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Yorkshire

West Riding

Nearby places

The Ancient Parish of HALIFAX

[Transcribed information from the early 1820s]

"HALIFAX, a market and parish-town, in Morley-division of Agbrigg and Morley, liberty of Wakefield, 8 miles from Bradford and Huddersfield, 10 from Dewsbury, 12 from Keighley and Todmorden, 16½ from Rochdale, (Lanc.) 18 from Leeds, 42 from York, 197 from London. Market, Saturday, for woollen cloth, provisions, &c. Fairs, June 24 and the first Saturday in November, for horses, horned cattle, &c. Bankers, Messrs. John Rawson, William Rawson, John Rhodes, and Rawden Briggs, draw on Messrs. Jones, Lloyd, and Co. 48, Lothbury. Principal Inns, Talbot, White Swan, and White Lion. Pop. 12,628. There are two Churches here, the one is a vicarage, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, in the deanry of Pontefract, value, £84. 13s. 6½d. Patron, the King. The other is called the Holy Trinity Church, a perpetual curacy, value, p.r. ~£100. in the patronage of the Vicar of Halifax. The latter was built under the sanction of an act of parliament by Dr. Coulthurst, the late Vicar; the masonry of which, like all modern masonry about the town, is excellent and elaborate." (There is further information for Halifax).

Information on the following places in this Parish is contained on a supplementary page.

Alcomden Ash Day Ash Grove Baitings Barkisland Beacon Hill Beggerington Birk's Hall Blackshaw Head Blackstone Edge Blaithroyd Boothtown Bradley Hall Bradshaw Brearley Hall Brighouse Brookfoot Burlees Catharine House Catherine Slack Chapel Le Grove Clare Hall Cliffe Hill Cliffe Hill Coley Copley Hall Crawstone Hall Crimesworth Dean Crimesworth Hall Cromwell Bottom Cross Stone Crow Nest Eastwood Elland Elphabrough Hall Erringden Ewood Hall Exley Field Head Field House Fixby Greenwood Lee Greetland Haugh End Hawkestone Slack Hayley Hill Hebden Bridge Hebden Bridge Lanes Heights Heptonstall Heptonstall Park

Heptonstall Slack High Greenwood High Road Well High Sunderland Hipperholme Holdsworth Hollings Hall Holywell Green Hope Hall Horley Green Horsehold Howroyd Hullenedge Illingworth Jumples Crag Keb Cote Keb Royd King Cross Lady Well Langfield Lee Lightcliffe Linlands Luddenden Luddenden Foot Making Place Mankinholes Marshall Hall Marshaw Bridge May Royd Midgley Millbank Millwood Mixenden Moorside Mount Pellon Mytholm Mytholmroyd Bridge Newland Norland Town Northowram Oaks Green Old Lindley Old Town Ovenden Pye Nest Quarry House Queensbury Rastrick Rawstonstall Ridge Cross

Ripponden Rishworth Rookes Royd Royd Bridge Rushworth Hall Salterhebble Saltonstall Scholes Scout Hall Shackleton Shelf Shibden Hall Shore Skircoat Slead Hall Southowram Southowram Bank Sowerby Sowerby Bridge Sowerby Croft Sowood Soyland Soyland Mill Stainland Stansfield Stansfield Hall Stoneshaw Gate Stoney Royd Stoodley Swift Place Thorpe Todmorden Toothill Turvin Vale Under Bank Wadsworth Wadsworth Lanes Warley Wheatley White Windows Whitwell Place Willow Edge Willow Field Willow Hall Winteredge Withens Wood House Wood House Hall Woodlane Hall

Cemeteries

• Lister Lane cemetery, Halifax, is the last resting place for many eminent and influential people who helped to shape the growth of Halifax and played an active part in political reform and social change The Crossleys of Dean Clough, Ben Rushton (a popular Chartist), JD Taylor (Halifax Building Society) JH Whitley (Speaker of the House of Commons) and many other local people. There were approximately 13,000 burials on the site and a database has been compiled; for information on the database,
• St. Paul's at Cross Stone: A full transcription of all the grave occupants, complete with a surname index. This church and burial ground served the folk of Langfield and Stansfield as a chapel of ease to Halifax Parish Church, and a sister church to Heptonstall. There are literally thousands of graves as the burial ground is still in use.
  The work of transcribing all the graves was done by Todmorden enthusiasts Robert Priestley and Jean and David Uttley. It took about 25 years!
• The Monumental Inscriptions for Halifax St. Paul's have been transcribed by Susan Johnson and Indexed by Patricia Hayward.
• Monumental inscriptions of the Sutcliffe stones at Heptonstall St. Thomas by Melanie Whitehead. If you can add any to these and would like them on the Genuki site, please let me (Colin Hinson) know.
• Here is a photograph of Wainsgate Cemetery, Hebden Bridge.
• Here are two photographs of the graveyard at Luddenden Dean (the chapel burnt down in 1954).
  • The Graveyard, view 1
  • The Graveyard, view 2

