Extracts from the Keighley News 1864-1960 by Mr Barrie Stirk
The following information has been extracted by Mr Barrie Stirk from the Keighley News since the introduction of that paper in 1862. It is a chronological list of interesting happenings and events.
1864 At this time a Mr Watson lived at Steeton Hall. Frequent concerts were held in the village and these were called Penny Readings.
1866 A Mr Adam Ellison caught a large trout in the River Aire measuring 25" long. 6" broad and 16" circumference and weighing 7 lbs.
1867 There was a tragedy when Mr Joseph Laycock committed suicide by hanging himself.
1868 Two hawkers robbed Mr Gil Dixon's house at Redcar of £200; £150 was later recovered.
1871 The rate at Steeton was 1/- in the £.
1872 Workmen at the Bobbin Mill started a nine hour day limit.
1873 There was a tragedy when Mr John Haigh was killed by a goods train on the railway.
1874 A meeting of tenant farmers protested against the expenditure of the Airedale Drainage Commissioners.
A new harmonium was opened at the Steeton Wesleyan Chapel.
1875 There was a tragedy when George Laycock committed suicide.
During this period the Steeton Feast and Gala was held in a field near the Star Inn, and the proceeds of the event were for the Steeton Cricket Club.
1876 The Mechanics Institute in School Street was opened.
Steeton's rates were 9d in the £ & 9d in the £ Highway rate.
1877 Steeton's rates were 1/- in the £ & 9d in the £ Highway rate.
The Steeton Primitive Chapel at this time and prior to the new chapel being built held their Sunday School Anniversaries in J. Dixon's farm yard.
1878 A railway truck was derailed; severe flooding occurred in the earlier part of 1878.
An alternative scheme was proposed to the present water supply to be brought from Currer Wood.
Mr William Clough was elected guardian of the poor.
For a few years picnics were held in Currer Wood by courtesy of Mr George Smith, the owner.
At this time it was recorded that the Primitive Methodists had a day school in the village.
A man was crushed at Hawkcliffe Corner when he fell under the wagon he was driving
1879 Ernest West was knocked down by a train and had both legs amputated.
Dixon's bobbins won many awards during the late 19th Century.
1880 A series of very instructive Science lectures were given in the Mechanics Institute.
Snow was recorded in June.
A very unusual event occurred when a chicken was born having 2 bodies, 4 legs and feet, 4 wings and ONE head!
Sunday School Centenary celebrations were held when all three churches united in a great outdoor celebration in a field off Keighley Road.
1881 The crowning stone of St. Stephen's spire was placed.
The St. Stephen's Church was consecrated and opened by the bishop of Ripon.
At this time a Mr J. Craven lived at Steeton Hall.
A petition was sent from the Wesleyan Chapel to the House of Commons objecting to the sale of intoxicating liquor on Sundays.
1882 A mushroom was picked in a field on the northern side of the village; it measured one yard across.
The new organ was opened at St. Stephen's Church.
1883 A heavy gale caused much damage in the village.
1885 There was a solitary case of smallpox.
1887 The Jubilee Tower was built by Mr Butterfield, of Cliffe Castle, to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee.
The celebrations for the Jubilee were held in a field opposite Park House, and great festivities and a gala were held. A large beacon at the top of Hawkcliffe Wood, near the Jubilee Tower, was seen for many miles around.
Telegrams were sent and received from the Post Office instead of the Railway Station.
1888 A tragedy occurred when Mr Joseph Green was killed by a train whilst crossing the railway line.
Mr Squire Thornton was appointed schoolmaster following the death of Mr Joseph Wade.
1889 The Wesleyan Chapel was opened on the site of the old chapel at the cost of £2000.
1890 A Mr William Shackleton was killed on the railway.
The Co-operative Society buildings were built.
The new organ was opened at the Wesleyan Chapel.
1891 £600 was put forward for the erection of a vicarage for the parish of Steeton.
The Railway Station was enlarged.
A census was taken when the population was 1259 with 289 houses.
The London Gazette notified the Wesleyan Chapel that it was registered for the solemnization of marriages.
School fees were fixed at:
Below Standard I - free
Above Standard I - 1d. per week.
Mr John Dixon, who founded the Bobbin Mill with his father, died.
1892 A telephone board was set up.
1893 A school board was set up.
A boy named Albert Happs was drowned whilst bathing in the River Aire.
A Vicarage was built.
A Percy Graham won the 1st Scholarship.
1894 The top house in Falcon Cliffe was destroyed by fire, which was attended by Messrs Clough's and Dixon’s fire brigades until the Keighley Corporation Fire Brigade arrived.
The first confirmation service was conducted at St. Stephen's Church by the Bishop of Ripon.
A severe storm caused a great deal of damage.
1895 The boundaries of Steeton and Silsden were revised following the course of the River Aire being altered 20 years previously.
The new organ was opened at the Primitive Methodist Chapel.
Mr Thomas Clough offered some land at the Halsteads, behind the vicarage, for a burial ground.
Steeton-with-Eastburn Parish Council came into being, and started meeting monthly instead of yearly.
1896 The new cemetery and Sunday School of St Stephen's Church were consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon.
1897 Elmsley House, or the High Hall, has been occupied since 1890 by Mr Arthur Devonshire Ellis, a civil engineer. The house was bought in 1897 by Mr Alexander Keighley.
