The following studies by Terry Spencer are now available on the Knottingley website:

KNOTTINGLEY CARNIVAL
By the last quarter of the nineteenth century the August Bank Holiday period at Knottingley abounded in fun and frolic with the Feast as the hub of the festivities. The fair was supplemented by community sports and of the sporting element within the town none was more prominent than Knottingley Town Cricket Club.

KNOTTLA FLATTS:
Situated on the southern bank of the River Aire, to the north side of Aire Street, lies Knottingley Flatts. Today, the Flatts occupy only a small portion of the original layout which comprised the greater part of Knottingley Ings.

KNOTTLA FEAST:
The modern image of the fair is one of outdoor entertainment for pleasure seeking people but such a concept is one which has developed over the last two centuries being born as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

HOSPITAL SUNDAYS:
Prior to the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948 local people relied for health care in the event of sickness or serious injury upon charitable institutions such as Pontefract Dispensary and Leeds Infirmary.

KNOTTINGLEY COAT-OF-ARMS:
The application by Knottingley Urban District Council for a grant of arms was made to the College of Arms, London, in mid 1942.

FERRYBRIDGE GLASSWORKS:
That there was a glassworks at Ferrybridge is indisputable for it was both documented and photographed. That it was situated on the north bank of the River Aire "..where the Parish of Brotherton merges into the Parish of Ferrybridge" is confirmed by map reference. The doubt lies not in the existence or location of the furnace but with its origin.

NINETEENTH CENTURY KNOTTINGLEY:
The township of Knottingley, situated three miles north-east of Pontefract in the Wapentake of Osgoldcross, developed from a 6th century Saxon settlement in a forest clearing on the south bank of the river Aire. By the time of the Norman Conquest of 1066 the settlement had acquired the status of a manorial vill

KNOTTINGLEY PLAYING FIELDS:
As the process of industrialisation and urban development gained pace in the second half of the nineteenth century the provision of public spaces such as municipal gardens and parks for the purpose of public recreation and amenity became increasingly desirable.

CAPTAIN PERCY BENTLEY:
Percy Bentley, scion of a prominent Knottingley family, was born in that town on the 18th January 1891, the son of James William and Helena Bentley, and was baptised in the parish church of St. Botolph on the 11th February.

KNOTTINGLEY WAR MEMORIAL:
On Wednesday, 25th September 1918, a committee previously sanctioned by Knottingley Urban District Council in meeting assembled, met in the Council Chamber at Knottingley Town Hall to consider the form of memorial to the men who had fallen during the Great War.

FERRYBRIDGE WAR MEMORIAL:
No less than the citizens of its larger neighbour, the inhabitants of the village of Ferrybridge decided to honour those drawn from the community and slain in the Great War.

THE 'K' SISTERS:
For approximately a decade from the mid 1940's the 'K' Sisters, Marjorie and Pamela Kellett, were prominent throughout the town and district of Knottingley as all-round entertainers who harnessed their talent to providing public enjoyment and in so doing raised large amounts of money for local charities.

THE PALACE CINEMA:
The new cinema, one of the earliest purpose-built picture houses in the country, was situated on an oblique strip of land some 560 square yards in extent, adjacent to Ship Lane at the junction with lower Aire Street. The hall was designed to seat 600 people: 500 in the area and 100 in the balcony.

KNOTTINGLEY PUBLIC HOUSES & BREWERIES:
In 1752, eighteen residents of the township of Knottingley in company with John Mitchell, the Parish Constable, agreed to be bound over in the sum of £10 each to observe the legal and moral obligations attendant upon being granted a licence as an innkeeper.

KNOTTINGLEY TOWN HALL CLOCK:
In the Spring of 1994, the recently deceased and much lamented Edwin Beckett arranged for the installation of a clock at the top of the Town Hall turret. The event was celebrated in verse by Mrs Joyce Bell who concluded her eulogy by stating that her mother, Dolly Lightowler, had always wished to see a clock set in the "bare face" of the Town Hall - a wish which had now come true.

