Description
In his will dated Feb 1st, 1533, John Waterhouse left twelve pence “to the amendying of Salterhebble.” W.B. Crump wrote that for the present this remains the earliest use of the dialect word “hebble”. In 1637 a fine of £40 was imposed on the inhabitants of Southowram “that they sufficiently repair the King’s highway from a bridge called Salterhebble to a town called Ealand.2 In 1720 Warburton recorded “Over Salter Hebble Beck by A Stone Bridge, 1 Arch, ye same Beck I crossed at Halifax.” At the Pontefract Quarter Sessions in April, 1769, Skircoat and Southowram, which jointly maintained this bridge, were indicted and a gratuity of £65 was allowed.