Extensions took place to the Wesleyan Chapel.
Jubilee celebrations to mark Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee took place in the village. There was a procession of all Sunday School scholars and a gala in Halsteads Field. A tea was provided at St Stephen's Church and the event concluded with a mammoth bonfire.
There was an explosion at Woodlands Mill when the boiler burst killing Mr John William Greenwood.
1898 The committee of the Mechanics Institute planned to buy a plot of ground to the east of the Primitive Methodist Chapel for a new institute. There was considerable correspondence in the Keighley News about the proposal for a recreation ground to celebrate the Jubilee.
1899 The Steeton Orchestral Society was formed.
1900 The new Mechanics Institute was built in Elmsley Street to replace the one in School Street and was provided by Mr Thomas Clough.
The water supply was extended to meet the needs of the village.
There was an epidemic of scarlet fever in the village.
1901 A Mr Joseph Jackson was killed whilst crossing the railway line.
Sewer extensions were made in the village.
Open-air operettas were performed in the grounds of the High Hall
1902 Coronation celebrations for Edward VII were held with a procession and gala in Halsteads. A tea was held in the field adjoining the Primitive Methodist Sunday School. Steeton Hall grounds were illuminated with lamps and Chinese lanterns.
1903 A fatality occurred when Miss Marion Smith, an assistant schoolmistress, was drowned in Steeton reservoir, it was found that she had committed suicide.
Mr Sam Clough bought from the executors of the late Mr Sugden, the Steeton Hall Estate, at that time in the tenancy of Mr Craven.
Mr John Clough of the Hobhill was killed by an electric car at Blackpool.
Mr John Brigg, M.P. for Keighley, spoke at Steeton.
A series of lectures on "Health" were given at St. Stephen’s Church.
1904 A pavilion was built at the cricket field below Pot Lane.
A Mr Thomas Yates was found drowned in the High Dam, Barrows Lane.
The building of the new Sunday School at the Primitive Methodists was begun.
Following Mr Sam Clough’s purchase of Steeton Hall, the previous year the history of the Hall was told in the Keighley News of April 30th. It was stated that Mr John Craven took the Hall from the Sugden’s on a lease and rebuilt about half of it in 1863.
A Mr John Walton of Keighley was killed on the railway, by a train at Meadowfield Farm, Hawkcliffe Wood.
A history of the surnames of Steeton was written by Dr J. Hambley Rowe.
Steeton Hall was renovated and electric lighting installed.
A lunatic, Martin Lyons, was recaptured at Steeton
1905 The Primitive Methodist Sunday School was opened by the Rev. R. Harrison who was President of the Conference.
The population of the village was 2,103.
A guard’s van was derailed, but there was little damage, and no-one was injured.
There was much controversy about Steeton’s number of delegates to the Keighley Rural District Council.
There was a Church Lads Brigade in being at this time.
A new engine was installed at Clough’s Mill.
1906 Mr William Clough, a Steeton man, was elected Liberal M.P. for Skipton. Mr Clough lived at Whitley Head.
It was proposed that a new Urban District Council should be set up at Crosshills, with Steeton as a member.
A Miss Jane Summerscales committed suicide by hanging herself.
A Liberal celebration took place.
There was a proposal that motor buses should be run to the village.
A Mr Abraham Kitchener Holmes committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train.
The Steeton Fire Brigade was instituted and premises were obtained at the bottom of Mill Lane.
Mr J.D. Clough of Park House presented the village with a recreation ground on Keighley Road.
1907 Harold Lowe (13) was knocked down and fatally run-over by a cab.
A Miss Elizabeth Rishworth drowned herself in the High Dam above Clough’s Mill (Woodlands Mill).
The football field was at this time above Whitley Head.
Land was purchased for a new Council School.
Mr. W. Clough offered some land for allotments, but not enough people were interested in applying for land, so the offer was withdrawn.
1908 The Steeton Football Club was formed with a field at Whitley Head.
The Steeton Male Glee Union was formed with a membership not exceeding 16 and conductor Mr Hume Wrathall.
The Station Road Co-operative Society buildings were erected at a cost of £700.
A point was raised in Council about the obstruction of the public footpath from Valley Farm to Summerhouse.
A 10 m.p.h. speed limit was imposed on the main road.
1909 The new Council School in Market Street was built.
The Wesleyan Sunday School formed a Boy Scout Group.
The Steeton Wesleyan Football Club was formed.
The Keighley Trams were extended so that trams passed through Steeton.
1910 Mr William Clough (Liberal) of Steeton was returned M.P. at Skipton with a majority of 508 compared with 233 in 1906.
Under an old law the nomination of 6 people to the council, from a total of 10 applicants, was voted on by a show of hands. There was a complaint, and therefore the first poll was held.
A large garden party was held at Steeton Hall by the Mayor as part of the visit of representatives of Keighley’s twin town; Suresnes in France.
Mr & Mrs Sam Clough of Steeton Hall were elected mayor and mayoress of Keighley.
The Weslayan Sunday School Football Club was discontinued, having been in existence for only one year.
There was considerable dissatisfaction at the inadequacy of the water supply in the village.
A Ratepayer’ Association was formed.
