100 years ago in Farnhill and Kildwick

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The aim of this page is to provide a monthly summary of events in Farnhill and Kildwick 100 years ago, as reported in the local newspapers of the time: the Craven Herald, Keighley News, and West Yorkshire Pioneer.

We begin our diary in May 1914, three months before the start of WWI.

If you have any additional material please email the web administrator.

Note: The Farnhill and Kildwick History Group would like to thank the staff at Skipton and Keighley libraries for their help with this project.

December 1916

Death and burial of Harry Walmsley

Despite the hopes of his parents, who had visited him in hospital in London in November, Harry Walmsley died of his wounds and infection on December 14th. He was aged 23.

Harry had volunteered to serve in January, under Lord Derby's scheme, and had entered service in France in June. He was wounded in the shoulder in July and was hospitalised. After returning to the front line he again fell ill and was moved to hospital in London, where he died of septic poisoning and pneumonia.

The body was brought back to Kildwick, by train, and the coffin carried from the railway station to his home in Hanover Street by eight members of the Institute. The funeral took place, in a crowded St. Andrew's church, on the 17th and was followed by burial in Kildwick churchyard.

Harry Walmsley is commemorated on Kildwick war memorial.

Sources: "Craven's Part in the Great War - Harry Walmsley"; Keighley News, 16th and 23rd December 1916

A new vicar for St. Andrew's

A new vicar, Rev. C.E.V. Hodge, was appointed to the vacant living of St. Andrew's. Rev. Hodge had been curate at churches in Sunderland and Armley, before taking up his current post as vicar of Baring, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was expected to arrive in Kildwick, from Canada, early in the new year.

Sources: Keighley News, 9th December 1916; Craven Herald, 15th December 1916

Annual meeting of the Paxton Society

The local branch of the Paxton Society, which promoted the activities of gardeners and allotment holders, held its Annual General Meeting on the 14th, in the Institute. It was reported that the seed potato scheme had been a great success but, for the coming year, they had decided not to buy seed potatoes from the County Council and would approach seed potato merchants directly.

It was decided to hold the Society's 1917 Annual Show, as usual, on the last Saturday in July. The secretary, Mr. Charles Hill, said there was no reason they should not hold the show unless they were all going to be called up for service before show day.

Sources: Keighley News, 16th December 1916; Craven Herald, 22nd December 1916

Xmas parcels for soldiers

Members of the Kildwick branch of the Women's Unionist Association prepared and despatched parcels to local soldiers and sailors serving in the forces. Each parcel contained:

A pair of socks

A muffler

A tin of cigarettes

A tin of sardines

1lb of cooked ham

A cake

A tin of toffee

Sources: Keighley News, 23rd December 1916; Craven Herald, 27th December 1916

School Xmas concert and tea

Prior to breaking-up for the Xmas holidays, the children of Kildwick school put on what was described in one of the newspapers as "a delightful little concert", featuring action songs and recitations. A tree was put up and decorated with various items and, at the close, a collection was taken in aid of Lord Kitchener's Memorial Fund.

Later about thirty or so of the children, whose fathers were away from home serving in the forces, sat down to a tea prepared by the elder scholars and staff; they were also each given an orange.

Sources: Craven Herald, 29th December 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 29th December 1916; Keighley News, 30th December 1916

Memorial service at Methodist church

The year ended on a sombre note, with a memorial service for Joseph Green and Harry Walmsley, both casualties of the war and both former pupils of the Sunday School, being celebrated in the Methodist Church on the 31st. In his address, the Rev. J.E. Woodfield noted:

The world is longing for peace, but not the peace we had before the war. Our hearts cry loudly "Never again", but it would happen again unless there was a different spirit abroad, for armed peace was no guarantee for the safety and peace of the world.

During the service the names of all the men associated with the church who had left the village to join the forces were read out:

Tom Bulcock
George Halliday
Heaton Mosley
Albert Kitson
Harry Kitson
Percy E. Walmsley
Walter Hargreaves
J.W. Archer
Harry Walmsley (died on service)
John Pollard
James T. Pollard
Frank Pollard
Harry Pollard
Fred Dixon (assumed killed in action)
John Dixon
Cecil Green
William Thompson
Arthur Thompson
W. Hopkinson
Harry Bulcock
J.R. Thornton
Frank Mosley
Joseph Green (died on service)
Harry Green
Reginald L. Sutcliffe
Irving Bland
Tom Allsopp (former scholar, killed in action)
Arthur Daffern
Leo Spencer
Albert Atkinson
Albert L. Backhouse
Tom Whitaker
Arthur Turner
A. Overend
Fred Spencer
Arthur Garnett
Edwin Garnett
Ernest Garnett
Charles Taylor
Alec Mosley
F. Kitson
Ezra Kitson
M. Joy
William Mosley
S. Holmes
Joseph Greenwood

Special mention was also made of Joseph Smith "whose memory they cherished, although he was not associated with the church".

At the end of the service a bugler sounded "The Last Post".

Sources: Craven Herald, 5th January 1917; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 5th January 1917; Keighley News, 6th January 1917

National and International news

7th to 11th - Political uncertainty in Britain - Finding himself unable to cope with factional fighting and losing the support of his colleagues the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, resigned (7th) and Lloyd George became Prime Minister, establishing a War Cabinet (11th).

18th - Battle of Verdun - The Battle of Verdun, which had gone on since February, came to an end with the German forces being defeated by the French.

22nd - Sopwith Camel takes to the air - A prototype of the Sopwith Camel, a British bi-plane, was flown for the first time. Bizarrely, the plane was far easier to turn to the right than it was to the left. Many pilots needing to do a 90-degree left turn found it easier to turn right by 270 degrees.

30th - Rasputin murdered - Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (lover of the Russian Queen ?) was murdered in St. Petersburg; perhaps by a combination of cyanide poisoning, gunshots to the body and head, and drowning.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"; "Battle of Verdun"; "Sopwith Camel"; "Grigori Rasputin"

November 1916

Two more local deaths

News reached the area this month of the deaths of two more local men:

Joseph Green - son of Mr. Charles Green, of Starkey Lane, Farnhill; died, in his sleep, of kidney failure, in France 13th November, 1916. He was aged 27.
Thomas Allsopp - son of Mrs. Allsopp, of Beech Street, Crosshills; killed in action in France 20th November, 1916. He was aged 22.

Both Charles Green (left) and Thomas Allsopp (right) are commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

Sources: "Craven's Part in the Great War - Joseph Green"; "Craven's Part in the Great War - Thomas Allsopp".

... and three wounded

Amongst the wounded reported this month were:

John Stott - of Farnhill. Prior to the war he had been a barber in the village.

Frank Mosley - of Starkey Lane, Farnhill. Conscripted in April 1916, he had been in France since September.

