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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Yorkshire (West Riding) => Topic started by: jennifer c on Saturday 22 March 14 14:29 GMT (UK)
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Hi, I am looking for any old map or photographic or any information on a place in Northowram called Slack End. I have it in the early census and it shows next to Shibden Hall on the 1841 census.
Jennifer
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I was surprised to discover that there's more than one Shibden Hall. The best-known one (a museum) is off the Hipperholme road out of Halifax, but there are also Upper and Lower Shibden Halls off the Bradford/Queensbury road, and I think one of these may be the one you have found. I'm not too sure where the township boundaries were, but it looks to me as though these two would have been in Northowram, and the other one wasn't.
At the Old Maps website http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ enter the co-ordinates 409004 and 428266, and on a suitably old and large-scale map you'll see Slack End on Bradford Old Road (now Swalesmoor Road), at the end of the drive to Lower Shibden Hall.
Hope that helps,
Arthur
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Thank you Arthur that is an enormous help to a southerner.
Would there have been a local Mill, brewery and Clay pit employers and would you happen to know what a Trammer did in the clay pits.
Thank you.
Jennifer
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Would there have been a local Mill, brewery and Clay pit employers and would you happen to know what a Trammer did in the clay pits.
Mills - yes. I have a map from a later date which shows Netherton Mill and Holme Field Mill a short distance to the west; I'm not sure what the precise location would be - Holdsworth? And there would probably have been others within a mile or so.
Brewery - yes. Pigot's Directory (1834) lists Joseph Stocks & Co at Shibden Head - again very close, just on the eastern edge of Ambler Thorn.
Clay pits - are you sure it isn't coal pits, of which there are quite a few nearby? Clay mining isn't something the West Riding is particularly known for. On the other hand the map shows dozens of sandstone quarries in the area - maybe someone who knows a bit about geology might be able to say whether this makes clay pits more or less likely.
Trammers are apparently young mineworkers - see http://www.rmhh.co.uk/occup/t.html
I'm learning a lot today ;)
Arthur
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A big thank you once again Arthur for all your hard work.
I have re-checked the census and it seems the trammers in Clay pit was at a brick works?
Jennifer
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Hi there are photos of the area here, scroll along and there are photos of the now derelict hall
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richboxfrenzy/4473776896/in/photostream/
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Hi, you may get some info here
http://northowram.org/history.html
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Thank you Jool, it is nice to put some meat on the bones.
Jennifer
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Depending on your knowledge of Northowram, I have a book (in PDF format) that you could download from my dropbox.
[History from @1600 to early 1900's]
Brian
Nb I will put up link tomorrow Sunday if required!
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I have re-checked the census and it seems the trammers in Clay pit was at a brick works?
According to the English Dialect Dictionary (ed. Joseph Wright; online at archive.org) a trammer was the person who looked after the wagons running on the tracks through a mine. A brick works might have had similar tracks and wagons, so maybe trammers too. Although in practice it might have been a junior position in a mine, the definition I've found doesn't mention age or seniority - it's just a description of the kind of work involved.
I'm glad others are contributing - I'm not bad with maps and directories and general Yorkshire things, but I don't have the detailed knowledge of Northowram that you seem to be getting now.
Arthur
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Thank you all for your time and kindness.
Jennifer
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As promised: Link to Northowram history including drawings.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ny8knp6mmg02kby/255YqxUPgi
Happy hunting :)
Brian
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Hi,
On Bradford Road near the junction with Swalesmoor Road there is Howcans Pottery and a place called Bricks, both of them very close to Slack End. All the places are near Holmefield Mills.
Many of the people in this area were non-conformist and many were buried at Ambler Thorne Methodist Chapel Queensbury.
Have you looked on Malcolm Bulls 'Calderdale Companion' ?
Dave
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Thank you Dave,
Unfortunately the Watson family who lived for many years at Slack End were just ordinary folk working hard for their living.
It is always great to share and receive knowledge.
Jennifer
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Clay pits - are you sure it isn't coal pits, of which there are quite a few nearby? Clay mining isn't something the West Riding is particularly known for. On the other hand the map shows dozens of sandstone quarries in the area - maybe someone who knows a bit about geology might be able to say whether this makes clay pits more or less likely.
Fire clay is often found under coal seams, so that could be an explanation perhaps.
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Hi
On Bradford Road near the junction with Swalesmoor Road there is Howcans Pottery and a place called Bricks, both of them very close to Slack End
Both brick making and pottery require clay.
Dave