1911 The death occurred of Mr Thomas Clough, The Shroggs, Steeton, who did much for the village:—
Built the Steeton Mechanics Institute, gave land for the cemetery, built the primary department of the Wesleyan Chapel, and was the head of Messrs John Clough & Sons Mill. He was also chairman of the Keighley Rural District Council.
The coronation of George V was celebrated with a tea for all the children and old people, a procession, sports, bonfire and decorations.
Station Road was widened and the shop known as central buildings at the top of Station Road was built.
There was a large Boy Scout demonstration in the cricket field.
Steeton’s population increased from 1,624 in 1901 to 1,831. This excludes Eastburn.
Permission was granted to run motor buses and trackless trolleys in the district.
The Primary Department, paid for by the late Thomas Clough, was opened at the Wesleyan Chapel.
A swimming club was formed and the low dam below John Clough’s Mill was used.
1912 In the past 70 years over 300 houses had been built in Steeton.
At the Cricket Club Gala held in Summerhill Field an unusual innovation was a Mixed Voice Choir competition.
Sanitary improvements were undertaken, and drainage schemes adopted at Whitley Head and Carter Royd.
The first Steeton Flower Show was held.
The premises of the Bobbin Mill were enlarged.
1913 Miss Craven of Hawkcliffe presented the stained glass western windows to St. Stephen’s Church, in memory of her parents.
Motor danger signals were erected at the approaches to Steeton.
There was a strike at Clough’s Mill for more pay.
The Steeton Male Glee Union won its first premier award at the Colne Musical Festival.
1914 Electricity was brought from Keighley to serve the village.
There was a large recruiting campaign at the declaration of war.
A field near the station was taken over by the Council for allotments an also one up Barrows Lane (this being where Ghyll Close now stands).
Steeton had over 50 men serving in the war.
The Bank of Liverpool was opened in Station Road.
1915 A series of dialect plays were given by the St. Stephen’s Literary Society.
A detachment was formed of the Volunteer Training Corps.
A number of refugees from Belgium were accommodated in the village.
The Flower Show was held in the Council School, promoted by the Steeton & District Rose and Sweet Pea Society, instead of previously them being in partnership with the Cricket Club.
1916 181 Steeton men had joined the forces since the outbreak of war, and of them 18 had been killed.
A War Savings Association was formed.
1917 A Mr Edward Kirkham was struck and killed by a train when pushing a barrow over the level crossing.
The recreation ground on Keighley Road was altered to accommodate allotments.
Lectures were given on food economy for the war effort.
260 Steeton men had joined the forces, 30 having been killed.
1918 The Steeton rate was 5/8d in the £
Steeton Manor was sold to Mr H. Wignall Green of Green’s Timber Merchants, Keighley from the estate of the late Sir Swire Smith.
There was considerable friction at Steeton Parish Church between the Vicar (Rev. W. Seely) and the officials of the Sunday School. A commission of enquiry was set up by the Bishop of Ripon.
The mills closed in Steeton in celebration of the Armistice.
Out of over 300 men of Steeton who fought in the war, 55 were killed.
There was a very severe influenza epidemic.
1919 The first Conversazione was held to celebrate the signing of the Armistice.
Mr Sam Clough of Steeton Hall, offered land for a war memorial and a park. The ‘Nursery’ adjoining Skipton Road to be used for the purpose.
A girl named Baines was killed when a bobbin hit her in the mouth whilst she was working at the Bobbin Mill.
The teachers and officials of the Steeton Parish Church resigned in a body following their dispute with the Vicar and this meant the Sunday School was closed. The Church Lads Brigade was disbanded.
The refugees who came to Steeton at the beginning of the war returned to their homes in Belgium.
The Jubilee of the Cricket Club was celebrated, although the event was actually in 1918.
Mr Sam Clough gave the field between the Primitive Church and Barney’s Castle for a recreation ground.
The War Memorial was erected in the form of a column built on the main path, which was formerly the old drive to the Hall.
Steeton’s rates were 6/8d in the £.
The War Savings Association had a membership of 278 and a total investment of £9,000.
Peace Day Celebrations were held in the village, and took the form of a procession and a Gala in Summerhill Field. Sports were held and a bonfire and fireworks display in Currer Wood.
Road widening took place on Skipton Road by the woodyard, and the public conveniences were built in a corner of the Memorial Ground.
A Mr James Thomas Birtle was knocked down and killed by a train at Steeton Station.
The demobilised soldiers and sailors formed a club with premises at Bridge Street.
The War Memorial was designed by Godfrey L. Clarke standing 40ft high and costing £900.
1920 A captured German gun was accepted by the council and placed in the Memorial Ground. This caused a great deal of resentment in the village and it was thrown into the beck, but afterwards recovered.
Progress started on the new recreation ground and a protest was made about the site from the Keighley Road Methodist Church (Primitives).
There was a suggestion that a bowling green or tennis court could be made adjoining the church, but this was defeated.
A Mrs F.S. Pearson was elected a churchwarden, the first lady churchwarden in the Keighley district.
Mr Sam Clough offered the Barrows Field for a recreation ground and also £1,000 for the upkeep of public property.
A naval shell was presented to the Council School for the War Savings Association which raised in total £52,000 or £28 per head.
Stone Grove was built.
Steeton’s War Memorial was unveiled and dedicated, and only a few weeks afterwards the tall column was destroyed by a storm. It was re-erected following additional strengthening.
