Halifax - Heartland of England; Centre of the English Woollen Industry; Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution; A history and a proud tradition.
Perhaps the oldest of the textile towns of central England. Weaving was a skill perfected back in Anglo-Saxon times; tapestries, brocade, and crewel work were prized by England’s Norman conquerors
the Bayeux tapestry in Normandy is an example).
But the English knew how to profit by foreign artisans too.
Flemish weavers arrived in England during the Middle Ages, and helped perfect the textile craft in Halifax.
The greatest quantity of woolen goods were produced in Halifax during the Middle Ages.
Daniel Defoe wrote his famous Robinson Crusoe while living in Halifax, and much of the novel was written in the Rose and Crown
Inn (still standing); there are descriptions of Halifax in his works.
Halifax - a town that grew because of the cloth trade and even its name derives from Haly Flex Field meaning the place where holy banners were made from flax.
In 1175 Halifax was called Haliflex.
The population of Halifax in 1801 was 8,866; in 1901 it was 50,600.
The area is steeped in history and filled with the character of ancient weavers’ cottages and fascinating stories, such as those of Cragg Vale Coiners or the Luddites.
To see more visit our page on
Halifax.
The Halifax and District Master Spinners’ Federation was formed in 1913.
Its first president was Clement Holdsworth who held this position until 1919.
The Federation was amalgamated into the Confereration of British Wool Textiles (CBWT) in 1982.
Records are kept at The West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale.
 Halifax and District Master Spinners’ Federation Annual Dinner Menu 1970, Exterior |
 Halifax and District Master Spinners’ Federation Annual Dinner Menu 1970, Interior |
Local daily newspaper, covering Halifax, Calderdale and district.
Click here
Halifax Parish Church, of St. John the Baptist, dating from the 12th Century; 900 years of history.
A long association exists between the Holdsworth family and the church.
The four sons of
John Holdsworth installed a large window dedicated to the memory of their father in the Holdsworth Chapel.
Another large window was dedicated to
Sarah Irving Holdsworth, their mother; also in the Holdsworth Chapel.
Walter Holdsworth left a bursary towards the music and choir. There is a large notice displaying the relevant passages at the back of the church.
Bell-ringing, or campanology, seemed to run in the family, with several notable achievements.
In 1947 the Holdsworth family provided a new heating installation for the church.
Halifax Parish Church has its own website, and the virtual tour is very informative.
The
Halifax Piece Hall is a building in the town centre of Halifax, England, originally built as a sales centre for woollen handloom weavers, where
John Holdsworth was one of the first tenants, in Room 12.
It opened on January 1, 1779, with over 300 separate rooms arranged around a central courtyard. The term piece refers to pieces of wool that were sold.
As factories started up in the early nineteenth century the trade in handwoven wool declined and around 1815 the rules were changed to allow the sale of cotton goods.
The Hall is in a central part of Halifax, next door to the outdoor Woolshops shopping complex, outside the bustling Market Street, and is close to the Bus and Train Stations.
On the exterior on the Market Street side are a pair of handprints, which, according to folklore, are cursed, as many attempts over the years have failed to eradicate them.
The Piece Hall is now home to specialist shops, an art gallery, the Tourist Information Centre and other organisations.
The 1996 movie, Brassed Off featured a scene set and filmed on location at
The Piece Hall. In the movie it is the location of the National Brass Band Championships - Yorkshire Area Qualifying Contest.
Halifax Textile Society was Formed in 1913, and remained active until April 2008.
Meetings were held on the first Monday of each month at the White Swan Hotel, Halifax.
Past presidents from
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd were:
John Balmforth,
David W Holdsworth,
Walter Townend
and past vice-president:
J Michael Holdsworth.
To discover more, visit
Halifax Textile Society.
Halifax Town Hall opened in 1863 by HRH The Prince of Wales - later King Edward VII was designed by Sir Charles Barry,
designer of the Houses of Parliament,
and completed by his son, Edward Middleton Barry.
When Halifax was first incorporated in 1848, there was no administration centre and offices were spread around the town.
The purpose-built Town Hall was first proposed in 1853, with three designs proposed by three different parties led by
Edward Akroyd, John Crossley and Sir Gilbert Scott.
Another councillor, Sir Charles Barry was asked to adjudicate, but he disliked all three proposed sites and designs, so the council
asked him to submit a design also.
To discover more, visit the page on
Halifax Town Hall.
David Hallgarth took over as Chief Designer at
John Holdsworth & Company Ltd. after
Rodney Hirst
left to join Firth Fabrics at Easter 1987.
David had joined the
Design Department at Holdsworth's six years earlier, in March 1981, following the sudden death of
Albert Wood.
Previously David had been employed as Design Director of Team Valley Fabrics.
Graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1972, David worked as a designer, handloom weaver, tutor and consultant before joining Team Valley Fabrics / Margo Fabrics in 1974.
David spent the year of 1976 working on pile fabrics with
Harry Straker
at
British Furtex Fabrics Ltd.
When David first joined John Holdsworth, he developed the trend away from all-over designs to centre stripes. Bus and coach operators world-wide were quick
to adopt these.
This trend enabled a re-think and streamlining of Holdsworth’s production base enabling the company to standardise co-ordinating plain fabrics
and set up considerably longer production runs on faster-running plant.
David initiated the installation of the Company’s first CAD system and its subsequent upgrade and expansion, including interfacing to production throught the use of electronic jacquards.
Assisted by a dedicated staff of 10, David was responsible for overseeing the creation of design ranges, customer requests, pattern weaving, the sample
department, jacquard interfacing, card production and maintenance.
 David Hallgarth, Mrs Corrine Holdsworth, Ernest Hirsch, Dec 1988 |
 Mrs Dina Holdsworth David Hallgarth, NEC, Oct 2001 |
In July 2005, the John Holdsworth & Company business and property was sold to Hanson Partners of Albion Mills, Bradford.
An unsupported coil of yarn, wound on a
Reeling Machine. At
Shaw Lodge Mills this was the final process before the spun yarn was sent out to dye. The hanks were
compressed in a press, baled and packed. On their return, they were mounted on a
Swift
and wound onto cheese in the Winding Department, on "Arundel" winding machines. This process ceased when the Spinning Department closed in 1979, and the
Company started using package-dyed yarns.
It was on the basis of a standard length of a hank that the
Count system for specifying yarn thickness was developed.
Audrey Harker performed a number of different roles in the company from the 1950's until her retirement in 1990's. Audrey’s role was first and foremost administrative; calculating and preparing
the weekly wages and production reports, operating the telephone switchboard etc.
Audrey was based in the main office building and also worked in the Shed Office, below the Clock Tower. Audrey she was the first employee of the company to operate a desk-top computer,
this being the ‘Commodore PET 32k’ which was initially used for payroll. Audrey persevered through many technical innovations, and always saw the job done. Many’s
the night she spent feeding floppy disks to the DEC PDP-11 computer, only for it to fail by the time it got to a number in the 40’s. (Eventually the company shelled out for a tape-drive for back-ups!)
 Audrey Harker, 1986 |
 Audrey Harker, 1988 |
See Jacquard Harness.
A Heald is a shaped wire or flat steel strip with an eye in the centre through which a warp yarn is threaded. Its movement can then be
controlled during weaving by selecting the position of the heald frame; this is performed by the
Shedding mechanism.
A Heald Frame is a rectangular frame which is used to hold healds. The healds are held in place by loops at each end, which fit over rails, held onto the
frame by sliders.
A Heald Shaft is a heald frame complete with the healds, also known as the
Gear.
