Two pieces shone some light on the foundation of non-conformist churches in the area. ‘A three days’ bazaar is this week being held at the Saltaire Road Primitive Methodist Church, Shipley (right). ‘As the result of the devoted labours of recent ministers, great progress is being made by this cause, and the outlook is exceedingly bright. ‘The Church was formed in 1830 and its first home was in Westgate. Owing to increasing congregations it became necessary to remove to larger premises in Briggate. ‘The present structure, which comprises the chapel and Sunday Schools, was erected in 1872. ‘The late Sir Titus Salt, Bart., gave the site and £100, whilst he afterwards added £25 to each £75 raised by adherents to the church. ‘The building cost £6,000 and has accommodation for about 1,000 persons. The place has recently been

was used by two Baptist evangelists. ‘About 1752 Joseph Gawkroger came from Rawdon each Sunday morning to preach in the upper room of a house in the Halt, Windhill and the cause progressed to such an extent that in 1758 a number of members were dismissed from the community at Rawdon to found a church at “Bethel on the hill,” Shipley. ‘Owing to the great need for increased accommodation a new chapel – Rosse Street – was erected and opened in 1866. This chapel was built to take the place of Bethel but when the time came to remove to the new premises there was a great reluctance on the part of some of the members to leave the old place. Thirty odd of the 230 members remained at Bethel and there have been two separate churches ever since. ‘Rosse Street was built at a cost of £5,500 and with the additions which have since been made the cost has been brought up to £12,000.’

decorated and electric light has been installed. ‘The object of the bazaar is to raise sufficient to clear off the debt which has been accumulating during the past two years.’ In another article we learn: ‘Mr Alfred Cousin is preparing a history of the Shipley Rosse Street Baptist Church whose jubilee will be celebrated next June. 1691 ‘According to Mr Cousin, the Baptist cause is the oldest in Shipley. As far back as 1691 there was a licensed preaching station at Windhill, which

Non conformist tradition in Shipley area

The regular dialect column from “Owd Abe” reflected on the cold and its effect on marriage. Did ya ivver see sitch weather as we’ve hed lat’ly? By gow, it’s been a reight sneezer. O’ Pancake Tuesda’ it worn’t fit ta turn a dog aht. An’ we’ve had hed abaht six or seven week o’ this sort o’ weather. As I’m writin’ this, cronked as cloise ta t’fire as I can get, I’m nearly starved to death. Snaw an’ sleet is fallin’ ahtside as if t’sun wod nivver shine agean. Ahr Liza Ann hez been stoppin’ up wi’ a poorly relation, an’ I’ve nivver slept a wink all t’neet becos I hevn’t hed her ta sleep wi’ an’ wharm me cowd feet. Relations owtn’t ta be poorly sitch weather as this. Bud relations nivver did consider other fowk – even abaht t’time theyre poorly. Onnyhah, I couldn’t sleep al t’neet wi’aht ahr Liza Ann. Another wife I said when shoo gat home this mornin’ – “By gow, lass. If owt happens ta thee I believe I sal ha’ ta hev another wife. I could nivver keep wharm I’ bed wi’aht awther thee or some’dy else.” “That’s just what ivvery man allus says when his wife dees,” said ahr Liza Ann. “They allus mak’ a excuse o’ that sort so as they can get wed agean. It’s all bunkum, Abe.” “Well, Liza Ann,” I answered, “it wor so wi’ me gran-fatther, me uncle Tommy, me uncle Jim, ahr Harry and Bob. They all gat wed a second time becos they couldn’t keep wharm i’ bed after the’r wives deed.” “I tell tha, it’s all mooinshine, Abe. Thee gran’fatther an’ uncles, an’ brothers gat wed agean becos they wanted to get wed agean. They wanted another wife apiece. That’s all. A poor excuse is better ner noan. Men’s all alike. An’ yar family is one o’ t’warst. Getting’ wed is all they think abaht.”