1921 A baby, Bessie Watson, died after being severely scalded.
There was a request for more houses to be built at Steeton.
A memorial tablet was unveiled at the Parish Church.
1922 Damage estimated at £350 was done by fire at St. Stephen’s Church Sunday School, but was re-opened later.
More houses were erected by the Council.
The rates were 13/- in the £.
A Steeton schoolmaster, Mr James Ellison, was killed when he fell down the stairs at home.
Mr Squire Thornton resigned as headmaster at Steeton School after 34 years. Mr John E. Andrews was appointed as his successor.
The Wesleyan Sunday School celebrated its Jubilee in the form of a Christmas tea and entertainment.
The Steeton Wesleyan Young Men’s Club was formed.
1923 The Steeton Co-operative Society celebrated its Jubilee.
There were many complaints about the neglected footpaths in the village especially the ‘Stee’ from School St. to Falcon Cliffe.
The death occurred of Mr Norman Dixon Walker of Currergate.
1924 John Dixon & Sons was registered as a limited company with a nominal capital of £50,000.
Ministry approval was granted for the building of 20 council houses.
The Steeton troop of the Boy Scouts was reformed after the 1914-18 war.
The Steeton Poultry Fanciers Association held their first (annual) show.
Mr William Clough was elected as a West Riding Magistrate.
1925 Great concern was expressed among local farmers over an outbreak of sheep worrying in the Steeton district.
The Steeton Co-operative Society started an annual gala.
The Elm Field was purchased by the Cricket Club for £330.
A Mr William Hollingdrake was killed by a train at Hawkcliffe.
As an experiment by Leeds University, sugar beet was grown for the first time in Craven in a field belonging to Mr Sam Clough at Steeton Hall.
1926 Princess Mary passed through Steeton by car on her way to Keighley for an official visit.
There was a large Girl Guide rally at Steeton Hall.
Centenary services of Wesleyanism in Steeton were celebrated at the Wesleyan Chapel.
Various bands visited Steeton soliciting help for the miners relief funds.
1927 A Women Liberal Association was formed.
Steeton’s rates were 14/- in the £.
Steeton Council objected to hoardings on the north side of Keighley Road disfiguring the landscape.
Steeton sewage farm was improved.
A Nursing Association was formed.
There were fine views of the eclipse of the sun at Steeton, especially up Tower Road, Keighley Tarn and above Whitley Head.
Mr Alex Keighley opened his gardens to the public for the first time.
A new altar was consecrated at St. Stephen’s Church with the inscription "AMDG and in memory of Francis Stirk Pearson, the Holy Table was given by his widow a.d. 1927." The middle name of Francis Stirk Pearson was taken from his grandmother Ann Stirk, the daughter of Henry Stirk of Hobhill.
1928 Steeton’s rates were 14/- (70p) in the £.
The Steeton Male Glee Union celebrated its coming of age.
Steeton sewage works were extended at an outlay of over £2,000.
Miss Dorothy Clough of Steeton Hall was appointed District Commissioner for the Keighley North District (Steeton to Earby) of the West Riding Girl Guide Movement.
Swings were erected on the Chapel Lane Recreation ground.
An otter was shot in the River Aire by Mr Clifford Jackson.
The Vicar of Steeton, Rev. W. Seely retired.
Steeton Cricket Club celebrated its diamond jubilee.
1929 The Steeton Council School set up a record with 5 passes in the County Minor Scholarship.
A 25 year old woman from Leeds was found terribly injured on the railway line at Steeton, she later died. An open verdict was recorded.
Mr J. Wademan of High St. invented, after 2 years work, a self-doffing apparatus for flyer spinning machines.
1930 Steeton’s rate was 12/10d in the £.
It was suggested that Steeton scholars of 11 go to Silsden school.
A man was sent for trial on the charge of manslaughter after a motor accident in which his father was killed at Hawkcliffe Corner.
The Steeton Wesleyan Mutual Improvement Society celebrated its jubilee.
Miss Lilley resigned after 13 years as headmistress of the infant’s department of the Steeton Council School. It was suggested that the infant’s school should join with the main school in one building.
The St. Stephen’s Church celebrated its jubilee.
Mr C.E. Braves retired after being postman for 39 years and covering 200,000 miles.
1931 The infant’s school was closed and the departments joined to form the primary department.
A Mr Arthur Pickles was killed by a train on the railway line.
The Steeton Lodge of Oddfellows severed its connection with the Manchester Order and assumed the title of "Lily of Airedale Lodge of Oddfellows Friendly Society - Steeton Branch."
The West Riding Council set up a depot near the railway station.
A branch of the League of Nations Union was set up.
Steeton turned down an application for amalgamation into the Borough of Keighley.
A Steeton woman, Mrs Fred Quarmby, was the first lady magistrate at the Keighley, West Riding Bench.
Hawkcliffe Corner was removed and the banking cut back so the road could be widened.
A Mr Joseph Henry Carlass was knocked down and killed by a train.
Mr Alex Keighley opened to the public his gardens at the High Hall for open-air concerts etc.
1932 A passenger train was derailed near Steeton Station.
Croft House was sold for £467.10.0.
Steeton’s rate was 10/10d in the £.
The 21st Anniversary of the Guide movement was celebrated with a large rally at Steeton Hall.
A Mr Louis Barraclough was killed in a collision with a car.
