crystal grove and mills, millbridge/heckmondwike

[queencorgi1]

Fairfax Kelley lived in Crystal Grove, Millbridge, in 1861 and the first of the three mills he established was called Crystal Mills. Can anyone (1) give me any guidance as to where these names (or the street name at least) came from (2) point me to any illustrations of either street or mill? Both seem to have totally disappeared.

Thank you in advance anyway!

[pityackafromblyth]

queencorgi1,  Just interested in your post, as I once lived in Heck. for a short time.  However, I have just googled " Millbridge, Heckmondwike" and the result showed Millbridge Junior, Infant School.  It is situated between the A638/A62 area near where the Swan traffic lights used to be.  This might be a starting point for you.   Also in the google result was Millbridge WMC, Liversedge.
Best of luck.

[pityackafromblyth]

queencorgi1, You will get an even better result if you google " Crystal Mills, Heckmondwike"  The mills in the area are mentioned by name; and there is also a site "Britainfromabove" which shows an aerial view of the area in the 1930s.
Now, I am going to stop wasting MY time, and let you pursue the matter.

[Pennines]

My ancestors also came from Mill Bridge in Heckmondwike and for a time my Gt Gt Grandfather was a Postmaster there (as well as being a Tailor!)

I don't know if it's just a coincidence but there was a Crystal Mill in Liversedge also (Liversedge being adjacent to Heckmondwike). See;
http://yorkshire.u08.eu/liversedge/63440

[queencorgi1]

Hello to you two Yorkshire types from an effete southerner!

I have discovered already that 'Heckmondwike' 'Liversedge' 'Millbridge' are absolutely interchangeable addresses. That being so, I think this Crystal Mills must be on the site of Fairfax's mill, but it appears to be a modern building.

Also, I agree that the Millbridge schools appear to be the only 'Millbridge' thing one can find on a map!

Thank you both so much for answering and I hope to clarify the situation further.

[Pennines]

Nothing to do with your actual query - but did you know that somebody (I can't remember who) gave the name of Cleckheckmondsedge to Cleckheaton, Liversedge and Heckmondwike --- as being typical Yorkshire Mill Towns.

Also -- and I couldn't believe this at first -- Heckmondwike was the FIRST town to be trimmed up with lights at Christmas. Apparantly it was quite an event -- sometime in the 1880s I think. People came from other towns, including Blackpool -- to see this spectacle. Should be a mention of this in the on-line 19th century newspapers.

This area is known as the Spen Valley and there is a really interesting book (now reproduced onto CD) written by a local historian Frank Peel in 1893 - named 'Spen Valley Past and Present'. I expect it's available in other places but I obtained it from Yorkshire CD Books

http://www.yorkshirecdbooks.com/

A very interesting read.

[queencorgi1]

Hi Pennines

Yes, I have looked at the Spen Valley book, which actually does mention Fairfax Kelley (Peel clearly knew everything there was to know about his subject).

I love the word 'Cleckheckmondsedge'. The mere sound of it gives you the feeling of the area, surely?

[Pennines]

Yes I know, I just love that name --- and my ancestors were living in a place (I had just thought it was a street) - called Swallows Nest in 1841 -- then from that book I discovered that a Joseph Swallow had built a house called Swallows Nest (and there was a picture of it in the book) --- so maybe 'Swallows Nest' was an area, named after that house.
I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find that out. A big 'wow' for me.

From memory (and that's not always reliable!) -- Joseph Swallow was known as 'The Dyer of Heckmondwike'.

[queencorgi1]

OK Pennines, my research has a link to yours!

After Fairfax Kelley died in 1883 his sons apparently decided they didn't want to carry on the business. The mills were sold off -- to Croft Mills, owned by Michael Swallow, whose daughter married one of Fairfax's sons (James). Does this ring any bells with you? I would be interested to know more about Michael Swallow if you have any info.

PS I am hoping that Crystal Grove -- which did exist as a street later if not now -- was also called after the house, similarly to 'Swallows Nest' which is a great name, by the way.