Harry Walmsley - son of Mr. and Mrs. Seth Walmsley of Hanover Street, Farnhill. Harry had been in hospital for three weeks in France, suffering from septicaemia and pneumonia, before being transferred to a hospital in London. Late in the month his parents were informed by telegram that he was dangerously ill and they went to visit him. On their return home they reported that he was slightly better but not yet out of danger.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 3rd November 1916; Keighley News, 4th November 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 17th November 1916; Keighley News, 2nd December 1916.

W.A. Brigg ends his term as Mayor of Keighley

Following his retirement after four years as mayor of Keighley, W.A. Brigg of Kildwick Hall was thanked by the council leader Alderman Longsdom who said Mr. Brigg had lived up to everything they had expected of him and he had given a great amount of time to his role of mayor in a most anxious time. Thanks were also extended to his sister, Mrs. Sharpe, who had carried out the role of Mayoress.

Source: Keighley News, 11th November 1916

Farnhill man jailed for indecent assault

Having been found guilty of an indecent assault upon a 12-year old girl, James Wray, a confectioner of Starkey Lane, Farnhill was sentenced to 4 months in prison at Skipton Petty Sessions held on November 4th.

Source: Keighley News, 11th November 1916

Special services at Kildwick Church

Special services in connection with the National Mission of Repentance and Hope were held at St. Andrew's Church Kildwick between November 10th to 14th, in the presence of the Bishop's Messenger, W.G McNeice of Bradford.

Source: Keighley News, 18th November 1916

Farnhill Parish Council discusses footpaths

Footpaths were on the agenda of the meeting of Farnhill Parish Council held on November 30th.

Mr. Riddihough had asked the council for permission to make an alteration to the location of a public footpath that crossed the driveway of Farnhill Hall. He proposed replacing the existing stile and replacing it with a swing gate accessible from the road. Councillor Latham noted that the existing stile was an eyesore and the motion was carried unanimously.

Note: The original gate is still in existence, albeit in a rather poor condition.

The issue of the path along the top of the quarry on Farnhill Crag was also discussed. Councillor Ellis pointed out that the path was dangerous, with a drop of 60 feet; the suggestion that a wooden fence be erected was dismissed as impractical, due to the rocky nature of the ground; and the idea of building a wall was also discarded when it was pointed out that as the land was a waste place there would be nothing to stop people from taking the stones down and carting them away. No decision was taken.

Source: Keighley News, 2nd December 1916; Farnhill Parish Council Minutes, 30th November 1916

National and International news

18th - Somme offensive called-off - The Somme offensive, which started on July 1, was called off by the British Expeditionary Force commander Douglas Haig. The total British and Commonwealth casualties numbered over 400,000, with almost 100,000 killed.

21st - Sinking of the Brittanic - The Brittanic, the last of the Olympic-Titanic-Brittanic trio of liners belonging to the White Star line, was sunk in the Aegean. There were 1066 people on board of whom 1036 survived. Converted to serve as a hospital ship in 1915, HMHS Brittanic was the largest ship lost during WW1.

21st - Death of Emperor of Austria - Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, died after nearly 68 years on the throne. Almost nobody noticed.

22nd - Death of Jack London - Jack London, the author of novels including "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang", died of kidney failure at his home in California. He was aged 40.

28th - Aircraft bombs London - The first ever bombing of London by a German aircraft took place. Six bombs were dropped near Victoria station.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"; "HMHS Brittanic"; "Battle of the Somme".

October 1916

Frederick George Carlton - missing in action

It was reported in the Craven Herald that Frederick George Carlton, born in Kildwick but living in Crosshills, was missing in action. He was subsequently reported as having been killed.

He was one of four brothers who served in the armed forces. Two of the others were wounded.

Frederick George Carlton is commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

Sources: Craven Herald, 27th October 1916; "Craven's Part in the Great War - Frederick George Carlton"

The Hargreaves family at war

This month saw a number of newspaper articles about members of the Hargreaves family.

Tom Hargreaves of Kildwick, a Private in the West Riding Regiment, was reported as having been wounded by a bullet in the left shoulder, and was recovering in a hospital in France. Efforts had been made to get leave for him to return to Kildwick to attend his mother's funeral, but they had not been successful. His brother Alec, also in the West Riding Regiment, was able to attend.

Their cousin, John Hargreaves of Main Street Farnhill, was reported as having been wounded in the head by shrapnel. He wrote home to his mother from hospital in Rouen that "it felt nice to get where he could lie in a bed", he was going on nicely and there was no need to worry about him. John had been in France for over five months but had not previously been in the trenches. His battalion had gone into the front line on a Sunday and he was wounded on the following Tuesday.

The reports also noted that John had two brothers also in France: Charlie, with the Mechanical Motor Transport Section, and Anthony who was also in the West Riding Regiment.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 13th October 1916; Keighley News, 14th October 1916; Craven Herald, 20th October 1916

Grandson of Kildwick's former postmaster wounded

The mother of Signaller Birch Holmes, the grandson of the former Kildwick postmaster who had died in June, received a postcard from her son to say that he was in hospital in Herne Bay.

Birch Holmes had joined up in September 1914, and had been in France for 15 months.

Source: Keighley News, 14th October 1916; Craven Herald, 20th October 1916

Institute just kept afloat

The 5th annual meeting of the Institute reported a balance in the account of £13 6s 2d. However, times had been hard and in order to save money the caretaker had been asked to resign. Cleaning of the building was now carried out by members of the committee.

Major sources of income for the year included:

Subscriptions - £20 11s 6d

Billiards - £18 12s 6d

"At Homes" - £16 5s 3d

Garden Party - £22 8s

Total income for the year was £105 5s 11d

Since the beginning of the war, 31 members of the Institute had joined the forces and 29 of these were still serving. The previous Christmas, 25 parcels had been sent to the soldiers, at a cost of 11s each.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 20th October 1916; Keighley News, 21st October 1916

Farnhill gets a "cheap" Grammar School

At the meeting of Farnhill Parish Council held on October 26th, it was reported that a bill had been received for 12s 1d, which was Farnhill's part of the debt on Skipton Grammar School. The chairman of the council, W.A. Brigg, noted "If we can get a Grammar School for 12s 1d it is very cheap." District Councillor George Bottomley added that "It is the first time we have been called upon to help the school out of debt. It may not occur again for 20 years. It is money well spent."

A memorandum was read out postponing the election of Parish Councillors for a further year. The Chairman commented "They will just have to put up with us."

Source: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 3rd November 1916

"Kildwick Parish" YMCA hut opened

On the 28th a large gathering witnessed the opening of the new "Kildwick Parish" YMCA hut on an airfield at Howden, near Selby.

The hut, which was built using the £900 raised by the parish, was 100ft long by 30ft wide and comprised a large meeting room, sleeping apartments, a dining hall, smoking room, a billiard room with two full-sized tables, and a kitchen. It was the most recent of over 1700 huts which had been erected by the YMCA around the world.

At the opening ceremony, Lord Nunburnthorne said "The man in the street might think it was the duty of the Army and Navy to provide proper quarters for their men, but the fact was that the Army and Navy had grown to such huge proportions that they were somewhat cramped in their quarters, and it had been left to the YMCA to provide huts for recreation, writing, concerts, etc.".