Steeton Male Glee Union broadcast for the first time; they were at this time enjoying a long run of successes at Musical Festivals throughout the North of England.
Talks took place on the re-grouping of the towns and villages of the area, with the idea of disbanding the Keighley Rural District Council.
Damage amounted to several hundred pounds after a fire at the Bobbin Mill.
Steeton’s population was 2,319.
Miss Evie Carcroft, a Steeton girl, played principal girl at the pantomime at Chester Theatre Royal.
1933 A ladies cricket team was formed.
90 new houses have been erected in Steeton since 1921.
Lighting of the main road by electric lighting was introduced.
Steeton’s rate was 10/9d in the £.
A car and motor cycle were in collision near the Aire bridge and a Miss Marion Simpson was killed.
A pedestrian suspension bridge was suggested to cross the river near to the road bridge.
Steeton-with-Eastburn was transferred from the Keighley Rural District Council (extinguished) to the Skipton District Council. Keighley proposed that Steeton should become part of their principle borough, but this was rejected.
A wireless relay system was introduced to the village.
The Steeton Ex-Service Men’s Social Club moved into new premises in High St. Near to the Co-operative Store.
Mr Alex Keighley had his photographic jubilee, there were celebrations at his home and he was presented with an appreciation by the Yorkshire Union.
1934 There were 549 houses in Steeton.
A Mr Arthur Wilson won a first prize in the baritone class at Pontefract Musical Festival and also started a successful career as a semi-professional vocalist.
Steeton’s rate was 12/4 in the £.
For the first time the annual ‘walk round’ by the Steeton Sunday School scholars at Whitsuntide was abandoned.
Mr Alex Keighley had a compass stone and a sundial erected in his garden, made from old millstones, (probably 100 years old) from the Steeton Corn Mill.
A Mr William Chad fell from a railway carriage at Steeton station and was killed.
A Mrs. Margaret Robson was knocked down and killed by a car on Keighley Road.
There were efforts by the council to provide traffic signals at Steeton Top.
A train ran into a car at the level crossing minutes after the occupants had scrambled out of the car.
1935 A Mr James Lee left £500 to the Parish Council for a public recreation ground or otherwise for the benefit of the inhabitants of Steeton.
Traffic control signals were installed at Steeton Top at a cost of £520.
30 m.p.h. speed limits were imposed through Steeton.
Steeton Field Naturalist Society was formed.
Steeton celebrated the Jubilee of the reign of George V by presenting children with mugs, badges, bank books and fountain pens. There was a thanksgiving service at St. Stephen’s Church and an oak sapling was planted in the Memorial Grounds by Major Hugh Dixon (chairman of the council). In the afternoon sports were held in the cricket field followed by teas with the adults at Keighley Road Methodist Sunday School and the children at the church and Skipton Road Methodist Sunday School. In the evening the Jubilee Tower and the War Memorial were floodlit.
The death occurred of Mr John Dixon, head of the John Dixon & Sons, Bobbin manufacturers. He was a trustee of the Steeton Provident Day School and a member of the School Board. He also acted as Steeton’s representative on the Keighley Rural District Council and had been chairman of Steeton-with Eastburn Parish Council. Other public duties were:—
Treasurer of Steeton Mechanics Institute, and the local branch of the Yorkshire Penny Bank; a vice-president of the Steeton Cricket Club, and a trustee and steward of the Steeton Methodist Church (Skipton Rd.) He was a founder member, along with Mr William Clough, of the Steeton Methodist Mutual Improvement Society, 54 years previously. He was J.P. for the West Riding.
The automatic telephone exchange was built on Skipton Road.
The death occurred of Mr Samuel Clough of Steeton Hall. He was a man much admired in public life and his activities included :—
President of Keighley Chamber of Commerce; member of the International Brotherhood Alliance; ex-Mayor of Keighley; Chief Superintendent of the Keighley Corps of the St Johns Ambulance Brigade; West Riding Magistrate and ex-President of Silsden Show. He had a love for Steeton and presented £1,000 in 5% War Loan - the interest of which was equivalent to a 1d rate - for the upkeep and maintenance of the memorial ground and the two children’s’ playing grounds, which he had presented to the village. He was a great worker at Skipton Rd. Methodist Church and also the Steeton Nursing Association. He came from a distinguished family, his two brothers were Mr William Clough of the Shroggs, who was Liberal M.P. for Skipton and a county councillor, and Mr Robert Clough of Keighley who was M.P. for Keighley and an ex-Mayor of Keighley.
An Eastburn woman was found drowned in the River Aire at Steeton.
1936 Major Hugh Dixon was appointed a J.P.
Messrs Dawson & Stow bought Aireburn Garage.
Aireburn Avenue was built.
Steeton’s rate was 12/4d in the £.
Mr William Clough gave a piece of land in the Halsteads for a Bowling Green.
A memorial tablet to the late Rev. Alfred Clarke who was vicar of the parish of Steeton-with-Eastburn and chaplain of the St. Stephen’s Company, Church Lads’ Brigade for 21 years. The tablet was erected in the church by the remaining officers and lads of the disbanded company.
Improvements were made to the road junction where Pot Lane joins the main road.