STATUE OF THE BLACK PRINCE:
Awareness of a link between my native Knottingley and the Prince's statue came quite recently when Mrs Shirley Bedford of Knottingley informed me that her great grandfather was the master of a barge which had transported the statue from Hull to Leeds in 1903.

KNOTTLA NICKNAMES:
It was in the course of a recent conversation with Roger Ellis that the subject of nicknames arose, following which, in an idle half-hour, I casually began to compile a list of those I recalled. My list quickly exceeded fifty in number and I was seized by a natural desire to list as many more as I could obtain.

KNOTTINGLEY SILVER BAND:
The origin of Knottingley Band is obscure. In 1980 the Band celebrated its conjectured centenary year, the date being taken from an old letterhead of 1880.  However, a subsequent documentary source has been located which indicates that the genesis of the Band may lie much further in the past.

KNOTTINGLEY TOWN HALL:
The burgeoning spirit of civic pride found practical expression on 29th October 1864, when a group of prominent citizens of the town formed the Knottingley Town Hall & Mechanics’ Institute Company Limited.

FIELD SYSTEMS AND PLACE NAMES OF OLD KNOTTINGLEY:
The purpose of this study is to consider the topography of modern day Knottingley and formulate a theoretical model concerning the development of the settlement during the medieval and post medieval eras as reflected in the field systems adopted.

GAZETTEER OF KNOTTINGLEY PLACE NAMES:
An A-Z listing of Knottingley field and place names.

WAR SAVINGS WEEKS:
Conflict is fuelled by finance so it is unsurprising that following the outbreak of war in 1939, local savings committees were established to encourage people to curb personal expenditure and invest surplus cash in the National War Savings Scheme in order to assist the cost of the war.

SELECT VESTRY RIOTS 1874:
The township of Knottingley became a semi-autonomous parish in 1789 following the ecclesiastical reorganisation of that period but remaining under the patronage of the Vicar of Pontefract until it became an independent parish in 1846

UBIQUITOUS AMBASSADORS

KNOTTINGLEY SILVER BAND

by TERRY SPENCER B.A. (Hons), Ph D.

CHAPTER TWO

CONTENTS | PAGE ONE | PAGE TWO | PAGE THREE | PAGE FOUR |

THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY: 1901 - 1920

PAGE FOUR

The year was even more busy than usual for the band for apart from the regular annual engagements the Band was required to take on additional commitments. One of the first acts of a local committee formed to plan festivities to mark the coronation of George V was to engage the Band to lead the procession through the town. (92) In addition, the Band broke new ground in August, leading a procession from Pontefract town centre to the Castle, which was the venue for the Borough’s Dispensary Sunday fete. (93) The year’s activities rounded off with the Orchestral Band providing the music at the Town Hall Boxing Day dance, held that year under the aegis of the Knottingley Football Club. (94) The events of 1911 were not all ones of unalloyed pleasure, however, for the early part of the year was marked by sorrowful occasions in both a national and local context.

The opening of the Prince of Wales Colliery, Pontefract, in 1860, resulted in the development of the adjacent coal measures in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and brought the mining industry to the very doorstep of Knottingley, providing work for an element residing within the township. While the town could not be categorised as a mining community, the strong bond which already existed between the miners and the glassworkers as a result of the socio-political alliance established in the district by Alfred Greenwood in 1880, was reinforced by the rise of socialism and a burgeoning sense of common identity amongst the labouring classes. (95) It is therefore unsurprising that when, in early January 1911, a colliery disaster occurred at Bolton On Dearn, situated on the South Yorkshire coalfield, the community at Knottingley was at the forefront of action to raise money for the relief of the bereaved dependants.