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 3rd November 1916; Craven Herald, 10th November 1916

Conservative Club annual tea

Also on the 28th, in Kildwick, the Conservative Club held its annual tea and social gathering in Kildwick School. After the tea there was a concert by the Airedale Quartet, followed by a dance.

At the gathering it was announced that 25 members of the club, almost all the eligible men, had joined the forces. The event was attended by Tom Hargreaves who was home on leave, after 16 months in France, having been wounded.

One third of the proceeds of the event was given to the "Ladies' Working Party" to pay for sewing and knitting materials for use in the manufacture of garments for the troops.

Source: Keighley News, 4th November 1916.

National and International news

16th - Margaret Sanger opens clinic - Margaret Sanger opened the first family planning clinic in the USA. Nine days later she was arrested for breaking a New York state law that prohibited distribution of contraceptives.

Source: "Margaret Sanger"

September 1916

Six local men killed

In what must have been a terrible month, six local men whose names would later appear on the Kildwick became victims of the war. They were:

Matthew Horseman Towers, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Towers, Campbell Street, Crosshills - missing presumed dead 03/09/1916
Fred Dixon, of Harding Houses, Crosshills - killed in action 14/09/1916
Lewis Binns, of Green Lane, Glusburn - killed in action 15/09/1916
Cedric F. Horsfall, eldest son of Sir John and Lady Horsfall, of Hayfield, Glusburn - killed in action 18/09/1916
Albert Binns, of Hartley Street, Glusburn - died of wounds, in Boulogne, 26/09/1916
George Bland, of Main Street, Crosshills - killed in action 29/09/1916

All six men are commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

The photographs above show (left to right):Matthew Horseman Towers, Fred Dixon, Lewis Binns, Cedric Horsfall, Albert Binns, and George Bland

Sources: "Craven's Part in the Great War - Matthew Horseman Towers"; "Craven's Part in the Great War - Fred Dixon"; "Craven's Part in the Great War - Lewis Binns"; "Craven's Part in the Great War - Cedric Horsfall"; "Craven's Part in the Great War - Albert Binns"; "Craven's Part in the Great War - George Bland"

... and another wounded

News reached the village that Ben Hargreaves, of Starkey Lane, had been wounded for a second time. Fortunately the wound was described as "not serious".

Ben was one of three brothers serving with the forces.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 15th September 1916; Keighley News, 16th September 1916

Kildwick Pierrot Troupe entertain the troops

On the evening of September 13th, a Pierrot Troupe led by Tom Appleby and Fred Sugden of Kildwick, travelled to the hospital at Morton Banks to entertain the wounded soldiers being treated there.

Source: Keighley News, 16th September 1916

... and the troops visit Kildwick

A fortnight after the Kildwick Pierrot Troupe visited Morton Banks a party of about 180 wounded soldiers from the hospital paid a visit to the village. They arrived by canal boat and were treated to tea by Mrs. W. Sugden in the parish room. They visited places of interest in the neighbourhood before returning to the hospital.

Sources: Keighley News, 30th September 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 29th September 1916

No lighting precept required for Kildwick - if the war ends soon

At the annual Kildwick Parish Meeting it was decided that the £25 already in the account would be sufficient to meet any expenses likely to occur if the war came to an end during the current lighting season.

Source: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 29th September 1916

... and Farnhill recruit Skipton RDC to get the canal company to pay for the culvert lamp

At a meeting held on the 28th, Farnhill Parish Council decided to write to Skipton Rural District Council, to ask them if they could help obtain payment from the Canal Company. The letter read:
Dear Sir,
At a meeting of the Farnhill Parish Council held on Thursday evening the 28th inst. I was instructed to inform your council that the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Co. have refused to pay their annual subscription (£2) towards the cost of lighting the lamp at the end of the Canal Culvert in the Parish for the last two years. This council consider it to be the duty of the R. D. Council to see that the subscription is paid to date, and is continued in future.

Source: Farnhill Parish Council minutes, 28th September 1916

National and International news

2nd - Downing of a zeppelin - On the night of 2nd/3rd William Leefe Robinson became the first airman to shoot down a zeppelin over Britain. He was awarded a VC.
The event was witnessed by Private Edward Dodson, of Steeton, who wrote about it in the Keighley News (7th October, 1916).

13th - Mary the elephant - Mary, a circus elephant, was hanged in the town of Erwin, Tennessee after being found guilty of killing her handler. (I thought this sort of thing only happened in Hartlepool.)

15th - First use of tanks - Originally scheduled for use on the first day of the battle of the Somme, tanks were finally put into action during the battle of Flers-Courcelette. Of the 49 planned for use in the attack, only 32 were able to reach their assigned positions on the battlefield. Of these, seven failed to start and only nine made it across no-man's land to the German trenches. Churchill, who had been on the committee controlling the introduction of tanks said: "This priceless conception, containing if used in its integrity and on a sufficient scale, the certainty of a great and brilliant victory, was revealed to the Germans for the mere petty purpose of taking a few ruined villages".

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"

August 1916

Institute in financial trouble

Early in the month an extraordinary meeting was held to discuss the financial problems experienced by the Institute as a result of the number of members who had joined the forces. It was decided to continue running the building on the existing lines and to hold a garden party to raise funds.

The garden party, which was held in the grounds of Kildwick Hall on Saturday 2nd September, was a great success. Attended by over 400 people, it raised £20 for Institute funds.

Sources: Keighley News, 5th August 1916; Craven Herald, 8th September 1916

Rev. Rhodes causes an outcry

You might have thought that the Rev. Rhodes had said quite enough when he left the parish in 1914. However, having finally resigned his post in Kildwick, he took the opportunity to pen a farewell letter, published in the parish magazine, which was full of his usual vitriol. Here are some extracts:

About the people of the parish: When I came among you seven years ago I received on every hand, both within and without the parish, the very worst possible character of flock.

About the treatment of his curate, Canon Griffin: ... after formally asking you to support him in my absence he was treated most inconsiderately, and I have never heard a whisper of regret or apology. A people capable of such neglect has forfeited any regard I and mine may have had for it ...

Why his ministry failed: I think failure occurred at the point where to save others I had to act on my own judgement and you failed to trust me.

How the parish should welcome his replacement: Try and trust him and get out of the habit of supposing you know his business better than he does. If you really are [a] heaven-sent genius ... don't you think God would have given you the office ? Practice a little modesty and tongue-ruling ...

What the parish has lost with his departure: You have contrived to exchange two experienced and enthusiastic clergymen for one with a stipend depleted by £100 per annum. This will not seem to everyone [to be] good business.

The final farewell: I thought for a long time I should find it difficult to leave, but I do not.

It does not appear that Rev. Rhodes resignation and final departure was the source of any regret in the parish.