Heath Farm was situated to the north of Huddersfield Road, opposite Spring Hall, in Skircoat. It is mentioned in the will dated June 1855 of John Holdsworth (Founder of John Holdsworth & Co Ltd), and in an indenture made on 19 Feb 1870 between parties including William Irving Holdsworth of Greenroyde, Tom Holdsworth of Spring Hall, John Holdsworth of Willow Field and Sarah Holdsworth. The farm included Rowling House, Moor Bottom, Laith Field, Square Field, Middle Field, Upper Moor Field, Lower Moor Field, Middle Pasture and Little Pasture.FW57/37 & FW57/40 (The Halifax Library Archives references show the plans, and size of the fields in acres, roods and perches.)
A gently graded route providing sustainable, traffic-free access to Halifax town centre for cyclists and walkers.
Leaving the Calder Valley Cycleway at Calder and Hebble Junction the trail follows the Hebble Brook and the route of the old Halifax Branch Canal before climbing the smooth sett-paved road through Shaw Lodge Mills and into Halifax.
This is an area rich in wildlife and industrial heritage and the development of the trail has created a linear park that is ideal for local schools as an educational resource for local history, environmental and ecological study topics.
Click on the picture to see more details
See http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/transport/cycling/routes/hebbletrail.html [external link]
In October 2007, the business of John Holdsworth & Company was bought by the Camira Group of Mirfield; the property remaining in the hands of Hanson Partners. Production continued until August 2008 at Shaw Lodge Mills as Hebble Valley Weaving. It was intended that Shaw Lodge Mills would be redeveloped by Hanson Partners and production would be moved to another site in Calderdale and eventually overseas to Eastern Europe or Asia.
From:
Evening Courier, Halifax, October 23, 2007
Specialist fabric maker
John Holdsworth has been taken over to help safeguard production at the Siddal, Halifax, works.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will see the new
Camira Group, based at Mirfield, inject cash into the Halifax firm, which has worked for years in a highly competitive market place.
The company will take over marketing, design, and sales for Holdsworth's range of specialist coach and train seating fabric.
It will boost Camira's worth from £40 million to £50 million.
Manufacturing will remain at Halifax under the new name of
Hebble Valley Weaving Ltd.
There will not be any redundancies among the 150 staff.
Staff at Holdsworth's
Shaw Lodge Mills base have been kept fully informed of the change in ownership.
Hebble Valley Weaving Ltd will fulfil all contracts for
Camira Group, but will also look for new contracts.
John Simpson, managing director of John Holdsworth & Company Ltd, said the deal would ensure an economy of scale with one management team led by Camira managing director, Paul Goodall.
"It is a good move for Holdsworth which has to compete in a highly aggressive international market place," he said.
"The company will be able to move forward by reducing overheads which are critical in this market place.
"Both companies have to compete against overseas companies with much lower cost structures and aggressive pricing structures.
"This strategic move will enable the brand to develop new products and open fresh markets," he said.
Mr Goodall said the two companies had good synergy and would complement each other.
"We will look for new sales development for Holdsworth.
"We want to improve capacity with furnishing fabrics as well as transport interiors."
He emphasised that the newly created
Hebble Valley Weaving would not manufacture for Camira Group on an exclusive basis.
From:
Evening Courier, Halifax, November 29, 2007
THE chairman of
Hebble Valley Weaving has confirmed textile manufacturing will end at
Shaw Lodge Mills - but said the company was working to avoid redundancies.
John Hanson said, as yet, no one had been issued with 90 day redundancy notices, and a series of cost cutting measures had been put in place.
John Hanson said the company was actively looking for a more cost effective site in Calderdale and had already implemented a series of changes to boost productivity.
The Heck, positioned just below the Jacquard is a frame used to separate and guide the Harness Cords in the Jacquard Harness. It can be a fibre board containing many holes, or a frame holding a matrix of glass rods.
Marion Hepworth was born on 16 July 1930, and joined
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd straight from school. She worked in the spinning,
then winding and later the reeling departments of the mill.
She married
Peter Hepworth and left work to raise their daughter, Alison.
Ten years later she returned to Holdsworth's, on 21 March 1966 to work in the mending department, on the mending machines.
Later she moved onto final inspection, where she became a
member of the team of three; Marian, Maureen and Mildred.
Marion retired on 7 February 1986. She died on 7 November 2000 aged 70, in Halifax Royal Infirmary.
[Interview with Hazel Rushworth and Kathleen Richardson, 7 Nov 2000]
Peter Hepworth, of Oxford Crescent, Siddal was born on 2 July 1930.
A hairdresser by profession, Peter joined John Holdsworth & Co
Ltd on 12 March 1951 to work in the mending and finishing departments, on the
‘taking-in’.
The manager, Arthur Thorpe, became ill,
and Peter deputised. When Arthur died, Peter took over the position of manager.
In 1979
Walter Townend asked Peter if he would like to become a sales representative, and so Peter started to accompany
Raymond Sutcliffe.
In 1981, when
Raymond Sutcliffe retired, Peter became a full time sales representative, and
John Nuttall, nights shift overlooker, was placed in charge of the mending department.
Peter’s wife
Marion also worked in the mill.
Peter retired on 31 December 1994.
In the opinion of the menders who worked under his charge, ‘Peter was the best manager we ever had in the mending department, there was no favouritism.’
[Interview with Hazel Rushworth and Kathleen Richardson, 7 Nov 2000]
Elder sister of Mabel Highley.
[1892-1932]
Mabel Highley,
daughter of William Highley [15/7/1863 - 1899] and Jessie Ambler [11/5/1868 - 11/11/1898] of Halifax. Sister of
Doris Highley.
Mabel was born on 21 December 1892.
Married
George Bertram Holdsworth at Christ Church, Harrogate on 3 June 1919.
Died at Catteral Hall 12 Aug 1932.
Mabel and George Holdsworth had three sons,
John 1920,
Michael 1921 and
William [17 Nov 1922].
Note that Jessie Highley née Ambler is buried at
All Saints’ Church, Salterhebble
Ernest Hirsch, sales director at one of Holdsworth’s main rivals, Firth Fabrics, in Heckmondwike,
joined the company to succeed Raymond Sutcliffe who retired as sales director in 1981.
(It so happened that a new broom was sweeping clean at Firth’s and Ernest had just received his redundancy notice.
Over the course of a weekend, he became Holdsworth’s new sales director.)
Ernest’s background being in design, he was insistent that Holdsworth’s needed new designs to sell to customers.
He was also an excellent salesman who had built up close personal relationships with customers all over the world.
He became an invaluable asset to the company.
Ernest retired in 1999, and the position was taken up by
Terry Colbert.
|
David Hallgarth, Mrs Corrine Holdsworth, Ernest Hirsch, 1988 |
Rodney Hirst joined the
design department
at
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd directly from Heath Grammar School, Halifax in the summer of 1961.
Isaac Jennings was in charge of design at that time, and his first job was copying designs for
Jack Thompson.
Rodney also worked alongside
Albert Wood .
Eventually reaching the position of Head Designer, Rodney left
Holdsworth to join Firths Furnishings in Easter 1987, but decided to return to
Holdsworth in October 1990.
Rodney remained with
Holdsworth until he retired in June 2005.
Rodney and his wife Velma had two daughters, and spent their spare time supporting the local RSPCA by providing temporary accommodation for domesticated dogs.
Between Holdsworth Bridge and Dryclough JunctionPicture 1, the South Yorkshireman, emerging from the cutting between
Holdsworth Bridge and
Dryclough Junction. The Locomotive is a Stanier Black 5 No 45219.
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd's
Shaw Lodge Mills site occupied all the land to the right of the cutting as one approached Halifax.
