57 Clement Street - Life on a Northern Terrace (1911-1938)

 Based on extracts from “A Yorkshire Lass” memoirs of Joyce Gill (in italics). With additional information and editing by Jonathan Blackburn.


By 1910 the new development of Clement Street in the district of Birkby, Huddersfield was almost complete. It consisted of 55 stone built houses in two terraces either side of the street. The even numbers side only went up to 30 as the Birkby Council School intercepted the end of the street. The odd numbered side reaching 79 before it terminated. Although they were still terraced houses, designed for the burgeoning workforce of Huddersfield, they were a step up from the previous generation of workers cottages. The ceilings were higher and they had front and back gardens instead of opening directly onto the street. A big step forward was sanitation as toileting facilities were now integral to the house, instead of an outhouse in the back yard.

1911 Census 57 Clement Street, Birkby - Number of Rooms Schedule – Signed by Rowland Blackburn

It was on this basis of thought that Rowland Blackburn moved his family from a decaying property on South Street in the Springwood district into a brand new house on Clement Street, taking a lease on number 57. The houses were financed by investors who now owned sections of the street. John Schofield, who lived in Blackbpool, owned numbers 53 to 67, and he was the de facto landlord. Rowland was a well established boot and shoe maker and moved in with wife Annie and their two children, 28 year old Percy, a Tailors Cutter, and 17 year old Beatrice, a Tailors Machinist.

The following year 1911 proved to be a tumultuous year for Blackburn family.

Tragedy struck in November when mother Annie died of a stroke at only fifty two years of age. She had had a stroke four years previously and suffered headaches ever since, but the death was a big shock for the family.

The long planned marriage of brother Percy to girlfriend Norah Dyson still went ahead on December 23rd 1911:

Nora is 26 years old yet does not register a profession, although she is known to be a Woollen Weaver. She lives at 5, Back South Street which overlooks the Colne Valley and canal. On her wedding day she did not wear white but wore a grey coat, skirt and hat.

 Nora was a short, plump lady, about five feet tall. Percy was also short at about five feet two or three inches tall. But always very smart.

Unfortunately Nora’s father William Farrington Dyson has passed away without witnessing his daughters wedding. He was formerly a coachman working at a large house in Westbourne Road, Marsh. (Now Marsh Liberal Club). Noras mother was a maid at the same house.

Percy’s witness is Fred Taylor and Nora’s is Mary Jane Taylor. These were two passersby who for some reason were asked to fulfill the task. It is a mystery why no family members were present, as Percy’s father Rowland and sister Beatrice were still alive and Nora had two brothers and a sister.

 Following the wedding Percy moved out of Clement Street to begin married life in a property in Church Street, Paddock. This left the newly bereaved Rowland and young daughter Beatrice as the sole occupants of number 57.

Rowland found it difficult to cope with the loss of his wife. Having a full time job and running the house while handling an increasingly errant teenager amongst his grief proved too much. He turned increasingly to drink.

The arrival of Percy and Norah’s first child in 1912 began to put pressure on their accommodation. She was born on the 25th September and was christened “Annie” after Percy’s late mother. The news that Nora was expecting another child in 1914 was the final straw and the move was initiated back to Clement Street.

Percy and Norah’s second child, Lawrence, was born in July 1914 and space became a further premium at number 57.

Under increasing pressure Beatrice moved out and became a boarder at Mr & Mrs Haley’s house in Tanfield Terrace. Their house was bigger by one extra room and this became Beatrice’s.

 Life was difficult for Nora during the war years. She had been looking after Rowland and Beatrice as well as her own children. Beatrice had been a problem. She had married a soldier during the early part of the war, but when he was away had been promiscuous and caused a lot of upset and worry. After the war her husband divorced her.

 Rowland was over fond of the bottle, something which Nora did not like at all.

The living room at Clement Street was really a Victorian kitchen with a large, black, kitchen range. Magnificent when polished, having been enamelled black with edgings of nickel and silver. Nora always kept it bright and shining.

There was a stone sink in the scullery. Stone steps leading down from the scullery to a large cellar which was used for washing and baths. There was a toilet off the cellar. At the bottom of the cellar steps were a couple of stone shelves which acted as the keeping cellar in the absence of refrigeration.

