture hall in 1859. By 1861 James, who married three times, was President of the New Mill Cotton Spinning Company. He had thought of selling the Hall several times but seems to have retained ownership of the Hall though parts of the estate were sold off. He died in Wooldale in 1877 and his four sons at some point left for New Zealand (or Australia in one case) after flooding practically destroyed the family's wool dying business. The Hall was then divided into 3 parts with 3 separate tenants but was up for sale at auction in May 1896 and was reportedly sold for £295 in June.
Clarence R. Yonge and the Confederate Navy
In June 1864 an appeal for work in any domestic capacity was placed in the “Huddersfield Chronicle” by a Mrs Yonge, 'wife of the late paymaster of “The Alabama”, being left destitute in this country', with replies to be addressed to her at Wooldale Hall. This intriguing statement lead to some investigation about “The Alabama” which turned out to be a Confederate ship, (pictured) whose task was to raid and destroy or capture enemy Federal ships on commercial enterprises during the American Civil War. She had in fact accomplished 7 expeditionary raids across the globe in her short career when she met her fate on 19th June 1864 at the Battle of Cherbourg. She had pulled into Cherbourg for repairs but found USS “Kearsage” waiting for her when she left and Captain Semmes decided to engage in battle despite the “Kearsage's” superior size and gunnery, and, unknown to him, her metal plating beneath the planking. “The Alabama” was sunk and some of her crew killed or drowned, whilst others were rescued by boats from a neutral British cruiser in the vicinity, “The Deerhound”. A Clarence Randolph Yonge had been an officer on “The Alabama”. Was he amongst those killed leaving the lady at Wooldale Hall destitute?................
…..........well, No!! It turns out Clarence Yonge was no longer aboard by then. The ship had been built secretly in Birkenhead in 1862 but, as Britain was a neutral country, could not legally be fitted out as a warship here. So she was launched and anchored offshore and its complement of Confederate Navy officers, including Yonge as paymaster, taken out to her by boat. She then sailed for the Azores to be fitted out with canons before heading for the West Indies to begin
her career destroying enemy commercial shipping. On reaching Jamaica in January 1863 however, Captain Semmes (pictured) had Yonge court martialled for embezzlement, drunkenness and “talking with the enemy”. He was dismissed from the service and a few days later deserted.
At an investigation into the commissioning of another ship,“the Alexandra”, in Liverpool in June 1863, Yonge was scheduled to appear as key witness for the Federal Government who had raised their objections about it being built here, suspecting it was being built for the Confederates. However, at this hearing Yonge was revealed to be a thoroughly bad lot, his evidence discounted and himself completely discredited.
He had been born in Savannah, Georgia in 1833 and had relatives serving in both the Confederate and Federal navies. He had abandoned his wife and child in the States and come to England, feigning Confederate allegiance, gathering information about everyone acting on behalf of the Southern states in England and all of their secrets. He had got a commission in the Confederate Navy and joined “The Alabama” but was ignominiously dismissed for bad behaviour. On absconding in Jamaica he had bigamously married a mulatto woman there in order to possess himself of her property and brought her to Liverpool, where he had turned her adrift penniless in the streets. He had then turned spy and informer for the Federates, betraying every one of his friends and fellow officers, he was “an unmitigated villain” in fact. (He is pictured here in 1862 with other officers of "The Alabama", bottom row, 3rd from right - see photo carousel)
Yonge returned to America and was living in Baltimore in 1880 working as an office clerk. The mystery for us is how “Mrs Yonge” the abandoned second wife presumably, came to be living at Wooldale Hall.
On enquiring further it was found her full name was Mrs. Frances Yonge and she had been brought to the Holmfirth area by her husband, Clarence Yonge, who had married her claiming to be a single man, then taken her to Liverpool on pretence they were taking ship for America, but had dumped her there and absconded to America himself. Her appeal for a post brought success – in August 1864 the Board of the Huddersfield Workhouse at Birkby appointed her as nurse to the
attached hospital at a salary of £20/year with board. Her stay there was short lived, however. In late December 1864 she was unfairly blamed for failing to properly dress a female lunatic pauper for her transfer by train to the County Lunatic Asylum at Wakefield. On the train this woman was discovered to be wearing no shoes or stockings which was considered to be indecent, however, she was violent and unpredictable and had thrown her clogs out of the cab on the way to the station. Mrs Yonge was dismissed but wrote a letter to the Board refuting the accusation. However, at the Board meeting on 27th January 1865 to discuss this matter even worse aspersions were cast on her character, some quite shocking (then), she was thought to be disreputable and a replacement was quickly appointed.