South Yorkshireman, passing
Holdsworth Bridge Signal Box was situated by the rail bridge taking Shaw Hill Lane across the railway tracks, just above
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd's 1822
Shaw Lodge Mills, Halifax.
Picture 2, taken from
Holdsworth Bridge in June 1958 shows the South Yorkshireman, then a direct train to London's Marylebone Station via the Great Central Line which now has mostly gone.
The Signal on the right of the gantry is indicating that the route is set at
Dryclough Junction a mile further on for Greetland and onward to Huddersfield, Penistone, Sheffield Victoria and then London.
Dryclough Junction from Haig LanePicture 3, taken from Haig Lane later in the summer of 1964 as steam was beginning to decline; the location is
Dryclough Junction.
Saint Mark’s Church, Siddal is clearly visible along with the chimney of
Alfred Goodall & Company Limited's 1874 Chemical Works at Farrar Mill Dye Works, Salterhebble, although this may have closed by this time.
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd's chimney and part of
Shaw Lodge Mills can be seen further in the background.
Approaching Holdsworth Bridge
The train approaching Holdsworth Bridge, in Picture 4, is a Summer Saturday only service from Bradford to Weymouth via Halifax, Huddersfield, Sheffield, Nottingham and Oxford being the main stations. At this time it was the only passenger service using the Dryclough Junction to Greetland Junction section which closed two years later.
The line fell into quite bad disrepair, but fortunately was left in sutu. In the late nineties, with road traffic having increased dramatically it was decided to reopen this section along with Brighouse Station and restart a Bradford to Huddersfield service. The line reopened in 2000 with all the infrastructure being updated including brand new track and signaling. There is now an hourly service between Wakefield Westgate and Selby in both directions calling at Huddersfield, Brighouse, Halifax, Bradford and Leeds.
In the picture, part of Holdsworth Bridge can be clearly seen and that part would have been the exact location where the photograph of the South Yorkshireman would have been taken.
The lines around Halifax at this time were controlled by colour light signals by Halifax East Signal Box with Dryclough Junction, Holdsworth Bridge and Halifax West signal boxes gone by 1970.
The train is being pulled by a class 31 diesel Locomotive 31260 which is a medium powered locomotive which was used on varied duties. As the train approaches the signal you can see a row of white lights pointing to the left, this is known as a feather and indicates to the driver that the route is set for Greetland Junction at Dryclough Junction.
Contributed by Graham Tomlinson
Holdsworth Scandinavia Ltd was the Danish-based agency selling the fabrics of
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd of
Shaw Lodge Mills, Halifax.
Established in the 1980's, following on from the previous agency run by
Carl P. Wang, Holdsworth Scandinavia covered customers in Scandinavia together with latterly the new Eastern European countries, including the Polish Railways.
Holdsworth Scandinavia was headed by
Georges Gheysen.
Land was purchased at auction in October 1868 on which
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd erected
Holdsworth Terrace.
Holdsworth Terrace is a row of ample terraced cottages, built in the Gothic style, running parallel and close to the railway cutting into Halifax.
A number of these houses belonged to
Clement Holdsworth, and most were used to accommodate some of the workers in
his company,
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd at
Shaw Lodge Mills.
As these houses were, and still are on the larger scale, it seems that only the best workers would have these houses,
with such grand views over the valley.
[1933]
Anne Doyne Holdsworth, fifth and youngest child of
Hugh Reginald Holdsworth and Dorothy.
God-daughter of
Arthur Holdsworth-Groom.
Born 8 September 1933
From the age of 7 to 11, attended school as a boarder at
Netherside Hall, previously the home of her grandfather
Clement Holdsworth.
After Netherside, Anne went to the Royal Naval College. This was a school for the daughters and granddaughters of naval officers.
Married Lawrence (Larry) J. Craig, of Baltimore, Maryland, USA in 1980.
"We lived at 48 Heath Crescent, Halifax.
As a young girl, I went up to
Scargill House with my father, who went trout fishing in the river Wharfe nearby.
Afterwards we would go into George’s bed/sitting room at Scargill where he spent much of his final days, and would cook the trout over the open fire, as he enjoyed our company.
I remember being a bit scared of him, as he was rather gruff - possibly because of his illness.
At that point in time he and my father were on better terms."
Anne D Craig, 2006.
[1857-1878?] Arthur Holdsworth, sixth child of
George Holdsworth
Born at
Elmwood, Halifax.
According to Gertrude Holdsworth Groom's notes, he had very red hair.
Died at Elmwood of bronchitis and croup, on his aunt Mary Ann's knee (Mrs. John Holdsworth) circa 1878 and was interred at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
Charles Holdsworth, second son of
David William Holdsworth and Janice.
Born on 16th January 1989 at Halifax General Hospital.
Educated at The Gleddings School, Halifax; Aysgarth Preparatory School and Harrow School.
University of Northumbria (Newcastle) and International Business School, Grenoble. BA 1st class honours degree with distinction in International Business and Management.
Career in corporate finance.
m. Amy Smith, 2019
[1855-1920]
Clement Holdsworth, second son of
George Holdsworth
Born 18 Sep 1855 at
Elmwood, Halifax.
Educated at Storthes Hall, Kirkburton, Huddersfield; Hovingham Lodge, York; and Uppingham in E.D. Little’s house under headmaster
Rev. Edward Thring.
Approximately 40 years later,
Storthes Hall
became a mental asylum, opened in 1904 and closed in 2002.
Clement Holdsworth went to
Shaw Lodge Mills in 1873.
Married
Emma Louisa Udall, third daughter of Thomas Udall of Silverdale, Staffs. at Keele Church, Staffs. on 27 Sep 1878.
Resided at :
1. 23 Heath Avenue, Skircoat, Halifax. The 1881 British Census, York, records that
Clement Holdsworth was head of household at 23 Heath Avenue, Skircoat, Halifax.
2.
Shaw Lodge, Halifax
3.
Netherside Hall, Threshfield, near Skipton from 1912.
J.P. (West Riding, Yorkshire, 1887.)
He was church warden at
Halifax Parish Church.
He was President of Halifax Incorporated Chamber of Commerce 1903 and 1904.
Link
First president of the
Halifax and District Master Spinners’ Federation
from 1913 until 1919.
Clement was a key member of
Kilnsey Angling Club from 1876 to 1920. Clement's uncle
Col. William Irving Holdsworth was a friend and business associate of
Edward Akroyd, who may have introduced Clement Holdsworth to the Club in 1876.
Clement died on 13 April 1920, and was interred in the family mausoleum at All Saints’ Church, Salterhebble, Halifax.
Father of:
George Bertram Holdsworth, [1879-1942]
Constance Gertrude, [1880-1955]
Kathleen Marian, [1882-1946]
Hugh Reginald, [1884-1957]
twins Norman Cyril and Robert Lionel [1885-1887] who died as infants, and
Florence Gwendoline [1892-1928].
[1880-1955] Constance Gertrude Holdsworth, (Aunty Consie) eldest daughter of
Clement Holdsworth.
Born 2 Sept 1880.
Died 7 April 1955 at
Scargill House, Kettlewell, Nr Skipton and was interred at Linton.
Constance lived at
Scargill House during the War, and moved to a semi-detached house in Threshfield
when
William Holdsworth returned from active service in the R. A. F.
Both sisters, Consie and Kathleen attended finishing school in Dresden and Heidelberg.
One of the later Mill Engines at the Company was called Constance, possibly this was named after her.
[1922- ]
Third child of Hugh Reginald Holdsworth and Dorothy.
Married Lorraine Graham Bacon (Ray Holdsworth)
Ray became godmother to
John Michael Holdsworth.
