Newt catchers at Ling Bob exhiting times ahead.

Things happening at Ling Bob watch this space for progress.

Great War Families

Next year we will be featuring families of Horsforth and there lives in the Great War. If you would like to submit any features please contact the Museum.

Horsforth Photographic Archive

If you like old pictures this book of Horsforth Archive pictures is a must and at £8 a bargain. one hundred and twenty eight pages of photos from 1870 to around 1960. Exelent Horsfordion Christmas gift. 

Rathmell Family from Stainburn to Horsforth Whetsone, Ling Bob and None Go Bye Farms

Family History Help Nov 2013

Bussey Butchers c1950, Kerry St c1920 the junction of Kerry Hill and Town st c 1910

Myers Butchers Back Lane

Here is another Myers butchers this one on Back Lane Horsforth now demolished

Here is a picture of Myers butchers c1900 in north Town Street Horsforth. Our Myers family had more than one butchers shop. I came across this picture researching for a person from Manchester tacing her ancestors. Anyone with questions please ask.

The Queen likes her picture.

Charnleys Silkmill

Someone seemed suprised that their ancestor was a silk spinner. Here is a little about the Silk Mill where lots of Horsforth people worked.

Researchers finding births, marriages and deaths in Horsforth and surrounding area will be familiar with this name of Seth Morfitt. He was registrar from 1885 untill his death in 1920.

Florence Nightingale will be the subject of our talk on Tuesday 17^th 7 30pm in the Stables Block behind the Museum. Presented by Ivan Andrews. Entry £2 including refreshments.

We had a good walk again with good company here are some of the pictures another volunteer took. Why not join us on our next walk.

Two very dull pictures of a very nice bright walk in the north of Horsforth on the 25th of August 2013

This offer or help may be of interest to Leeds based researchers.

Walk 25th August

We had a nice birthday party interesting demonstatons and the children enjoyed making dream catchers on the lawn. Heres to another 25 years.

Jackie Depelle Talk

Last night Jackie Depelle a local family historian explained how we could trace ancesters from different information. Here we have an advert from the 1927 postal and telephone book. Mark lawsons number was 45 and he has been established for 50 years so we should be able to find him on a census with his family in Horsforth or will we? Notice the style of the bathroom fittings then very similar to todays modern equivilant.

Walk 13th of July

Returning from our walk passing Beech House it was very warm. Our walkers were very good company. This alk will be repeated on August 25th Bank Holiday weekend.

My recipe book belongsin a Museum over forth years old! Come along to te coffee morning Sat 29th.

The Black Bull Pub is still open. It was originaly built as a cottage around 1654 when permission was originaly given to John Thompson. Altered sold and extended over the years eventualy opened as a beerhouse in 1758 by John Lapish. This picture around 1910 when Emmie L Somers was the landlady could this be her in the spotted frock?

Our Museum is 25 years old this year and this walk on Sat the 13th of July is part of the celebrations it will be repeated on  Sunday the 25th of August Every body welcome to join us on the 20th of July at the Museum when we will have demonstrations of crafts.

This handsome couple are Hannah Morfitt Pullan nee Ingham and Mathew Pullan who together started Nethersprings Bleach Works in 1860 in north Horsforth. Our talk on the Domestic flax linen industry in West Yorkshire was exelent The Museum has organised two walks taking in the sites of four disused bleach works in north Horsforth and other interesting historical sites provisiona dates are Sat July 13th and Sun August 25th it is a 6 mile walk good boots needed and a packed lunch.

Springfield House still in existence was built in 1898 as a convalescent home connected to the Leeds Hospital Fund. Where is it situated?

The Domestic Industry in the West Riding is the title of a talk by Elizabeth Padget on May 21sr. Here is Nethersprings one of  north Horsforth many flax bleaching mills which was used for linen. The Flax seed would have been used for oil and the unbleached fibres of the plant for twine and rope. Ropeworks were many in Horsforth as well in the Woodside area and over the boundary at Clayton.

On the 4th of May Alastair Laurence gave a talk in the Museum Stables block about the Kirkstall Abbey Gate House now the Abbey House Museum Facinating history of the building families who lived there, the area and the Forge. Horsforth Museum have his book on sale at the Stewards desk for £10 well worth the investmant.

On the Saturday 4th of May there is a one day seminar in the Stables Block behind the Horsforth Museum 11am untill 4 pm with a lunch break. Alastair Laurance will present his research of the Kirkstall Abbey Gate House. Limited seats contact Geoff Poad on 2584495 for a place admission £5 which includes refreshments. 

St Margarets on the hill in Horsforth before the spire a remarkable building and look at the cost. Also a picture with its sprire when the church was surrounded by fields in 1950. This church was built for the congregation of Horsforth when the Bell Chapel was demolished however many other churches and chapels were constructed to accomodate the growing population in other areas of Horsforth from Woodside to Dean Head. Just to cause confusion there was another St Margarets church in Newlay Horsforth by the river across Pollards Bridge not remembered by many today as it burnt down.

Table Top sale everything but the sink including a filing cabinet.

Saturday 13th Aprill 2013 table top sale in the Stanhope Room 10am untill 3pm and the painting of the Queen completed last year for the Diamond Jubilee on show as we are this year celabrating her Diamond Jubilee for the Coronation. Four draw metal filing cabinet for sale make us an offer buyer must take away plus lots of bargains.

Here we have Hutchinson's shop on Low Lane. I wonder if the folk in the picture are part of the Hutchinson family? It would also be nice to trace where abouts the shop, looks like the Woodside area can anyone answer my questions? Dates possibly around 1900.

Information and pictures featured on this blog are available in the booklet History Guide number 5 at the Museum for only £2.50 Our indoor quiz relating to the area "The Green" will guide you through the Museum it takes about 20 minutes but you should take longer allowing time to browse at all our exibits as other quizes will be launched with different subjects throughout the year. Good educating entertainment based on social and local history for all ages and free. We do have a donation box to help fund the museum. Our outdoor quiz will be available soon relating to the same area and will take around 45 minutes but you could bring a picnic if its a nice day there are places to relax on the trail or you could call into one of the many eating establishments on Horsforth Town Street.

The Bell Chapel from the front 1879

The Bell Chapel from the rear 1879

The Tithe Map 1838

The 1890 Ordnance Survey map

Anyone interested in the Leeds and surrounding area will enjoy the website Tracks in Time which is the Tithe Map of 1838. Using the project you can compare the original Tithe Map to later maps 1890 to present day Google images. Here we have the Tithe map showing the area know as The Green at the bottom of Horsforth Town St. In the center of the map the large pink building is the Bell Chapel. A village church stood on this land for hundreds of years it would have been a thatched building with rough walls in the beginning, updated and altered as needed the last update in 1840 was the addition of a gallery to accommodate the increasing population. This was a chapel of ease giving the villagers the ease of walking to the Guiseley Church twice on Sundays.  It was known as the Bell Chapel because of its bell tower at the front of the building and also on the front of the Chapel was a clock an invaluable asset to the villagers to get to there employment on time. On the map you can clearly see the rounded part of the building which nudged its way into Back Lane and the junction of Drury Lane, Town St and Back Lane were known as Church End. The Chapel was demolished in 1886 and is now a garden of rest but some of the stone was used to construct the terrace of houses known as Mount Royal. The clock face can be found in the garden of rest in the back right hand corner by the gateway. The headstones have been placed as walkways and the stones which would not fit in the area when the road was improved were moved to a small garden on Church Lane.

On the 1890 map the Chapel has been demolished and reads Green Yard.