A grand variety concert was quickly arranged to be held in the Town Hall in which the foremost talent within the town and surrounding district volunteered to take part. The musical mainstay was the Silver Prize Band, assisted by the English Concertina Band from Castleford. (96) The concert, held on the evening of Saturday 21st January, drew a full house, largely through the efforts of the Band which toured the streets of Knottingley and Ferrybridge during the hours preceding the concert, playing and collecting as it went along, an effort which not only realised £2-3-0 but increased public awareness of the event. The concert provided three hours of entertainment for the admission price of either 1 shilling or 6 pence. The only disconcerting note to the events of the evening was a somewhat sanctimonious introductory speech by Colonel Shaw, C.C., J.P., who accompanied by Colonel Mitchell of Wath, while praising the “noble effort”, stated that such accidents as that which had occurred would be avoided if miners took more notice of their deputies, and then compounded his insensitivity by leaving the hall early in order to fulfil his “military duties”. The concert, launched in response to;

“The appeal of an energetic and sympathetic committee of a [unidentified] workingmens’ club”, was organised by Mr. W.H. William, the Club Secretary, assisted by Mr. J. W. Hughes, the club in question most probably being the Hill Top W.M. Club. (97)

A sorrowful occasion of a more localised nature occurred in April 1911, with the death of the Band’s long-serving President, Mr. John Harker. The Band was represented at the funeral by Mr. A. Westerman and Mr. J. Clegg. (98)

In 1912 the Band returned to Crystal Palace for the National Championships held on the 28th September and were again successful, winning the consolation Cup. In February 1913 it was reported that tradesmen in Knottingley were displaying in their shop windows certificates, a set of caps and the bandmaster’s cross belt won at the National Championships the previous Autumn. (99) The set of caps had been donated by Messrs. Mallet, Porter & Dowd, outfitters, (100) and nicely complemented the new uniforms which the bandsmen had worn at the contest. The purchase of the new uniforms had been agreed at a 16 man meeting in January 1912, and confirmed in March when the newly elected Band President, Mr. R.F. Trueman, had offered to provide the money for the purchase of the outfits. The design of the uniform was based upon that of the famous Black Dyke Mills Band but with aluminium shaded facings. As before, costs were partially defrayed by the sale of the old uniforms to Band members. (101)

Again, a celebratory concert was planned at which it was hoped the ‘Champion Journal Cup’ would be formally presented to the Bandmaster by the serving M.P., Mr. Handel Booth. It was also decided to invite local manufacturers, E.L. Poulson, E.L. Robinson and William Bagley, to the event to be held on the 1st November 1912, the last named being chosen to be chairman of the meeting by 11 votes to 4. (102)

A concert committee of Band members was formed to arrange a programme of entertainment. The ‘star turn’, Mr. Beanland, offered the use of piano, pianist and also ‘Light Girls’ for a charge of £1, which Mr. Trueman, the Band President, offered to pay from his own pocket. (103) The subsequent soiree was a “great success, the place being full.”

Takings, which were at a record level, came from the following sources:

Door: £7-6-0
Programmes: 11s 11d
Tickets: £17-1-6
Total: £24-19-5

Expenses: £9-14-0
Profit: £15-5-5
of which sum Mr. Trueman was handed £15 towards the £40 he had paid for the new uniforms. (104)

In July 1913, the Band gained 4th prize in a contest held at the Selby Gala which provided a degree of confidence for the task ahead when in September the application of the Band to enter the National Championships for the third successive year was accepted. It was reported that the band was rehearsing on a daily basis in the hope of bringing home an even bigger trophy than that obtained the previous year, but alas, “the best laid plans….” (105)

As the shadow of world war fell across the land in 1914 contesting was placed in abeyance so that the Band’s appearance in 1913 spelt the end of an era of its participation for many years.

As if to underline the approaching end of an era of growth and development in its affairs, the Band also lost two stalwart supporters within less than a twelvemonth. In Autumn 1912, the members stood in silent respect to mark the loss of Samuel Marshall Senior, and in May 1913, the death occurred of the erstwhile member and current President, R.P. Trueman.