(Photo of Ray in album HH1 part 2, 1947)
David and Ray had the following children:
1. Lorraine Lindsay Graham (Mike); m. Sixto Felipe Aquino 21 Oct 1979 Georgetown, Washington City; 2 Children, Maria Belen and Felipe.
2. Mary Caroline (Kimmy); m. Robert Clayton (Bob) Schmidt 26 June 19?? St. Peter’s Church Schaumburg, Illinois; live in Virgin Islands. 2 Children Alessandra and Nicholas.
3. David B. Holdsworth Jnr.; m. Julie; live in Chicago. 2 Children Lauren and Kristen.
[1952- ] David William Holdsworth, fourth child of William Holdsworth, and Dina Maria Holdsworth
Born on 27 Jan 1952 at Scargill House, and christened at Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.
David married Janice Middleton, daughter of George Middleton of Halifax on 30 Nov 1985 at St. John’s Church Warley; the service was led by Rev. Frank Carless.
David and Janice have three children,
James William [27 May 1986],
Charles David [16 Jan 1989] and
Holly Louise [31 Dec 1993].
Educ:
Lockers Park Preparatory School, Hemel Hempstead; Harrow; University of Nottingham (B.Sc. Physics); UMIST (B.Sc. (Hons.) Textile Technology.)
Career:
David joined his brother Michael in 1972 to become general manager at John Holdsworth & Co Ltd in 1981.
In 1983 appointed production director of the Company.
Following a downturn in UK manufacturing, in 2005 David took up the new role of
Sourcing and Logistics Director, to increase the company’s product portfolio
with complimentary products produced in low cost countries, especially from South-East Asia.
Following business restructuring in 2007, David decided to branch out on his own, and set up a manufacturing consultancy,
Textile Innovations Ltd.
In February 2012 David decided that there were greater opportunities in trading materials for UK manufacturers rather than consulting, and started supplying textiles, rubber and hardwood materials by shipping container. From small beginnings the company's sales grew within three years to over £1M.
Member Federation of Small Businesses 2007- (Calderdale Branch Secretary 2012-2014, Branch Chairman 2014-16.)
Member Halifax Textile Society 1972-2008 (President 2006-2008)
Member Halifax Crime Prevention Panel 1982-2005 (Chairman 1997-2005)
Member All Saints’ Halifax Parochial Church Council 1998-2007
Recreation: Music; Photography; Sailing; Horses; Amateur Radio; Information Technology, Travel & Languages.
Member Halifax and District Amateur Radio Society 1979-2000
Dina Maria Kuperus, born 16 June 1927 in Amsterdam, Holland.
Emigrated to Curacao with her parents and brother
Rudy Kuperus (Ruud), because her father Jacob (Jack) Kuperus was serving there in the Dutch Navy.
They returned to Amsterdam, just before WWII, as Jack was to be based in Den Helder. War was declared when they were harboured in Trinidad.
Met
Bill Holdsworth then an RAF pilot, at the Lido in Amsterdam just after the end of WWII.
Dina Maria Kuperus married William (Bill) Holdsworth in 1946; they had five children; John Michael 1947, Ingrid Rona 1948, Howard Irving 1949, David William 1952 and Kirsten Roselyn 1953.
Dina Holdsworth passed away at her home, Heath Villas, Halifax on Tuesday 20 December 2022
For earlier details, please see Dina Maria Kuperus
Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson (1843 - 1910) [1853?-1883] Emily Holdsworth, third child of
George Holdsworth. Born at
Elmwood, Halifax.
Married in 1876 to
Benjamin Currer Rawson, son of Thomas William Rawson of Greenroyd, Halifax.
Died seven years later at Savile Terrace, Halifax on 28 November 1883.
Benjamin put windows in the
Halifax Parish Church in memory of Emily.
The Rawson family remembered
Emily by naming some of the Rawson descendants with the added name of Holdsworth; during the reign of Queen Victoria, one of whom was named Harry Holdsworth Rawson [1843-1910], who become a naval officer and politician,
Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, Admiral of the Fleet.
Sworn in governor of New South Wales on 27 May 1902, he was 'a big tall burly Jack Tar' with 'broad forehead and shaggy eyebrows and steady and kindly sailor's eyes'. He governed New South Wales as if from his own quarterdeck.
During a visit to England in 1908, he opened
All Saints' Day School on Dudwell Lane, Halifax.
See also
Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson's biography
[1854-1903] Fanny Holdsworth, fourth child of
George Holdsworth
Born at
Elmwood, Halifax on 3 July 1854
Married
Rev. Arthur John Groom, B.A., (rector designate of Ashwicken; made rector the following October,) on 23 April 1878; son of John Groom, farmer and landowner of Ashwicken Hall, Ashwicken, Norfolk.
Fanny Groom recorded among Yorkshire Born folk found in Norfolk for the 1881 Census at Ashwicken.
(Her younger sister
Gertrude married Arthur John Groom’s brother Horace.)
Fanny died 19 November 1903 and was interred at Ashwicken.
Children of Fanny Holdsworth and
Arthur John Groom are:
1. Arthur Holdsworth Groom, b. 1884, d. 1947.
2. Constance Gwendoline Groom, b. 1879, d. 1970.
3. Naomi Groom, b. 1882, d. 1943.
4. Gerald Baxter Groom, b. 1884, d. 1966.
5. Cecil Walter Groom, b. 1888, d. 1976.
[1892-1928] Florence Gwendoline Holdsworth, seventh child of
Clement Holdsworth, was born 5 Oct 1892.
Florence married
John McKellar Robertson, O.B.E., J.P. second son of William Robertson, shipping line owner of Glasgow, on 5 June 1919 at
Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.
She died after a long illness on 23 Feb 1928 at 20 Kensington Palace Gardens, London.
They had three children, Judith 1920, Ian 1922 and
Peter Robertson O.B.E., J.P. 1923.
Ian Holdsworth Robertson was missing presumed killed on active service as pilot of Fairey Swordfish torpedo plane, 26 June 1943.
Highly proficient in the musical arts, at the age of 18 Florence was awarded her
Diploma (Licentiateship) by the
Royal Academy of Music
in teaching Pianoforte playing, September 1911.
[1767-1822] George Holdsworth (senior)
Son of John
Holdsworth (The Elder)
Born 1767.
Married
Sarah
died 30 Oct 1822 aged 54 and interred at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
3 sons,
John (Founder of John Holdsworth & Co Ltd),
William and
Sam.
George and Sarah lived at Dam Head, Northowram, Halifax. This was a timber-framed aisled house mentioned in 1593, just North of the present Shibden Mill Inn, which stood near the dam for Shibden Mill.
[1822-1866]
George Holdsworth of
Elmwood, Halifax.
Born on the 8 Feb 1822 at 7 o’clock in the evening.
George,
Tom and
John Holdsworth were Christened on Tuesday January 22nd 1839 by Reverend Guerney.
The second of the four sons of
John Holdsworth.
He was a bell-ringer (campanologist) at the
Halifax Parish Church, creating with his brother
John, a new record on Mon 1 April 1856.
He died 24 Nov 1866; interred in the family mausoleum at
All Saints’ Church, Salterhebble, Halifax.
George Holdsworth married
Hannah Judith Turney at
Halifax Parish Church on 25th January 1848
In 1851 census, resident at 2 Stony Royd in the township of Southowram, George Holdsworth 29, stuff merchant,
Hannah Judith also 29, Lucy Georgina 2 and Walter 2m. (Public Record Office HO 107/ 2297 p.10)
Children: 3s, 4d;
Lucy Georgina,
Walter,
Emily,
Fanny,
Clement,
Arthur and
Gertrude.
