Glossop's Celebrations of The Coronation of Queen Victoria; Glossop in 1838.
In June 1902, as part of its coverage of the Coronation of King Edward VII, the Glossop-dale Chronicle and North Derbyshire Reporter looked back at how Queen Victoria's Coronation was celebrated in Glossop and followed that up with a brief look at the leading features of the town and its principal residents at that time.
This article is based on a transcript of those reports, edited to correct errors, provide clarification of some points and include some illustrations.
The Coronation of Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria was crowned at Westminster Abbey on the 28th June 1838 and the event was a "red letter day" in the annals of Glossop. The Workhouse had then only just been built, and the Board of Guardians recently formed. That body decided to mark the occasion in a suitable manner and arrangements were made accordingly.
A field called The Flatt, occupied by Joseph Oates, as tenant of the Tontine Inn (now the Norfolk Arms Hotel) had been staked out as the site of a Town Hall. The land to the east had been leased to John Hampson, corn dealer, Benjamin Greaves, blacksmith and Thomas Collier, for the erection of the present shops. Land on the west had been leased to James Hurst and others for the same purpose.
The original design for the Town Hall complex.
The plans for the Town Hall and shops were prepared by Messrs Weightman and Matthew Ellison Hadfield (eldest son of Mr Joseph Hadfield of Lees Hall, see Hadfields of Lees Hall) of Sheffield, the architects to the Duke of Norfolk.
The Duke's duties as the Hereditary Earl Marshall meant that he was involved with the Coronation itself so was unable to be present at the celebration in Glossop. He appointed Thomas Ellison, the son of Matthew Ellison, who had been his agent for 37 years, to act for him (see Ellisons of Glossop Hall). Mr Thomas Ellison was the chairman of the Board of Guardians, clerk to several turnpike trusts, clerk to the Glossop Association for the Prosecution of Felons, etc., etc., and was by virtue of the public positions he held, as well as by his own qualifications, well fitted to perform the important duties of laying the foundation stone of the Town Hall.
The members of the Oddfellows', Foresters', Shepherds', Gardeners', and Orange Lodges assembled with their banners, regalias, and emblems of their officers and were joined by the Guardians: John Goddard, Esq. J.P.; Messrs James Bosley, Joshua Shepley, John Kershaw, John Wood, Isaac Linney, Joseph Bennett, William Platt, William Sidebottom, Samuel Shepley, Henry Lees, and John Shaw; the following mill masters: Messrs Francis J. Sumner, William Hadfield and his sons Joseph and John; Joseph Berresford and John Holland; Daniel Hodgson and Jonathan Wright, Abraham Broadbent, Robert Shepley and his sons Robert and James; William Robinson, William Barber and his sons John, William, and Robert; John Bennett, Robert Kershaw, John Rusby, John Howard, Joseph Robinson, John and James Braddock, Samuel, Edward, and Henry Lees, Samuel Shepley and his sons John and William; William, Thomas, and Edward Platt; Samuel Oliver, Edmund Potter, Thomas Turner, Benjamin Harrison, Samuel and Henry Marsland, James Wardlow, Thomas Ratcliffe, and John Bowden.
The clergy were also represented by the Vicar, the Rev. Christopher Howe, accompanied by the two churchwardens, Messrs George Tomlinson and Joseph Higginbottom; the Rev. George Partington of the Littlemoor Independent Chapel and Rev. Benjamin Barrett, Wesleyan minister.
Amongst the gentry taking part in the proceedings were John White Esq., of Park Hall, Dr. John Rusby (son of the mill owner in the list above), Dr. T. Eastham, Mr John Knott, Mr John Dearnally, and others.
All the Sunday School scholars should have joined in the procession, but at the last moment the idea was abandoned, because the Church, Roman Catholics, and Independents could not agree amongst themselves who should be first in the procession. The only school that was represented was the Primitive Methodist of Green Vale (the site of the school and chapel was to the west of the Globe Inn and now occupied by a portion of Wren Nest Mills). John Newton, later of Blackshaw Farm, headed the scholars, carrying a banner.
After the foundation stone was declared duly laid the procession proceeded to the Old Cross and assembled round it. Mr Ellison got up on his carriage and read a declaration that the Queen had that day been crowned as the lawful sovereign of the Kingdom. After a short speech he called for three cheers for the Queen, and these having been heartily given, the National Anthem was sung and the processionists dispersed to their various meeting places, where the rest of the day was spent in feasting and rejoicing. At dusk nearly every cottage window was illuminated with a lighted tallow candle.
Glossop in 1838.
When Queen Victoria was crowned in 1838, Glossop was and had been for several years in an active and prosperous state.
Edmund Potter had paid of all his creditors in full and had been presented by them with valuable plate as a recognition of his integrity.
Samuel Oliver had introduced improvements in the making of paper at Dinting Mill.
Francis James Sumner had made enlargements of his mill to accommodate more new looms, and had also built Sumner's Place for the accommodation of his additional work-hands.
John Wood had just built the Fireproof Mill, opposite the Pear Tree Inn, which was than called the “King's Arms” kept by John Woolley, an old pensioner of the Life Guards.
The Milltown Mill (burned down 27 January 1842, Wood's Narrow Mill later built on the site) was being worked by Daniel Hodgson and Jonathan Wright.