Churches

• For Todmorden churches please see the Rochdale parish page.
• Here are photographs and other information for:
  • The churches in the town of Halifax.
  • The churches in the parish of Halifax, places begining with letters A to G.
  • The churches in the parish of Halifax, places begining with letters H and I.
  • The churches in the parish of Halifax, places begining with letters L and M.
  • The churches in the parish of Halifax, places begining with letters N to R.
  • The churches in the parish of Halifax, places begining with letters S to W.
• Sue Johnson has transcribed two unpublished works from circa 1877:
  • Historical notes on the church at Illingworth and
  • Historical notes on the church at Sowerby.
• Lots of information on the following Churches and Chapels is to be found on the Todmorden and Walsden website:
  • The United Methodist Chapel, Lumbutts. This includes the Monumental Inscriptions.
  • The Methodist chapel, Heptonstall.
• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. John the Baptist's Church, Halifax
  • Park United Reformed Church, Halifax
  • Harrison Road Chapel, Halifax
  • Heath United Reformed Church, Halifax
  • St. John the Baptist's Church, Coley
  • The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Elland
  • St. James Church, Hebden Bridge
  • Wainsgate Particular Baptist Church, Hebden Bridge
  • St. Mary's Church, Illingworth
  • Mount Zion Methodist Church, Upper Brockholes
  • St. Mathew's Church, Lightcliffe
  • St. Mary's Church, Luddenden
  • St. Michael's Church, Mytholmroyd
  • The Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church, Mytholmroyd
  • St George's Church, Ovenden
  • The Providence United Reformed Church, Ovenden
  • St. Andrew's Methodist Church, Salterhebble
  • All Saints, Elland.

Church Records

• A transcription from the Yorkshire County Magazine of the Halifax Parish Church Registers, 1542 to 1545.
• An Index of marriages covering the period 5 April 1754 to 31 December 1812 has been produced by Steve Whitwam from the records of The Elland Church or Chapelry. included are many marriages of people from neighbouring parishes.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Brighouse.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Coley.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Crag Vale.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Cross Stone.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Elland.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Halifax Holy Trinity.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Halifax St James.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Parish of Halifax.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Heptonstall.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Illingworth.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Lightcliffe.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Luddenden.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Rastrick.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Ripponden.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Southowram.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Sowerby.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Sowerby Bridge.
• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Chapelry of Stainland.

Community Websites

• Mytholmroyd.net.
• Hebden Bridge web.
• Todmorden - Todtalk.com.

Description and Travel

• Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion web-site contains a vast amount of information about Halifax and Calderdale.
• Here are photographs of various places in the parish:
  • The Piece Hall, Halifax, with the spire of Square Congregational Church showing behind (opened 1857, built to accommodate the ever growing congregation of Square Chapel next door [which became the Sunday School].
  • The School at Hebden Bridge (showing a part of St James' Church).
  • Weavers' Square, Heptonstall during the Pace Egg Play.
  • Ovenden Hall.
  • Illingworth Jail.
  • Illingworth Stocks.
  • Looking up Luddenden Beck Valley from Luddenden Dean Graveyard
  • Looking down Luddenden Beck Valley from Luddenden Dean Graveyard
  • Northowram Hall, Northowram.
  • The (ex) Oliver Heywood Bell School, Northowram.
  • Back to back houses, Cornholme.
  • Oats Royd Mill, Luddenden Valley.
• Photographs of and from Wainhouse Tower, Kings Cross Halifax from Sue Johnson:
  • Wainhouse Tower, King Cross, Halifax, built as a mill chimney but never used, open on certain days of the year, brilliant views from the top.
  • another view of the tower from the other side (by Colin Hinson).
  • Looking down on Sowerby Bridge, River Calder in the bottom
  • Crossley Grammar School. The Building was first known as the Crossley & Porter Orphanage. Then it became the Crossley & Porter Grammar Schools (ie boys' & girls'). It has since become known as the Crossley Heath School after the merger with Heath Grammar School.[David Stacey, Feb. 2005]
  • Looking down on Edwards Road and Pye Nest with Sowerby Bridge at the left back of the picture
  • Looking down on King Cross, King Cross Methodist Chapel bottom right, Spire of Old St Pauls above.
• Websites for Halifax:
  • Halifax (Calderdale) Council.
  • Halifax (on the Yorkshire tour.co.uk site)
  • Hebden Bridge (on the Yorkshire tour.co.uk site)
  • Heptonstall (on the Yorkshire tour.co.uk site)
  • Garry Stockdill's Yorksview website contains a description and photographs of:
    • Halifax.
    • Skircoat Green.
    • Warley Town.

Directories

• Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" in Baines's Directory and Gazetteer Directory of 1822.
• Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" in Pigot's Directory of 1829.
• Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" in Pigot's Directory of 1834.
• Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" in White's Directory of 1837.

Gazetteers

• An index of the Halifax streets, lanes, roads, etc. transcribed from Whites 1853 Directory and Gazetteer.
• There is further information about this parish from Pigot's 1829 Directory Yorkshire section.
• There is further information about this parish from Pigot's 1834 Directory Yorkshire section.
• There is further information about this parish from White's 1837 Gazetteer, History and Directory of the West Riding.
• There is further information about this parish from National Gazetteer 1868 Yorkshire extracts.