[1879-1942]
George Bertram Holdsworth
of Netherside Hall, near Skipton.
Third son of
Clement Holdsworth,
born at 48 Heath Crescent on 12th June 1879.
He married
Mabel Highley, daughter of William Highley of Halifax on 3 June 1919 at Christ Church, Harrogate.
They had three sons:
John 1920,
Michael 1921 and
William 1922.
He was Lieut. Yorkshire Dragoons 1900-1904, and a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding from 1916.
George was a key member of
Kilnsey Angling Club, 1920-1942.
After Mabel died, George married Mrs. Glory Gregson of Greystones, Kingsgate on 25th January 1936 in a quiet ceremony and small reception at Claridge's beforehand in London. They left almost immediately for a holiday in South Africa.
George died on 23 Oct 1942 at Scargill House, and was interred in the family grave at Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.
[1858-1927] Gertrude Holdsworth, seventh child of
George Holdsworth,
Born at
Elmwood, Halifax on 18 May 1858.
Married on 24 June 1879 to
Horace Alfred Groom, son of John Groom of Ashwicken Hall, Norfolk.
Gertrude Groom recorded among Yorkshire Born folk found in Norfolk for the 1881 Census at Weasenham.
(Her elder sister
Fanny married his brother
Rev Arthur John Groom, B.A.)
Gertrude died 17 November 1927 and was interred at
Ashwicken.
Children of Gertrude Holdsworth and
Horace Alfred Groom are:
1. Clement Groom, b. 1880, d. 1912, Madeira.
2. Barbara Groom, b. 1882.
3. Stephanie Lois Groom, b. 1885.
Holly Louise Holdsworth in Indonesia 2007Holly Holdsworth, third child of David Holdsworth and Janice.
Born on 31st December 1993 at Halifax General Hospital.
Educated at The Gleddings School, Halifax; Crossley Heath School.
Hobbies and interests: Horseriding, Animals, Drawing
[1949-2012] Howard Irving Holdsworth, third child of William Holdsworth, and Dina Maria Holdsworth
Born on 9 Oct 1949 at
Scargill House, and christened at
Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.
Godparents:
J. E. T. (Terence) Mansfield, 5th Baron Sandhurst
Educated at Lockers Park, and Harrow.
Howard passed away peacefully in his sleep on 9 May 2012, and was interred in the family grave, Kettlewell on 18 May 2012.
[1884-1957]
Hugh Reginald Holdsworth, fourth child of
Clement Holdsworth, was born 24 June 1884.
In 1905,
Shaw Lodge Mills threw a large party for his 21st birthday, and presented him with a grandfather clock with two different chimes.
The clock is presently in the care of
Rupert Holdsworth in New Zealand.
Hugh married Dorothy Anne Frances Bethune, daughter of Commdr. Henry L. Bethune R.N. of Penarth, on 16 Oct 1915 at St. Peter’s Church, Sowerby.
He served as Captain, 3rd Batt. Duke of Wellington’s Regiment 1914-1919, and in the Home Guard in WW2.
Resided at Shaw Royd, and was church warden at St. Peter’s, Sowerby, where he is interred along with
Phyllis Evelyn.
Father of
Phyllis Evelyn [Jul 17 1916 - Jul 26 1916],
Patricia Mary 1918,
David Bethune 1922,
Rupert Lindsay Bethune 1930 and
Anne Doyne 1933.
Hugh was given 48 hours leave in order to get married to Dorothy.
Immediately after which he returned to duty. At the wedding ceremony, Hugh had to borrow trousers from his cousin, a size too big, so held up by a large belt, as his were ruined in the trenches.
Their daughter
Phyllis Evelyn was
born in 1917, but died in infancy, suffering from Asian Flu.
Hugh was still serving in France, wounded, and was missing in action. He had a bullet lodged in his spine.
Eventually Hugh showed up, and left the army as an invalid.
Hugh became managing director of Mark Dawson's, woolen and worsted in Bradford.
Hugh retired to The Galtrees, Easingwold near York, but lost all his wealth in the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
Moved to Sowerby Bridge, then later to 48 Heath Crescent, Halifax, eventually retiring to Black Bull Cottage in Husthwaite.
Ingrid R Holdsworth, photo 2001
[1948- ] Ingrid Rona Holdsworth, second child of William Holdsworth, and Dina Maria Holdsworth
Born on 31 Oct 1948 at Scargill House, and christened at Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.
Godparents: Mrs Ray Holdsworth, Ruth Downing, Alan Brotherton-Ratcliffe, Michael Bryceson.
Educated at Duncombe Park School, North Yorkshire, and at Birklands School, near St. Albans, Hertfordshire, 1960-1966.
Ingrid’s godmother, Ruth Downing (née Ambler), was a member of the family 'Amblers of Ardsley',
one of the last remaining worsted spinners in Yorkshire, which ceased business in the 1990s.
Thomas Ambler & Sons in Bradford Road, built Ardsley Mills in 1912-13. Ambler's were worsted spinners founded in Bradford in 1858. The Mill was built here because of the close proximity to a coal supply and a good labour force of women living in the area. Thomas Amblers were a major supplier of wool yarn to
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd for their passenger transport moquette manufacture.
Ingrid, having established a successful career in the city of London, decided to join the family company and in 1995 became director of personnel at
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd.
Following restructuring of the business in 2005, Ingrid decided to leave the company to concentrate her efforts
on voluntary work in and around Halifax, Yorkshire.
Ingrid became the first lady president of Elland Rotary Club in 2007
James Holdsworth, elder son of
David Holdsworth and Janice.
Born on 27 May 1986 at Halifax General Hospital.
Educated at The Gleddings School, Halifax; Aysgarth School; Hipperholme School; University of Huddersfield.
"A committed campanologist"
Johanna Holdsworth, daughter of
J Michael Holdsworth and Corrine Bruce. Born: 24 May, 1987
Sister of
J Tristian Holdsworth.
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd of
Shaw Lodge Mills, Halifax, Yorkshire; the acknowledged world leader in the design and manufacture of an extensive range of passenger transport fabrics for buses, coaches, rail & ferries.
Founded in 1822, the company has a long history reaching back to before 1779; the year that
John Holdsworth [1731-1811] a cloth merchant from Shibden, near Halifax, became one of the first tenants of the newly built
Halifax Piece Hall.
For more information see
the history pages
[1731-1811] Son of
Samuel Holdsworth, of Upper Ranns, Northowram.
Married Catherine Holt, on 7 Apr 1760 at Halifax Parish Church.
Cloth merchant from Shibden; held lands in Northowram, and was one of the first tenants in
Halifax Piece Hall in 1779.
Died May 1811 and interred at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
Catherine was buried on 13 March 1811 at Illingworth.
Children 7 sons 3 daughters
John 1765,
Samuel 1766,
George 1769,
James,
Richard 1772,
Daniel 1771,
Amos 1770,
twins Mary and Judith 1763
Fanny.
[1797-1857]
John Holdsworth, Halifax. Son of
George Holdsworth
Born 1797.
He was a bell-ringer at the
Halifax Parish Church, creating a new record on 25 March 1811, (all ringers aged under 22 years), Mon 6 December 1821, and
on 20 December 1824.
Married
Sarah Irving; 4 sons.