The Crosscliffe Mill, alias Shoddy Bump Mill built by William Hadfield (see The Hadfield Family Farm at Whitfield and Cross Cliffe Mill.), was occupied by Messrs John Rusby and Isaac Linney, cotton spinners.
John Hadfield was carrying on the business of a cotton spinner at Cow Brook Mill (see The Hadfield family of Cowbrook).
John Kershaw, who had died on 15 January 1838, had been succeeded at the Hurst Mill by his son John (see The Kershaw family of Hurst and Whitfield).
Robert Shepley of the Warth Mill had practically left the working of his mill to his sons, Robert and James Shepley (see The Shepley family of Old Glossop and Brookfield).
Abraham Broadbent was carrying on the business of a cotton doubler at the Thread Mill.
Hawkshead Mill, after being burnt down, had been rebuilt and Messrs Joseph Beresford and John Holland were cotton spinning in it.
William Robinson, afterward the manager at Wren Nest Mill, was at the Knotts' Mill (later the site of Alderman Rowbottom's Meadow Mills).
William Barber and his three sons were working Shepley Mill (see The Barber family of Hilltop and Padfield).
John and Joseph Bennett were cotton spinning, paper making and manufacturing hat tips at the two mills at Turn Lee and at the old Woollen Mill in Turn Lee Road (see The Bennett family of Turnlee).
Messrs Robert Kershaw and James Bosley were dividing their time with their business at Charlestown Mill and All Saints Sunday School and institutions connected therewith.
Both Bridgefield and Primrose Mills were flourishing under Mr Joseph Howard (see The Howards of Ludworth and Bridgefield).
Joseph Robinson was making his noted woollen cloth at the Gnat Hole Mill (see The Robinsons of Gnat Hole).
Hurst Reservoir company had just been formed by the mill owners to ensure their water supply.
The directors of what became the Great Central Railway were making arrangements for cutting the first sod of the railway at Woodhead.
The Board of Guardians, were getting accustomed to their new duties ; and political parties were active.
A poll had been taken against a church rate.
There had been an anti-Poor Law meeting and a Reform dinner in the Universal School – later the Goods Station next to the Central Station - to Messrs Cavendish and Evans, the M.Ps. for North Derbyshire.
The “Loyal Queen Victoria” Lodge of Oddfellows, had been opened, and a Friendly Society formed at Charlesworth.
The various religious bodies were working hard.
All Saints Church, with the exception of the tower and spire, had been rebuilt and Tintwistle Church had been built and consecrated.
The Roman Catholics had spent £3,000 on a chapel.
The Primitive Methodists had managed to erect a chapel at Green Vale.
The excitement amongst the Wesleyans, caused by Dr. Warren, had practically subsided and the Warrenites had established themselves in Hall Street.
For several years the building of shops and houses had proceeded at a rapid rate.
During the previous five years the houses from Market Street to George Street had been erected. George Street was still a field, containing the reservoir which supplied Shepley Mill, then described as the Lower Mill.
The western portion of Wren Nest Mill was a plantation occupied by Mr Joseph Cooper. This plantation formerly extended from the west of the Iron Bridge to Shrewsbury Street.
The field called “The Flatt”, occupied by Mr Joseph Oates, landlord of the Tontine Inn, which became the site of the Town Hall, Market and shops, was very uneven; it descended sharply towards the brook and towards the west. It is related that Mr. Joseph Bottoms, having occasion to visit the Estate Office on business, found no-one in and, on a table he saw a plan of the proposed Town Hall, Market, etc. On the plan was shown an intended bridge to cross the brook, a continuation of Market Street. He quickly decided that it would be a favourable spot for a public house and, as it was an easy matter in those days to obtain a licence, he took out a lease in September 1837 and built the Market Hotel. His friends wondered why he built in a hollow and at that time a most unlikely spot, but he kept the knowledge of what he had seen to himself. In 1902 it was commented that “His anticipations were, however, not realised, as the bridge is not yet built, though the Bridge Inn is suggestive by its name of the general opinion of the want of one at that spot.”.
Norfolk Square was the garden and bowling green of the Tontine Inn.
Henry Street, Railway Street, Bernard Street, Edward Street, Surrey Street, Arundel Street, Shrewsbury Street, North Road, Talbot Street, Charles Street, Fitzalan Street, Lord Street and Norfolk Street from the Star Inn were all fields.
Jonathan Bowden was building the Conservative Club premises (originally the Railway Inn, see The Early Shops and Businesses of the eastern side of Norfolk Street, Glossop), whilst his brother, Joseph Bowden, had just built the Star Inn and adjoining cottages.
A footpath commenced at Railway Street, entering by a gate in the rear of Miss Crannage's premises and went to The Ashes. Miss Annie Crannage was a dress maker at 4 Railway street.
At the junction of Henry Street and Norfolk Street was a spring of good water called “Jacob's Well”.
On the east side of Norfolk Street were some fish ponds, and at the Ivy Cottage, Norfolk Street, the old road to Spire Hollin was still in use, well known as the “locale” of The Spire Holly Boggart.
Extract from the 1857 map showing the fish ponds on the right and the old road to Spire Hollin at the top.
The people were learning habits of carefulness. A bank had been opened, Friendly Societies were increasing, and everything tended to a happy and prosperous reign. It was hoped that the present Coronation festivities would be the commencement of another epoch of increased trade, wealth, lower death rates, piety, temperance, education, and comfort for the inhabitants of Glossop-dale!
