Lord Hiley

As far as I know there has never been a Hiley (or Highley) to be given the distinguished title of Lord, although there are one or two who have received knighthoods.

But there was a Lord Hiley who lived for only a short time in Walsden near Todmorden in 1873.

The Blog of 7th May 2019 included a story about Reuben Hiley ('Old Wraggs'). Reuben and his wife Betty had 5 children, including a son James. In 1857 James married Mary Ann Lord and the couple had 10 children. The eighth of these was Lord.

Lord was born on 16th April 1873. The family lived in Newbridge, Walsden and the occupation of Lord's father James was recorded on Lord's birth certificate as a 'Carter for Manufacturing Chemists'. The birth was not registered until 28th May. Lord's mother Mary Ann was the informant at the Register Office in Todmorden and, unable to sign her name, she made her mark on the form.

Lord, only six months old, passed away on 10th November the same year. This time his father James was the informant and he had been present at the death. He also made his mark on the form.

Lord had been seen only once by a doctor. The cause of death was given as pneumonitis. Pneumonitis is inflammation (swelling) of the tissues of the lungs. A dry cough and shortness of breath are symptoms of the illness.

Lord was buried in the graveyard of St Peter's Church in Walsden. In the same grave were buried four other children under 10 years old - his brother William (aged 8), his sister Mary Ann (aged 6 months), and two infant children (aged 2 and 9 months) of his sister Sarah Ellen and her husband Fred Smith. Lord's parents James and Mary Ann were buried with him.

There are 23 graves in the St Peter's churchyard where Hileys or people connected with Hiley families are buried.

The photo below shows part of the graveyard at St Peter's. The walking stick marks the grave of John and Mally Highley, distant relations of Lord and his family. Lord's grave has not yet been located.

St Peter's, Walsden graveyard

St Peter's Church, Walsden

Double dating

The last Blogpost (11th December 2019) mentioned the baptism of Agnes Hylyle on 24th February 1539/40.

Before 1752 the calendar year started on 25th March rather than on 1st January so the year used for dates between 1st January and 24th March was the same as for the preceding December.

Dates between 1st January and 24th March before 1752 are often recorded using a technique called 'double dating'. They are given as two years. So Agnes's baptism on 24th February took place in 1539 under the old style (Julian calendar) and 1540 under the new style (Gregorian calendar). 1539 was the year the baptism appears in the parish register and 1540 is the modern year equivalent. Hence 1539/40.

The Blogpost of 5th June 2019 showed the inventory of the goods and chattels of Henry Hyley of Warley. The date of the inventory is properly recorded as 23rd February 1732/3. The record of the entry for Henry's will in the Prerogative & Exchequer Courts of York Probate Index is shown below.
(1732/3 Martii (March), Hyley Henrici de Warley P (Parish) Hallifax).

Record of entry for Henry Hyley's will

Halifax Parish Church

Parish registers were formally introduced in England in 1538 following the split with the Roman Catholic Church, when Thomas Cromwell, minister to Henry VIII, issued an injunction requiring the registers of baptisms, marriages and burials to be kept.

The earliest available registers for West Yorkshire are the Parish registers of Halifax, 1538-1593. These cover baptisms, marriages and burials which took place in the Parish church of St John's, Halifax.

The ancient parish of Halifax was the largest parish in Yorkshire and one of the largest in England. The Blog of 6th November shows a map of the townships which were part of the Halifax parish.

Halifax Parish Church

During the years 1538-1593, there were 63 baptisms, 33 marriages and 48 burials recorded involving Hileys, but with a large number of different variant spellings of the surname. Most of these entries were given in Latin.

Nearly all the Hiley marriages up to the year 1800 took place in Halifax Parish Church, with just a small number elsewhere at Heptonstall, Elland, Luddenden and Todmorden.

The earliest Hiley record at Halifax is for the baptism of Agnes, daughter of George Hylyle of Sowerby on 24th of February 1539/40. The next Blogpost will explain this method of denoting the year.

The following excerpt is from the 1598 burial register. It shows Jane, daughter of Michael Hileley of Sowerby, buried on the 19th April, and the widow of Gilbert Hileley of Sowerby buried on the following day.