In the 1841 census for the parish of Skircoat, resident at ;
John Holdsworth 42; worsted manufacturer; with
Sarah 35,
William 20,
George 19,
Tom 15 and
John 11. (Public Record Office HO 107/ 1304/4 p.19)
In the 1851 census for the township of Skircoat, resident at ;
John Holdsworth 52; worsted manufacturer; with
Sarah 50?,
William 30,
Tom 25 and
John 21. (Public Record Office HO 107/ 2298 p.16)
Died 6 June 1857 and was interred at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
According to Gertrude Holdsworth Groom's notes,
"John Holdsworth died at the Kings Cross Hotel, London, after attending (her) uncle William's picture sale. He was good at mechanics but he left the works early on in life and had bad health."
In his will dated 1855, he left an annual sum of £150 to his wife
Sarah, so long as she
remained his widow and unmarried but not otherwise. (FW57/40)
A large window was given to the Halifax Parish Church by his sons, in remembrance of John.
He had four sons, the
‘brothers in partnership’
William Irving, 1821
George, 1822
Tom, 1826 and
John, 1830.
[1830-1879] John Holdsworth of Willowfield, the youngest of the four sons of
John Holdsworth,
Born on 18 March 1830.
George,
Tom and
John Holdsworth were Christened on Tuesday January 22nd 1839 by Reverend Guerney.
He was married by Rev. Minnet to Mary Ann Haigh, daughter of Charles Haigh
of Bradley Wood, Nr Rochdale on 15 September 1855 at the Parish Church of Healey, Rochdale.
He was a bell-ringer (campanologist) at the Halifax Parish Church, creating a new record with his brother
George, on Mon 1 April 1856.
He was one of the earliest members of the Rifle Volunteer Corps, and was gazetted in January 1860.
He was made J.P. in 1874 and endowed St. John’s Church, Warley, Halifax.
According to Gertrude Holdsworth Groom's notes,
"John lived for many years at Shaw Royd, then when uncle John had a farm at Siddal, going to Willowfield about 1870, which he bought from a Col. Dyson.
He was a most jovial, generous man and I believe he endowed
St. John’s Church, Warley. Pigs were his speciality in the farming way."
John died at Willowfield on 18 Aug 1879.
Mary Ann Holdsworth, his widow, married George Edward Mumford on 6 Feb 1883 at
St. John’s Church, Warley.
[1920-1945]
John Holdsworth, the eldest son of
George Bertram Holdsworth.
Educated at Lockers Park, Hertfordshire and at Harrow School,
in Rev. D. B. Kittermaster’s house, Newlands.
As the eldest son of
George Bertram Holdsworth, John was groomed to take over the business.
On 3 July 1939 the school certificate register records
that ‘Mr John started work’.
Exactly one month later, war broke out.
117672, 2nd Bn., Kings Royal Rifle Corps. [9 March 1920 - 2 March 1945]
John was Killed on active service at Üdem, on the border between Holland and Germany, aged 24.
John’s name is inscribed in the Harrow School War Memorial, and the larger window in
Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell is dedicated to his memory.
It shows John with St George slaying the dragon representing the
old enemy death and sin.
They are flanked by St Francis feeding the birds, and
St Hubert, a German saint who, it was reputed, saved a stag from the hounds.
[1883-????] First son of Walter Holdsworth and Emily.
Born 1 May 1883 at Spring Hall, Halifax.
Captain, 2nd Dragoon Guards.
Married Emily Blanche Welchman, daughter of the late Rr. W.L.H. Welchman of Johannesburg, South Africa on 17 October 1908 at St. Augustine's Church, Doornfontein, Johannesburg, S.A.
Transcribed from South Africa Magazine, 21 November 1908
A NOTABLE CAPE WEDDING
A military marriage is always an interesting spectacle, and a large concourse of society folk assembled at St. Augustine's Church, Doornfontein, prettily decorated for the occasion with white lilies and foliage, to witness the nuptials of Lieutenant John Evelyn Holdsworth, Queen's Bays, son of the late Captain W. Holdsworth, of Bramham Lodge, Boston Spa, Yorkshire, and Miss Emily Blanche Welchman, daughter of the late Dr. Welchman, of Graaff Reinet, Cape Colony, and of Mrs. Welchman, of 34, Olivia Road, Berea.
The Rev. Harrison Thompson conducted the fully choral service, and Mr. L. R. Glenton presided at the organ. Mrs. Sam Goch and Miss Constance Taylor sang the duet "Oh Joyous Heart" from the oratoria "Ruth," and the effect was very pleasing. The bride, given away by her uncle, Mr. Richard Baumann, was gowned in ivory satin embroidered in a scrolled design of crystal and raised silken roses. The full court train was likewise ornamented and trimmed with lace. She wore as a sole ornament a diamond necklace, a present from the bridegroom. The bridesmaids, her sister and Miss Rubidge, were attired in ivory ninon de soie inlet with satin bands and pale blue crinoline straw hats swathed with long sweeping ostrich plumes. They carried bouquets of pink Malmaison carnations, and wore pearl and diamond pendants, presented to them by the bridegroom. Miss Lorna Frood and Miss Marjorie Sonn, the flower girls, were dressed alike in picture gowns of ivory ninon de soie. They carried baskets of pink carnations and wore wreaths of forget-me-nots. The bridegroom gave them, as mementoes of the occasion, pearl and gold ornaments. Mr. George Wills acted as best man.
The wedding reception, a very smart affair, was held at the Carlton Hotel, when Mrs. Welchman received her guests in a toilette of black striped chiffon and silk mounted over white taffetas silk. It was enlivened with a touch of pale blue silk and silver, and the white crinoline straw hat was massed with black plumes. A bouquet of shaded sweet peas was carried. Herr Windisch's orchestra performed a selection of music throughout the afternoon. Among many handsome gifts received was a solid silver tea service presented by the subalterns of the Queen's Bays.
Among the guests were Dr. and Mr. R. Baumann, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Adler, Mr. and Mrs. A. Baumann, Mrs. H. D. Soloman, Mrs. Louis Baumann, Mr. and Mrs. Holford, Colonel and Mrs. T. Noding (Miss Vera Cloete), Mr. and Mrs. Henry Nourse, Dr. and Mrs. T. Frood, Mrs. and Miss Ingles, Mr. and Mrs. Wertheim, Mrs. and Miss Van Beek, Mrs. Grant Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Emilie Nathan, Mr. and Mrs. S. Goch, Mrs. and Miss Tracey, Mr. and Mrs.!
Jacob Swart, Mr. and Mrs. Kleudgen, Mr. and Mrs. G. Sonn, Mrs. and the Misses Ashley Cooper, Miss Leinhardt, Mr. Gordon Grimmer, and Mr. F. Atkinson.
After a short honeymoon spent at Cape Town, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Holdsworth left for England, as the bridegroom's regiment is stationed at Hounslow.
[1947- ] J Michael Holdsworth, eldest child of William Holdsworth, and Dina Maria Holdsworth
Born on 29 June 1947 at Scargill House, and christened at Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.
Godparents, Lord John Cholmondeley
Educated at Lockers Park, Old Quarries (Avening Glos.), and Newbury.
Married Corrine, daughter of Duncan and Jan Bruce, of Appletreewick, Yorkshire, in 1984.
Two children,
John Tristian Holdsworth [24 April 1985], and
Johanna Holdsworth [24 May 1987].
Michael and Corrine divorced
On 19 June 2010 Michael married Susan E Hawksworth at Halifax Parish Church.
[1882-1946] Kathleen Marian Holdsworth, third child of Clement Holdsworth.
Born 11 Jan 1882.
Married
Capt. Charles Selborne Walker, (R.F.A. (T.F.)), son of Fredrick Walker of Ovenden Hall,
on 28 Sep 1904 at
Halifax Parish Church.
Died 19 Nov 1946.
CS Walker died 23 Sep 1955.
Both sisters, Consie and Kathleen attended finishing school in Dresden and Heidelberg.
