Author: Bradford Libraries

Mrs Carnegie

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Mrs Carnegie

2019 marks 100 years since the death of Andrew Carnegie, Scottish/American industrialist, one of the richest men in history and a leading philanthropist.

His special emphasis on local libraries is reflected in Keighley’s historic Carnegie Library, the first library in England to be funded by Carnegie with a grant of £10,000, opening in 1904.

But it was Andrew Carnegie’s wife, New York born Louise Whitfield Carnegie, who encouraged her husband to start giving away his fortune to build free public libraries.

To celebrate National Libraries week Keighley Local Studies Library is hosting a special theatrical performance by local playwright, actor and historian Irene Lofthouse.

Come along and hear the story of this remarkable woman and about the part played by the Carnegies in the history of Keighley’s library.

Keighley Local Studies Library
Saturday 12th October
10.30am – 12.00 noon

  • Free event
  • All welcome
  • Suitable for all ages

For more information contact the library on: 01535 618215 or email keighleylocalstudies@bradford.gov.uk

Mrs Carnegie poster 1st draft copy

 

Film crew visit Local Studies

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On Tuesday 2nd of July, Bradford Local Studies was visited by a Chinese film crew from Phoenix TV. They were in Bradford producing a documentary on the links between the Bradford wool trade and China in the early 1950’s.

They had met various people in Bradford who had knowledge this trade, including relatives of some of the businessmen involved back in the 50’s.

During their visit to the library, Phoenix TV presenter Jay Cao was filmed looking at original copies of Telegraph and Argus articles about the trade links that the Local Studies Library staff had found.

The programme is due to be broadcast in October 2019.

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Official and administrative records for Keighley

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Monday 3rd June – Friday 7th June was collections week at Keighley Local Studies Library to enable work to be carried out on the collections of Local Authority material held in the archives in particular the official and administrative records for Keighley.

Keighley Township initially consisted of a Select Vestry of Parish Officers who managed the Churchwardens, overseers of the poor, surveyors of highways, constables and collectors of Taxes.  By the 1820s this arrangement was inadequate and in 1824, by Act of Parliament, Keighley Improvement Commissioners were appointed for lighting, paving, cleansing, regulating and generally improving the town and from 1816, Keighley Water Works Company supplied water to many parts of it.  A gas works was built in 1825 to supply street lamps, 93 were lit in November 1825. Gas was also sold to mills and individuals.

The Local Board of Health, constituted in 1855, replaced the Water Works Company and the Improvement Commissioners and supplied the town with sewers, pavements, pure water and a gas works.  See the Local Board of Health Plan for 1870 in the library.

The Poor Law Union for Keighley was established in 1836 to administer to the poor instead of the Parish Overseers.  Keighley Union was governed by a Board of Guardians answerable to the central Poor Law Commission.  Keighley Library holds the records for the Keighley Union and also for the North Bierley Union, covering the Bradford area of administration.  Keighley town became a Borough under a Town Council in 1882.  It came under Bradford MDC in 1974.

Keighley Library holds Township records from the 17th century, Local Board minutes 1855-1882, Borough Council minutes 1882-1974 and many other related records including the minutes of individual committees, c1855-1949.  A full listing of these is available in the library.  The minutes for the Town Council from c1910 are available on open access in bound volumes, as are the accounts.  Individual committee minutes are kept in the archive.  Keighley Library also holds Keighley Rural District Council records and some Urban District Council records for Haworth, Oakworth, Oxenhope.

For further details of these unique and fascinating records, rich sources of historical information see our new leaflet ‘Official and Administrative Records for Keighley’

Official and Administrative Records for Keighley

Late to the Game

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robgrilloOn Saturday Bradford Local Studies Library hosted a talk by Rob Grillo, author of several sporting histories. His new book ‘Late to the Game’ covers the introduction to and early years of football in Bradford as it took over from rugby as the main winter sport. However it took the round ball game a long time to come to the West Riding and to Bradford in particular. The book is the sixth in a series of volumes in the Bantamspast series published by John Dewhirst who introduced the talk.

In his talk Rob explained how Bradford had many early failed attempts to create a successful soccer team in the late 1880s and how the current Bradford City AFC was founded in 1903. In the book there is a section on the women’s game and the reporting of early exhibition games before the FA banned women from playing on FA grounds in 1921. The book covers the successful Bradford schoolboys team, English champions in 1916 as well as details of all of the teams around the city including Bingley and Shipley.

A big thank you from Local Studies to Rob Grillo for a great morning and for sharing his expert knowledge and detailed research in this often neglected area of Bradford’s social history.

‘Late to the Game: The origins of association football in Bradford and the story of its pioneering clubs’ by Rob Grillo (bantamspast 2019) 9780956698490

‘The Origins of Soccer in Bradford’

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‘The Origins of Soccer in Bradford’

A talk by Rob Grillo with an introduction by John Dewhirst

Bradford Local Studies Library,
Margaret McMillan Tower (side entrance), Princes Way,
BD1 1NN

Saturday 8 June
10.30am-12.00 noon

FREE
All welcome

For further details and to book a place please contact Bradford Local Studies Library on 01274 433688 or email: local.studies@bradford.gov.uk

During the second half of the nineteenth century Bradford established a proud reputation as a leading centre of sport and was known for the enthusiasm and prowess of its sports clubs. Bradford City and Bradford (Park Avenue) football clubs need no introduction, but over the years there have been a myriad of amateur football teams that have strived to better themselves.

Rob Grillo is the author of several sporting histories. His most recent book ‘Late to the Game’ covers the early years of association football in Bradford.

late to the game book cover 3

He will speak about his research findings; the early teams and league and cup competitions in the city as well as the early pioneers of the sport. He will also explain how the growth of soccer in the West Riding in the early years was affected by the region’s professional rugby league clubs.

John Dewhirst is well known for his interest in the history of Bradford sport in particular football and Bradford City AFC. He was co-founder of the City Gent fanzine and has authored several books in the BantamsPast series.

Come along and meet these two experts. Hear about the remarkable story of Bradford’s sporting history and there will be the opportunity to ask questions after the talk.

There will be a display to accompany the event which will remain in the Local Studies library until the end of June.

team photo 2the art of dribbling 4