Sources: Craven Herald, 11th August 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 11th August 1916; Keighley News, 12th August 1916

Young man drowned in the Aire

Nineteen-year old Anthony Whiteoak of Grange Farm, Kildwick, drowned while swimming with a friend in the River Aire between Kildwick and Steeton.

At the inquest into the death, held at the victim's home on Monday 7th, it was recorded that Whiteoak and his friend Ernest Gibson, of Kirkgate, went down to the river at about 3pm on the previous Saturday. After going into the water three times, Anthony appeared to be in difficulties; Ernest went to try and help him but, although he was able to grasp his hand, was unable to save him.

After he lost sight of his friend, Ernest went to get help. Mr. John Sturdy, of White Lane Farm, was brought to the river bank and tried unsuccessfully to locate the body, which was finally recovered at about 6:15pm.

In his summary, the coroner commented that Ernest Gibson had done all that he could to save his friend and that John Sturdy was to be highly commended for his efforts. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.

The funeral took place at St. Andrew's Church on the Tuesday afternoon.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 11th August 1916; Keighley News, 12th August 1916

Fund raising for YMCA Hut "splendid work"

The committee of the Kildwick Parish YMCA Hut Fund confirmed that the net result of July's Garden Fete was that a cheque for £929 16s 1d had been sent to the YMCA. A letter of thanks had been received:

... We will certainly see that the money is spent in the erection of a Kildwick Parish Hut, and I will let you know in due course exactly where this is to be placed. With warm thanks for all your splendid work on our behalf, and also to all those who co-operated with you in bringing about this result.

Source: Craven Herald, 11th August 1916

Change to works holiday week causes problems

For reasons reported to be "outside of local influence" (could be that there was a war on ?) the usual mid-summer holiday in the mills and workshops of the district was put back a week at short notice. This caused problems for holiday makers.

Large numbers had made arrangements for accommodation at the various sea-side resorts that had had to be changed, and many had risked going to Morecambe without having made any prior arrangements and found that they had to return.

Source: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 18th August 1916

Paxton Society's 5th annual flower show

The local branch of the Paxton Society held its fifth annual show on August 19th. The competition was open to all allotment holders and cottage gardeners in Farnhill and Kildwick, and prizes totalling £10 were offered in a wide range of classes. The prize for the exhibitor securing the most points in the show was split between Charles Hill and George Childers who tied.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 25th August 1916; Craven Herald, 25th August 1916; Keighley News, 26th August 1916

Conservative ladies' trip to the seaside

On Saturday 19th, the ladies of Kildwick Conservative Club who had been involved in creating knitwear for troops at the front were treated to a charabanc trip to Blackpool, by Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow of Crosshills. The 40 ladies arrived in Blackpool at about noon and were served a fine meal. Five hours were then spent in fine sunshine, followed by tea and the drive home. The party arrived back in Kildwick at about 9:30pm.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 25th August 1916; Craven Herald, 25th August 1916

Local emigre killed in action

Private Thomas Harker, son of Mr and Mrs Jackson of Glusburn, was killed in action on August 19th, while serving in France.

Thomas had emigrated to Australia in February 1914, and had volunteered to serve with the 22nd Australian Imperial Force on the outbreak of war. At the time of his death he was with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

Thomas Denton Harker is commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

Source: "Craven's Part in the Great War - Thomas Denton Harker"

National and International news

5th - George Butterworth killed-in-action - The composer George Butterworth was killed in action on the Somme. A significant loss to British 20th century music.

10th - Film of The Somme - Official film of the Battle of The Somme was premiered in London (and released to UK cinemas on the 20th). In the first six weeks it was seen by over 20 million people.

27th - Romania declares war - The Kingdom of Romania declared war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. In return for entering the war on the Allied side, the Kingdom of Romania demanded support for its territorial claims over Transylvania, an Austro-Hungarian territory with a Romanian majority.

Sources: "George Butterworth"; "Film of The Somme"; "Romania during WW1"; "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"

July 1916

Kildwick student's award

Joseph Russell Williams, former student of Kildwick school, successfully completed examinations at Leeds University where he was reading for an Arts degree in English. His success in the examinations won him a 3-year King's Scholarship award.

Sources: Keighley News, 1st July 1916; Craven Herald, 7th July 1916

Inquiry into the resignation of Rev. Rhodes

Following the acrimonious departure of the Rev. Rhodes for Kildwick Church at the end of 1914, the Bishop of Ripon reported the establishment of a commission to report "upon the expediency of the proposed resignation" of the vicar.

Source: Craven Herald, 7th July 1916

Over £900 raised for YMCA huts

Despite poor weather, a garden party at Malsis Hall raised over £900 towards Kildwick parish's fund for the supply and equipping of two YMCA huts for soldiers in France. Over 3000 people attended the event which included afternoon and evening concerts, and a series of seven patriotic tableaux presented by a group from the Wesleyan Chapel in Cross Hills; the artistes being attired in costumes in the colours of the Allies. The outstanding tableaux were "Britannia", "Belgium beseeching the aid of Britannia", and "The Allies".

Private T. Pemberton, Army Service Corps, writing from France to his cousin in Sutton, said of the fund: "You are working for a noble cause. I am perfectly sure if some of the kind friends at home could spend an evening in one of the YMCA huts they would go back home highly satisfied that their efforts to make the boys comfortable have not been in vain. You look after the lads and the lads will look after the Huns."

Sources: Keighley News, 8th July 1916; WW1 YMCA huts.

Farnhill Methodist's roll of honour

At a service held on Sunday 9th July in Farnhill Methodist Church, the Rev. J.E. Woodfield unveiled a Roll of Honour listing the names of all the men associated with church or Sunday School who had enlisted. He said they were all "very proud of those who had gone at the call of King and Country in the hour of crisis" and he asked the congregation to remember the lads in their prayers and he hoped "that they might be kept [safe?] in the hour of danger and, as far as possible preserved from all hurt or ill and, if was the Creator's will brought back home again in safety."

The names inscribed on the roll were then read out:

Herbert Barker
George Holliday
Heaton Mosley
Albert Kitson
Harry Kitson
Percy H. Walmsley
Walter Hargreaves
John W. Archer
Harry Walmsley
John Pollard
Fred Dixon
John Dixon
Harry Pollard
James S. Pollard
Frank Pollard
Cecil Green
William Hopkinson
Ernest Thompson
William Thompson
Thomas Bulcock
Harry Bulcock
J. Robert Thornton
Reginald Sutcliffe
Irvin Bland
Tom Allsop
Arthur Daffern
Leo Spencer
Albert Atkinson
Albert L. Backhouse
Tom Whitaker
Arthur Turner
Arthur Overend
Fred Spencer
Arthur Greenwood
Edwin Garnett
Ernest Garnett
Charles Taylor
Alec Mosley
Ernest Dixon
Frank Pollard
Joseph Green
Harry Green
Frank Mosley

The roll was to be displayed in the schoolroom and was described as "very beautifully illuminated and framed. Surrounding the names are the flags of the Allies, with an inscription to the brave men who have gone forth from the Primitive Methodist Church, and at the bottom of the roll are Tennyson's words Not once or twice in our own island's story, the path of duty was the way to glory".