 For baths water was heated on a gas boiler and ladled out into a zinc bath. Rugs were laid on the stone flagged floor and towels draped over a clothes horse to keep out draughts. Afterwards the bath was emptied into a drain outside the toilet door, ladled into buckets first.

 In the summer the whole cellar and toilet were whitewashed to keep them clean.

At the beginning of 1917 Percy Blackburn was thirty four years old and gainfully employed in Huddersfield as a Tailor’s Cutter, which he had been for the previous twenty years. He was also the head of a young and expanding family. His wife Nora was expecting to give birth to their third child in March and his growing responsibilities were uppermost in his mind. In the first quarter of 1917, Marjorie, Percy and Nora’s second daughter is born.

Mid 1917 - From left - Lawrence, Percy, Annie, Nora & Marjorie

During 1917 Percy, age 34, is enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service. He begins his engagement on 14th August 1917 as number 36555 (F35512) Air Mechanic II Class. His engagement form describing him as 5ft 3in tall with a 35in chest, he has brown hair, grey eyes and possesses a fresh complexion. On 12th October he is posted to the Eastern Mediterranean. This produces extra pressure on Nora to manage things at home during his absence.

Momentous, yet tragic, changes had happened at home in Huddersfield during time away. Percy’s wife Nora had fallen victim to the Spanish Flu epidemic which was sweeping the country. Nora recovered but passed the bug on to her youngest child. Marjorie died of pneumonia in the Spring of 1918 having just passed her first birthday. 

Percy & Nora Blackburn appear on the Electoral Register at 57 Clement Street - Nora's first appearance in the Electoral Register after women over 30 were first granted the vote. After Election Lloyd George heads coalition. Rowland is no longer resident at Clement Street.                   

With the war coming to its end Percy started being processed back into civilian life. Leaving the Aegean area in January 1919 Percy had made his way to Harrowby Dispersal Camp by 21st March 1919. Harrowby was near Grantham in Lincolnshire and was part of a nationwide network of camps set up to process the demobilisation of the armed forces following World War One. He was transferred to the RAF Reserve on 26th April 1919, which is the date he left Harrowby for Huddersfield. But he was not deemed as fully discharged until 30th April 1920.

After returning from the war Percy returned to his old job with the bespoke tailor, T. Swallow & Co. of Threadneedle Street (Now Thatcher’s Furniture).

Tragedy never seems far away though as son Lawrence dies of meningitis, at the beginning of 1920, while being operated on in the kitchen of Clement Street. He was 5 years old.

On 27th February 1921  Joyce, Percy and Nora’s third daughter is born. She arrived in the middle of a snowstorm. Percy had struggled over the Highfields to New North Road and the home of Doctor Carmichael. He helped the Doctor get out his pony chaise and harness up. They travelled back along Saint John’s Road to Birkby

Life began to adopt a more normal rhythm throughout the following years. In 1921 Rowland found love again when he remarried to Polly Spencer. Further children arrived with the birth of daughter Betty in 1923 and son Stewart in 1925. Eldest daughter Annie had not passed her “scholarship exam” so she started at a private commercial college at the age of 12 in 1924. This taught her Shorthand and Office Routine, enabling her to start work at age 14 in 1926 with Wm. Booth & Sons, wholesale clothiers.

c. 1929 - Percy & pipe

Joyce takes up the story from the late 1920’s:

One sunny Sunday morning Percy takes Joyce, Betty and Stewart to visit Rowland. Joyce remembers  “a rather jolly, white haired and moustachioed man standing before the fire. He wore a gold watch chain and spoke with a big jolly voice”. He had worked at the “stylish” Shaw and Hallas shoe shop.

 Holidays in the summer were spent at Rhyl or Scarborough. After they had got off the train Percy used to march from guest house to guest house with the large family suitcase on his shoulders looking for rooms.

1924 Holiday In Rhyll - Joyce, Betty (In pram), Norah and her mother

Closer to home, in the summer the family used to go for picnics at the beauty spots around Huddersfield - Wessenden Head, Marsden, Beaumont Park, Castle Hill, Molicar Woods, Farnley Tyas and Cawthorne. There were also trips to Belle Vue funfair in Manchester, Blackpool, Bridlington, Knaresborough and Holmfirth. The other parks they used to go to were Norman Park, Greenhead Park and Ravensknowle Park. Ravensknowle had a museum with a colony of bees where you could see the workings inside the hives. There was also a white, stuffed, Pomeranian dog, which had once belonged to Nora’s Aunt.

