George Frederick Byrom of Pole Bank

David Barlow sent us this fascinating article.....

"Hi Hydonians, I think this guy deserves putting on record for his sheer generosity"
George Frederick Byrom of Pole Bank

....of course we are all familiar with the link between Pole Bank and the Ashton family followed by the Beeley family but ultimately it was George Frederick Byrom who bequeathed his entire estate comprising Hall, gardens and woodland to the people of Hyde.

George was a wealthy Manchester cotton manufacturer, devout Wesleyan Methodist and was General Treasurer of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society for many years. He married Susannah Bowker of Manchester, they had 1 son and 3 daughters (source-who's who in methodism 1933)

George died 30th March 1942, his wishes were that upon his wife's death (Susannah died 26th February 1945) ownership of the Estate be transferred to the Corporation of Hyde for the people of Hyde with some conditions ......' upon trust that the said Corporation shall preserve the same for the use and recreation of the public in such manner and subject to such regulations in all respects as the Council of the said Corporation may from time to time think proper but subject nevertheless to the Corporation entering into a covenant that the said land and premises shall not be used for the purposes of Sunday games or Sunday music and that the sale or consumption of alcoholic liquor shall be prohibited on the said premises....' "

Attachments:  Transfer of land and property from the Estate of George Frederick Byrom to the people of Hyde

Area of land (edged in red) given to the people of Hyde by George Frederick Byrom

Thanks for sharing this with us, David. 

It's a great piece of local history !

Thomas Beeley of Pole Bank.

 David Barlow has sent us this interesting document

"Thought this may be of interest to Hydonians"

Couple of documents highlighting Pole Banks history and the fragmentation of the Thomas Beeley Estate following his death in 1908 and subsequent auction in 1912 after which I believe Pole Bank Hall was then leased for 7 years to Thomas Kerfoot.

The Hall and Grounds were purchased in 1920 by George Frederick Byrom for £4200. George Byrom died in 1942 and in 1946 in accordance with his will and wishes Pole Bank Hall and Grounds were bequeathed to the Corporation of Hyde for the use and recreation of the general public.

"This information is accurate to my knowledge however I stand to be corrected through your comments section"

Thomas Beeley of Pole Bank, Hyde

Many Thanks, David. :)

Busheyfield Close, Newton.

Here we have some more photos of the Steel Houses in Busheyfield Close, this time after a flash flood in the summer of 1952.

The local children look like they are having a ball playing in the water !!
Hyde Mill can be seen in the background.
How the area has changed...




The same view taken in June 2012


1952


1952


2012


Again, many thanks to Tony Downend for sharing these wonderful photos with us.
Keep them coming, Tony! :)

Newtons Prefabs.

The following photos were sent to us by Tony Downend.

I was particularly excited at these photos as they show the Newton "Prefabs" as they were known to us. Tony says they knew them as the "Steel Houses".
I am surprised that there aren't more photos of these houses around as they were very well known in the area.
The photos show the houses during the Coronation  of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Elizabeth ascended the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI on 6 February 1952, and was proclaimed Queen by her various privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. The coronation was held more than a year after the accession, on 2 June 1953. This followed the tradition that a festival such as a coronation was inappropriate during the period of mourning that followed the death of the preceding sovereign.

Does anyone know the history around these houses? Were these particular ones built as emergency housing after the war? What year were they erected and when were they rebuilt into the houses as they are now?


The parents and their children on Busheyfield Close. June 1953


The children on Busheyfield Close. June 1953



Busheyfield Close June 2012

Tony has sent some more photos of the "prefabs" which I will post in the coming week.

Many Thanks, Tony ! :)