Above, the only known photograph of the Farnhill Methodist Church WW1 Roll of Honour. Although difficult to distinguish, it looks as if the bottom three rows of names must have been added after the unveiling.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 14th July 1916; Keighley News, 15th July 1916

Methodist memorial

A presentation was made to Farnhill Methodist church of a carved oak chair, by Mr. and Mrs. Nelson of Crosshills, in memory of their daughter Hilda who had died on June 3rd 1914.

Photograph taken August 2015.

Source: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 14th July 1916

Man jailed for begging in Kildwick

A 39 year-old man, William Bridge, a labourer of no fixed abode, was sent to jail for 14 days after being apprehended whilst begging in Kildwick. When asked, Bridge said that he had attested his willingness to serve in the armed forces but had not been called-up. He had previously been jailed at Chester, Preston, Lincoln and Stafford, and had not worked for over six years.

Source: Keighley News, 15th July 1916

A Naval wedding at Kildwick Church

After his recent involvement in the Battle of Jutland aboard the ship HMS Colossus, Farnhill man William Latham took advantage of a period of leave to marry Elsie Greenwood of Crosshills at Kildwick Church. The couple intended to honeymoon in Morecambe.

Farnhill soldiers wounded

With the battle of the Somme raging, the number of casualties recorded in the local newspapers increased dramatically. Although there were no deaths amongst the lads from Farnhill and Kildwick there were at least three wounded in July 1916.

Albert Bower - Private Albert Bower of 1/6th Duke of Wellington's Regiment was wounded in France on July 12th whilst engaged in the "great advance". His injuries were to the left leg and right foot, and he was treated in hospital in Northampton.

Richard Inskip - Mr. Richard Inskip, of Mary Street, Farnhill, was informed that his second son, Richard, serving with the 9th Duke of Wellington's Regiment had suffered a gunshot wound in the foot, and was in hospital in Cheshire. Private Inskip joined the forces in August 1915, and had been in France about five weeks.

Harry Walmsley - Mr. and Mrs. Walmsley received a letter from their son, Harry, who was serving with the West Yorkshire Regiment, telling them that he had been wounded in the shoulder and was in a rest camp. Private Walmsley joined the army in January and had been in France about six weeks.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 21st and 28th July 1916; Craven Herald, 28th July 1916

National and International news

1st - Start of the Battle of The Somme - Between July 1st and November 18th over 1 million soldiers were killed, mostly British and German. The Somme was the debut of the Kitchener Army, created by the call for recruits at the start of the war. There were 57,470 British Empire casualties on the first day, 19,240 of them killed, the British Army's bloodiest day. Among the units that fought were a number of the "pals battalions"; men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours and work colleagues. A member of one such unit, "The Accrington Pals" recorded the scene on the morning of July 1st:
"We were able to see our comrades move forward in an attempt to cross No Man's Land, only to be mown down like meadow grass. I felt sick at the sight of the carnage and remember weeping."

1st to 12th - Jersey Shore shark attacks - In the USA one or more sharks attacked at least five people, resulting in four deaths. Over 50 years later this event would be the inspiration for the book and film "Jaws!".

9th - Birth of Edward Heath - Edward Richard George Heath, Prime Minister 1970-74, was born in Kent.

15th - Boeing aircraft company - Pacific Aero Products, the forerunner of Boeing Aircraft Company was formed in Seattle.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"; "Battle of the Somme"; "Pals battalions"; "Accrington Pals"; "Dan Carlin's Hardcore History" - the whole of Dan Carlin's podcast series on WW1, called "Blueprint for Armageddon", is worth a listen; "The First World War" by A.J.P. Taylor; "Edward Heath"

June 1916

Petty Officer William Latham is safe and well

A brief note in the 9th June edition of the West Yorkshire Pioneer reported that Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Latham had received a message from their son William, aboard HMS Colossus, saying he was safe and well.

What William was probably unable to tell his parents (and what certainly could not have been published at the time) was that HMS Colossus had just been involved in the Battle of Jutland, the only major sea battle of WW1. The vessel was the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron, under the command of Rear-Admiral Ernest Gaunt. During the battle, Colossus took two hits which caused minor damage and six casualties.

The photograph shows HMS Colossus in 1916; taken in Scapa Flow, Orkney.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 9th June 1916; HMS Colossus - Wikipedia

A concert at Kildwick Hall

As part of his continuing effort to provide support for Belgian refugees in the area, W.A. Brigg hosted a musical afternoon at Kildwick Hall. Performances were given by a number of famous Belgian artistes - including members of the Belgian Royal Opera and the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. The audience included a large number of refugees from Keighley, Sutton and Crosshills.

A vote of thanks to the Brigg family was moved by Sir Swire Smith, MP. Referring to the artistes, he said he was sure that they would be pleased with the welcome they had received. Although there was little that could be done for those Belgians who remained in their home country, their heroic stand had prevented a German take-over of the whole of mainland Europe.

Source: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 9th June 1916

Death of Kildwick's veteran postman

The death was reported of William Birch Holmes, at the age of 89. Birch Holmes, the former Kildwick postman, was the oldest man in either Farnhill or Kildwick.

He had taken over the position of village postman when his father retired and occupied the post for over 20 years. He himself had retired in 1909, at which time he had been presented with a purse of gold coins by the villages. It was estimated that he had walked over 60,000 miles making deliveries: 11 miles on each weekday and 5 Sundays.

On the 11th, the Kildwick Church bell-ringers rang a muffled peal in the morning and a half-muffled peal in the evening, in memory of their "veteran and enthusiastic ringer".

Sources: Keighley News, 10th June 1916; Craven Herald, 16th June 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 16th June 1916

No Whit holiday for mill workers

In common with many mills in the area, Sunderland's mill in Farnhill continued operation over the Whitsunday holiday period. As compensation, the firm gave a holiday bonus to all staff who worked on Whit Monday and Tuesday. It was reported that very few of the employees "broke work" [took holiday].

The children's annual Whit Walks were postponed for a week, with both the Kildwick Sunday School and Farnhill Methodist Sunday School holding their walks on Saturday 17th. The walks concluded with the usual teas and games, held at Kildwick Hall and Box Tree Farm.

Source: Keighley News, 17th and 24th June 1916

The Canal Company refuse to pay for the culvert lamp

The question of who was to pay for lighting the culvert was raised again at the meeting of Farnhill Parish Council on the 29th. The Chairman, W.A. Brigg, reported that he had sent the most recent bill to the Canal Company, but they had returned it by the next post and he could not see how the company could be made to pay it.

Sources: Keighley News, 1st July 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 7th July 1916

Another death in service

Papers reported news of the death of another local man, Smith Hardaker, on active service in France.