Part of April 1598 burial register for Halifax Parish Church
(Taken from Ancestry)

The Blogpost of 14th March 2019 showed the will of James Hilaleighe of Sowerby written in 1577. In common with all the other wills available from this time, he requested that he be buried at Halifax:

.............and my body to be buried in the churchyard of Halifax among the bodies of the faithful there buried expecting with them to have a joyful resurrection...........

Pews in the Parish Church 2017

Roots of heaven

Today I am very pleased to include an article written by John Hiley of Ings near Windermere.

Please get in touch if you have the Hiley/Highley surname, or have an interest in it or a connection with it, and would like to support or contribute to this Blog.

Thomas Hiley and his son Herbert

Remembrance Sunday. We remember a father and son who lost their lives in WW1.

Thomas Edward Hiley was born in Southowram, Halifax in 1857. He married Mary Ann Gibson in Hull in 1880 but Mary died the following year. The 1881 Census showed Thomas as working aboard the vessel ‘Liberator’. He remarried in 1887 to Annie Edwards and by 1901 the couple had 5 children, including Herbert. At this time they were living in Boston, Lincolnshire and Thomas was described as a Fisherman. Annie died in 1908 and in 1911 Herbert, described as a Dock Labourer (Fish) was living independently in Skirbeck Quarter, Boston with his three younger siblings. Living close by was the Tann family, including Mary Ann, Herbert’s future wife. Thomas may well have been away at sea at the time of this Census.

On 16th October 1915 Thomas was a Deck Hand aboard the Steam Trawler ‘Fijian’ (Boston). The vessel was reported missing on that day. Given the location and date, it is likely that she struck a mine. There were no survivors.

Thomas's name is inscribed at the Tower Hill Memorial in London. The Memorial commemorates the men of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who have no grave but the sea.

At age 57, Thomas was the oldest of all the Hileys/Highleys to be killed during WW1.

Thomas Edward Hiley - Tower Hill Memorial

Included courtesy of Brian Watson, Vessels lost in WW1

http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/WW1%20Farraline%20to%20Firth.html

Fishing trawler The Holland - lost without trace in WW1

This would have been a similar vessel to Fijian

(from Old Boston, Boston's trawler fleet in WW1)

Herbert, born in 1893, married Mary Ann Tann in the Spring of 1914 in Boston, Lincolnshire.

He was a Stoker for the Royal Naval Reserve aboard H.M.S. Cressy. On 22nd September 1914. H.M.S. Cressy, along with H.M.S. Hogue and H.M.S. Aboukir, were ambushed by a German U Boat while on patrol off the Dutch coast. All three ships were torpedoed and sunk with the Cressy losing 560 of her crew, including Herbert.

The War was not yet two months old and Herbert had been married for only a few months. His name is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial in Kent.

Stoker Herbert Hiley - Chatham Naval Memorial

Included with the permission of Brad Evans at Find A Grave

H.M.S.Cressy

Henry Hileley, Sowerby Constable

A number of articles have been written giving summaries of sections of the Sowerby Constables' Accounts over the years.

The only mention of a Hiley Constable is that of Henry :

Henry Hileley, Constable, 1677-8, busied himself with the repair of the roads. The travellers he had to relieve were of no moment.
To James Bankcroft , when he went to get stones for stocks...……………………..0  1  6
For repayre of stocks ………………………………………………………………………..…....0  6  0
To Jno: Willman for leading 2 stones for stocks ………………………………………..0  0  9
                                                                        
In 1645-6 the Constables were Richard Houlgate and John Hopkinson. There are two entries in the Accounts which mention Edm. (Edmund) Hileley.

Paid to Edm. Hileley, James Sladen and Peter Mawde for makeinge a Watchehouse att Sowerby Bridge, the 13th of Novem. ……………………………………………………………………………………………........0  0
Paid to Edm. Hileley for theakinge the watchhouse att Sowerby Bridge, 
the 6th day of Dec. (1645) ………………………………………………………………………. 0  1  0
Paid for a load of coles which the watch had …………………………………………….0  0  6

(From Sowerby Constables' Accounts Parts II and IV. Lectures by Mr H P Kendall)

A theaking-rake was a small rake used by thatchers.