Again, the Band was represented by members at the funeral of Trueman and it is therefore obvious that the practice of the Band being in full attendance in order to ‘play to rest’ former members and associates had not been introduced at that date. Something approaching such an observation had occurred as early as 1905 when prior to a memorial service held by the local lodges of the Oddfellows and Foresters friendly societies, members assembled at the Bay Horse Inn, Hill Top, and headed by the Silver Prize Band, walked in solemn procession to the Tabernacle Free Church where an appropriate sermon was preached by the Rev. J.P. Rieveley in memory of Isaac Heald. (107) In common with so many aspects of Band history the commencement of the playing of the full Band at funerals is unrecorded but none can deny either the magnitude of the tribute nor the poignancy of its effect. The writer has tender recollection of the Band’s rendition of ‘Abide With Me’ being played at the graveside of Frank Spencer, uncle of the writer and long-standing member of the Band. The hymn was played with such delicate tenderness that it not only brought tears to the eyes of the assembled mourners but even now, at a distance of more than 40 years, remembrance of the occasion still pricks the eyes and clutches at the throat.

The increased incidence and subsequently enforced cessation in no way diminished participation of ‘banding’, each year having its regular quota of concerts, parades, demonstrations and sundry public events. The attendance of the Band usually ensured the success of any event but there were occasional failures. One somewhat dubious event was an all night dance held to boost Band funds in January 1909 when the dance music was played by the Orchestral Band under Sammy Marshall. The event, attended by 60 people, was declared “a great success” but in the light of the relatively sparse attendance, the success must have been somewhat limited. It is interesting to note, however, that the report of the event states that,

“The Band have (sic) taken part in several big contests and have good prospects for the future.” (108)

Not all such events were undertaken for the benefit of the Band. A concert organised by the Knottingley Infirmary Committee in 1907, followed by a dance with music by the Orchestral Band, was reported to be “very good, but poorly attended.” (109)

On occasion the weather was responsible for the lack of success. In 1912 for instance when following a march through the streets by the Band and its counterparts from Brotherton to attract awareness of the public, a concert on behalf of the Ferrybridge Dispensary Committee was spoilt by rain. (110) In this case, however, the situation was redeemed in the long term when in 1916 the two bands attended a demonstration held in a field near the Parish (Mission) Room (in which Ferrybridge Church now stands following the transfer from its original site in the 1950s) and helped to raise the sum of £30-4-0. (111)

The outbreak of war in 1914 must have resulted in some diminution of Band membership through voluntary and subsequently enforced conscription. Unfortunately, no record of the period exists in the annals of the Band. It is clear, however, that whatever erosion of membership may have occurred, a sufficient nucleus remained to enable the band to function. Consequently, the activity of the Band was extended to provide support for the war effort. Within a month of the outbreak of hostilities it was reported that the Band had marched through Knottingley playing patriotic selections and had raised £2-1-4 on behalf of the local relief fund. (112) Again, in 1916, a charity parade through the streets of Knottingley and Ferrybridge collected £4-10-0 on behalf of the British Farmers’ Red Cross Fund and a week later a “very good gathering” at a concert at Hillam raised £9-10-0 on behalf of the same organisation. (113) Almost on the eve of the Armistice the committee, charged with providing comforts for the local servicemen, held a dance in the Town Hall, the aim of which was to enable a Christmas gift to be despatched to each of the town’s fighting men. Music was provided by the Orchestral Band under S. Marshall and the event succeeded in raising £10. It is sad to relate however, that fundraising for the cause was restricted when other social events had to be cancelled due to danger from the influenza pandemic. (114) The purpose of the dance appears to have usurped the customary one of providing a Xmas treat for the town’s old folks, for in December 1913, the Band had played at a concert in the Town Hall for that purpose, contributing significantly to the success of the evening. (115) Similarly, throughout the ensuing war period the Band continued to work within and around the town for the benefit of the town’s Infirmary Committee. (116) That such efforts were appreciated by the townsfolk in general is exemplified by the occasion in May 1913 when the management of the Palace Cinema presented;

“a fine entertainment by a large and enthusiastic audience” for the benefit of the Silver Prize Band, ensuring that “Band funds were considerably increased by this lift.” (117)

Terry Spencer 2006

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