Smith Hardaker of Crosshills, who was serving with 10th Duke of Wellington's Regiment, was killed instantly when an ammunitions dump he was guarding was hit by a German shell. He is commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

Source: "Craven's Part in the Great War - Smith Hardaker"

National and International news

4th - Start of the Brusilov Offensive - The last major Russian operation of the war. In an attempt to take pressure off the French forces at Verdun, the Russian army under the command of General Brusilov attacked largely Austrian forces on a 200 mile length of the Eastern front. Over half the Austrian army were put out of action in the first week of the campaign and German forces had to be moved from Verdun to stem the Russian advance. On the other side, the Russians sustained over 1m casualties.

5th - Lord Kitchener lost at sea - Lord Kitchener was lost at sea en-route to Russia for discussions with the Czar when HMS Hampshire sank after hitting a mine just north of Orkney. Of the 667 officers and men on board, only 12 survived. The Prime Minister announced that a memorial to Kitchener would be erected, but no memorial was commissioned. In 1926 a memorial was erected by the people of Orkney, who collected money locally, on the cliffs at Marwick Head.

10th - Start of the Arab Revolt - Forces under the command of Grand Sharif Hussein attacked the Ottoman garrison in Mecca. Hussein had previously signed a secret agreement with the British and French governments to start a revolt against the Ottomans and their Central Power allies. In return, the British agreed to reward Hussein with an Arab empire encompassing all the land between Egypt and Persia.

23rd - Birth of Len Hutton - Len Hutton, described by Wisden as "one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket" was born in Pudsey.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"; "Brusilov Offensive"; "Dan Carlin's Hardcore History" - the whole of Dan Carlin's podcast series on WW1, called "Blueprint for Armageddon", is worth a listen; "Kitchener Memorial, Marwick Head"; "Arab Revolt"; "The First World War" by A.J.P. Taylor; "Len Hutton"

May 1916

Two local men die on active service

This month saw the deaths of two local men serving in France.

Thomas Whitaker Shuttleworth, of Crosshills but born in Kildwick, was serving with the 2nd Bradford Pals battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment. He was killed by a shell burst after leaving the trenches.

George Dobby, of Crosshills, was killed instantly when a shell-hole in which he had been placed after being wounded suffered a direct hit. His body was not recovered. Reports of his death in local newspapers were confused when the initial news was contradicted by a report in the Craven Herald that his parents had received a letter from him saying that "he was wounded and prisoner of war in Germany, and that he was being well looked after". This turned out not to be the case.

Both Thomas Whitaker Shuttleworth (left) and George Dobby (right) are commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

Sources: "Craven's Part in the Great War - Thomas Whitaker Shuttleworth"; "Craven's Part in the Great War - George Dobby"

Paxton Society suspend their activities

On the 18th the Paxton Society (for gardeners and allotment holders) held the first of what were planned - as in previous years - to be a series of regular fortnightly displays of flowers and produce throughout the spring and summer months. Unfortunately the number of exhibits was rather small and, at a meeting held a week later, it was decided that no further fortnightly events should be held in the current year.

The Society still hoped to be able to put on their annual Garden event, as usual, on July 29th. Prizes to the value of over £10 would be awarded.

Sources: Keighley News, 20th May and 3rd June 1916

Collection for Belgian refugees

Collections to help support Belgian refugees continued, with £3-15s-7d reported as having been collected in the Kildwick and Farnhill district during the past month.

Source: Keighley News, 27th May 1916

National and International news

21st - Daylight saving measures - For the first time, clocks were moved forward by an hour in order to save coal and boost factory production. A similar scheme had been introduced in Germany in April. The original proposal, by William Willetts, was that the clocks should moved forward by a total of 80 minutes, in 20-minute increments over a 4-week period. The clocks were moved back on 1st October 1916.

31st/1st June - Battle of Jutland - The only major WW1 battle between the Royal Navy and German High Seas Fleet. Although the immediate outcome was inconclusive, the German fleet retired to port and its surface vessels were rarely used again for the rest of the war.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"; "British Summer Time"; "Battle of Jutland"; "The First World War" by A.J.P. Taylor

April 1916

Mrs. Sharpe joins the Red Cross

The Keighley News reported that Margaret Sharpe, the mayoress of Keighley, who usually lived with her brothers at Kildwick Hall, had joined the Red Cross as a nurse and was serving in a hospital near her late husband's home in Darley Dale, Derbyshire.

They published a quarter-page photograph of nurse Sharpe in her uniform.

Source: Keighley News, 1st April 1916

A fatal Kildwick barn fire

In the early hours of Monday the 3rd of April 1916 a fire broke out in the barn at Manor Farm, part of the Kildwick estate. When the hayloft was cleared after the fire, the badly burned body of William Cutter was found in the wreckage and, nearby, his clay pipe. Cutter, an itinerant farm worker known in the locality as "Billy the Mower", was employed by Christopher Smith of Manor Farm. An inquiry into his death recorded that he had most probably climbed up to the hayloft for a rest, lit his pipe, fell asleep, and accidentally set fire to the combustible material.

The inquiry was particularly interested in Cutter's drinking habits and heard from John Lister, the landlord of the White Lion, that he visited the pub at lunchtime on Sunday and again from 8pm on the evening. Lister confirmed that he had called time at 9pm (in accordance with the restricted licensing hours) and that Cutter had left at around 9:30.

Col. Richard Wilson, owner of the Kildwick estate, estimated the damage and loss of contents at £140-10s. The full value was covered by insurance.

Sources: Craven Herald, 7th April 1916; Keighley News, 8th April 1916

A concert at the Institute

With about a quarter of the Institute members away serving in the forces, and subscriptions consequently reduced, the committee of the Kildwick and Farnhill Institute organised a fund-raising concert by "The Players" Concert Party. There was a large audience and the evening raised about £3.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 7th April 1916; Keighley News, 8th April 1916

A breach of lighting restrictions

Pursuing what seem to have been local restrictions on showing lights at night-time, Skipton Petty Sessions prosecuted George Royston of Kildwick, an employee of the Canal Company.

Police officer Sergeant Flannery reported that at 8:30pm on March 24th he had seen a bright light shining from the office of the canal warehouse at Kildwick wharf.

The Traffic Manager of the company told the court that a boat had arrived at the wharf in a "sinking condition" and that the lights of the office had been used to enable the rapid unloading of the vessel. The Chairman of the bench replied that there must be a continuity of policy and that the danger from enemy aircraft was the same in this case as in others. The Traffic Manager repeated that without the use of lights the boat would have sunk and the cargo lost. He also pointed out that the company had "gone so far in imposing lighting restrictions that our boatmen will not travel at night".

A fine of 6s was imposed.

Source: Keighley News, 15th April 1916

Accidents happen in war-time too - the death of Francis Richmond Thompson

The local newspapers reported news of the death of Francis Richmond Thompson, while serving with York and Lancaster Regiment in France.

The official report into his death revealed that it was the result of an accident, rather than occurring in combat. It shows that Pte. Thompson and other members of his unit attended a boxing tournament at Wormhout after which Thompson and another Private, rather than joining the others on a lorry, decided to walk back to their barracks. While crossing a railway line, both men were hit by a train. Pte Thompson died at the scene.