W B Crump wrote an article in 1928 for the Halifax Antiquarian Society on Sowerby Highways. He provided examples of work carried out in the summer of 1689 including the following:

29th July: Pd. to Henry Hiley for a man and horse 3 daies and leading stones with a sled to Sowerby Townegate.

He wrote: Certainly too much praise cannot be given to the Constables of Sowerby for their systematic repair of the highways. Year by year from 1629 to 1691 they kept men employed on the work

Sowerby Towngate with the Church (centre) and the Hall (left)

(with the permission of David Greaves)

Sowerby Constables

The Yorkshire Hileys came from the township of Sowerby in the ancient parish of Halifax. The map below shows Sowerby and all the other townships.

Map of the Parish of Halifax, showing the townships, church and chapels

(Sowerby Probate Records, Hebden Bridge Local History Society)

Each township had a Constable, serving for one year.

Peter Crabtree, in his book ‘Crabtree – Dweller by the Wild Apple Tree’ writes that:
‘The constable was responsible for the maintenance of law and order, for apprehending those suspected of crimes, and for bringing them before the manor or assize court for trial. The position, which was unpaid, was filled on a rotation basis and confirmed by the manor court. Fulfilling the office of township constable was one of the obligations of service of both bond and free tenant.' 

There are four Hileys listed in the records of the Constables for the township of Sowerby. The details below are taken from 'The Sowerby Constables', a lecture by Mr H P Kendall in 1906. A catalogue of the names of all the Constables is given by Mr Kendall, starting at the beginning of the reign of King Henry the Eighth in 1509. Years are given as the number of years since the start of a monarch's reign.

The table gives the name of the Hiley Constable, the name of the monarch at the time, the number of years since the start of that monarch's reign, and thus the year in which the Hiley Constable served.

Name                            In the reign of       Start of reign     Years since start of reign      Year

Gilbert Hyleley       Henry VIII             1509                    23                                             1532 

Michaell Hileley     Elizabeth I             1558                    21                                              1579 

Edward Hileley       Elizabeth I             1558                    29                                             1587 

Henry Hilley            Charles II               1660                    18                                             1678

The next Blogpost will give some brief details of Henry Hilley's year as Constable. 

Boiler Explosion at Todmorden

The following article appeared in The Liverpool Mercury on Friday, 22nd January, 1875.

This content is included courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Boiler explosion at Lord Brothers, Todmorden

The following extracts come from Linda Briggs's Todmorden and Walsden website. They were taken from The Halifax Guardian and extracted and transcribed by John Alan Longbottom.

After the jury had viewed the bodies - Hannah Hiley was the 1st witness. She said she saw her husband that day the first time after the accident had happened. Her husband's name was George, and he was 38 years of age. They lived in Shade Street. He was a "stretcher" at Messrs. Lord's. She last saw him alive on Thursday morning at half past five, when he left home to go to his work. At that time he was quite well and hearty.

On Wednesday a seventh death occurred, that of James Sutcliffe of Oldroyd. Several of the deceased have already been buried, Hiley and Hodgins were members of the Todmorden Brass Band, and members of the band attended their funerals. Hiley was buried on Tuesday and Hodgins on Wednesday. Large numbers of people assembled on the way to the churches. Several others are not expected to survive. The inquest on Sutcliffe was opened by Mr. Bairstow on Thursday and adjourned until Monday next, along with the one on those killed at the time of the explosion. 

John (not George as reported above) was the father of David Hiley who appeared in the last Blogpost on 22nd October 2019. He was born in Langfield, Todmorden in 1827. John had 3 children, Elizabeth Ann, Mary Hannah and Tom, with his first wife Alice (nee Haigh), and 4 children, Tom, John Edward, Alice and David, with his second wife Hannah (nee Crossley).

The Unitarian Church in Todmorden

There are Hileys/Highleys buried in most of the graveyards of the churches around Todmorden and Walsden. There is just one Hiley family grave in the Unitarian Church in Todmorden.

The Unitarian church, with its tall spire, overlooks the town and can be seen for miles around. The Todmorden Unitarians built their first chapel in 1823. One of their prominent members was John Fielden, 'Honest John', a local mill owner, social reformer and later Radical M.P. for Oldham. John is buried in the churchyard.