1937 A Mr John McBirnie was found drowned in the Low mill dam adjoining the mill of Messrs John Clough & Sons.
The Steeton Male Glee Union celebrated 25 years association with various musical competitions in the North of England. During that time they won 29 1st prizes, 24 2nd prizes and 9 3rd prizes. They also gave 120 concerts since the 1914-18 war and broadcast on two occasions in the B.B.C. North Regional programmes.
The Coronation of George VI was celebrated and took the form of:— Service of St. Stephen’s Church for the united congregations of the village. Children were presented with beakers and then had tea at the Church and Skipton Rd. Schools, whilst the old people had tea in the Keighley Road Schoolroom. There was also a sports in the Cricket Field. A whist drive and dance was held in St. Stephen’s Church Hall. There was floodlighting of the war memorial and coloured lights throughout the village.
The death occurred of Mr William Clough M.P., The Shroggs, Steeton. He was former Liberal M.P. for Skipton and a County Councillor for 25 years. Mr Clough had a long association with the Skipton Road Methodist Church, being a circuit steward of the Keighley Methodist Circuit. He was a Sunday Schoolteacher for 56 years, a former president of the Keighley & District Band of Hope. He left £90,178.
A 3 year old boy, George William Watson, died after a fall from a bedroom window at his home in Bridge Street.
Steeton’s rate was 13/1d in the £.
Mrs N.D. Walker gave money for a pavilion at the Bowling Green.
A cyclist Verney Edmondson was killed in a collision with a car.
1938 Keighley Rural District Council was disbanded and Steeton-with-Eastburn was incorporated in the Skipton Rural District Council. Its two representatives to this council were Mr Joseph Francis Holmes and Major Hugh Dixon.
Mr Geoffrey Fell, Thornhill Road, was a member of the England team which beat Scotland at bridge and had the unusual experience of being televised after the match.
Steeton’s rate was 15/1d in the £.
A Mr Paul Thomas Senior was knocked down and killed by a car on Keighley Road.
Steeton Football Club won the Keighley District League Championship, the Keighley Charity Cup and the Keighley Victory Shield.
The Whitsuntide ‘walk round’ was resumed by the Skipton Road Methodist Sunday School.
The Bowling Club was opened by Major Hugh Dixon (chairman of the Parish Council). The green was laid by Maxwell Hart Ltd of Manchester and was made of sea-washed turf from the West Coast. The cost was borne by the bequest of the late Mr James Lee, and his son Mr Arthur Lee bowled the first wood.
Steeton suffered severely from a great storm with many walls washed away in the upper reaches of the village.
Whitley Head was flooded to a depth of several feet and the hen huts and boulders weighing anything up to two tons were swept away. The falls at Steeton Ghyll were a magnificent sight. Houses on Bridge Street suffered damage and much flooding occurred as it did also in the garages under the Corn Mill buildings. The bridges in the Memorial Ground were under water, and plants and implements from the works at Steeton bridge were swept away.
A grass snake measuring 32" long was found in a hen hut.
The Women’s Bright Hair was formed at the Skipton Road Methodist Church.
1939 The Steeton Village Institute closed down due to poor support.
Messrs John Clough & Sons mill went into voluntary liquidation.
Mrs Brian Walker of Steeton Manor was killed in a car crash.
The River Aire Bridge was widened.
The County Library was re-housed, following the closing of Steeton Institute, at the Council School.
The Skipton Road Methodist Church celebrated their jubilee services.
It was decided by the County Education Committee that senior scholars from Steeton school go to the Silsden school.
An A.R.P. division was formed at Steeton with the vicar (Rev. D.F. Coles) as organiser.
The first evacuees of the war arrived at Steeton from Bradford.
‘Black Outs’ to all buildings were introduced at the outbreak of war, and the Steeton Institute was re-opened for A.R.P. purposes.
A Women’s Voluntary Service (W.V.S.) section was started at Steeton to provide comforts and gifts to the men on active service.
1940 The Steeton Fire Brigade was taken over by the Skipton R.D.C. and all its staff resigned.
Mr John Davies was knocked down and killed by a motor vehicle which did not stop.
The Keighley Road Methodist Church celebrated its jubilee.
Air raid shelters were built in the village.
Steeton had 79 men serving in the forces.
Mr & Mrs J.P. Smith of Steeton donated massage apparatus worth £170 to the Keighley Victoria Hospital.
1941 St. Stephen’s Church formed a Badminton Club.
To aid the War effort there was more land being cultivated in Steeton than at any other time.
The Skipton R.D.C. ½ year rate was 6/7d in the £, plus a special rate for Steeton of 8d.
A Mr Thomas Dickinson was found gassed at his home in Croft Street. It was found to have been an accident.
The Steeton National Savings Group was formed.
The Steeton sub-offices of Martins Bank and the Midland Bank were closed down.
Steeton had just over 100 men serving in the forces.
A Steeton drayman died following a road accident.
There were various protests against the attack on rooks’ nests.
1942 A Youth Council was formed at Steeton.
Three persons were killed and one injured as the result of a crash between a bus and a car at Hawkcliffe Wood.
There was no annual ‘walk around’ by Skipton Road Methodist Sunday School.
Various stalls were held in parts of the village by School children to help the war effort.
1943 Ratepayers protested at the felling of trees in the memorial ground, to supplant the shortage of wood.
Members of Steeton national Savings Group saved sufficient to purchase a two engined fighter aircraft valued at £8,000.
