T10 – Summary

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T10 Wilfred Beswick JP

Growing up around Bye Road, Shuttleworth

 

Recorded 23/08/1988

Length 00:15:13

• Bye Road in the 1920s-30s was bustling with residential and business activity.
• Key establishments included the local Co-op, post office, chip shop, and Mill Inn.
• John's Church, built in 1845, was central to village life.
• The local bleach works provided employment but is now derelict.
• The speaker has a long history with St. John's Church and local industry, including a 47-year career at Turnbull Stockdale.
• The transition from block printing to modern methods is noted, with a focus on the craftsmanship of block printing.

 

 

Here’s a detailed summary of the transcript from T10.docx:

Overview

This is an oral history interview featuring a lifelong resident of Shuttleworth (near Ramsbottom), who recounts the social, industrial, and religious life of the area during the early 20th century. The speaker offers vivid recollections of Byroad, St John’s Church, and the local textile and mining industries, painting a detailed picture of community life, work, and faith.

1. Byroad in the 1920s–30s

• Bustling residential and business area.
• At the top:
  • Ramsbottom Industrial & Co-operative Society (“Local Co-op”) on one side.
  • Post Office, run by Mrs. Ellis, on the opposite side.
• Moving down the hill:
  • Hilda Preston’s chip shop (“Wiggly Chippy”), a local favourite.
  • A village store, selling “anything from a needle to a haystack”.
  • At times, there were also a butcher’s and a sweet shop.
• Near the bottom:
  • The Mill Inn, once a local pub, later became a boot and shoe shop (“clogger’s”), run first by Lord Howard, then by Blake, before becoming a private house.
  • Across from it stood four large houses with long gardens—one occupied by the Greenhalgh family, notable in Shuttleworth’s history.
  • At the end stood the local bleach works (Bleachers Association)—a major local employer, now derelict.

2. Bury Old Road and Surrounding Area

• The Bury Old Road could be walked its full length—from Bury through Shuttleworth to Rawtenstall.
• It passed landmarks such as Twine Terrace, Bleakhoak Road, and Plunge Brow at Edenfield.
• The area name “Bleakhalt” (often misspelled Blakehalt) derives from its exposed, bleak setting.
• Several side roads connect the area to Turn, Rochdale Road, and Cheesden Valley—notable for its animal sanctuary (Bleakhoak) and farms.

3. St John’s Church, Shuttleworth (“St John’s in the Wilderness”)

• The speaker’s life is deeply intertwined with the church:
  • Baptised, confirmed, and lifelong attendee.
  • His father served 25 years as churchwarden.
  • He himself has served over 40 years as churchwarden, rarely missing a Sunday.
• The church’s name reflects its early setting: built when Shuttleworth was still sparsely populated—“a wilderness.”
• Built and consecrated in 1845, before St Paul’s in Ramsbottom (1849).
  • In earlier times, Ramsbottom residents worshipped at Shuttleworth or Hawkshaw.
• The parish is now a joint parish.
• They are awaiting a new vicar, as Mr. Barsley is retiring.

4. Family Background and Local Industry

• The speaker’s grandfather, William Beswick, was a coal miner at Scout Moor Colliery near Turn.
  • The mine was a small adit shaft between Whittle Pike and Fecit Hill.
  • Miners worked lying on their sides, picking coal from the seam.
  • Coal was sent down to Newgate via small rail bogies.
• His father worked in the cotton industry as a warehouseman at Turn Mill.
• His mother was a weaver at the same mill.

5. Career at Turnbull Stockdale (Rose Bank Print Works)

• The speaker began working half-time at age 12, eventually completing 47½ years with the firm.
• Remembers his first day meeting Mr. Richard Turnbull, the managing director, who gave him sixpence for lunch and sent him to work in the block printing department.
• Describes Turnbull Stockdale as a wonderful, family-run company that cared deeply for employees.
• The firm was later taken over by Sanderson’s, and then by the Reed Paper Group.
  • The speaker receives his pension from Reed Group.
• His career progressed from block printing to becoming works manager of the dye house.

6. The Art of Block Printing

• The speaker’s first role was as a “tierer”, assisting block printers by brushing coloured dyes onto cloth.
• Explains:
  • Each design required multiple blocks per colour.
  • Skilled block cutters like Bob Thorpe and Tom Taylor crafted the printing blocks.
  • Later, screen printing became the modern replacement.
• Describes the difference between block printing (handmade, artistic) and screen printing (mechanical) as akin to “an original painting vs. a photograph.”
• Notable pattern remembered: “Dutch Bouquet”, featuring 23 colours—once a specialty of the Rose Bank works.
• The old blocks were seldom saved or sold; most stayed within the firm.
• Block printing is now a rare and expensive craft, with few practitioners left (one noted at Lancaster).

7. Other Local Mills and Works

• Rose Bank Print Works – main employer, known for fine cretonne prints.
• Bleachcroft (on Chatterton Lane) – a bleaching and finishing works, still in operation at the time of interview.
• Chatterton Weaving Company – a red-brick mill on Chatterton Lane.
• Cuba Mill – associated with Sanderson’s; specialized in cretonne fabrics.
• Eden Wood Works – focused on plain dyeing, visible from the speaker’s home.

8. Themes and Tone

• The conversation conveys nostalgia, pride, and gratitude.
• Themes of community spirit, hard work, faith, and continuity dominate.
• The speaker’s memory is rich in local detail, illustrating a close-knit industrial village where church, mill, and home were central to identity.

 

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