In 1865, the building of a new church was started and this was built in memory of John Fielden and paid for by his 3 sons, Joshua, John (junior) and Samuel. Money was no object to these brothers. Joshua and Samuel are also buried in the churchyard. The cost of the church on Honey Hole Road was over £35000, well over £3m in today's money.

The Unitarian church in Todmorden

David Hiley, his wife Ellen (nee Stansfield), his daughter Annie and her husband Frank Gibson, are all buried in the single Hiley grave in the churchyard. David was a direct descendant of Mark Highley who married Mary Law in Cross Stone church in 1754. 

David's father was John Hiley who met his end in a disastrous boiler explosion in Todmorden in 1875. A Blogpost about this incident is in the pipeline.

The Hiley grave in the Unitarian churchyard

David Hiley lived to the age of 93. Of all the Hiley/Highley members currently recorded in the family tree, where we know the years of birth and death, he is the longest lived.

If you know of Hileys who have survived to a more advanced age, please get in touch!

The Chartist meeting in 1842 at Basin Stones, Walsden

The Blogpost of 14th May 2019 featured a short biography of Charles Hiley (1822-1899). The following is an excerpt from Charles's obituary in The Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter on 30th March 1899.

This content is included courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnespaperarchive.co.uk)

Image © THE BRITSH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

Alfred Walter Bayes (1832-1909) was born in Lumbutts near Todmorden and became a pupil teacher at his father's school in Lumbutts. A W Bayes moved to London to advance his artistic career, exhibited at the Royal Academy, and became a notable painter and engraver. One of his most famous paintings (shown below) is of the Chartists meeting in 1842 at Basin Stones on the moorland hills high above Walsden.

Chartism, the first true working-class movement in Britain, was named after the People's Charter, which set out six political demands: universal suffrage, equal electoral districts, vote by secret ballot, annually elected Parliaments, payment for MPs and abolition of property qualifications for MPs. 

The strength of Chartism was reflected in public meetings which were attended by huge numbers of people. Among the speakers were John Fielden, the Todmorden industrialist and M.P., Feargus O'Connor, editor of the Leeds Chartist newspaper and Ernest Jones, the poet and novelist.

Perhaps Charles Hiley was one of those who attended this meeting at Basin Stones.

A Chartist meeting at Basin Stones, Todmorden, 1842, by A W Bayes

Captain Frank Hiley

(continuing the series on Hileys who were killed in WW1)

Frank Hiley was the highest ranked soldier with the Hiley/Highley surname to lose his life in the First World War.

He was born in Nostell, a village between Pontefract and Wakefield in Yorkshire, in 1894, and was the son of Thomas and Jane Ann Hiley. Thomas was the proprietor of the Greyhound Inn in Pontefract. The 1901 census showed Frank, aged 7, living there with his parents and 6 siblings. In 1911 he was living as a Boarder in Chesterfield and working as a Motor Engineer.

Robert Coulson produced a Memorial Roll of the officers of Alexandra Princess of Wales Own Yorkshire Regiment who died 1914-1919. The following paragraph is reproduced with the permission of Edward Nicholl at www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk.

Serving in the ranks as a private soldier his qualities were soon recognised and he received a commission as a 2nd Lt and rose rapidly through the officer ranks. In late 1917 and by now a captain, Frank Hiley was with the 8th battalion when they were deployed to the Italian Front. They arrived in mid November 1917 and were involved in actions around the Piave river in December 1917 and January 1918. Captain Hiley was killed on February 13th 1918 at the age of 24. With some of his platoon he was examining an enemy shell which suddenly and unaccountably exploded killing Captain Hiley and seriously wounding four of his men. 

Frank was buried in the Giavera British Cemetery, Arcade, near Venice in Italy. 

The Greyhound Hotel still stands but is now known as The Tap and Barrel.

Captain Frank Hiley's grave in Italy

The Giavera British Cemetery

Photographs included courtesy of Steve Rogers, The War Graves Photographic Project.

