Croft Mills, Halifax

The following report appeared in The Illustrated London News on 30th April 1853.
(used with permission  - (c) Illustrated London News/Mary Evans Picture Library)

 

Croft Mill in Gaol Lane, Halifax was built in 1847 and owned by the card-makers Messrs. Leyland and Highley. The partnership was dissolved in 1858 and the business carried on by Henry Holt Highley as Henry Highley & Sons. Henry and his wife Frances (nee Sutcliffe) had 6 sons and 4 daughters. Of the sons, George Henry and Thomas Sutcliffe went into the family business.

Carding was a stage in the clothmaking process. Cotton fibres had to be untangled and straightened out. Carding involved getting all the fibres running in the same direction. This was a skilled process involving the use of a brush with spikes, originally done by hand and later by a carding machine. A carder was normally an experienced worker.

The postcard below dates from 1897.

The 1901 census recorded Albert Birkby as a self-employed leather merchant, the son of John Birkby, a card-setting machine tenter.

Albert Edward Hiley

This post is the next one in the series about Hileys who lost their lives in WW1.

Albert Edward Hiley was born in Sheffield in 1897. His father William Henry was a Sheet Steel Roller and he had 5 brothers including Ernest. In 1911 Albert was working as an Errand Lad.

He 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.

His younger brother Ernest had been killed near Ypres in Belgium the previous November.

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

Alexander Hiley made a cycle trip to Blighty Valley to visit Albert's grave, almost 104 years to the day since his death. Some of his photos are shown below.