One of the later Mill Engines at the Company was called 'Kathleen', possibly this was named after her.
After Kathleed died, Uncle Charlie remarried 'Aunt Zoidie'. I never knew her surname. They still lived at Fairfield. She was great fun, and after his death she moved to the Lake District. [1953-2009] Kirsten, fifth and youngest child of
William Holdsworth and
Dina Maria (Kuperus). [1848-1908]
Lucy Georgina Holdsworth, the eldest child of
George Holdsworth,
Born at Stoney Royd, Halifax in 1848. Lucy Georgina, the mother, died on 29 November 1908 in Newcastle, Staffordshire. [1921-1942]
Educated at Lockers Park, Hertfordshire and at Harrow School,
in Rev. D. B. Kittermaster’s house, Newlands.
H.M.S. St. Angelo., Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. [10 February 1921 - 24 February 1942] Killed on active service
off Tobruk whilst based at Malta, which was then under heavy siege as pilot of ‘Swordfish’ aircraft, aged 21. [1885-1887] Twin fifth and sixth children of
Clement Holdsworth. [1918-1990] Second child of
Hugh Reginald Holdsworth and Dorothy. Paddy and Joe resided at
Shaw House Shaw Hill, Halifax,
then moved to Park Road surgery, Halifax, where they lived above the practice. Paddy died in January 1990. Her funeral took place at St. Matthew's Church, Northowram, and she lies with Joe at St. Peter's Church, Sowerby. They had three daughters, Deirdre, Pat and Gillian. [1917] First child of Hugh Reginald Holdsworth and Dorothy.
Rupert Lindsay Bethune Holdsworth,
fourth child of Hugh Reginald Holdsworth and Dorothy Anne Frances née Bethune. Nick-name "Winks"; Born 1 April 1930, 21 Savile Road, Halifax. Educated at Bramcote preparatory school in Scarborough (where his brother
David had gone before) Married Nan Millward in New Zealand. Resides in Onemana, North Island, New Zealand. Three children; 1 son, 2 daughters. 1. Nicholas, m. Jacqueline Falconer. 2. Phillipa (Pip) Mary Holdsworth [b. Auckland, 2 Nov 1958] m. Simon Julian Wall [b. Palmerston North, 2 Jun 1954] on 12 Apr 1980. 3 sons. 3. Susan. m. Denis Massey. 2 children Sam and Anna
Rupert joined the
New Zealand Shipping Company, part of the P and O group, as an apprentice in 1948 and sailed with them until 1955 when he joined the
Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. [1815-1817] Sam Holdsworth, third son of
George Holdsworth died 27 April 1817 aged only 2 years and 2 months and was interred at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
[1704-1742] Samuel Holdsworth of Ovenden, son of
Zachariah Holdsworth, married Tamar, daughter of .....Marcer [1774-1824] Wife of
George Holdsworth born 1774, died 4 March 1824. (Maiden name not known.)
[1800-1876] Sarah Irving from Southowram, became the wife of
John Holdsworth who founded
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd. [1826-1881]
Tom Holdsworth, the third of the four sons of
John Holdsworth.
Born on the 12th Feb 1826 at 4 o’clock in the morning. John Tristian Holdsworth, son of
J Michael Holdsworth and Corrine Bruce. Born: 24 April, 1985. [1851-1885] Walter Holdsworth, eldest son of
George Holdsworth and Emily (neé Atkinson.)
[1885-????] Second son of Walter Holdsworth and Emily.
Born at Spring Hall, Skircoat, Halifax, Oct 1885. [1922-1969]
William (Bill) Holdsworth of
Scargill House, Kettlewell, Yorkshire. Educated at Lockers Park, Hertfordshire and at Harrow School, in Newlands house, under the charge of Rev. D.B. Kittermaster M.C. (1937), and F.W.T. James 1938-1940. Served in the Royal Air Force, as a Spitfire fighter aircraft pilot instructor. Married
Dina Maria Kuperus,
[Dina Maria Holdsworth] in Amsterdam in 1946 and had following children: Resided 1957-1966 at
Bellinter Park, Navan, Co. Meath in Ireland. [1795-1823] William Holdsworth of Northowram, second son of
George Holdsworth baptised at Halifax 15 May 1796. [1821-1885]
Col. William Irving Holdsworth of
Shaw Lodge, off Shaw Hill, Halifax, and of Greenroyd, Halifax. [1665-1743] Zachariah Holdsworth of Ovenden born ca. 1665, just about the time of the Great Plague of London,
in which 60,000 people died in a single year, and a year before the Great Fire of London in the reign of Charles II. Supplier of Worsted yarns to John Holdsworth & Co Ltd for many years, and one of the few remaining textile manufacturing companies in Halifax.
The only worsted spinner in the town to survive into the 21st century.
Born in Heptonstall in 1818, Joseph Horsfall carried on the family tradition and became a handloom weaver. He gave this up, however, when he
realised that power looms were about to destroy his livelihood. He had little money and so he decided to train for the Baptist Ministry at Heptonstall Slack Church.
He was taught by the Rev William Butler and, by coincidence, the two families were joined by marriage two generations later.
Joseph then became the Minister at Shore Chapel, near Todmorden. Here he remained from 1852 until 1861 when he started up on his own in the
Textile Industry with power looms, in that area. financed by an unknown benefactor, thought to be a Mr. Roberts. The first printed reference to the firm is in a
West Riding edition of the Yorkshire Textile Industry Directory of 1866. Joseph then moved to Halifax, renting several properties in succession.
Clarence Mill, where the firm still trades to this day, was bought in 1894. Ironically, up to this time. the firm had only concerned itself
with weaving and Clarence Mill had been designed and built for manufacturing, yet shortly after Joseph moved in, production was changed to worsted spinning,
due, it is thought, to increased weaving competition from Western Europe.
There have been five generations of the family involved in the business up to the present day. Joseph (1866 - 1889) was followed by his eldest son,
James (1889 - 1920) who in turn was followed by his eldest son, Harry (1920 - 1939). As Harry’s son predeceased him in 1936, the business passed to his sister’s sons,
Jack and Jim Butler (1939 - 1965). Their sons, Brian and Michael Butler, have since continued this essentially family business.
The company was for many years a member of
The Halifax and District Master Spinners’ Federation.
An attribute of
Colour in which it is recognised as being predoninately red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown etc.
Absolute Humidity:- The mass of water per unit volume of air, usually in grammes per cubic metre.
©
2024
David W. Holdsworth
Please send questions, updates, additions to:
Anne D Craig, 2011
Holdsworth, Kirsten Roselyn
Born 14 Oct 1953, and christened at St. Oswald’s Church Arncliffe, Nr Skipton by Eric Treacy, MBE, Archdeacon of Halifax.
Kirsten’s godparents included
Brian and Pauline Johnston, and Edmund and Tina Butler.
Married Andrew (Scott) Bulloch
Children, Jonathan, Leah, Isabelle, and Daisy.
Andrew's career was in a large pharmaceuticals company and he moved from one country to another in Europe, eventually to settle and bring up the children in Kenya, East Africa.
Died 10 Feb 2009 in Nairobi, co-incidentally
Michael Holdsworth's birthday. At rest in Kilifi, Kenya. Holdsworth, Lucy Georgina
In 1871 she was aged 22, living at Elm Wood with her mother
Hannah aged 50, widow of
George Holdsworth; and Emily age 19. [1871 census records.] (Public Record Office RG10/4400 p.25)
In 1879 she married
Theodore Senior Gardiner, son of Rev. Alexander Gardiner the rector of Wixol, Essex.