A Walsden Wesleyan Methodist Chapel Group

This photograph is from Henry Hiley's collection, and was most probably taken in the late years of the 19th century or early in the last century. The group must have belonged to the Walsden Wesleyan Methodist Chapel.

The two men in the top row are Frank Hiley on the left (Henry's Uncle Frank), and Harold Hiley on the right (Henry's father). Below them is Henry's grandfather Samuel Hiley, smoking a pipe and wearing a bowler hat. The woman on his right may be his wife Elizabeth.

Who are the other people in the group? Maybe they include some of the other Hileys connected with this church.

Also see from previous posts:
Hileys and the Lanebottom Chapel, Sept 2nd 2019
Samuel Hiley, Trustee of Lanebottom Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Aug 27th 2019
The Clog Iron Shop at Walsden, March 13th 2019

Hileys and the Lanebottom Chapel

In about 1743 John Wesley came to preach in Todmorden and the first member to join the Wesleyan Society was Susan Scholfield of Calf Lee.

One of the first classes was formed at Light Bank in Walsden. When the Centenary book (1809-1909) was written in 1909, this was called the Bonk. The young Henry Hiley’s name for his Uncle Frank’s house was The Bonk. This was Bankwood Cottage, a favourite trip for Henry and his family from Littleborough. It had a ‘big garden going down to the Rochdale Canal’.

The early Sunday School was held in cottages at Bottomley and Deanroyd. A new school known as Bottomley Lane Foot was built in 1818 and then enlarged in 1848, but by 1872 had become unsuitable for the large numbers attending the Chapel and Sunday School. A new building was planned and ground secured near the old School adjoining the turnpike road and near the Walsden end of Summit Tunnel.

Bottomley Lane Foot School

(included with permission of Daniel Birch)

One of the fundraising ventures arranged was a Bazaar held in the Assembly room at Hollins Co-operative Store. On No. 2 stall selling ‘Wearing apparel and fancy goods’ was Mrs C. Highley, Alma Street. This would have been great great grandmother Betty (nee Harrison), wife of Charles Hiley. See the Blog Post of 14 May 2019 for more about Charles. The Bazaar raised £272.

Charles helped to found the Lanebottom Chapel and he served it as trustee, class leader and teacher. 

The first sod of the new premises was cut on Christmas Day 1874. This was done by John Scholfield, aged 88 and a grandson of Susan (see above). Also cutting a sod and giving a sum of money was Miss Mary Highley of Lanebottom. Mary was a daughter of John Hiley and Mary Hiley (nee Jackson) and a cousin of Samuel Hiley (see the last Blog Post).

Lanebottom, Walsden. Wesleyan chapel and school

The school was on the ground floor with the chapel above and the first services were held on 27th September 1876.

Amongst the first Trustees of the new Chapel was Samuel Hiley, a great grandfather. He was aged 23.

In 1890 a new organ was installed in the Chapel. One of the players of the organ and harmonium was Jackson Thomas Hiley. Jackson was a son of Thomas Hiley and Sarah Hiley (nee Jackson), and another cousin of Samuel.

At a meeting in February 1896, a number of new Trustees were added, and Samuel Hiley was amongst those willing to continue serving.

The Chapel became licensed for marriages in 1899. In 1926 there was a Golden Jubilee celebration for the opening of the new Chapel. The Chapel closed and was demolished in the 1960s and the land is now covered in houses.







(Notes on the Sunday School and Chapel taken from ‘History of Lanebottom Wesleyan Sunday School 1809-1909 Centenary Souvenir compiled by Sam A Crossley and Ernest Law’)

Samuel Hiley, Trustee of Lanebottom Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

The photos below of Trustees of the Lanebottom Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and Sunday School in Walsden appeared in a Centenary Souvenir (1809-1909) book compiled by Sam A. Crossley and Ernest Law.

Samuel Hiley, a great grandfather, along with other family members, were influential members of the Chapel, and Samuel is shown with some of his fellow Trustees.

The next Blog post will give a short history of the church and mention some of the contributions from Samuel and his family.

Harold Hiley from Todmorden

The last Blog post listed the Todmorden men who lost their lives in the First World War. One of them was Harold Hiley.