Public Houses
"The Wooldale Arms"
"The Wooldale Arms" used to be called "The Lord Nelson". One early landlord was Emor Brook. In October 1843 he was organising a wrestling match between Andrew Brook of Wooldale and either William Cosley's or Adam Riding's lads for £10 a side, neither man to exceed 8st 3lb on the day. He could be contacted at the inn by letter for arrangements. In the 1840s and 50s the local Conservative Association met here. By 1869 though the property must have deteriorated and Emor was refused a licence at the County Brewster Sessions, but the following year he tried again, having spent money on improvements meanwhile. An inquest on the suicide of George French, tailor, was held here in 1874. Then, in October 1890, "The Lord Nelson", its outbuildings and two adjoining cottages were for sale at auction and were bought by Seth Senior, the Shepley brewer, for £500. Messrs S. Senior and Sons were now in charge and they straight away employed a landlady, Mrs Brook. She had to deal with the usual cases of drunkenness and refusal to quit the pub at closing time, sometimes reported in the "Huddersfield Chronicle". By the early 20th Century, though, the pub was mainly notable as the meeting and starting point of the Holmfirth, Honley and Meltham Harriers' "cub hunts", presumably fox hunts.
"The Bay Horse"
There was at least one other pub in the village, along the road just past the Co-operative is a house which was once the " Bay Horse", the adverstising board can still be seen faintly on the outside of the building along Wooldale Road and over the front of the building. This must have been one of the oldest pubs in the village as there is a date of 1691 above the door.
On Saturday 22nd January 1887 landlord Aaron Turner, who had been drinking since the previous Tuesday, left the inn to travel to Thongsbridge by train to get a haircut, his usual practice. He was seen at the station and sitting on a wall by the line but later his badly damaged body was found on the line itself after a train had passed. He was 64 and a widower. His inquest was held at "The Sycamore Inn".
Then in August 1901 the inn was mentioned in a murder case. Joe Lockwood,32, a collier of New Mill and Lewis Brown, 40, shoemaker of Fulstone, had both attended a shooting match at the inn and both had been drinking heavily. Lockwood's wife had previously lived with Brown and had 4 children by him who were now living with their mother and Lockwood. But Brown disapproved of the way they were being disciplined by Lockwood and threatened that he would put a stop to it. The two men argued and Lockwood, a quick tempered man, had his say too. That night, after visiting his lodgings to retrieve his rifle, Brown went to Lockwood's house and was shouting outside. When Lockwood opened the door, Brown shot him in the arm. Returning to his lodgings, he told a fellow lodger that he had "winged him". However, the wound was severe enough that Brown was admitted to Huddersfield Infirmary. Here he was offered, but refused, amputation. The wound turned septic and Lockwood died a week later. After the Coroner's investigation Brown was found guilty of wilful murder and sent for trial at Leeds Assizes in December. There the verdict was changed to manslaughter due to provocation but the sentence of 14 years penal servitude was somewhat severe.
We have a description of the inn in 1914 when there was an objection to the renewal of its licence on the grounds of redundancy. Superintendant Hustler gave evidence to the Licensing authorities that the inn was one of the oldest buildings in the district but the rooms were small and ill suited for the purpose of a public house, being poorly lighted too. The pub had two front doors but no back door. Although in the centre of the village, on Town Gate, few people visited as there was another public house only 100 yards away, and when the officer twice called there was no-one in the pub at all. He therefore recommended it be rendered redundant! However it still survives as a private residence, pictured here undergoing renovations.
Other Public Houses There were several other public houses in Wooldale during the 19th Century including the Mason's Arms, The Rising Sun, The White Horse, The Sycamore Inn and The White Hart Inn but these are all now long gone.