1930 - Stewart, Percy & Joyce - Peasholm Park, Scarborough

The children attended Gledholt Methodist Sunday School. Nora was a strong supporter of the “Methodist Women’s Circle” and a member of their concert party.

Gledholt Methodist Concert Party - Norah standing back row far left

Percy had bought a piano in 1920 which provided for music and songs on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Annie played the piano well, Joyce and Betty were taking lessons.

 Percy later acquired a wind up gramophone which he loved. He also made a wireless using a crystal set, then a larger valved set powered by an accumulator which had to be charged up every week. When electricity was installed he bought a better “radio”.

c. 1929 - Stewart, Betty & Joyce in back garden watched by Nora (behind Aspidistra plant)

c. 1929 Joyce, Betty & Stewart - Back Garden, Clement Street

There were only two bedrooms in Clement Street. Percy and Nora had the large one. Annie, Joyce and Betty slept in a large double bed in the small bedroom. Stewart slept in the attic.

 Among the tradesmen that called in the street was a Fishmonger. He also sold rabbits which he skinned in front of the customer. The family had one a week as they only cost 3 or 4  pence.

 There was a gas street lamp outside the house. The Lamp Lighter would come along at dusk with his long pole to turn on the gas and light it. Returning at dawn to turn it off again.

1934 - Pets Day - Birkby Council School - Stewart third from left holding Peggy the dog

During the 1930s the family were visited by Percy’s Aunts, Nellie, Carrie and Lizzie (the Hobson girls) who even then wore long Victorian or Edwardian dresses with high, lace chokers at their throats. One of them had the habit, when her mouth was full of food, to politely push it in with her extended little finger. After tea they would sing high pitched songs round the piano, while Joyce, Betty and Stewart hid under the table and giggled.

 Nora’s brother Alan would visit wearing a good worsted suit with a silver and pearl tie pin, a Homburg hat and a silver topped cane. He was a heavy smoker and would talk with a cigarette hanging from his lips and drop ash everywhere. He was a woollen weaver and had long periods of unemployment in the thirties. He spent a lot of time playing whist drives, often winning vouchers for food or coal.

1936 - Betty & Stewart - Back Garden 57 Clement Street

Academic progression followed for the two youngest daughters as first Joyce (1932) and the Betty (1934) passed their scholarship exams and started at Greenhead High School. Studies were interrupted in 1935 when all three youngest children were struck down by illness:

Joyce Betty and Stewart are all infected with scarlet fever and taken into the Isolation Hospital at Waterloo. It was treated seriously in those days and the children were kept there for six weeks. No visits were allowed, but on Sundays Percy and Nora would come and stand on the path outside while the children called to them.

 During 1936….

T. Swallow and Co. have gone bust during the depression and Percy finds bits and pieces of work in Leeds and Huddersfield. He got a job at Prices Tailoring in Middlesborough. He worked there for eighteen months only coming home on holidays and the odd weekend.

 This stress and disruption took its toll.

In the summer of 1937 Percy is taken ill in Middlesborough. He has an operation for a perforated gastric ulcer. Nora went up and stayed for a week, leaving Annie in charge at home. Annie’s boss, Mr. Booth, allowed one of the travellers to bring him home in a firms car. He never went back to Middlesborough.

 Joyce passes the School Certificate Examinations gaining her the London Matriculation & Northern Certificate, with a Distinction in English Language. As the family could not afford to let her do the Higher School Certificate she starts work at sixteen in the Accounts Department of a local engineering works, Hopkinsons. She was earning ten shillings a week, rising to twelve shillings and sixpence after four months.

 In January 1938 Annie marries Ted Rhodes at Saint John’s Church, Birkby. Betty was a bridesmaid and they had a special meal at home to celebrate. They bought a semi-detached home in Fartown for £450, with a bathroom.

 In February Nora collapses and dies of a stroke while cleaning the front doorstep. She was 52, the same age and cause of death as her mother in law twenty seven years earlier. A post mortem is carried out which leaves Percy terribly distressed after witnessing the aftermath

 On 15th October 1938 Percy is the only person of voting age at Clement Street. Living with Joyce, Betty and Stewart.


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