Harold was born in Todmorden in 1890, the son of John and Mary Ann (nee Graham). Harold, a weaver of Russell Street, Cross Stone, Todmorden married Martha Walker, a Spinner of Knowlwood Road, Walsden on 29th April 1911 at St Peter’s Church, Walsden. They lived at 14 Cannon Street, Shade, Todmorden. Harold was a member of the Hope Lodge of Oddfellows and worked as a weaver at Hollins Mill in Walsden. Harold and Martha had a child, John, who died in infancy.

Harold enlisted with the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment) 2nd Battalion in Halifax at Whitsuntide in 1915. He was wounded in France and hospitalised for about 8 months in England before returning to his unit in about June 1918. He was killed in action at Harcourt on the river Sensée, aged 27, on 30th August 1918 and was buried at Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt in northern France. Vis-en-Artois and Haucourt were taken by the Canadian Corps on 27th August 1918. The cemetery was begun immediately afterwards and was used by fighting units and field ambulances until the middle of October. It consisted originally of 430 graves of which 297 were Canadian and 55 belonged to the 2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment. 

Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter, 20th September 1918.

This content is included courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Harold is remembered on the Todmorden War Memorial, and on the Memorials of St Aidan’s Church, Oddfellows’ Hall and Roomfield Baptist Church. He is also named on the headstone of the family grave at Cross Stone graveyard in Todmorden.  

Harold Hiley's gravestone in Vis-en-Artois British cemetery in France

 The family grave at Cross Stone, Todmorden

The Todmorden Garden of Remembrance

The memorial to the fallen Todmorden soldiers of the First World War is in the Garden of Remembrance in Centre Vale Park, Todmorden. The park is the former home of the Fielden family, local philanthropists and business people.

Todmorden Garden of Remembrance

These are they who being peaceable citizens of Todmorden at the call of King and country and in defence of their native land left all that was dear to them, endured hardship, faced danger and finally passed out of the sight of man by the path of duty and self sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom.Their name liveth for evermore.

There are 4 Hileys/Highleys commemorated on the memorial: Ernest Jackson Highley, John Henry Highley, Charles William Highley (all brothers), and Harold Hiley. The name of Charles Highley on the 2nd plaque is a mistake.

       
Also commemorated are a number of other men with Hiley connections.

Vicarage Farm and Thomas Hiley's family

The previous Blog tells a story about Hiley ' th' Vicarage, written by John Travis. Travis refers to him as John Hiley but his proper name was Thomas Hiley (or Highley).

He was the illegitimate son of Mary Highley (1761-1820). Mary was the first child of James Highley and Martha (nee Greenwood), 5 x great grandparents.

Thomas married Sally Haigh, the daughter of John Haigh (the younger) of Pastureside, Walsden. John Haigh became a wealthy man and owned a lot of land and property on the moors above Walsden, including Pastureside, Vicarage, Nicklety and Coolam. Thomas and Sally were given the tenancy of John's farm at Vicarage.

The couple had 11 children including Reuben, featured in the Blog post of 7th May 2019 and the subject of John Travis's story 'Mother Wit', and John, known as Hiley i' th' Horsepasture and the subject of a forthcoming Blog post.

The ruins of Vicarage 2018

Foul Clough Road, the road to the Coalpits

Vicarage is in the far distance, near the middle one of the 3 big trees

The ruins of Pastureside Farm, home of John Haigh the younger and his family. 2018

Hiley i' th' Vicarage

The Blog of 7th May 2019 featured an article by John Travis from his 'Notes Historical And Biographical Mainly Of Todmorden And District'. Below is another story from the same book.

More about Hiley i' th' Vicarage and his family, and a photo of what is left of Vicarage today, will follow in the next Blog.

Cragg Hall Group 1907

Below is a photograph of Cragg Hall:
 'Cragg Hall, the grounds and mill employees, taken in 1907 after the Hall had been rebuilt and enlarged and the grounds laid out as shown. Thanks to Sam Hellowell we are fortunate indeed to have nearly all 180 people named.' (Pennine Digital Archive, included with the permission of Ann Kilbey)

Cragg Hall was built by William Algernon Simpson-Hinchcliffe and his wife Helen in Cragg Vale in 1904. In its day it was recognised as one of the finest mansions in Yorkshire but it burnt down in 1921.

