Walsden's cricketing Hileys

At the end of the 1890s and the beginning of the 1900s the pages of the Todmorden & District News contained a number of cricket reports and scorecards featuring appearances by Hileys. As many as six different Hileys played for some of the local teams.
                         

These excerpts are from the Todmorden & District News of 18 September 1908.


Knowlwood's opening batsman was J H (John Henry) Highley. Killed in WW1 in November 1914, he was featured in the post of 16 January 2019 when his 'Dead Man's Penny' was sold at an auction.

John Henry Highley

The Highley opening the batting for Inchfield Bottom was W (Walter) Highley, a cousin of John Henry.












Walter was joined by his younger brother Albert for this match against Walsden Wesleyans, reported on 13 May 1921.











                                                                                         

Walter Highley scored 36 out of a total of 131 in a match against Cloughfoot, reported on 14 May 1909.

Whilst only a modest effort in today's village cricket, 36 would have been an impressive individual score in 1909, and 131 a huge total for the team.

In the same paper that day, scorecards showed whole sides dismissed for less than 36. Eastwood made 23, Unitarians 24, Cornholme 32, and Mytholmroyd Wesleyans could only manage a total of 12!

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Newspaper images © The British Library Board. All rights reserved. With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).

Wilfred Hiley

Another post on a notable Hiley......this time, Wilfred Hiley (1886-1961), a forest economist of world fame.

Wilfred Hiley occupied the post of manager of the Dartington Hall woodlands from 1931 to 1961. In 1956 he received a CBE in recognition of his services to forestry.

Having obtained a First from the University of Oxford in 1908, Hiley lectured in Forestry Economics from 1926 until 1930 at the Imperial Forestry Institute in Oxford. From 1923 until 1946 he was editor of the Royal Forestry Society and in 1950, he was elected the Society’s President.

Hiley was keen to practise his theories of economic management and operation. After acting as an advisor, he accepted the post of manager of the Dartington Hall woodlands. He was employed to take the estate forestry forward. His ideas of forest economics and species selection are still taught at schools of forestry and his redwood planting has become one of the most impressive parts of the entire estate.

He pioneered forestry management techniques which were used by the Forestry Commission to tackle severe timber shortages following World War I. 

He wrote several books, such as Improvement of Woodlands, 1931 and Economics of Plantations, 1956. A Forestry Venture, his most well-known work, was completed by Leonard Elmhirst, after Hiley’s death in 1961.

With thanks to Catherine Gledhill at Dartington Hall for permission to use the photo and information about Wilfred Hiley.

Wilfred Hiley in the Dartington Hall woodlands