Plaque
This plaque is on Pellcot Cottage, a Grade II listed 17th century cottage and one of the oldest properties in Wooldale, which is also of interest because this type of sign dates back to the days of the Yorkshire West Riding County Council, which was abolished in 1974. The number at the base is the grid reference for that place.
School
The old school Wooldale County Primary School down Robert Lane, now a community centre, was opened in 1878 and still has ornately carved architraves over the doors showing the seperate entrances for Boys and Girls. The school closed in 1968 when a new school was built on Royds Lane.
Eli Collins and "The Holmfirth Express"
Eli Collins, the founder of “The Holmfirth Express” was born on the 25th of March 1848 to Joseph and Matilda Collins of the Gulley,
Wooldale. His father was at various times a loom weaver, a bill poster, a broker and a hotel keeper, the family moving a short way to Newtown by 1871. By the age of 13 in 1861 Eli was already described as a printer. He worked as a printer's compositor in Holmfirth, Huddersfield and Dewsbury, learning the skills that would earn him the title of master printer by 1881, by which time he was employing a man and a boy. He went into business with his brother, Samuel, and in 1886 founded “The Holmfirth Express” newspaper which he edited until his death. The paper was printed in a church like building at 54-56 Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth (pictured). It was later renamed “The Holme Valley Express" and later still was purchased by “The Huddersfield Examiner” and discontinued as a separate paper in 2009, although it makes an appearance in the Examiner's Saturday editions.
Eli had married Jane Atkinson in 1874 and the couple had seven
children together. They lived at Norridge at first but by 1901 had moved to Horsegate Hill, Wooldale and later to Eldon House, now part of the Old Bridge Hotel, in the centre of Holmfirth. Eli employed his family in his printing and newspaper business. His son, Joseph Robert was a bookkeeper and later clerk at the works, whilst daughters Mary Adelaide, Helena and Beatrice were compositors. Another son, Albert Edward, became a printer and bookbinder too. Eli himself played a part in civic affairs in Holmfirth and is mentioned heading a committee to arrange Holmfirth Feast and as chairman of a meeting of the anti-women's suffrage league. He was also on a committee to raise funds for Huddersfield Infirmary. In 1899 he had to take one customer, auctioneer John Holmes, to court for non-payment for adverts he had placed in the paper.
Eli's wife, Jane, died in December 1914 and he himself on 11th July 1927, aged 79, by which time he was living at 45 Trinity Street, Huddersfield. He is buried in St. John's churchyard, Upperthong. His son, Joseph Robert of the company Eli Collins and Co. Ltd, had died just a month earlier.
Working Men's Club
Wooldale Working Men's Club was established in 1882 when the working men of the village got together to provide themselves with a place where they could meet in the evenings to read the papers and discuss the topics of the day. Some members were not completely happy with the initial premises which were on an upper floor above a stable occupied by carter John Turner. In the early morning hours of 23rd December 1890 Mrs Sutcliffe, wife of the club keeper, who lived in an adjoining cottage, discovered a fire on the premises. She raised the alarm and villagers were able to extinguish the fire by conveying water in buckets from a nearby dam. Unfortunately a pony in the stables was suffocated by the smoke. It was thought the fire was caused by cinders from the club's stove igniting the floorboards. The incident did nothing to reassure the discontents. Then around 1896 the officers of the club began to look around for larger premises and eventually agreed to buy two adjoining cottages, but several changes were needed before they could be used as a club. The roof had to be taken down whilst two rooms were knocked into one and then a new roof erected. The resulting premises consisted of three rooms, a reading room, a games room and another for conversation and smoking. The upstairs room was large enough for lectures and social events to take place in it. The total cost of purchase and adaptation was about £192, of which £86 was raised by subscriptions from the members, of which there were about 100 at this time. Several bazaars with evening entertainments were then held to raise more money as it was said Wooldale people did not like to be in debt for long. The local Society of Friends helped out, it seems, both financially and in other ways too. The club's former stone built premises were auctioned off together with a caretaker's cottage and two adjoining dwelling houses with frontages on Little Lane and Towngate in June 1896 and were sold for £315.
The new club opened on 11th August 1897. Amongst other activities club members played in the Holme Valley Billiards League. They advertised a billiard table for sale in 1915 but were still playing in 1921 when they beat a Netherthong team twice in a row. It is thought the club closed in the 1940s.