Halifax Recollections
Halifax Lanes & Yards: Bell’s School, Water Lane & Old Cock Yard (1921)
From a 1921 Halifax Guardian article
Bell’s School
My recent reference to Bell’s School, through the portals of which many prominent citizens of Halifax have passed, have aroused a good deal of interest, and have brought to light the fact that there is still alive a scholar who attended this place of learning as long ago as 1839. He is Mr. James Hill, of Cambridge-place, Siddal, who will be 87 years of age next month, and who is probably the oldest of the Bell’s School scholars who still survive. Mr. Hill has a wonderfully keen memory, and was able to give me some interesting information concerning the Halifax of his day.
Bell’s School, he says, was formerly a Sunday school connected with Holy Trinity Church, situated behind Waterhouse Charity in Harrison-road, and at the time he attended, a Mr. Blanchard was the schoolmaster.
Mr. Hill’s Family History
For 52 years Mr. Hill was a resident in Winding-road, where his father, Thomas Hill, was engaged in the business of pawn-broker. James was born in Water-lane in 1834. He can well remember the stories of his grandfather and grandmother, which carry the history of Halifax back about two hundred years ago.
Water lane & Cut lane
“Cut”-lane was the name by which Water-lane was known in the old days, no doubt on account of the road leading down to the Canal, which was always known as “the cut.”
Cut-lane was quite a different thoroughfare from the present dingy road under the railway. Gloomy arches and goods depots and railway offices have supplanted green fields and gardens. It may be claimed that in Cut-lane the oldest mechanical engineer’s place of business was situated—Messrs. Binns Bros. The power was supplied by a water-wheel which is still in existence. Besides a water-wheel there was a celebrated well, which supplied the inhabitants of Caddyfield with water long before the period of water-taps, when fetching water was part of the day’s routine. A well-known water carrier of her day was Mary Swaine, who used to place the cans full of water on herhead and carry them to her neighbours at a penny a time.
Water Lane - Cut Lane
Caddyfield Industries
Many other methods of gaining a livelihood were in force in the neighbourhood of Caddyfield. Where now stands the mill called “Smeeton’s” was formerly a brickyard, where “Peggy Mitchell” carried on the process of moulding clay into hand-made bricks. The dyeing industry also flourished in Cut-lane, and was carried on by Tom Booth.
Another resident, Isaac Williamson, helped to eke out an existence by ferret-keeping and dealing in wild birds.
A Disappointing Prize Fight
Isaac had a son, Charlie, a big man, who excelled in the art of boxing, but was knocked out in an encounter with a Huddersfield man. When the fight took place, residents of the neighbourhood of Caddyfield placed the whole of their earnings on Charlie, so confident were they. Their hopes were dashed to the ground, and bitter was their disappointment when the pigeon arrived announcing the defeat of Charlie.
Cock Fighting & Transport
Cock fighting was indulged in at this period, and Joe Swaine, another resident of Cut lane, belonged to that fraternity. Still another industry was carried on by a resident of this district. A man named Cook, whose place of business was in Northgate Hotel yard, kept posthorses, and ran buses between Halifax and Bradford on the one side, and Halifax and Huddersfield on the other.
Turning from Cut lane, along Waterside, and opposite the Ship Inn, was a celebrated scholar of those days, an accountant, who was reputed to be able to cast up three rows of figures at the same time!
Ship Inn
Lilly Lane
Lilly-lane is an almost forgotten thoroughfare, which ran parallel to Cut lane. It was here where the baths of Halifax existed, since swept away by the railway company.
Slipper baths and an open-air swimming bath were erected near to Bath Parade. They were approached from both Lilly lane and also from the gates which now form the entrance to Mackintosh’s toffee works. The gate-posts to the entrance of the baths were comprised of huge whale-bones, and close by was a nice house and garden where lived the late Robt. Crossley, a relative of the founder of Dean Clough Mills, who carried on the carpet
industry at Albion Mills.
Part of this neighbourhood was called “Greasefields,” a name which probably was associated with the candle-making industry.
Jason Ward
A Busy Inn Yard
Time’s changes have had a considerable effect on other parts of the town, and not the least noticeable of these, perhaps, is the gradual transformation of the Old Cock Yard.
The Old Cock, in the days gone by, shared with the Union Cross Inn a considerable importance. The Old Cock was the headquarters of the wool industry, and the piece trade in days before the opening of the old Piece Hall, now but a parody of its former glory. The yard adjoining the inn was an extensive place, and often presented a busy appearance in the days that have passed. Cloth-makers and merchants utilised it considerably for the transaction of business, and had rooms in the old woollen warehouses that were erected there.
Old Cock Yard Merchants
Thomas Ramsden, the father of the present M.P. for Elland, had a warehouse in the Old Cock Yard before he became a brewer, while other merchants and tradesmen on a large scale, who had warehouses in the Old Cock Yard were Mr. Farrar, Mr. W. C. Hebden, Mr. Robt. Hartley, Mr. Stead, and Mr. Stansfield.
A portion of the yard, too, was occupied by a Sowerby Bridge carrier named Jackson, who brought goods into Halifax which had been shipped from Hull to the Wharf, at Sowerby Bridge.
Old Cock Yard Industries & Infrastructure
There was also the candle-making industry carried on by Messrs. Sutcliffe and Curtis, who were engaged as wholesale grocers just above, where Pinder’s tailor’s shop is at the present time. In the Old Cock Yard one room was the office of the Surrogate, and was attended by the Vicar of Southowram (Mr. Hopel). Mr. Hopel was a tall, slender man, with silvery hair, who rode a grey horse.
Even gas making was carried on in the Old Cock Yard, and tenants in the neighbourhood were supplied with gas. The site of the present General Post Office was part of Old Cock Yard, and was occupied by the library, of which Thomas Gledhill was the librarian. He was also a schoolmaster, the school being at the top of Winding-road, now used as an auction room, and by the Spiritualists. In those days the edifice was the Sunday school connected with old Northgate End Chapel.
Northgate Chapel and Sunday School
Water Supply & Doctor Lane
Still another important concern in Old Cock Yard was a reservoir, from which certain portions of Halifax got their water supply. Close by was Doctor-lane, so called because the medical profession used in that locality. Mr. T. W. Nicholson was the landlord of the Old Cock Hotel and he it was who made his own gas. The plant consisted of two retorts and a gasholder, etc.
Linseed Growing
In the old days linseed was grown in the neighbourhood at a farm kept by a Mr. Hill, in Washer-lane. In the days when Woolshops and Winding-road contained the houses of the elite of the town, the post office was situated in Washer-lane, and where the Bowling Green Inn now stands was formerly the site of the only post office in Halifax, kept by Tabitha Bagnall. Later more commodious premises were found in Cheapside, opposite Fox Ginnel, and from there it was moved into George-street, where it now stands in Bank-wood.
The next house of importance in Halifax as a posting station was the Union Cross Inn. The building connected with this house was occupied by Joseph Hoyle, who ran a bus between Halifax and Manchester. The old and new watchmen of the night were in vogue, who at intervals announced the time and the state of the weather. These officers answered the purpose of the knocker-up of more recent days.
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