There are three Highleys in the photo:
William Henry Highley (?) - Back row, men standing, 5th from left
Jane Highley (nee Smith) - Under wall, standing, furthest on right
Mary Ann Highley (wife of William Henry) - Under wall, 2nd row, standing, 7th from right

Cragg Hall Group 1907

(Click on the photo to enlarge it)

William Henry was a brother of Alfred Highley, the Innkeeper featured in the previous blog.

Alfred Highley Innkeeper

A branch of the Yorkshire Highleys lived in Cragg Vale, a small village in Calderdale. Cragg Vale lies on the old turnpike road which ran up Cragg Road from Mytholmroyd to the top of Blackstone Edge.

Alfred was a grandson of John and Mary Highley of Law Hill, Erringden. John was a farmer born in Ovenden, Halifax in 1799, but it has not yet been possible to connect him to the other Hiley families living in Calderdale in the 1700s.

Alfred was baptised on Christmas Day 1870 in St John in the Wilderness church in Cragg Vale. The family were living at Four Gates End, Sowerby and Alfred's father Joseph was the Innkeeper at the Sportsman Inn in Cragg Vale.

Alfred became landlord at the Sportsman Inn and later at the Shoulder of Mutton Inn at Mytholmroyd. The photo shows the Coal Man being paid outside the Inn.

Look out for future Blogs about this branch of the Hileys.

Alfred Highley's Inn at Mytholmroyd

Leonard Hiley

Another Hiley to lose his life in the First World War 103 years ago this week was Leonard Hiley.

Leonard was born in Eccles, Lancashire in about 1885. In 1905 he married Ethel May Whitehead in Weaste and a daughter Dora was born the following year. Leonard and his father Beaumont Hiley were both Tripe Dressers. In 1911 Leonard, Ethel May and Dora, along with another child Winston Beaumont were living with Ethel May’s father George Whitehead, now a widower. Another son Leonard was born in 1912.

Leonard enlisted in Salford in 1915 with the Lancashire Fusiliers 19th Battalion, the 3rd Salford Pals. Their first taste of action was at Thiepval Ridge in the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916, the Salford Pals being almost wiped out. Leonard was one of those killed in action on this day and his name is remembered on the Thiepval memorial in northern France.

Leonard Hiley's name on the Thiepval memorial

(Included courtesy of Steve Rogers, The War Graves Photographic Project)

Albert Edward Hiley

Today we return to the Hileys killed in the First World War.

Albert Edward Hiley was killed in this week 103 years ago. He was born in Sheffield in 1897. His father William Henry was a Sheet Steel Roller and he had 5 brothers including Ernest, who had been killed the previous November. In 1911 Albert was working as an Errand Lad.

Albert joined the York and Lancaster Regiment 8th Battalion. 1st July 1916 marked the start of the Battle of the Somme and the 8th Battalion began its assault near the village of Ovillers. Immediately after leaving their trenches they came under heavy machine gun fire and most of the men were killed or wounded. Only 68 out of 680 men returned and the Battalion had effectively ceased to exist. Albert was one of those killed in action.

He is buried at Blighty Valley Cemetery, Authuille Wood, near Albert in northern France.

Albert Hiley's gravestone

included courtesy of Stephen Ntly, Billion Graves

Blighty Valley Cemetery

This file is licensed under the licence Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

Glossary of items listed in Henry Hyley's Inventory

A glossary of some of the items listed in Henry Hyley's Inventory:

(see the last 2 blogs)

The Inventory of Henry Hyley (part 2)

Last week's blog showed the Inventory of Henry Hyley's belongings, produced after his death in 1732/3. A transcription of the items is shown below. The next blog will give explanations of some of these items. Underlined are the 7 parts of his house where items were found.

An Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of Henry Hyley of Warley

Henry Hiley, a Weaver from Warley near Halifax, was buried on 22nd February 1732/3 in St Mary's Church, Luddenden. On 23rd February the following Inventory of his belongings was produced, valued and apprised by the four men shown at the end.

The next blogs will give a transcription of the Inventory and an explanation of some of the items.