125 Years Ago - 1895

Much consternation was caused in Ilkley on Wednesday when it became known that Mr. Thos. Kilvington Hattersley, of Sedbergh House, had died from the effects of having taken a dose of carbolic acid. The deceased gentleman was a well-known figure in the town in almost every circle of life, and the sad affair cast a gloom over the township. He had not for long occupied the house for many years the residence of the late Mr. E. H. Wade, living previously in The Grove. It is well known that the deceased had of late been very unsteady, and there was no doubt it was on this account that he ended his life in such a tragic manner.

News has been received of the death of Mr. Frederick Adams, contractor, which took place by drowning on March 22nd, near Victoria, British Columbia. Mr. Adams was born at Kirton-in-Lindsey in 1844. After being employed as foreman with Messrs. Gibson and Maude, of Ossett, he went into business on his own account, and carried on some contracting in connection with the sewerage scheme of Ilkley, in which town he also erected a number of villa residences.

100 Years Ago - 1920

It is 94 years next Monday that the Addingham riots took place, following the Luddite movement, when stirring scenes were witnessed at Low Mill, which was then occupied by Mr Jeremiah Horsfall. This rioting was part of that great wave of resentment against the introduction of machinery which marked the coming of the Industrial Revolution in the early years of the nineteenth century. Low Mill had been recently built and filled with machinery. Some of the machinery coming by wagon from Newton Moor was met near Colne by a crowd of hand-loom weavers and spinners, and the machinery, which was for spinning purposes, was wrecked. Rioting was taking place at this time at Skipton, Clitheroe, Blackburn, and in Bradford, and within a week a similar crowd to that which had smashed the machinery at Laneshaw Bridge, attacked the Addingham Low Mill. The mill was rapidly put in a state of defence, firearms and stones were gathered in the upper stories, and when the mob rushed to the attack many of them fell wounded. An unsuccessful attempt was made to set the mill on fire.

75 Years Ago – 1945

Aireborough and Horsforth men are among prisoners of war liberated from German Stalags who have reached home this week. Among them is Observer Warrant Officer George Franklin Booth, Stanhope Drive, Horsforth, who has the distinction of being the first British prisoner taken by the Germans in this war. He was one of a crew of three of a Blenheim, shot down into the sea the day after the war started. He was married at Otley at Christmas 1937. He was liberated from Stalag 357 by the “Desert Rats”

Driver Jack Barker (33), Kelcliffe Avenue, Guiseley, spent over four years of the five in captivity at one camp in Poland, and he confessed he had little fault to find with the treatment he received. He never saw a British prisoner of war ill-treated except as a penalty for disobedience. On the other hand, the treatment accorded Polish “slave” workers was frightfully harsh.

50 Years Ago – 1970

When a delegation of members from Otley Rotary Club, with their wives, who visited their “twin” club at Montereau, near Paris, were entertained to a civic reception there was reference to other local links between their two countries. The Otley President Rotarian Peter E. Crowe, expressed to the French civic representatives the greetings of the chairman of Otley Council, Coun. J. D. Simpson, commenting that he did so with particular pleasure as one of Coun. and Mrs. Simposn’s daughters is married to a Frenchman.

25 Years Ago – 1995

The ancient Burley custom of distributing portions of boiled pudding from under the branches of the “Pudding Tree” at the bottom of Main Street might soon be restored. At least some variation of the custom which ended close on 200 years ago, is planned by the Wharfedale Lions’ Club to mark the planting of a new “Pudding Tree”.