Earby & District Local History Society

[Stanley]

[Wendyf]

That's a good picture of the rear of the inn Stanley, thank you.

[elise]

Going to a slide show tonight at EDLHS, it's about pubs, my favourite subject.

[elise]

just back from slide show. Excellent!

[Wendyf]

Pleased to hear that you enjoyed it Elise.

[Wendyf]

Our next History Society talk on Tuesday 20th May is "A Gruelling Experience - Life in the Workhouse" by Peter Higginbotham.
Peter has developed the excellent website about workhouses Here. It should be a good talk.

7.30pm New Road Community Centre, Earby. £1.50 for visitors, tea & biscuits provided.

[Wendyf]

Our next talk is by one of our own members who has been researching everything about the Old Road in Thornton in Craven. The New Road Community Centre remains closed for boiler replacement so we are meeting in the Riley Street Chapel, Earby.

October 2021.jpg

[Wendyf]

Tonight at 7.30pm in Riley Street Methodist Church, Earby. All welcome.

[Stanley]

Looks interesting....
I've restored the image of the Dotcliffe Pub Wendy.

[Wendyf]

Thanks Stanley.
Vera has done a lot of research about the people who lived in the properties on Old Road, I'm looking forward to hearing the talk.

[Wendyf]

It was an interesting talk last night. Vera lives at The Rookery on Old Lane, which was originally a wool warehouse connected to Throstle Nest. This was built in he late 18th century by wealthy clothier Thomas Wilson who was a Quaker. Four generations of the family lived there until the early twentieth century when it was bought by Arthur Birley the Earby mill owner.
A Victorian Wilson was an amateur astronomer and had an observatory on the roof of the coach house at Throstle Nest with a fine telescope made by Thomas Cooke of York (who made Kelbrook church clock). Vera's research tied in nicely with that of Earby astronomer Martin Lunn, who is researching and cataloguing Cooke's work. So pleased the history society put them in touch with each other!
We have walked many times along what we believed to be the course of the Roman road between Elslack and Thornton, but it now seems that we were in the wrong place, Lidar has shown it to be closer to the modern road.
Vera is doing a talk for Barlick History Society in February, concentrating on Old Road and its links with the Roman road through Tnornton and Barnoldswick.

[Big Kev]

Fascinating stuff Wendy. I must find a bit more reading on Foulridge, I've read Fay Oldland's History of Foulridge several times and need to find more.
I did find out that one of the girls, in the photograph top left of page 64, is my next door neighbour and the lad holding the horse in the pic on page 18 is a friend's father. Things like that make history 'real'

[Wendyf]

You could do a "House Through Time" investigation on your house Kev, that would be fun! Do you have the deeds?

[Big Kev]

You could do a "House Through Time" investigation on your house Kev, that would be fun! Do you have the deeds?

I don't, it's all online at the Land Registry.

[Wendyf]

You could still have a good go at it!

[Big Kev]

I'll have to do a bit of research as I wouldn't know where to start

[Wendyf]

I could advise you....

[Big Kev]

Oooh! That would be good, thank you.

I know the name of the lady who lived here for around 50 years up to 2017.

[Wendyf]

We need to discuss how best to go about it, I'll message you tomorrow.

[Stanley]

Fay at Pendle Heritage in 1982. She liked her fag!

[Big Kev]

We need to discuss how best to go about it, I'll message you tomorrow.

Thank you

[Wendyf]

We are back in the New Road Community Centre for our talks now.

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[Stanley]

That talk is after my bed time Wendy but I'll bet it's interesting !
Pendle Heritage is closed due to 'financial reasons'. They say they will open again before Easter. I hope so....

[Stanley]

I heard a whisper on the grapevine that the person in charge of Queen Street Mill thinks that steam and the engine are not necessary. That demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge about the history of the 'Last Steam Driven Weaving shed'. They will learn but it won't be good for the mill.
Robert and I gave them a route to saving the mill twenty years ago but they declined eventually. Ah well, we tried.

[Wendyf]

Ian was saying last night that sticking to steam rather than going electric kept Bancroft Mill in business longer than most. There must be huge pressure to stop burning coal now though so you can understand why Queen Street would be considering it. I feel guilty putting a shovel full on the fire!
It was an interesting talk, but Ian was frustrated by the lack of information about the early days of the mill.