Francis Richmond Thompson is commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

Source: "Craven's Part in the Great War - Francis Richmond Thompson"

Easter holiday events

In order to maximise wartime production, Sunderland's mill in Farnhill did not close for Good Friday (21st). It was closed, as usual, on Easter Sunday and Monday, and workers were given the Tuesday off in lieu.

Over the weekend a large number of people visited Farnhill Moor and the Pinnacle; the weather on the Tuesday being particularly favourable for such an outing.

Also on Tuesday, an afternoon tea was served to around 150 people in Kildwick School followed by a dance in the evening. The two events raised £8 which was used to pay off part of the balance on the church bell restoration fund. The account was fully cleared with a donation from "A Friend".

Kildwick railway station reported that bookings for the Easter holiday period were much reduced from pre-war levels, with most of the journeys made being to local destinations.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 28th April 1916; Keighley News, 29th April 1916

Farnhill's rates go up as the canal's bill goes down

At the Parish Council meeting held on the 27th it was announced that the council had had to give the Canal Company a rebate on their rates following a revaluation. The amount refunded was £15, equivalent to 2d on the standard domestic rate, which would have to be increased.

The situation in Farnhill was contrasted with that of Glusburn and Cononley parishes which had railway lines running through them rather than a canal, and where the Midland Railway Company was the largest ratepayer.

Sources: Keighley News, 29th April 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 5th May 1916

"Old Scholars'" concert

A concert made up of acts drawn exclusively from former pupils was held in Kildwick School, arranged by Tom Appleby - the current headmaster - who also performed.

The aim of the concert was to raise funds to pay the £40 for structural alterations and sanitary improvements to the school buildings required by West Riding County Council.

Mr. Appleby opened proceedings by welcoming Herbert Barker, who was home on leave from the front.

The evening raised £10 and Mr. Appleby was able to announce that this, together with donations made by former pupils of the school, more than cleared the debt.

Sources: Keighley News, 6th May 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 5th May 1916

National and International news

2nd - Disaster at munitions factory - An explosion at a munitions factory in Faversham, Kent, killed 109 people.

24th to 30th - Easter Rising - Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood proclaim an Irish Republic and the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army occupy the General Post Office and other buildings in Dublin before surrendering to the British Army.

24th to 19th May - Shackleton's voyage - After the sinking of HMS Endurance, Ernest Shackleton and some of his men travel over 720 nautical miles across the South Atlantic in an open boat to seek rescue.

25th - Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth bombarded - The coastal towns of Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth were bombarded by battle cruisers from the German Grand Fleet.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"; "Easter Rising"; "Ernest Shackleton"; "The Great Explosion - Faversham.org"; "The First World War" by A.J.P. Taylor

March 1916

Death of George Mellor Sanderson

During the month, news of the death of the first Glusburn soldier to die in WW1 began to arrive home. George Mellor Sanderson was killed by a German sniper and, according to a letter sent to his mother by his commanding officer, died immediately and without pain.

He was killed on March 2nd in an action near Ypres to recapture land known as "The Bluff". The action was considered a success. British casualties incurred in recapturing the position amounted to 1,622 officers and men.

George Mellor Sanderson is commemorated on the Kildwick war memorial.

Sources: "Craven's Part in the Great War - George Mellor Sanderson"; The actions of Spring 1916

Army chaplaincy for curate

It was announced that Rev. A. T. Walkden, who would later become the vicar of Kildwick but who was at this time curate of Skipton Parish church, had obtanied an Army chaplaincy.

Source: Craven Herald, 3rd March 1916

A first peal on the new bells

Although the new Kildwick church bells had been in use since late 1914, Saturday 4th March had them in full operation for the first time when the Kildwick bell-ringers executed a Kent Triple Bob Major peal of 5088 changes. The peal took 3 hours and 14 minutes.

The peal was rung to celebrate the birthdays of Mr. John Ackroyd, who had donated the new Tenor bell, and Mr. William Law, a former bell-ringer.

Source: Craven Herald, 10th March 1916; Keighley News, 11th March 1916

National and International news

7th - BMW - German car company, Die Bayerischen Motoren Werke (BMW), was founded.

8th to 16th - Mexican revolution - In a major escalation, forces under the Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa crossed the US border and attacked the fort at Columbus, New Mexico. US President Woodrow Wilson responded to the Columbus raid by sending 10,000 troops under Brigadier General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing into Mexico to pursue Villa.

25th - Military medal - Military Medal instituted as a military decoration for personnel of the British Army and other services below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"

February 1916

Kildwick Women's Unionist Association has NOT been disbanded

In a short, sharp letter to the Keighley News, Mrs. Edith Sunderland, the Hon. Sec. of the Kildwick Women's Unionist Association sought to correct the impression made in the January 22nd issue of the newspaper that the association had been disbanded "due to differences that had arisen". Apparently there were no differences and the association had not be disbanded.

As if to prove the point, a whist drive was held in the Kildwick Parish Rooms that raised £1 13s 6d to provide comforts for sailors and soldiers.

Sources: Keighley News, 5th and 19th February 1916

Kildwick Church bells - the final account

The final cost for the repair of St. Andrew's bells was given as £621 9s 3d. Mr. Ackroyd paid £146 to cover the cost of the tenor bell, and Mr. Bairstow paid £48 for the treble. Subscriptions raised £279 and the bell-ringers contributed £59. There remained £14 still to be raised.

Source: Keighley News, 12th February 1916

A Farnhill man's adventures on the "Appam"

Towards the end of the month local newspapers printed the report of a Farnhill man, Mr. W. Whitaker, who had been on board the SS Appam when it was captured by the German cruiser SMS Moewe, one of the most successful German commerce raiders of the war.

Mr. Whitaker had been working for the government railway company in Nigeria and was returning home on the SS Appam when it was arrested and boarded by members of the Moewe's crew 4 days out of Dakar.

The Appam was booby trapped with mines and other "infernal machines" and the passengers and crew made aware that the ship would be sunk if there was any attempt to revolt.

Adding to the 230 that made up the complement of the Appam, the surviving crews and passengers of five other ships that had been sunk by the Moewe were also transferred over.

The Appam, manned by a German crew, cruised with the Moewe during the night and the following day they engaged the British ship, the SS Clan Mactavish. The Clan Mactavish refused to surrender and there was then an exchange of fire which left the Clan Mactavish in flames. The vessel was quickly seized, prisoners transferred to the Appam, and then sunk.

The Appam then left the Moewe and headed west to the USA, a journey of 14 days.

The British prisoners were well treated. One man who had sustained a broken leg was treated by two German ladies who visited him every day and provided him with fruit and wine. The same ladies also organised concert parties for the prisoners. However, with the double the expected number of mouths to feed, food did start to run out and by the time they arrived in the USA there was no coffee, tea or meat; water was becoming scarce and for six days every meals had included rice (!).