Steeton Provident Day School was adopted for canteen purposes.
The Steeton ex-Service Men’s Social Club held a Flower and Vegetable Show.
The Leeds-Edinburgh express came into collision with a freight train being shunted into a siding at Steeton. The scene of destruction lay along 200 yards of track on either side of the level crossing. The express engine and first carriage were lying on their sides across the level crossing being on top of 10 waggons of the freight train, which were smashed to pieces. Two waggons were thrown into the garden of the station-master’s house. No one was killed, but four people were injured, not seriously.
There were 170 Steeton men and women serving in the war.
An Old Age Pensioners Association was formed.
There was intimation that Steeton Hall was to be a centre of the Guide International Service.
1944 Mrs Mary Stocks of Steeton was appointed a magistrate.
Three waggons were derailed at Steeton station.
A Steeton boys A.F.C. was formed.
The Keighley Road Methodist Church became a member of the newly formed Crosshills, Cowling and Silsden Methodist Circuit.
The ‘Halsteads’ was proposed as a village park and the site for a village hall.
1945 The Steeton Floral & Horticultural Society was wound up.
Victory celebrations were held at the end of the war with Europe. A service was held at Skipton Rd. Methodist Church. The village was gay with flags and streamers and many outdoor parties were held. There were bonfires at Whitley Head and the two recreation grounds, with community singing, bonfires and fireworks. For these events Steeton was split into a number of districts, each district having a separate celebration.
Steeton Royal Ordinance Factory closed as a munitions works and came under the control of the Ministry of Supply.
1946 Discussions took place on the future of the air-raid shelter in the Memorial Ground.
Steeton’s rate was 18/3d in the £.
There was another proposal that Steeton should be included in the Borough of Keighley.
A Mrs Annie Louisa Stott gassed herself.
Steeton had a population of 2,319.
Mr Tom Wrathall was presented with a cheque on completion of 51 years as secretary of Steeton Cricket Club.
A Steeton Village Improvements Committee was set up, with the idea of laying out a children’s playing field and provision of a treat for the old people.
After 14 years being crippled, Mr Harry Spencer walked again due to will power.
The Steeton Cricket Club pavilion was gutted by fire in the cricket field at Elm Field.
1947 Fierce snowstorms affected the district.
Permission was granted for the air-raid shelter in the Memorial ground to be used as a public shelter.
It was reported at the Parish Council that there was a tithe map at Kildwick Parish Church which could be inspected if desired.
An application was made for a Preservation Order in respect of Hawkcliffe Wood, Clough Wood and Brighton Wood.
Bus shelters were erected in Steeton.
Steeton’s rate was 19/8d in the £.
Application for the banks to resume after the war was felt not to be warranted.
The death occurred of Mr Alexander Keighley of the High Hall. He was a pioneer of pictorial photography.
Steeton Tower was adapted as a farm by an Austrian Professor Hans Beran.
A Sports Carnival was held by the Village Improvement Committee.
1948 New swings and a children’s slide were erected in the Keighley Road Recreation Ground, and a hedge was planted on the side adjoining the main road.
During excavations at the High Hall, a tattered document bearing the date 1696 and the signatures of Henry Currer of Grey’s Inn were found. Included with them were portions of newspapers. These are now in the possession of Mr William Hargreaves.
The Steeton-with-Eastburn Nursing Association was discontinued.
A tablet was unveiled on the Steeton War Memorial to commemorate the 9 men who gave their lives in the war; the duty was performed by Mr Gilbert A. Keighley of the High Hall. The service was conducted by the vicar and the two Methodist ministers. Singing was led by the Steeton Male Glee Union under the conductorship of Mr Hume Wrathall.
1949 An elderly woman was killed when a lorry ran into a bus queue at the Shroggs.
A bowls trophy was presented for competition in memory of Mr Harold Emmott.
Steeton’s rate was 15/1d in the £.
There was a protest at the transfer of primary children from the old school to the Council School so that woodwork classes (on behalf of other schools) could be held in the old building.
Poplar trees of more than 100 years old were cut down in Chapel Lane; they had skirted the road at the south side of the recreation ground.
Swings and slides were erected by the Village Improvement Society in the recreation grounds.
A fire broke out at the Bobbin Mill destroying 40 tons of wood.
Mr & Mrs W.H. Pearce received congratulations from the King and Queen on celebrating their diamond wedding.
1950 There was a controversy as to whether the Church or Village Improvement Society should run the Conversaziones.
A room was set aside at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Club for use by the old people in the village.
An inquiry about the possibilities of opening a new weaving shed at Steeton was not favourably received by the Parish Council.
Mr Clifford Jackson the village blacksmith was assigned an unusual task, that of making a lion’s cage for Robert Bros. Circus.
The first Annual Gala was held and run by the Village Improvement Society with a procession and events in Summerhill Field.
A plane landed in a large field by the River Aire when the pilot lost his way.
Mr R.S. Williams of Nutt Head Cottage, Whitley Head, was elected a county magistrate.
The Steeton Field Naturalist Society was dissolved after 15 years.
1951 Mr A.B. Mitchell was appointed clerk to the council in succession to Mr W. Thornton who retired after 47 years service.
The death occurred of Mr Hume Wrathall, conductor of the Steeton Male Glee Union since its conception, and organist and choirmaster of the Keighley Road Methodist Church. Mr A. Wilson was appointed as his successor.