Their daughter
Lucy Georgina Gardiner was born circa 1880. Holdsworth, Michael; (Lieut.)
Michael Holdsworth, the second son of
George Bertram Holdsworth.
Subsequently at Cambridge University before joining up in the summer of 1940.
Michael’s name is inscribed in the Harrow School War Memorial, and the window in
Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell is dedicated to his memory.
The window shows Michael in the Fleet Air Arm, flanked by St Michael and St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.
Holdsworth, Norman Cyril & Robert Lionel
Born on 25 March 1885; they both died as infants on 28 Nov 1887.
No other information available.
Holdsworth, Patricia Mary (Paddy)
Married Dr. Francis Joseph (Joe) Laycock, Irish rugger star and a well-liked general practioner of Halifax.
Joe held a large collection of slides and photographs.
Deirdre Laycock
m. Leonard Anthony Peter Hunt, at
St. Columcille’s Church, Pellon, Halifax,
19 Septemeber 1964
4 children: Emma, Nicholas, Caroline and Anna
Staying at Bellinter during engagement to Len
Deirdre with
Ingrid Holdsworth, 1964
Pat Laycock
m. Geoffrey Horrocks-Taylor
3 children: Michael, Andrew and Richard
Andrew has safe keeping of Joe's slides and photographs.
Gillian Laycock
m. Douglas Parrillo in Washington D.C. in 1966
Children: Damon and Tara
Divorced in 1972
Married Pierre Cutler in 1999, living in Dallas, TX.
Holdsworth, Phyllis Evelyn
Died as an infant, a few months old, from Asian flu during WW1 while Hugh was serving in France. Laid to rest at St. Peter's Church Sowerby, where her parents also now lie.
Holdsworth, Rupert Lindsay Bethune
and subsequently at the Nautical College, Pangbourne, Berkshire.
3 children: Phillipa, Nicholas and Susan
3 children: Hugh, James and Katherine. Living in Australia.
Twins, Matthew George Holdsworth Wall and Hamish Harry Holdsworth Wall [9 Jan 1992], Nicholas Edward Holdsworth Wall [22 Dec 1995].
Sailed on the delivery voyage to NZ of a new ship built in Leith, Scotland.
Came ashore permanently in NZ and married in 1956.
Rupert returned to the
New Zealand Shipping Company
working mainly in their Head Office in Wellington where he held a variety of management positions until retiring in 1991.
Holdsworth, Sam
Holdsworth, Samuel
Children:
John 1731, Thomas 1733, Jeremiah 1734, Martha 1736, William 1738, Joseph, Mary, Ruth 1741.
Holdsworth, Sarah
Holdsworth, Sarah (neé Irving)
Born 9 Aug 1800.
Died 28 Apr 1876 and interred at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
A large window was given to the
Halifax Parish Church by
John Holdsworth, and erected in the Holdsworth Chapel in remembrance of Sarah.
Holdsworth, Tom
George,
Tom and
John Holdsworth were Christened on Tuesday January 22nd 1839 by Reverend Guerney.
Tom was responsible for the building of
Spring Hall, Skircoat, Halifax.
Tom gifted a memorial window "Abraham offering up his son Isaac" to
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
"Brother,
Tom Holdsworth of
Spring Hall died on Sunday 1st May 1881 at the Great Northern Hotel, London at half past eight o’clock in the evening aged 56 and was interred in the family vault at
All Saints’ Church, Salterhebble by Reverend Pigow, Vicar of Halifax and Reverend J.H. Warneford, Vicar of Salterhebble". [Family bible record]
Holdsworth, Tristian
Brother of
Johanna Holdsworth.
Holdsworth, Walter; Capt.; J.P.
Born at Stoney Royd, Halifax on 23 Jan 1851.
In May 1882 he married Emily Atkinson, daughter of J.W. Atkinson of St. John’s Ilkley, a Leeds solicitor.
He was a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding, and Captain in the 2nd West Yorkshire Yeoman Cavalry.
He resided at Spring Hall and latterly Bramham Lodge, Boston Spa, Yorkshire.
He and his brother
Clement Holdsworth joined their uncle
Col. William Irving Holdsworth in the family business. In April 1881 they were both admitted to
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd as partners (Click
to see copy of letter).
He died 22 November 1885 and was interred in the family mausoleum at
All Saints’ Church, Salterhebble, Halifax.
In his will, he left a sum towards the choir and music in the
Halifax Parish Church.
2 sons;
John Evelyn Holdsworth 1883 and
Walter Holdsworth 1885.
Holdsworth, Walter; Major
Married Ivy Lawson Smith, daughter of E.M. Lawson Smith of Colston Lodge, Tadcaster; 29 Feb 1908 at Bolton Percy.
Major, 18th Hussars.
Holdsworth, William (Bill); Flt. Lieut.
Born on 17 November 1922 at The Grove, Savile Road, Halfax, the third son of
George Bertram Holdsworth and
Mabel Highley.
William was a key member of
Kilnsey Angling Club, 1946-1958.
John Michael 1947,
Ingrid Rona 1948,
Howard Irving 1949,
David William 1952 and
Kirsten Roselyn 1953.
Returned to Yorkshire in 1966 to reside in Halifax.
Died three days before his 47th birthday on 14th November 1969
in the Halifax Royal Infirmary, and was interred in the family grave at
Saint Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.
Holdsworth, William
Died aged 27 years on 27 June 1823 and interred 1 July 1823 at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
Holdsworth, Col. William Irving
Eldest of the four sons of
John Holdsworth.
Born 9 Jan 1821 at ¼ past 8 o’clock in the morning and Baptised February 14th by Mr. Cocran. [Family bible record]
After his brothers died he was left with the awesome responsibility of running the
large enterprise of
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd
alone.
Later he was joined by his two nephews
Walter and
Clement.
Mayor of Halifax 1863-4, and 1864-5.
Unveiled Prince Consort Memorial, and he took a leading part in the construction of new reservoirs as the town expanded.
Colonel of the Volunteers.
Principal benefactor of the new parish of
All Saints, Salterhebble, created in 1846.
Contemporary accounts reveal that Mr. Holdsworth was proud of his
town and county; an excellent speaker, an enlightened employer popular with his workpeople.
Several times he was invited to stand as M.P. for the town but always declined.
The business that he left behind and the large mills at
Shaw Lodge are a monument to him and his generation.
William was married at St. Martin in the Fields, London in 1874 to
Mary Greenwood.
"At St. Martin's Church at St. Martin in the Fields, London by the Reverend R Isherwood M.A. William Irving Holdsworth Esq. Of Greenroyde, Halifax to Mary the youngest daughter of the late Mr. John Greenwood of Halifax 1874" [Family bible record]
Died at his home,
Shaw Lodge, at 3.00am. on Sunday 13th December 1885 aged 64, and interred in the family mausoleum at
All Saints’ Salterhebble, Halifax.
Holdsworth, Zachariah
He died 23 December 1743 and was buried at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
Zachariah married Mary, who died 16 August 1712 and is also buried at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth.
Children:
Samuel (baptised 1704; d. 1742),
John (d. 4 Sep 1721 and buried at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth),
Jeremiah (Abt. 1702; d. 22 Apr 1703 and buried at
Saint Mary’s Church, Illingworth).
Joseph Horsfall
1818-1889
Horsfall. Joseph Horsfall & Sons Ltd, Worsted Spinners of Halifax
Hue
Humidity
Relative Humidity:- The ratio, as a percentage, of the actual vapour pressure of water in the atmosphere to that of saturation at the same temperature and pressure.
Middle Pasture, Halifax, HX3 0AG, UK
Tel: +44 1422 322500