On arrival at Newport, Rhode Island, the prisoners were released from the Appam and moved to New York, where they were "accommodated at one of the finest hotels in the city" until they could secure passage home.

The photograph show the Appam arriving in the USA. Note the German flag.

Sources: Craven Herald, 25th February 1916; Keighley News, 26th February 1916

Farnhill and Kildwick go dark

In order to comply with the restrictions on street lighting introduced under the infamous Defence of the Realm Act (DORA), Farnhill Parish Council decided that all the gas lamps in the parish should be extinguished for the present season (street lights were only lit between September and March). An exception was to be made with the lamp at the entrance to the culvert, which was to be dimmed so that only the footpath was visible.

The question of who was to pay the cost of lighting the culvert remained unresolved, with the council deciding to send a bill to the Canal Company.

Previously, the Kildwick Lighting and Watching Committee (the forerunner of the Kildwick Parish Meeting) had met on February 15th and decided to immediately cease lighting the village, with the exception of the "canal bridge" - presumably Barrett's bridge.

Sources: Kildwick Lighting and Watching Committee Minutes, 15th February 1916; Farnhill Parish Council Minutes, 24th February 1916; Keighley News, 26th February 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 3rd March 1916

National and International news

1st - Zeppelin night attacks - A series of night attacks by zeppelins on the West Midlands cause 35 deaths.

21st - Battle of Verdun - One of the longest and costliest battles of the Western Front in WW1, ending on December 16th 1916. It is probable that accurate casualty figures for this bloody slaughter will never be known. It is said that the French lost over 360,000 and the Germans nearly 340,000; other sources put the total at over 1m.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"; "Battle of Verdun - History Learning"; "Battle of Verdun - Wikipedia"; "Dan Carlin's Hardcore History" - the whole of Dan Carlin's podcast series on WW1, called "Blueprint for Armageddon", is worth a listen; "The First World War" by A.J.P. Taylor

January 1916

Mentioned in despatches

The news reached Farnhill that Lieutenant W.P. Wrathall, the nephew of the late Robert Wrathall of Farnhill Hall had been mentioned in despatches by Field Marshal Sir John French. Lt. Wrathall received his commission on the outbreak of war and had been in France just two months.

Source: Craven Herald, 7th January 1916

National Intercession Day and the vicar's New Year message

January 2nd was celebrated in churches nationally as a Special Day of Intercession, and special services were held at St. Andrew's Kildwick and at the Methodist Church in Farnhill, where Rev. J.E. Woodfield preached on the subject "1915-1916 - the years of Tragedy and Triumph".

In the St. Andrew's parish magazine for January 1916 the vicar, Rev. Gerald Richardson wrote:

The past year has brought in its train much trouble, sorrow, and grave anxiety. Not only has this terrible war not come to an end, but the end is not yet even in sight. Supplies and money are generally plentiful and wages good, and so many are even now blind to the issues at stake.
He went on to recommend prayer as a military strategy, saying that prayer at home means success at the front.

Source: Keighley News, 8th January 1916

Oddfellows Roll of Honour

On Wednesday 12th, in a major event held at the Farnhill Institute, the Loyal Staincliffe Lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows unveiled a Roll of Honour, listing the names of 90 members of the lodge serving with the armed forces.

It was noted that one of the members, Joseph Smith, had already laid down his life; one was a prisoner in Germany, and several others were in hospital having been wounded. All the members serving with the Forces were supported by each member back home cheerfully paying a levy of 2d. a month.

The Roll was unveiled by Mr. William Hill who said he hoped they would never be called upon to take part in such a ceremony again. A special poem, written for the occasion by Mr. Hill, was then read. At the end of the proceedings, a vote of thanks was offered by Bro. Thomas Nowell of Crosshills and seconded by Bro. Fergus O'Connor Holmes of Keighley.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 14th January 1916; Keighley News, 15th January 1916

Unionist Club Annual meeting

At the Annual Meeting of the Farnhill and Kildwick Unionist Club, held in Kildwick on Friday 14th, it was reported that 12 members of the club were serving with the Forces and a further 19 had been attested. Special praise was given to the ladies of the club who had been meeting weekly in the club to work on behalf of the soldiers, although it was announced that the group had been broken up "due to differences that had arisen".

It was announced that Mr James Woodrow, the President, had personally given over £30 to cover the cost of installing a heating system at the club. He had also been paying off the club's debts of more than £200.

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 21st January 1916; Keighley News, 22nd January 1916

Craven ambulances in France

Both the West Yorkshire Pioneer and the Craven Herald carried photographs of the Craven ambulances, paid for by collections made throughout the district (Farnhill and Kildwick raised over £45). The photograph below shows one of the three ambulances; this one emblazoned with the words "The Craven No. 1 Ambulance".

Sources: West Yorkshire Pioneer, 28th January 1916; Craven Herald, 28th January 1916

Farnhillers not ready to eat nettles and grass

There was some amusement at the meeting of Farnhill Parish Council when papers from the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries were considered, calling for rough grass and nettles to be used in the production of food.

Sources: Craven Herald, 3rd February 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 4th February 1916; Keighley News, 4th February 1916

A roll-of-honour for the Farnhill Volunteers

With conscription just about to be introduced, Farnhill Parish Council held their regular monthly meeting on January 27th and decided to create a roll-of-honour to list those men of the village who had already enlisted or who had attested under Lord Derby's scheme (i.e. made a signed declaration that they would serve when called).

Sources: Farnhill Parish Council Minutes, 27th January 1916; Craven Herald, 3rd February 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 4th February 1916; Keighley News, 4th February 1916

A dispute over the lighting of the culvert

Also at the Parish Council meeting on the 27th, there was discussion of who was responsible for the lighting of the canal culvert. Farnhill Parish Council believed that the Canal Company were responsible, but they had not paid and the council had been sent the bill.

Sources: Farnhill Parish Council Minutes, 27th January 1916; West Yorkshire Pioneer, 4th February 1916

Kildwick Parish Register ready for printing

At a meeting of the Yorkshire Parish Register Society, held in Leeds on the 28th, it was announced that proof copies of the Kildwick Parish Register (that great boon to all local historians) were at the publishers and were ready to be printed. It was also announced that W.A. Brigg of Kildwick Hall had agreed to pay 25% of the cost of the first print-run.

Source: Keighley News, 5th February 1916; Craven Herald, 11th February 1916

National and International news

1st - Successful blood transfusion - The world's first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled was carried out by members of the Royal Army Medical Corps.

9th - Gallipoli evacuation completed - The last British troops were evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula, bringing to an end Churchill's bloody fiasco.

29th - Conscription - The Military Service Act introduced conscription for unmarried men aged 18 to 41 from 2nd March, and to married men in the same age range from April/May.

29th - Bombing of Paris - The first sustained zeppelin raids on Paris took place on the nights of the 29th and 30th January.

Sources: "1916"; "1916 in the United Kingdom"