Steeton Tower was offered for sale, for the past 5 years it was developed into a farm by Prof. Hans Beran after being used as a home by gamekeepers and woodsmen of the Butterfield Estate.
Steeton Cricket Club opened its new field down Summerhill Lane.
Steeton’s population was 2,240.
Considerable damage was caused by a fire at the Corn Mill.
Mr Wilfred Whitehead was appointed Assistant Official Receiver in the Bankruptcy Department in London.
Mr Ralph Andrew (eldest son of the headmaster John E. Andrew) gained his second Doctor of Philosophy.
1952 Considerable improvements were carried out to the level crossing following a question raised in the House of Commons by the Keighley M.P., Mr Charles Hobson.
Mr John E. Andrew, the headmaster of Steeton Primary School, retired after 30 years in the position.
Residents in Queen Street co-operated to renovate and resurface their street. (Unfortunately the Council would not agree to adopt it.)
1953 A Steeton and District Gun Club was formed to try and lessen the number of foxes and pests.
Woodlands Mill changed ownership from John Clough & Sons Ltd. to Emu Wool Industries (Greenwood & Co.)
Steeton’s rate was 20/9d in the £.
A deputation from the Village Improvement Society met the Parish Council with a proposal to erect tennis courts on the Halsteads Field.
The 500th post-war Council house was built by Skipton R.D.C. (not all in Steeton.)
Coronation celebrations were held with an open-air service in the grounds of the High Hall. Rain interfered with many of the festivities on the Coronation Day, but sports were held in the cricket field. Teas were provided at the 3 Sunday Schools for old people and children. A dance was held in the Council School, and large numbers attended the bonfire in the grounds of Steeton Hall which was lit by the Coronation Queen, Miss Thea Taylor. Mr & Mrs F. Stirk shared first prize for the best decorated house.
Steeton High Hall was offered for sale, but was withdrawn at £9,250. It was later sold to Mr H.V. Jackson, managing director of Ondura Tyres Ltd., Keighley.
1954 Mr A.B. Mitchell resigned his position as clerk to the Parish Council and was succeeded by Mr John Burrows.
Several sheep were mauled by two roaming labrador dogs.
Steeton Male Glee Union broadcast for the third time when they shared a half hour programme with the Fenton Ladies Choir of Huddersfield.
Barrie Stirk began his career as a baritone soloist by winning the Craven Herald Rose Bowl and the West Yorkshire Pioneer Cup at the Skipton Musical Festival in addition to the John Hargreaves Trophy and a 2nd prize at Colne, 3rd prize at Burnley, which had been his first festival.
Various photographs of old Steeton scholars of the late 19th century were reproduced in the Keighley News.
A new street lighting scheme was approved at a cost of £4,818.
1955 There was pressure exerted to obtain a pedestrian crossing at Steeton Top.
There was a rumour that the Royal Ordinance Factory was to be taken over by Rolls Royce Ltd.
1956 The Keighley Road Methodist Church changed its order of services from an afternoon to morning.
New lighting on 1½ miles of trunk road at Steeton was opened
For many weeks preparations, in the form of evening meetings and village canvassing led up to special services and an open air evangelical rally. The rally was held on the recreation ground in Keighley Road to a very large audience, with an illuminated cross on the hillside. 42 people made a decision for Christ.
Mr Willie Sharpe of Steeton, who had been missing for 4 months, was found hanging in a tree in Whitley Head. A young boy, Edward Cooper, made the discovery whilst collecting wood for bonfire night.
Mr Brian Spencer of Aireburn was presented to the Queen in his capacity of extra-mural lecturer of the University of London.
A Steeton Local Labour Party Women’s Section was formed.
A Women’s Guild was formed at the Keighley Road Methodist Church.
A train crashed through the level crossing gates.
1957 Steeton station was closed on Sundays during winter.
Steeton Male Glee Union celebrated its jubilee.
Mr Jack Smith a.r.c.o., l.t.c.l., m.r.s.t., conductor of Keighley Vocal Union, was appointed conductor of the Nelson Arion Male Voice Choir.
1958 A new electricity sub-station was planned at a cost of £4,000.
The Rev. T. Brearley gave up the living of Vicar of Steeton and he was succeeded by the Rev. R. Jones.
There were considerable objections by property owners in Queen Street, over housing developments in a field on the west side. (Where Dale Crescent now stands.)
There was a long article about Steeton in the October 18th issue of the Keighley News.
1959 Mr H. Little, station-master at Steeton, celebrated 45 years on the railway.
Improvements were made at the junction of Chapel Lane with Skipton Road.
There was much controversy over the increase in charge of rent for the master T.V. aerial by J.S. Ramsbottom Ltd.
There was a proposal to build a flyover bridge to cross Steeton Railway Level Crossing.
A new clerk to the Council was appointed owing to Mr J.C. Wilson moving from the district. The new clerk is Mr C. Dodds.
1960 The proposal to build a bridge over the level crossing was rejected by the West Riding County Council.
Steeton level crossing was closed for several weeks for repairs.
The Football Club appealed to the Council for help in buying a new football field.
The Old Age Pensioners Association asked the Council for a room in which to hold their various activities.
There was a proposal to make Keighley a County Borough by merging various districts including Steeton.