“Owd Abe” on the need for a wife to warm your feet in bed at night

Wilfred Wardman, landlord of the New Inn, Windhill, was in court accused of allowing drunkenness and John Thomas Gallagher, woolcomber of Windhill, was summoned for being found drunk at that inn. Supt Keel gave evidence that he and P.C. Brown visited the New Inn at 3.30 p.m. and knocked on the back door, to which the landlord answered “Hello.” ‘On being told that it was the police, the landlord was heard to run back along the passage, it being fully five minutes before the police were admitted. ‘In the kitchen they found Gallagher, the landlord and his wife, a man and another woman. It was seen that Gallagher was undoubtedly drunk and an hour later he was seen in Shipley by the police. He told the

police that he had seen a doctor who had certified he was drunk.’ The court was told that Gallagher, a friend of the landlord, had arrived at half past two and was told it was too late to get a drink. He then went through to the kitchen where Mrs Richardson was doing some sewing for the landlord’s wife. ‘As he had a son who had been wounded and who was home on furlough, and Mrs Richardson had three sons at the Front, they became interested in conversation about the war.’ The court decided that as the landlord was supposed to show he had taken steps to prevent drunkenness on his premises, Mr Wardman should be fined £5. Mr Gallagher was fined 10s.

New Inn drunkeness brought to court

Volunteers are thankful they escaped snowy route march

It was not only “Owd Abe” who had the recent cold snap on his mind. “M.S.H,” the writer of the Volunteer Force notes said: ‘There can hardly be many of our Company who did not feel devoutly thankful last Sunday morning that there was no route march for that date. ‘Even people who are never – or hardly ever – known to duff might have been excused for unwillingness to go foot-faring through morasses of slushy snow and sheer lagoons of muddy water. ‘The one instance of which we are aware in which a good word was said for that extraordinary day was that of an officer newly over from Rhodesia who had never before seen snow falling and was enchanted with the novelty. His attention must have been so concentrated on the air that the ground escaped his notice. Spartan ‘One of the Bradford Battalions made a Spartan march to Brighouse and back. But their opinions of their experiences en route, though admirably effective when spoken, are unfortunately, such that they cannot be written here.’ The writer then turned to ‘The very interesting programme devised for next Sunday (which) should ensure a satisfactory muster of Shipley men to visit the trenches at Farnley. ‘We are to join the Wharfedale

Companies at Menston or Burley. It is hoped on both sides of Rombald’s Moor that we shall be able to realise, during the next few months, the vague suggestions of long standing, that operations should be arranged between these neighbouring units. Night manoeuvres ‘Considering that the country directly between Ilkley-Guiseley and Bingley- Shipley makes an almost ideal “terrain” for night manoeuvres, there should be little difficulty in planning and carrying out movements on a fairly extensive scale. ‘We think, too, that joint operations of this nature ought to be emphasised as a means of reminding us that we are units in a large and far-reaching organisation – in other words, of helping us to think regimentally. ‘The Ilkley, Menston and Guiseley Companies ought to be able to put up a couple of hundred men; and Shipley and Bingley should muster a nearly equivalent force. ‘If the plans ran to nothing more than an exercise in convoy running or out-post work, say along the ridge Hawksworth- Burley Wood Head, on a fairly dark night, they would afford both instructive and interesting work and furnish us with what we seldom have – an opportunity of pitting ourselves against our peers. ‘Such contests, sportingly carried through, would be worth a good deal to all the participants.’

John Pickles, a Guiseley soldier, and a 15-year-old Windhill boy were charged with stealing two overcoats from Salt School. Pickles was also charged with being absent from his regiment. Both pleaded guilty. One of the coats, valued at 35s, was sold to a man named Philip Cooper who had a business in Saltaire Road, Shipley. He paid 2s 6d for it. The other coat was in possession of the boy, who was wearing it. Navy The boy’s father told the court that the lad had never been in any trouble and that he wanted to join the navy ‘and he was prepared to let him do so if the bench set him at liberty.’ The boy was bound over for twelve months and placed under the supervision of the Probation Officer.’ Pickles had been in the army 19 months and had been sent to escort another absentee but had absented himself. He was committed to one month for the theft after which he would be handed over to the military authorities on the absenteeism charge. Laughed Shopkeeper Cooper was reprimanded by the magistrates for giving such a small value for something he knew was worth more. When he laughed on hearing this, the chairman of the bench observed: “You need not laugh; you might have found yourself in a difficult position. I hope you will take this as a warning.”

Absentee soldier and young lad on coat-stealing charge