This collection of images has been donated by various people. More will be added as time allows, so please keep coming back to look.

If you can identify anyone please get in touch at: HorburyAndOssettFamilyHistory@gmail.com

Family photos donated by Mick Smith.

Robertshaws or Stansfield butchers on the left with Len Garforth’s barbers shop on the right.Always wanted to own a Ford Consul, Zodiac or Zephyr, nearly managed it once but his wife stopped the sale.Brilliant photo of what was a great area to live and shop in. – Stephen Gardner

Melvin Billcliffe shared the photo below on our Facebook group, Ossett Through The Ages (OTTA) and asked if anyone remembered the Simms brothers.

Eric Robinson remembered them.

“Thomas Simms’ business was run from Embassy garage in Church Street where Trinity Metals now run their scrap metal business ( tel: Ossett 524) and was not connected to Willie Simms’ business which was Meadow Garage ( tel Ossett 116) at a yard just off Church Street. Thomas and Willie were brothers and Willie was a pigeon fancier but I don’t know if Thomas was.”

SOUTH OSSETT JUNIOR SCHOOL 1924

Donated by Gillian Simpson (née Hunter). With names!

“What a good photo, excellent quality. My mum is Alice Terry and my aunt is Florrie Sawyer. First time I have seen this photograph. Thank you for sharing it.” – Terry Little

“Thankyou. I’ve never seen this photo before! Walter Wilson, stood next to dad, was dad’s mate right up to their married life. Dad was 10 years old here.” – Janet Denton (née Buckley)

“There’s two of my uncles on this photograph, Reggie Maude – my Mum’s older half brother (same Mum, Louise Simms but from her first husband, Harold Maude ) and Clifford Lister, one of my Dad’s older brothers. – Janet Wallis (née Simms).

FLUSHDYKE COUNCIL SCHOOL 1946

This photo was donated by Elizabeth Crossley. The following information came from members of Ossett Through The Ages (OTTA). Can you help fill in the blanks?

Back row far right Jean Royal next row down third in Irene Humphry Jean Fox Pauline Sykes second row Betty Green Margaret Feather front row fourth in David Brook – Kirby. Tony Harrison next to Betty Green. Mavis Binks next to Margaret Feather

FLUSHDYKE COUNCIL SCHOOL 1946

This photograph was taken at Flushdyke School in June 1946. It shows the two infant classes and their teachers and all the pupils were born between September 1938 and August 1940. Margaret Wilby (née Brammer) gave me the photo and the following information. Margaret is the “floating head” on the top left of the photo. She was at Blackpool on holiday and was later added to the class photo using a photograph taken whilst on her holiday.

Back Row L to R: Neville Matthews, Glenda Barlow, Betty Farrar, Brenda Farrar, Neville North, Mary Fearnside, Arthur Jackson, Peter Green, Mavis Wright.

Next to Back Row.Mrs Broadbent, Cynthia Mackie, Pat Jackson, Carol ? Newton, Rosalie Speight, Norman Oldroyd, Malcolm Fothergill, Mollie Wilby, Shirley Longbottom, Eileen Tyrell,Peter Grace.

Middle Row.Violet Clegg, Freda Lodge, Brenda Barras, Kenneth Winpenny, Maureen Liversedge, Phillip Brook, Phillip Brook, Shirley Sykes, Brenda Booth,Dorothy Dews, Godfrey Wilkinson, Miss Gledhill.

Next to Front Row.Donald Oldroyd, Carol Dews, Jeffrey Mellor, Marjorie Brewer, Maureen Watson, ? Dean, Carol Naylor, ? Fothergill ?,Iraine Fitton, Winston Bedford? (standing)

Front Row.Ernest Green( standing),Barry Wilkinson, Jimmy Hopper, Carol Marsh, Leslie Dews, Peter Barlow, David Chapman, Margaret Hutchinson, Winifred Scholey, Dennis Hinchcliffe.

SOUTHDALE COUNCIL SCHOOL c1916 

Photograph courtesy of Chris Robinson who supplied the following information:

“For those who like old school photographs this is the Southdale “Baby” class of 1916. The teacher is Miss Goldsmith but the pupils are not named. I know one is Cyril Tyler and I think he is 4th from left on back row, but I am not certain. I have written about him before and he eventually became Vice Chancellor of Reading University. Some may remember his sister Mary, who late in life married Harry Saxton the Mayor’s mace bearer.”

Sylvia Hewson recognised her father and his sister:

“The little boy sitting on the right of the picture (5 in) is my father Walter Thomas Smith and the little girl behind him in the dark dress is Doris, his twin. They would be about 4 years old, they were born in 1912.”

Southdale Council School at around the start of WW1. I can’t help wonder how many of these children grew up without their dads. Or their brothers. From skinned knees to scowling faces. Velvet and lace. Ribbons and ringlets. Each with a story of their own. But who are they? Get in touch if you know.