History

• Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion web-site contains a vast amount of information about Halifax and Calderdale.
• Here is a photograph of The restored Halifax Gibbet, see Halifax History for information.
• Sue Johnson has transcribed an unpublished work from circa 1877 entitled Historical notes on Bradshaw.
• Sue has also supplied some photographs of buildings in the Halifax area:
  • Holdsworth House, Holmfield (transcribed from " Ancient Halls of Halifax"):
    Passing up the main read from Holmfield Station to the district known as Holdsworth, attention is attracted by iron gates at the entrance to the remains of what was once an avenue. This leads to Holdsworth House, a fine relic of old-time architecture, the external appearance, except for the ivy-covered front, being little changed from the original design. The southern and western gateways are interesting studies, and the house itself, built in three gables, is an imposing structure. A stone over the western gate bears the date 1680, but it is thought the house dates back to 1598. A cross, over one of the south gables, indicates that it was at one time part of the possessions of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.
    • Holdsworth House, Holmfield (view 1).
    • Holdsworth House, Holmfield (view 2).
  • An article about Grindlestone Bank (North and South), with a photograph of Grindlestone Bank South.
  • Shibden Mill Inn, view 1.
  • Shibden Mill Inn, view 2.
  • Websters Maltings, Ovenden Wood: An awful lot of money was spent on converting these maltings to offices, and then they closed the brewery down and they have been empty ever since. Nobody seems to know what is going to happen to it. At least it's a listed building so they can't pull it down.
  • Websters Brewery, Ovenden Wood: A very sad photo of what was once a bustling industry, now it's just left there, rotting away, with a security man patrolling it every now and then.
  • Long Cann is one of two houses in Ovenden Wood, both built about the same time, one is owned privately and this one by the brewery. It was restored - cost a lot of money - and used as a museum and reception centre until the brewery closed down. It was stripped of its museum bits but the central heating is kept on and security guards check it. Again what is going to happen to it no one knows.
    • Long Cann, view 1.
    • Long Cann, view 2.

Maps

• 
• For a more detailed map of the parishes in the riding please see the Yorkshire parish maps page.
• For a more detailed map of the county please see the Yorkshire map page.
• Here is a map showing the wapentakes for the county.
• View maps of Halifax and places within the boundaries of its ancient parish.

Memorial Inscriptions

• A transcription of the 1914-18 Memorial Plaque in Coley Church.

Military Records

• A transcription by Mark Andrew of the members of the Halifax Volunteer Corps of Infantry, 1802

Names (Geographical)

• The following places are within the boundaries of this (ancient) parish, but I have no further information on them other than the Ordnance Survey Landranger Grid reference shown:
  • (SE122198) Ainley Top
  • (SE148251) Bailiff Bridge
  • (SE107198) Blackley
  • (SE035171) Booth Wood
  • (SE122297) Bracken Beds(Upper and Lower)
  • (SE094197) Broad Carr
  • (SD952247) Castle Street
  • (SD974264) Charlestown
  • (SD966286) Colden
  • (SE087227) Copley
  • (SE125214) Elland Lower Edge
  • (SE125208) Elland Upper Edge
  • (SE066210) Greetland Wall Nook
  • (SD923272) Hawks Stones
  • (SE065262) Highroad Well Moor
  • (SD939253) Hole Bottom
  • (SE030228) Hubberton Green
  • (SD933228) Knowl Wood
  • (SE094193) Jagger Green
  • (SE043210) Kebroyd
  • (SE055184) Krumlin
  • (SE093216) Lindwell
  • (SE053218) Longley
  • (SD955234) Lumbutts
  • (SD998286) Midgehole
  • (SE142268) Norwood Green
  • (SE088179) Outlane
  • (SE039266) Oats Royd Mill
  • (SD996294) Pecket Well
  • (SE065184) Penny Hill
  • (SE073226) Pickwood Scar
  • (SE026178) Pike End
  • (SE046174) Pike Law
  • (SE133264) Priestley Green
  • (SD907264) Pudsey
  • (SD953291) Rodmer Clough
  • (SD977286) Slack
  • (SE080188) Sowood Green
  • (SE146236) Thornhill Bridge (or Thornhill Briggs)
  • (SE067295) Upper Brockholes
  • (SD913262) Vale
  • (SE097212) West Vale

Newspapers

• The Halifax Courier.

Records

• A transcription of a paper presented by Mr H P Kendall to the Halifax Antiquarian Society in 1906 giving extracts from the accounts of the Sowerby Constables. This includes a full list of the constables.

Societies

• The Halifax Antiquarian Society exists to research, preserve and record the long and rich history of the ancient Parish of Halifax.
• The Hebden Bridge Local History Group was formed in 1949 and is a section of the Hebden Bridge Literary and Scientific Society.
• The Charlestown History Group was set up in March 1998 with the aim of finding out the history its own backyard.
• This parish is covered by the following Family History Society:
  • Calderdale FHS