SOUTHDALE SECONDARY MODERN CRICKET TEAM

Photo courtesy of Keith Buckley (2nd right on back row). Names kindly provided by Sheila BRAMMER.

Back Row – L – R Tom JESSOP – Jeff ALLOTT – Brian TAYLOR – Mr WILSON – ?? – Keith BUCKLEY – Raymond PARKER

Front Row – Edmund PULLEN – Joe HOLDERNESS? – Harry FALLAS – Allan NEWTON – ? TAYLOR – Frank WILBY

SOUTH OSSETT CHURCH BOYS BRIGADE

(kindly provided by Keith Buckley (2nd right on back row)

BACK ROW –   L – R ? – ? – ? – K. BUCKLEY – ?

3RD ROW – ? – K. STUBBS – D. IRVIN – ? – ? ; ‘Bill’ DANIEL – G. SYKES

2ND ROW – H. CARTER – Mr BRIGGS – REV. J FIRTH – MR ROBINSON – R. JACKSON

FRONT LEFT G. LAZENBY                                 RIGHT LEFT D. WAINWRIGHT?

SOUTH OSSETT JUNIOR SCHOOL

Photo courtesy of Gillian Simpson

DEWSBURY /OSSETT RIFLE LEAGUE

Please find attached my photo of the Dewsbury/Ossett rifle league which might be associated with the tram men. My great grandfather Arthur Raper is on the front row on the bench, right of centre. The photo was probably taken between 1910 and 1920, but I have no more information. I thought the guy in the cameo might be the president or something, but I am just guessing.

Kathryn Nestor

I am very grateful to Pat Brothwell (née Milner) a childhood friend of mine who attended Ossett Grammar School from 1947 – 1954, for kindly allowing the following images to be made available. You are welcome to download them providing the source of the photo is acknowledged.

Joan P Smith

OSSETT GREEN INDEPENDENT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH  OUTINGS & EVENTS

   

 

GREEN CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL FEAST

               

 I believe these are Pat’s Grandparents:

ERNEST & JUDITH ELY ON THEIR WEDDING DAY

Ernest Ely married Judith Strickland at the Congregational Church, Ossett Green on May 10 1906

ERNEST & JUDITH ARE ALSO IN THIS GROUP PHOTOGRAPH

PHILIP HENRY ELY (father of Ernest) with Margaret Ely on his knee. The other two children are, as yet, unidentified.

ERNEST ELY AND HIS DAUGHTER MARGARET c1924

 

JOSEPH SAXTON WILBY(cousin of Ernest Ely – their mothers were sisters)

When Joseph Saxton Wilby died in August 1911, he and his wife Mary were weeks away from celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary; they had married at the Congregational Church on The Green on October 29 1885. The church was just two years old and was the third place of worship to be built on this site. 

Before his marriage to Mary (1854-1920), Joseph was a grocer with a shop on The Green. The business was started by his father Edmund who had once worked as a commercial traveller, employed by a local mill. When Edmund died in 1862 his wife, Joseph’s mother, Mary Wilby (née Saxton) took over at the grocery shop. Joseph managed the business for his mother and when she died aged 68, on August 4 1882, the business came into Joseph’s possession. I wonder if that’s when he had the sign made with his name on it. Perhaps the photo perhaps taken to mark the occasion.

Joseph’s wife Mary was the daughter of Isaiah Ward (1830-1899) and Sarah Ann Tolson (1828-1885). 

During their marriage Joseph and Mary lived at Prospect Villas on Brook Street and together had three children – Irene born in 1889, Leonard born in 1890 and Arnold born in 1893. For some years Joseph continued with his grocery shop on The Green but at some point became a rag merchant and mungo manufacturer. 

Mary’s sister Hannah (1858-1924) also lived at Prospect Villas. Hannah was responsible for the laying of the foundation stone of a school that was built at Flushdyke. The stone was laid on July 27 1901 but it’s not the school we know now – that wasn’t opened until 1912. This school was connected to the Bethel Chapel that once stood on Wakefield Road and was on the opposite side of the road to the present day Flushdyke School. I’ve included a copy of a 1905 OS map so you can better understand what I mean. 

In 1901 the chapel, which was built in 1864, was altered and two school rooms were added to the existing building at a cost of around £600. As there was not yet any money to pay for the new building Mary Wilby and Hannah Ward promised to defray the cost of the larger schoolroom which was around £200. It was said that there could be no higher tribute paid to the memory of their father who had died suddenly two years earlier when he was giving an address in the Sunday School connected to the Congregational Church on The Green.

The school, along with the Bethel Chapel, was demolished to make way for industrial development. 

Anne-Marie Fawcett – March 2022 

      

     

Illingworth Park Gala. 1966. Photo donated to Ossett Through The Ages (OTTA) by Ron & Mavis Moss. Their daughter Karen is the bunny.